Did you ever attend any of the law school forums? Any advice about the kinds of questions to ask that you can't find in a viewbook about the school? (IE: I am not going to waste the recruitment rep's time with questions about median LSAT scores or how many student orgs are at the law school).

Are you talking abut the official LSAC ones? I went to one in Madison when I was applying and I thought that was fairly useful. I asked if there was anything special they were looking for in an application, expressed my interest in their school, and mentioned something unique about it - like "I really like that you have a Nacho Law Clinic, I'm very interested in Nacho Law." It also gave me a chance to get a feel for the school - if the school has rude admissions staff, what is the rest of their staff going to be like?

I never did, but then I applied to only one school. I can't imagine recruitment people being terribly informative -- they're basically in sales, you know?

The only law school research I did was reading that Princeton Review book about law schools -- at least I think that's what it was. They were super-awesome because they used one of my quotes in a later edition, which was like the coolest thing ever.

I can't believe I didn't mention this. I also think it's nice to sign in because later you can email or call admissions and say "I stopped by your table at the Somecity law forum and wanted to ask a few more questions" and they'll still have the list. I'm a tour guide and I know they appreciate it when you show interest like that.

So true. Seriously, one recommendation I would add to this is STOP listening to people who haven't been there and take what people who have been there say with a grain of salt. Everyone (including current law students and lawyers) has their own theory on what you should do. My perspective has changed SO much since graduating, taking/passing the bar and starting to work as a lawyer. Just like most of life, everything works differently for different people. When it comes down to it, law school is about learning how to think, studying and preparing well for tests. Don't let the stress of what you "think" law school is fool you and stress you out.

Take away the words law school, and insert the word pledging and it sounds like something my chapter would say to pledges.

I never attended a forum, but questions I asked had to do with the following:

What clinics are available, and to what years?

What's the typical class schedule for a 1L?

What are the library's hours, and what kind of technology is available for those hours?

Is there a certain type of computer I should have on campus?

I mainly just called places and asked questions, so I might not be the best model.

Thanks for the great advice! Some of my friends from my LSAT class and I will be attending one of the upcoming LSAC forums together next month. I'll definitely keep these ideas in mind!

Is it ok to follow up with a handwritten thank you note or is email the way to go?

Thank you note for what? Someone you meet at the LSAC forum? I would so no thank you note needed. They're doing their job and are talking to hundreds of people, so unless they do something particularly special for you, I wouldn't send a thank you note. These are mainly recent law graduates who do this on a semi-part time basis while waiting for their bar results, etc. (I almost did this job last year for my school). Many of them are NOT admissions office staff in that they actually work at the law school or have an office or ever check in there.

I never went to an LSAC forum, but I really don't know what information you can get there that's not already on the internet.

Kddani needs to be a PR rep for Jessica Simpson. She gives great advice!

Hey Danielle, my first advice I'd give Jessica Simpson is less proactive commercials and more showing of the chest

As a tour guide who has gone to forums for their school, no thank you note is needed. The only time I've gotten anything resembling it would be when I get a note that says something like

"Dear GP,

Thanks for giving me a tour and answering my questions about your school. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit more about clinic. Also, do financial aid awards get mailed with admissions letters?

Thanks,
Prospie"

I'd be REALLY weirded out if I got a handwritten thank you note. An email would probably be okay but I still really don't think it's necessary.

So wait, people are only qualified to give advice on a particular subject if they have done or participated in said subject?

How long was it until you got the follow-up emails and fee waivers?

BTW: I'm fully aware that my incessant questions make me sound like a PNM hopped up on caffeine, and with that in mind I really appreciate everyone's patience with all of my questions and your experience.

Don't worry about it - the forum is here for questions, and applying can be a very frustrating process.

I started getting fee waivers within a month of taking the LSATs, and I got emails around the same time (probably from my LSAC file). I didn't go to any of the forums, though, so maybe people who went got the waivers more quickly

Some came about a month after I took the LSAT, and others trickled in throughout the application season. The ones that came from the forum generally came a week or two afterwards.

If you get a fee waiver after you've already applied to the school, you can call and ask to have your application fee refunded.