Questions

Getting into Law School

• What is involved in applying to law school?
• What is the LSAT?
• When should I take the LSAT?
• How do I register for the LSAT?
• How do I prepare for the LSAT?
• May I take the LSAT more than once?
• How do law schools use the LSAT score?
• What is the minimum LSAT score or GPA which I can have and still be accepted to law school?
• How does the application fit into admissions process?
• What should I write about in my "personal statement"?
• Where should I apply?
• Which schools are the national, regional and local schools?
• How do I pay for law school?
• What books can I read that will help me understand better what I am getting into?

Getting into Law School

What is involved in applying to law school?

Law schools look at variety of factors in making their admissions decisions; however, three factors usually outweigh all others in their decisions: the Law School Admission Test score (LSAT); prior academic performance (GPA); and the application form, particularly the personal statement by the applicant about why they want to attend that specific law school.

What is the LSAT?

All students applying to any law school in the U.S. or Canada must take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). It is offered four times a year in North America and overseas. The yearly test schedule begins with a test on the second Monday afternoon in June, followed by the first Saturday mornings in October, December, and February. Students taking the LSAT in the morning must arrive by 8:30 am and are usually finished by 1:15 pm. The test is almost always offered at Calvin.

The test is made up of five 35-minute segments and a 35-minute writing requirement. Four of the five sections contribute to the test taker's score. The other section is being "pre-tested" for validity. The student does not know which sections are "live" and which one is being pre-tested. The four sections that make up the score consist of one reading comprehension section, one analytical reasoning section, and two logical reasoning sections. The 35-minute writing sample is not scored by LSAT, but copies are sent to all law school to which you apply. The score scale for LSAT is 120-180. The median score is 151.

The scores are not evenly distributed along the scale - approximately 80% of the participants' scores fall in the middle 25 points of the 60 point scale. In other words, score differences of a few points can make a significant percentile difference near the middle of the scale.

When should I take the LSAT?

It is generally advisable for students to take the LSAT in June a full year before you plan to attend law school (June following your junior year if you plan to attend right after graduating from Calvin). That way you get your score in July and make an early decision about whether you want to begin the lengthy application process. You can, of course, take the LSAT in October, but then you don't get your score until November at the very time when class assignments pile up and Christmas vacation looms on the horizon. Another option is to use the January interim term to prepare for the February test in your junior year. Most law schools require applicants to take the LSAT at least by December in order to be considered for the following fall. There is no benefit to delaying the LSAT until your senior year.

How do I register for the LSAT?

LSAT and LSDAS (Law School Data Assembly Service) Information books are available outside the Pre-Law advisor's office in Spoelhof Center 226 (i). Information is also available at www.LSAT.org. LSAT registration must be completed over the internet four to five weeks in advance of the test, and scores can be accessed over the web, by phone (for a fee) within three weeks or are mailed in four to five weeks after the test. Currently, the fee for just taking the test is $115.00. Those who decide to apply to law school after receiving their score must then subscribe to the LSDAS at a cost of $106.00 a year and also pay a fee for each law school to which scores must be sent ($12). LSDAS is a centralized service that handles sending an applicant's LSAT scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation to law schools.

How do I prepare for the LSAT?

You want to take the LSAT only once, so you should take preparing for the test seriously. You should plan to spend 4-6 hours a week for the 4-6 weeks prior to the test (another reason to consider taking the exam in June when you have more time to prepare). The best way to prepare is to review old LSAT exams to become familiar with the types of questions asked. A copy of one previously used exam can be found in each LSAT Registration and Information Book. In addition, LSAC publishes a variety of different books (available over LSAT.org) that make available previous exams (10 Actual, Official LSAT Prep Tests, The Official PrepTest with Explanations, etc.). It is important to practice with the most recent versions of the prep test available (over the LSAC website for $8 each), because the test has evolved over time. There are also books (such as The Princeton Review) available in local bookstores. You should plan to take these practice exams under the actual time constraints so that you become familiar with how much time you can devote to each question.

In the long run, the best preparation for the LSAT is to take courses at Calvin College that force you to read and engage difficult, abstract text and to write term papers.

Should I take a LSAT review course?

It is not necessary if you spend the time on your own working through previous exams. However, some students still pay for preparatory courses offered by Kaplan, BarBri or Prepmaster Review Service. These courses can be expensive, but they do offer tips on how to improve your test taking abilities, provide an outside discipline to make sure that you prepare, and generally alleviate some jitters. Calvin College does not endorse any specific preparatory course and reminds you that no agency knows what questions will be asked in a LSAT booklet.

You should strongly consider taking a review course if English is not your primary language, or if you study better with groups or outside accountability, or if you need information delivered in multiple styles.

May I take the LSAT more than once?

Yes, but it is not to your advantage. Law schools tend to average the two scores or take the lower of the two scores. In addition, students don't tend to improve their score significantly in the second exam. It will also cost you another $100. You should, instead, prepare thoroughly and go with your first score. The only caveat to this advice is if you have a substantial reason for not performing well the first time (a death in the family, illness, a mechanical problem with the exam).

How do law schools use the LSAT score?

Law schools combine an applicant's GPA with their LSAT score to determine a composite ranking, so a lower GPA can be helped by a higher LSAT score and visa versa. Most schools publish reports, which indicate the average GPAs and average LSAT scores of their first year class. You can find yourself on the grids provided in the Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools found in the pre-law advisor's office. This Official Guide is the best resource to determine how competitive you might be in applying to a particular law school.

The guide is available online at LSAC.org, which includes a very useful tool for sorting law schools according to your GPA and LSAT scores. ("LSAC Data Search"). Such information is useful but not determinative, because law schools consider many factors for individual applicants.

What is the minimum LSAT score or GPA which I can have and still be accepted to law school?

