Overview

Application Timeline

Below is the most comprehensive timeline to help guide you through every step of applying to law school. Whether you're still in college or graduated long ago, our timeline/checklist begins approximately 2 years before you start attending law school (e.g., the fall of your junior year if you're in college).

When applying to law schools, you should expect to be rejected by at least 1 school you apply to. That's because you should be applying to at least some law schools that have LSAT and GPA scores that are higher than yours (unless, of course, you got a 4.0 from Harvard and a 180 on the LSAT). Think of it this way: if at the end of the application process you are accepted to every law school you applied to, and you didn't apply to some other schools because you didn't think you would get in, then you'll always wonder.

24-19 MONTHS (AUGUST-JANUARY JUNIOR YEAR)

Research Law Schools. Research law schools online at AdmissionsDean and LSAC.
Draft List of Law Schools. Create draft list of law schools to apply to, and begin tracking them on AdmissionsDean.
Decide When to Take the LSAT. (We recommend either February or June the year before you apply to law school.)
Prepare for the LSAT. If taking the LSAT in February, begin preparing to take the LSAT. (We recommend that you take an LSAT prep course or engage a tutor; at a minimum, buy and take 10-15 actual old LSATs and engage in rigorous self-study.)
Setup LSAC Account & Register for LSAT. If taking the LSAT in February, set up your LSAC account online and register for the LSAT at least 30 days before the exam. Registering with the LSAC and using their Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) is mandatory to apply to most law schools. Your LSAC account allows you to:
- 1 Purchase LSAT prep materials, including all old actual LSAT exams
- 2 Register to take the LSAT
- 3 Receive your LSAT score early by email
- 4 Register for free Law School Forums (see below)
- 5 Use the LSAC!s LSDAS service
- 6 Apply online to law schools
- 7 Login to check your application status with most schools
Identify Recommendation Letter Writers. Draft a list of possible persons to write a total of 2-4 law school recommendation letters on your behalf. Make sure to cultivate those relationships during this time. If you are in college or about to graduate, approach professors who can speak to your academic abilities now and ask them to put letters on file with your college registrar. If you've graduated and been out of school for a number of years, a letter of recommendation should come from an employer/supervisor at a meaningful job you've held.
Meet with Pre-Law Advisor. If your college has a pre-law advisor, meet him/her and attend any pre-law events your college sponsors.
Attend Free Pre-Law Forums. Consider attending free third-party pre-law forums. The LSAC sponsors free Law School Forums in major cities across the US where prospective law students can attend live workshops, and meet with law school representatives and LSAC officials. In addition, while we do not endorse any particular LSAT prep course, at least Kaplan and The Princeton Review provide free forums that usually include panel discussions with law school admissions deans and admissions consultants, as well as LSAT prep teachers, where you can have many questions answered for free.

Go To Our Full Application Timeline

PERSONAL STATEMENTS
In writing your personal statement, you are both the lawyer (advocate) and the client (subject matter). Your job is to advocate in the most effective way possible on behalf of your own law school candidacy. To "win" this case, you have to convince the judge and jury (the admissions committee) that your candidacy is compelling enough to gain admission. Let us show you how.

Go To Our Full Personal Statements Page

RECOMMENDATION LETTERS
Effective letters of recommendation help your chances of admission to law school -- particularly good ones can push you from low on the wait list towards the very top, or can open the door for someone who is otherwise merely a borderline candidate -- but they will never gain you outright admission if your LSAT and GPA numbers are otherwise insufficient. We can help you solicit recomm- endation letters that make a difference.

Go To Our Full Recommendation Letters Page

Michael States

BETTER KNOW A DEAN

"[Q]uite honestly, we have a presumption against admitting transfer students from other law schools in North Carolina." - Michael States - Assistant Dean for Admissions, UNC Law

Have you ever wanted to ask a Law School Dean about his or her law school? Or an Admissions Dean about writing an effective personal statement? Or a Law School Professor about how to write an effective law school exam answer? We've asked these and many more questions of deans and professors across the country in our Better Know A Dean/Professor series. Read on, and remember to check back in as we regularly conduct new interviews.

See All Interviews

ADMISSIONS CONSULTANTS

Could you use some professional help in navigating the admissions process, writing your personal statement, and completing your applications? Well, you're not alone. Every year, thousands of law school applicants employ the services of admissions consultants, ranging from LSAT prep companies that also do admissions consulting, to independent admissions consultants whose ranks include former admissions deans, admissions committee members, lawyers, law students, and professional writers, among others. We've got the lowdown on the services that they offer.

LSAT PREP COMPANIES THAT DO ADMISSIONS CONSULTING

Of the 5 major LSAT prep companies, 4 advertise admissions consulting services on their websites...

	Blueprint	Kaplan	PowerScore	Testmasters
Hourly Cost	$125/hour	$249/extra hour only after buying a package	$100/hour	$200/first hour $150/extra hour
Packages Costs	$200/Initial Consultation (2 hours) $200 / Personal Statement Assessment (1.5 hours plus outline or detailed revisions) $400 / Value Consultation Package (about 4 hours of personal statement/application consulting, including outline & revisions) $100 / Tailor Your Essay (sample paragraph & advice on tailoring your essay to specific schools)	$729/3 hours $1,259/6 hours $1,929/10 hours	$290/3 hours ($175/ extra 2 hours) $450/5 hours ($90/ extra hour) $560/7 hours ($80/extra hour)	None
Premium Package Costs	$800/Premier Personal Statement (nearly unlimited time for 1 essay)$1,600/Premier Application Consulting (nearly unlimited time for up to 4 essays)	$2,579/15 hours $249/extra hour	None	$1,250/10 hours $125/extra hour
Advertised Credentials of Admissions Consultants	They have helped hundreds of students with their applications and essays, undergoing rigorous training.	Most have served on law school admissions committees and most have their JDs.	Years of experience reading and revising personal statements. Many applied to law school, many have had legal, journalism or professional writing careers.	All applied to and were accepted by Top 20 graduate schools.

SHOW DETAILS

Go To Our Full Admissions Consultants Page

TOP FEEDER COLLEGES

Ever wonder which colleges/universities are the top feeders for law schools? Below is a list of the Top 240 feeder colleges and universities, and the number of applicants from each. Click on a college/university to see all AdmissionsDean Applicants from that school.

RANK

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY	STATE	2007-08 LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS	CURRENT ADMISSIONSDEAN APPLICANTS
1	U Florida	FL	1158	6
2	U TX-Austin	TX	980	8
3	UMich-AnnArb	MI	864	4
4	FL St U-Tall	FL	737	4
5	IL-Urb Champ	IL	671	2

Go To Our Full Top Feeder Colleges Page

TOP FEEDER STATES

Ever wonder which states are the top feeders for law schools? Below is a list of the number of applicants coming from each state (plus DC, the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Canada) based on the applicant data of the Top 240 feeder schools. Click on a state to see all AdmissionsDean Applicants from that state.

RANK	STATE/TERRITORY	2007-08 LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS	CURRENT ADMISSIONSDEAN APPLICANTS
1	California	5263	81
2	New York	4238	51
3	Florida	4172	38
4	Texas	3386	37
5	Massachusetts	2551	29

Go To Our Full Top Feeder Colleges Page

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