How to Apply for Law School - Part 1 of 3
So, you want to be a lawyer?
Applying for law school isn’t actually that complicated when you think about it, but many applicants get into trouble when it comes to deadlines and actually filling the form in properly. Some basic steps towards making sure you have done the best you possibly can with this important process are outlined below.
The first piece of advice for an applicant seems almost too simple. Make sure that you apply for the LSAT by the correct deadline. Applicants are still making mistakes with this and missing the boat. Due to the phased aspect of applications, missing the boat could mean you will be stuck idling at home for months, so make sure that you know when the deadline is, and start the ball rolling by setting appropriate targets and goals, within a calendar-based framework, for getting the forms and applications in on time (and accurately filled out). And don’t forget that you can sign up for the test online, which means that there really is no excuse for missing out.
Work out which law schools you want to apply for by going online. There are hundreds of web sites with information about each law school in the country. There is information on rankings, LSAT medians, social life and the quality of the faculty. Check out Law School Reference. Every school has a plus point or two, and knowing this information will help you to make a decision. You should apply to a few anyway, and researching the different schools means that you will also learn about the differences in law schools, thereby becoming more informed about what you want.
Deadlines, again. Make sure that you put together a list of all the deadlines for application for each school. Making a list is the only way to deal with this. It needs to be something you can quickly refer to. Bear in mind that most schools have a deadline from January 1 to March 31 for fall admissions, but some don’t.
Then make sure you head over to the website of the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). This service puts together a detailed report on every law school in the country, and will offer you more information that will help in your application. They also will help you get the right information to right schools. I will post part II tomorrow.