If you didn’t get into law school this year, it’s never too early to start planning a strategy for next year. Below are five tips that may help you change the results.
- Evaluate your application.
After you’ve licked your wounds, take a hard look at your application and see what needs to be improved and/or adjusted. Is it LSAT scores? Grades? Letters of recommendation? The list of schools that you applied to? Think about yourself as an applicant and what you should focus on and improve during the upcoming months. Think about your list of schools and whether you may need help making appropriate school choice decisions. Accepted can help! - Retake the LSAT.
Your LSAT score is an important element that you can change to increase the competitiveness of your application. If your LSAT is under 160 and you are applying to top programs, I strongly suggest retaking it. Set aside at least three months to study for the LSAT. That said, if you have already taken the LSAT multiple times and don’t anticipate an increase, seeking consultation from an Accepted expert may help bolster other components of the application. - Work.
I recommend that you work for a law firm in an area of law that interests you so that you can get an idea of how the law works and determine if a legal career is for you. If that isn’t an option, consider another business-related job or intern at a district attorney’s office or judge’s chambers. The goal: get relevant legal experience. It will demonstrate your interest both to law schools and potentially to future employers. Is legal experience essential? No. At a minimum, any work experience that shows you have the ability to be hired and hold a job shows the committee you can hold your own in an interview and in the workplace. Just do something! - Network.
The application process is very one-dimensional and you are a human being, I get it. So flex your muscles and get busy making yourself known. Many schools have a “connect with a current student” on their website. Use it. Ask current students questions about their experience. It can be valuable to have an idea of the student profile for your target law schools and make a personal connection in an, at times, impersonal process. - Try again.
It may not be too late in the cycle, some schools are still looking for students through July or August. You didn’t get into your top choice school, but other schools might still have spaces. If you want to go to law school, there are more options than the T-14 or even T-30 where you will get a great education and be able to take advantage of opportunities. Don’t think of it as “rejections” but “redirections”!
It’s hard when you don’t get accepted into law school, but the best response is to use the opportunity to work with an expert to fine-tune your application and make yourself more competitive for next year. Most schools welcome reapplicants, particularly those who have made significant steps to show their interest in law school and improve their qualifications.
Christine Carr is a Harvard graduate with over 15 years of admissions experience, including nine years as Associate Director of Admissions at Boston University School of Law. She has read over 10,000 personal statements and counseled thousands of prospective applicants through the application process Want Christine to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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