If you’re a busy postgraduate, it can be challenging to find time to work on your law school applications. With several months until September, when most applications become available, use this time to prepare — this can make the submission process more manageable.
Your responsibilities have shifted since graduating from college, which also means you need to consider different factors than undergraduates when crafting your application strategy. Here are four tips to help you expedite the submission process.
1. Plan for the LSAT: For people who have already graduated, the LSAT demonstrates that you will be able to meet the academic demands of law school.
Admissions committees value this tool as a way to assess your reading comprehension and logical reasoning skills, particularly if you have been out of school for a while. The LSAT is also a uniform means of evaluating candidates from diverse professional backgrounds.
It may have been a few years since you’ve studied and taken an exam. As such, develop a long-term study plan that gives you time to sharpen these skills.
[Follow a four-month LSAT study plan.]
Also invest in your LSAT prep. Practicing with official, full-length exams — especially in paper form — will give you a better feel for the test. Print booklets and ebooks of prior exams are available.
Studying while working full time can be challenging. While former clients have either been able to use a conference room to study during breaks or take a leave of absence, most employees don’t have this luxury. Treat LSAT prep like a part-time job — create a schedule and complete assignments diligently.
[Create an LSAT plan for next year’s admissions cycle.]
2. Reconnect with academic mentors: Since law school is academically oriented, admissions committees like to see recommendations from professors, lecturers and teaching assistants that explain your academic work.
However, securing academic letters a few years after college can be difficult. Don’t be afraid to reach out to former professors.
Be mindful that professors are often more available during the school year, so try to contact them before the frenzy of midterms and finals and before summer.
If you need to compensate for a less competitive undergraduate GPA, consider enrolling in an extension course. Doing well not only shows that you can thrive in an academic environment, but it also give you the opportunity to ask your instructor for a recommendation.
If you cannot secure an academic letter, don’t worry. Ask a professional recommender to emphasize any academic components of your work that speak to your writing, research and analytical skills.
[Read about the anatomy of a law school recommendation letter.]
3. Improve your resume: Law schools want to know what you’ve been doing since college. Often applications will ask you to complete a supplemental short response in addition to your resume that accounts for how you have spent your time.
Postgraduate applicants have the advantage of more experience than undergrads. Some law schools even explicitly prefer postgrads.
For example, 90 percent of the 2016 incoming class at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law 2016 incoming class had at least one year of postundergraduate experience. Be sure to showcase professional accomplishments on your resume.
Now is also the time to develop plans for your future. What will you be doing to move your career forward during the next year? Consider whether you can take on a new project or expand your role.
Likewise, identify weaknesses on your resume. Are you lacking extracurricular activities? If so, look for opportunities to volunteer in your community or mentor undergrads.
Be sincere when seeking out new experiences. Any undertaking should be inherently valuable, not something you do just to impress admissions committees.
[Learn how to make a law school resume.]
4. Brainstorm personal statement topics: Admissions committees will be curious about your motivations for making this career change. The best place to explain these motivations is in your personal statement.
Many postgrads confess that they don’t like their jobs and want to go to law school to try something new. This is not a compelling reason to become a lawyer. Each time I’ve probed clients about their work and interests, we’ve uncovered a deeper explanation for what connects them to the law.
Others have clear reasons for applying to law school but are unsure how to filter their experiences into an essay. Sometimes postgrads reach too far into the past to explain their present-day motivations.
I worked with a client who planned to write about his undergraduate observations of the disproportionate minority impact in the criminal justice system. After our strategy meeting, he realized he wanted to go to law school to build on his postgrad work in responsible land use.
Be sure to reflect on why you’re attracted to the law. Don’t commit to an essay topic until you’ve done this introspective work.
Have questions about facilitating the law school application process? Email me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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4 Ways College Grads Can Expedite the Law School Application Process originally appeared on usnews.com
