If you’re planning to apply to law school this year, most applications won’t be available until Sept. 1. But now is the perfect time to start planning your submission strategy, particularly your law school profile.
Strengthening your profile can take several months — or even years. By working on these long-term components now, you will be better able to make your application as competitive as possible.
Undergraduates need to consider different factors than postgraduates — here are four tips to help you bolster your law school profile.
1. Develop an LSAT Plan: Your LSAT score will be crucial to your law school admissions results.
One of the reasons admissions committees value the LSAT is because undergraduate institutions do not share a uniform method for evaluating academic performance. Even within the same university, there can be considerable variation in grading policies and measuring academic performance for different majors. Think of the LSAT as a tool that allows law schools to compare vastly different candidates.
[Get insight into how law schools view LSAT scores.]
Develop a study plan that takes into consideration midterms, finals and other academic commitments. I’ve worked with too many applicants who tried to juggle studying for exams alongside last-minute LSAT prep. They end up disappointed with their scores and need to retake.
Remember, the LSAT isn’t a midterm that you can retake for a better score — do not sit for the LSAT as a practice run.
Scores stay on your record for five years, and you can only take the LSAT three times in any two-year period, including cancellations and no-shows.
One of my clients took the LSAT twice without developing a solid study plan, then was disappointed with her third attempt even though she prepared thoroughly after graduating college. Now she is in a position where she would try again but does not want to wait another year to apply to law school.
While it is okay to try again if you believe you can improve your score, take the LSAT seriously every time.
[Create an LSAT plan for next year’s admissions cycle.]
2. Maintain or strengthen your undergraduate GPA: The spring semester often comes with a lot of distractions, particularly if graduation is pending. Now is not the time to slack in your academics.
If you haven’t finalized your schedule, look for courses that both interest you and can potentially boost a less-than-competitive undergraduate GPA. If you’re taking a challenging course load, devote extra time to your studies.
Even if your overall undergraduate GPA is lower than the median range of admitted applicants, demonstrating improvement in your final year or semester in an addendum shows that you have the academic potential to excel in law school.
3. Foster relationships with recommenders: Admissions committees value professors’ recommendations. As an undergrad, you are in a great position to foster relationships that will help you secure letters of recommendation that highlight your academic contributions.
Think about potential recommenders and begin fostering relationships with them.
If most of your coursework is in larger lectures, it is even more important to put in the extra effort to get to know your professors and for them to get to know you. Also do not be afraid to reconnect with professors you studied with in the past.
[Read about the anatomy of a law school recommendation letter.]
But don’t underestimate the importance of a good letter. A current client applied last year and was not admitted. When she followed up with an admissions committee about how to improve her waitlist admission chances, the committee advised her to submit a recommendation that was less generic.
It’s important to make a positive impression. If you want a remarkable recommendation letter, show your professors that you are remarkable. Do more than attending classes and completing assignments.
Engage with the material, visit professors during office hours and come prepared with thoughtful questions and insights about what you’re studying. Later, when you ask for recommendations, give your professors concrete reminders about what you accomplished under their supervision.
4. Bolster your resume: Admissions committees are interested in what you’ve been up to outside the classroom. Your resume localizes this information and helps the committee assess you.
A lot of the undergraduate resumes I see contain SAT and ACT scores and other information relevant to high school. While these achievements helped you get into college, now is the time to cut that material and focus on post-high school achievements.
To supplement your resume, think about substance over quantity. Consider volunteer opportunities if you don’t have any extracurricular involvement. Or, look for leadership opportunities if you’re already active in clubs.
If you’ve never had a job, can you secure an internship to expand your professional skill set? Or explore potential research or publishing opportunities if you love academia.
For those taking a gap year, law schools will be interested to know what you’ve been doing since college. Your plans should involve more than studying for the LSAT and submitting applications.
Most importantly, pursue activities that genuinely appeal to you — adding bullet points for the sake of getting into law school isn’t a valuable use of your time.
Have questions about strengthening your law school profile? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
More from U.S. News
Overcome a Delayed Recommendation for Law School
How to Prepare for Recorded Law School Video Interviews
Decide if the February LSAT Is Too Late
4 Ways Undergraduates Can Strengthen Law School Profile originally appeared on usnews.com
