It’s never to early to start thinking about starting your law school applications, particularly if you’re going to apply in the fall of 2010. By starting now and creating an application and LSAT study schedule, you will be able to divide up your time in the most advantageous way possible, while also giving yourself plenty of leeway to successfully complete both the LSAT and your applications, as well as take care of any problems that happen along the way.
The following is a 10-month plan that will have you ready to submit your applications in October of 2010, at the start of the rolling admissions process, with room to spare. This plan will allow you to spend two months taking an LSAT course or studying for the LSAT on your own, as well as provide you with plenty of time to get all your law school application components done.
Keep in mind two important points:
1. Ideally, you should not try to do your applications and study for the LSAT at the same time.
2. You should have your applications ready for submission as soon as your LSAT scores are released.
Be careful: Don’t underestimate the amount of time and mental resources studying for the LSAT will take. It is likely to be an all-consuming effort, and trying to balance the LSAT with all the different elements of your application will likely result in your doing too many things at once. Separate your LSAT prep from your applications and you will increase your chances of doing well on both.
The following plan assumes an October LSAT date. Should you take the June LSAT, the months can be tweaked accordingly. Remember, however, to give yourself at least two months to study for the LSAT–you’ll need the time!
January: Start thinking about which schools you want to apply to. Of course, this will vary over time, and will ultimately be honed down by your GPA/LSAT combination, but it’s always good to have an idea of where you want to go and why. Also, since you’re not taking the LSAT until October, knowing which schools you want to apply to will also allow you to know around what number your LSAT score should be. Spend the month of January investigating schools and potential specializations, and putting together a “potential school” list.
February: Sign up for LSDAS (which you can do either on its own or when you sign up for the LSAT). Then thoroughly complete all the biographical information required on your profile. This is just one of those things that you can do ahead of time, and since the information you enter there will be auto-populated into your applications later on, you’ve already technically completed at least one part of your applications. Also, start thinking about potential recommenders. The sooner you can let them know that you will want a letter from them, the better. Make sure to pick your recommenders carefully and be involved in the writing of the letters. Check out this video to learn about who to pick and why.
March: Approach your recommenders formally and have them start working on your letters. Give them a deadline of June, so that they have plenty of time, and make sure to check on them periodically to ensure they’re keeping on track. Start thinking about potential personal statement topics. Check out this video to learn a little more about what AdComs are looking for in a personal statement.
April: Start writing your personal statement. Once you’ve written your first draft, walk away for a few days. Then come back and revise the draft. Then walk away for a few days. Then come back and revise the draft. And so on. This will allow you to have some distance between you and what you’re writing. If you’re having trouble narrowing down topics, write rough drafts of various topics and have someone else read them (preferably someone that knows you well, but not too well), and tell you which one is the most powerful. Then work on that topic exclusively. Also, work on your résumé. Get it updated and cleaned up. Many schools will ask for one in your application materials, and so it’s important to have a good, solid, updated résumé ready for submission.
May: You should have your personal statement almost completed. Now is the time to write a “diversity statement.” Although not all schools ask for one, many do, and it’s always good to have one on hand. The diversity statement basically answers the question, “What will you bring to XYZ Law School?” Many students believe that the diversity statement is reserved for those applicants of a specific racial background or who are members of an underrepresented minority. While it is true that these students should definitely write diversity statements, that doesn’t mean other students shouldn’t. Think about what makes you unique (Are you the first in your family to attend college/law school? Are you the youngest of 12 siblings? Are you a first-generation American? Have you worked in unusual positions or locations?); when law schools say “diversity,” they’re not just talking about race, they’re taking about diversity of experience. If your experiences make you see life and your surroundings in a different way, then you’ve got “law school diversity”–and you should talk about it.
June: Talk to your recommenders and make sure they are done with the letters. Give them the required LSDAS LOR forms and have them send in your letters to LSDAS for processing. Finalize your personal statement, diversity statement, and résumé. Look into whether the schools you are applying to require a Dean’s Certificate–if they do, obtain the form and submit it to the appropriate office at your undergraduate institution. Obtain LSDAS Transcript Request forms, submit one to every undergraduate and graduate institution you’ve attended, and have them send in the forms to LSDAS for processing.
July, August: Study for the LSAT.
September: Most ABA-approved law schools make their applications available on LSDAS on September 1st. Log into your LSAC account, pull up school applications, and check them over carefully for any “supplemental essay” opportunities (i.e., “optional” essays or long-answer questions that you can use to present another aspect of your candidacy or of your personality). Check the status of your LORs and transcripts on LSDAS–if any are missing, contact the appropriate people/offices and get it fixed ASAP. Continue studying for the LSAT.
October: Take the LSAT. Once you’ve taken it, take a week off and relax. Score are usually released 3-4 weeks after taking the test, so you’ve got some time. Work on any supplemental essays, upload your personal statement and diversity statement to LSDAS, and start going over the applications to the schools you’ll submit. Once scores are released, if you’re pleased with your score and won’t take the LSAT again, send your applications in! You’ll be sending them at the beginning of the rolling admissions cycle, which will improve your chances, and you should be able to hear back before the end of the year for many schools.