There is no minimum LSAT score or GPA to apply to law school. However, the general rule is that a student who has a LSAT score below 144 or a Calvin GPA below 2.8 probably is not prepared for law school. Remember also that being accepted to law school does not guarantee that the student will pass the bar exam after law school or that he or she will find employment. Students who have questions about being prepared for law school should consult the pre-law advisor.

How does the application fit into admissions process?

Law schools begin with the composite LSAT score and GPA in making their decision, but the application also plays an important role, particularly in close cases. The application gives a student the opportunity to represent himself or herself in the best possible light. In particular, law schools review an applicant's "personal statement" to determine the applicant's writing ability and potential contribution to the law school.

What should I write about in my "personal statement"?

The personal statement is a difficult assignment because you are asked to brag about yourself without sounding arrogant. Tone is everything. When drafting your statement, you should try to answer the question "why is this particular law school the next logical step in the narrative of my life?" Often you can write a strong personal statement by writing about two or three incidents in your life that were pivotal in your decision to apply to law school. Remember most law schools are looking for a broad spectrum of different people (different ethnic backgrounds, socio-economic standing, religious commitments, work and life experiences), and the personal statement is the best place to describe your uniqueness. If you can tie your reasons to go to law school with some particular strength of the law school to which you are applying, then your statement is usually stronger. To do this, you must research the strengths of the law school to which you are applying. The web is a good resource for this type of research.

Your personal statement should not repeat things readily available in the rest of your application (LSAT score, GPA, honors received), and it should not be merely a narrative form of your resume. Remember the admission officer likely has to read at least 500 personal statements, so strive to make it interesting, very well-structured, and mechanically correct. The pre-law advisor can offer more advice and examples of strong personal statements.

Where should I apply?

Law schools are generally ranked in three categories - national, regional, and local. A national law school (top 15-20) typically recruits its students from the whole country and typically places its students across the country. A regional school typically recruits and places students from the states' contiguous to its location (i.e. Indiana University law school recruits and places students in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky). A local school recruits and places students in a particular city or region of a state (John Marshall recruits and places students in the Chicago metropolitan area). In addition, typically the higher- ranked schools will have a better track record in placing their graduates in jobs. Be sure you check with the placement office of your top choices. Find out what percentage of graduates were employed in the first year after graduation and where those jobs were located. If the placement office is not forthcoming, look at another school.

If you are considering a regional or local school, you need to think about where they would like to live and work in choosing where to apply. Don't attend law school in Georgia if you want to live in Wyoming.

Students should consult the Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools to determine where they are competitive for admission. Then you should apply to one or two of the best law schools you think you can get into, apply to two or three that you think fit your scores, and apply to one or two that are a bit below your hopes and dreams but which might come in handy as insurance policies.

Juniors and seniors should also consider attending a Law School Forum in the late summer/early fall of their senior year. These recruiting forums typically feature representatives from more than 120 law schools and provide information on a broad set of law school-related questions. Most students find the forums useful. The closest forum is held in Chicago in September or October. Law School Forums are free but require pre-registration through LSAT.com

Which schools are the national, regional and local schools?

There are all sorts of different national ranking systems for law schools. Each one has its own particular criteria, but they tend to agree about the general ranking of a school. U.S. News and World Reports publishes one of the most influential rankings.

By this measure the top ten law schools include: Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Chicago, Columbia, New York, Virginia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Berkeley. Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, and Georgetown trail right behind.

Solid Midwestern schools in the second tier of law schools (15-50) include: Minnesota, Iowa, Notre Dame, Illinois (Champaign-Urbana), Indiana (Bloomington), Wisconsin, and Ohio State.

Good local schools in the third tier include: Chicago-Kent, Indiana (Indianapolis), Loyola of Chicago, Cincinnati, MSU College of Law, Wayne State and Pittsburgh.

Less strong local schools include: John Marshall, Valparaiso and Cooley.

How do I pay for law school?

Good question. Legal education can be an expensive investment. The cost of a three-year law school education could exceed $140,000. Tuition alone can range from a few thousand dollars to over $30,000 per year. Today, approximately 80% of law school students rely on educational loans as their largest source of financial aid for law school. You should recognize, however, that incurring a significant amount of debt may well limit your career and personal options following law school. The average law school graduate's debt is about $80,000, repayment of which amounts to almost $1,000 a month on a ten-year payment schedule. Remember that the national median salary for the Class of 2004 is $55,000. While law school may be an excellent long-term investment, paying loans in the short term can be a real burden.

New York University Law School financial aid officials recently composed the "Golden Rules of Financing Your Education." The top recommendations are listed below. Live like a student now, or you will live like a student later.

• Budget your money as carefully as you budget your time;
• Not all loans are alike; know the differences and borrow wisely;
• Limit your use of credit cards; save them for emergencies;
• Pay your credit card debt off before you come to school;
• Don't pay tuition with credit cards--there are payment plans available from your school;
• Maintain complete records of your loans; keep track of your debt.
• Independence has its limits--accept any offers of assistance

What books can I read that will help me understand better what I am getting into?

The single best book to help you through applying to law school is the Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. It also has an extensive bibliography. It is available through the LSAT website in either hard copy or electronic form. An interesting, if somewhat neurotic, account of the law school experience is found in Scott Turow's One L: An Inside Account of Life in the First Year at Harvard Law School. A good overview of the legal profession is offered by Mary Ann Glendon in A Nation Under Lawyers: How the Crisis in the Legal Profession is Transforming American Society and Deborah Rhode in In the Interests of Justice: Reforming the Legal Profession.

Some law schools recommend the following book to help you understand the differences between undergraduate and law school:

Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success, by Ruta K. Stropus and Charlotte D. Taylor. Carolina Academic Press (2001).