How to Apply to Law School

With personal statements, transcripts, letters of recommendation and standardized test scores to report, applying to law school is no piece of cake. Give yourself plenty of time before the application's due date.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• LSAT Study Guides
• Individual School Requirements And Application
• Paper And Pencils

1. Register and prepare for the LSAT (the standardized test for law school) by the deadline. You can sign up for the test online by following the instructions at the Law School Admission Council's (LSAC) Web site (lsac.org).
2. Subscribe to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS), a service that prepares and provides a report for each law school to which you apply. Almost all American Bar Association-approved law schools require the LSDAS. You can subscribe online at the LSAC Web site.
3. Determine which law schools you're interested in applying to. There are many sources, both online and in local bookstores, that rank the top law schools in the country. Attending a law school recruitment forum can also help you make your choices.
4. Make a list of the application deadlines for each of the schools. Visiting the online site for a particular school is the best way to find out any and all deadlines. Most schools mark their deadline from January 1 to March 31. The application deadline for the School of Law at Yale University, for example, is mid-February.
5. Request a hard copy (on paper) of the school's application. This can be done by contacting the individual school through its Web site.
6. Receive your LSAT admissions ticket and take the test.
7. Save your LSDAS subscription confirmation, and update your LSDAS file continually. LSDAS compiles all your undergraduate, graduate and professional school transcripts, LSAT scores, LSAT writing section copies, and letters of recommendation.
8. Request that an official transcript be sent to the LSDAS from the registrar's office of each school you attended. Allow two weeks from the time of receipt for the LSDAS to process your transcripts.
9. Ask that letters of recommendation be written and sent directly to the LSAC or directly to law schools as appropriate. Allow two weeks from the time of receipt for the LSAC to process your letters of recommendation.
10. Receive a Master Law School Report once all undergraduate transcripts have been summarized.
11. Completely fill out and send the application for each of your law school choices. Read all instructions carefully and make sure to pay all fees. Each law school will then contact LSDAS and obtain your compiled information.
12. Receive an activity update that indicates reports have been sent to law schools. This can be checked online at the LSAC Web site.
13. Wait and hope. Interviews will be next.

Tips & Warnings

• You may consider seeking the advice of a pre-law consultant, possibly an old adviser from your undergraduate study. Online sources are also available that can help improve personal statements and essays.
• Check for early application procedures and deadlines. Early applicants often earn acceptance well before the general application deadline. If you're ahead of the game, you may want to check this option out.
• Retake the LSAT if necessary. You must register again by the deadline.
• Even though the fees quickly add up, apply to more than enough law schools. Many students apply to between 15 and 20. Just in case, make sure to apply to a few "safety" schools - places where you have a great shot at getting in.