How Applying to Law School Early Could Pay Off
Many law schools use a rolling admissions process, meaning they evaluate applications as they come in and release admissions decisions, one by one.
Because there are typically more spots available in a law school class at the beginning of the admissions process than at the end, the ideal time for J.D. hopefuls to apply to law school is in the fall or early winter, experts say.
"I tell anyone planning on applying to law school to apply early," Dineen Pashoukos Wasylik, a partner and owner of DPW Legal, an intellectual property and appellate practice boutique law firm in Florida, wrote in an email. "The class just fills up, and it gets harder and harder to get in as time goes on."
Wasylik, who earned her J.D. from Georgetown University, says she knows from experience that the timing of a J.D. application is critical. The first time she applied to law school, Wasilyk was in her senior year of college, and she submitted all her application materials at the last minute because she felt unsure about whether she wanted to attend law school at the beginning of her senior year. She only realized later in her senior year that law school was the logical next step for her, and says she was disappointed by the responses she got from law schools when she eventually did apply.
Evaluate How These Soft Factors Might Impact Your Law School Chances
A lot of factors go into consideration when an admissions committee evaluates a law school application. Many are obvious, such as GPA, LSAT scores, personal statement, letters of recommendation and resume.
Many, however, are unaware that there are other aspects of an applicant that don't necessarily appear on any one document that may grant them a positive nudge when being assessed by law schools. We call these "soft factors," and if one of them is part of your life experience, you would do well to highlight it in your application to improve your chances.
Highlight military service. Schools love veterans, as they typically have the discipline, maturity, and life experience that many applicants – especially those applying from college – may lack. However, as you'll see in almost any soft factor, not all veterans are viewed the same.
Any decorations – especially the rarer ones, such as a Service Crosses or a Silver Star – would give you a leg up on other veterans, so you should discuss the circumstances surrounding any decoration in a personal statement or an optional essay. Additionally, commissioned service, or serving as an officer, is viewed more favorably, as it carries with it additional training and leadership experience.
Showcase outstanding co-curricular achievements. If you have had a paper published in a recognized journal in your research field, or have won awards from recognized outside groups for your research, those are fantastic achievements to highlight on your law school application.
Obviously, the more widely accepted and cited your paper is, the more weight it will carry with schools. Similarly, being a recipient of a prestigious scholarship would also work in your favor, the more exclusive the better.
Play up work experience and relevant expertise. Think about how exclusive your position was to determine how much weight it will be given. Scooping ice cream is unlikely to move a needle much, but being a top-tier executive at a Fortune 500 company would be quite appealing to law school. The expertise, knowledge, determination and demonstrated work ethic are exactly what law schools expect from their students and alumni.
Similarly, being even somewhat-widely known in your field, perhaps by coming up with a new treatment as a doctor or a new approach to a common problem, should also be highlighted. Finally, some relevant, extensive work experience in a field relevant to legal field, for example, working as a chemist for a biotech company who is now looking to get into IP law, could also reflect favorably with the admissions committee.
Demonstrate your leadership experience in school. Even in college you’ll have a chance to shine in many capacities, but here too the specifics matter too. The more people relied on your guidance and the more pressure you were under, the better your application will look.
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