Law School Advice
 

So, I'm going to a Law Forum tomorrow and I want to know if anyone has any advice for me. I'm re-taking the LSATs in October. I'm applying as early as possible to some of the schools. My top choice school is in New York but, I am also really looking at a school in New Jersey and Michigan. Any words of encouragement or advice would be greatly appreciated.

What kind of advice are you looking for exactly?

Anything about applying to law school, interviewing, taking the LSATs, speaking with law school representatives, etc. ANY advice you would like to give would be very helpful. I've written my personal statement and diversity statement, along with the addendum to school withdraw (for when I got sent to Iraq). Anything else would be great!

Advice for attending forums: don't ask questions when you can find the answers easily on the law school's web sites. Don't bother talking with schools you aren't interested in. Go early to the table at the "big" school in your region because the table will be flooded with locals once the program gets fully underway.

Advice for taking the LSAT: fork out the $1K to take a prep course with Testmasters or a similar LSAT prep company and do the work to get your score up as much as you can. $1K is a small amount when you consider the amount of money you will be spending on law school.

Advice on the applications: get someone you trust to proofread your applications as well as your personal statement, etc. for each school. Submit a resume to each school. Overall keep in mind that your grades and LSAT score matter A LOT more than anything else in your application package and apply accordingly. For an idea of where people in your grades and LSATs ranges ended up last cycle, check out lawschoolnumbers.com for an average.

Great advice - if the changes go through in the US News ranking formula, a lot of schools may be weighing grades and LSATs even MORE heavily (as if it's possible). Be very honest with yourself about your qualifications, where you can get in, and where you want to practice after graduation. It will make the process a lot easier.

The only thing I would add is that, if you can't afford the money to take an LSAT course, you shouldn't fret. I wasn't able to, so I bought a few books off Amazon; I bought all of the model question/answer booklets that are available, as well as a couple of the Kaplan books. I had a schedule where I would study for a couple of hours every evening, and then take a practice exam almost every Saturday leading up to the exam. I also took the free practice exams offered by Kaplan and the other prep courses. Overall, I ended up doing pretty well.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me. Good luck with the process.

I absolutely think Testmasters and that lot is a waste of money. Buy the books and do all the practice exams. The only time I'd consider a class like that is if you had an awful score - like sub-150 or something.

When attending forums, ask specific questions. I'm an alumni recruiter for my school and I am very impressed when someone will ask about specific programs we offer or professors that we have. It shows that they are interested in our school and not just wandering to every table trying to steal pens.

Good luck on your law school pursuits and retaking the LSAT. I take it on Saturday too! The date sneaks up on you! I definitely think you should not focus on your top school. I have been researching the heck out of schools so my top picks changes every couple of days. I have a list of 12 different schools, and I would be happy at any of them. You should go to the LSAT website. They have a page where you can enter your UGPA and LSAT score. It gives you a realistic picture of the likelihood getting accepted to schools. Anyway, good luck! :)