Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q&A, a monthly feature that provides law school admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles.
If you have a question, email us for a chance to be featured next month.
This week, I will discuss how to reapply and goals for taking the LSAT to compensate for a less competitive undergraduate performance.
I am reapplying to law school. Last year, I submitted my applications just in time to make the deadlines and was wait-listed at George Washington University, which is my top choice. I got into a few other programs but had a change of heart and decided not to enroll.
A couple questions: Will my applications be regarded negatively if I submit again? What should I do this time around to improve my chances of being admitted? -Reapplying
Dear Reapplying:
It is not unusual for applicants to reapply. That said, schools where you were accepted may regard your application warily the second time around and wonder why you did not accept their initial offer.
If you reapply to these programs, establish that you are committed to pursuing a law career and will seriously consider an offer to enroll. Incorporate school-specific research to explain why you are interested in their program — this could allay concerns.
[Find smart ways to reapply and get involved in law school.]
In general, schools where you were not admitted or where you were wait-listed will evaluate your application with the same consideration as before. You can improve your chances in four ways: improve your LSAT score, apply early, update your letters of recommendation and rewrite your application essays.
The LSAT is a significant component of your applications. Assuming that your undergraduate GPA is fixed at this point, improving your LSAT score will give admissions committees fresh criteria to evaluate.
Next, if you aren’t planning to retake the LSAT, then try to submit your applications this fall. A school like George Washington University has a rolling admissions process and begins to make decisions starting in November. The earlier you can submit in the cycle, the more spaces are available.
If you applied last cycle, many law schools will still have your application materials on file, including your letters of recommendation. Most likely you already asked for recommendations from individuals you felt would write the strongest endorsements.
However, you may want to provide a new letter to supplement those on file. Add an academic letter of recommendation or one that addresses experiences you’ve gained since you last applied.
George Washington requires at least one letter but will accept up to three. Check with each school’s admissions committee to ask whether your letters from last cycle are still available and, if so, how many new letters you can submit when you reapply.
Finally, remember that admissions committees have already read the personal statement and any supplemental essays you submitted last year. While those essays got you into some programs, they didn’t get you into your top-choice school.
Take the written portions of your application seriously. Develop strong essays that focus on what you’ve accomplished since you last applied. Make a case for why you are more prepared than ever to excel in law school.
[Know whether retaking the LSAT and updating an application are necessary.]
I plan to take the LSAT this December and I have a GPA of 3.1 from Cornell University. What score do I need to make on the LSAT to have a chance of getting into the top 20 list of law schools? –Chances
Dear Chances:
Law schools keep their criteria for evaluating undergraduate GPA and LSAT scores close to the chest. They don’t want applicants to be discouraged from applying because of weak numbers.
Here’s a way to think about your target LSAT score. If your undergraduate GPA is below the 25th percentile of applicants admitted to a specific school the prior cycle, then you will want your LSAT to be above the 75th percentile. That way, you become a splitter — an applicant with an LSAT score and GPA that split between low and high marks — with the potential to sway results in your favor.
[Learn to manage a split in GPA, LSAT scores as a law school applicant.]
At a top-ranked school like Washington University in St. Louis, a 3.15 undergraduate GPA was the 25th percentile of admitted applicants in fall 2016. A 169 was the 75th percentile of LSAT scores. That means you’d want to shoot for a 169 or higher.
However, at most of the top 20 law schools, your undergraduate GPA falls well below the 25th percentile. I have seen applicants with GPAs below the 25th percentile get into top 20 programs, but those candidates had exceptional accomplishments to compensate.
If both your numbers are below the 25th percentile, that doesn’t mean you are out of the running — but you will be facing an uphill battle.
Regardless, the rest of your application materials need to be as compelling as possible. Do not rely on a strong LSAT performance to get you in the door.
More from U.S. News
Revise Law School Personal Statements Before Applying
Master Law School Admissions as a Second-Career Applicant
Explain Reasons for Applying to Specialized Law Programs
Law School Reapplication, LSAT Target Score Strategies originally appeared on usnews.com
