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 using discretionary funds to get support in the law school admissions process and leveraging military experience in a personal or diversity statement.
[Read: How to Offset Law School Costs With Outside Scholarships.]
I plan to apply to law school for the 2019-2020 academic year. I have taken the LSAT but I will be taking it again in the fall, and I’m hoping to do significantly better. I have set aside some money, and I’m wondering whether I should use the funds for tutoring/ test prep or law school application preparation support? –Where to Spend
Dear Where to Spend:
The choice about how to spend money is highly personal and you are in the best position to know just how much you have to spend and how this lines up with the costs of the services you are assessing.
Full disclosure: I am a law admissions counselor with Stratus, which provides admissions consulting services to law school applicants. There are a wealth of support opportunities out there from which to choose.
My best advice to you is to first and foremost understand the weaknesses in your candidacy as it relates to your preferred schools.
For your dream schools, what is missing in your profile? How far away from the mark is your LSAT score? What do you plan to write about in your law school application essays, and are you a strong writer? What are likely to be the weakest components of your applications?
While many schools now accept the GRE, many still do not, and the reality is that the LSAT still matters a great deal. If you notice a big gap between where you are and where you’d like to be, engage a tutor or, at the very least, take a rigorous test-preparation course to support you to bridge that gap.
Consider also taking the GRE, in addition to the LSAT, particularly if you believe you can perform relatively better on the GRE.
If the LSAT gap is narrow, you could choose to increase your own studies and practice and use the funds you’ve set aside for other application-related support.
Many admissions consulting companies offer a variety of service packages to help applicants assemble strong applications. Take a close look at your shortfalls. Where are you likely to face the biggest challenges in the application-preparation process? Look to purchase services tailored to your needs.
Ideally, and of course depending on the funds you have to spend, you will be able to create a win-win and get both the test-preparation and broader application support you need to bolster your candidacy.
[Read: How to Overcome an LSAT Score Plateau.]
I am currently deployed in Afghanistan and my experiences here could make a great personal statement; however I can’t help but wonder if law schools really understand or care about combat experiences? Is an applicant whose story is inaccessible to most Americans going to look attractive to an admissions board? –JAG Hopeful
Dear JAG Hopeful:
Thank you for your service! Take a look at this piece published last November that offers guidance to law school applicants with military experience.
Generally, I encourage law school candidates with a background in the military to embrace that experience and write about it in their law school applications. Law schools are increasingly committed to creating diverse student bodies, and you should know that your background will likely be attractive because it is unique.
The personal statement is certainly one essay through which you could highlight your background. You could also write about your military experience in a diversity statement and use the personal statement to highlight a different aspect of your candidacy.
If you were to write about your experience in Afghanistan in any law school essay, focus less on the combat and more on the character traits you possess that have enabled you to withstand the rigors of your training and deployment that also translate to law.
[Read: 5 Traits Law Students Can Develop to Be a Military Attorney.]
Also, avoid using jargon that application readers may not understand. Tell the story not only of what happened and what you saw but also what you think, what you learned and how your experiences position you well for success in law school and in a career in law.
For example, you could relay a story of a combat situation that acts as the backdrop for you to convey character attributes such as discipline and commitment, both of which are key predictors of success in law school. By connecting the dots in this way, you will be able to make a potentially inaccessible story understandable to admissions committee members.
If, as your signature line indicates, you are interested in becoming a judge advocate in the JAG Corps, you could write about what’s driving you to remain involved in the armed forces. Explain how your military service has been a steppingstone in this path and why law school is the next logical step to take to realize your goal.
More from U.S. News
Understand the Cost, Payoff of Law School Before Getting a J.D.
How to Go to Law School for Free
Why Work Experience Matters for Law School Applicants
How Law School Applicants Can Spend Extra Funds Wisely originally appeared on usnews.com
