Davidson Pre-Law Society Frequently Asked Questions

I. GENERAL POINTS

ˇ Which major should I choose? It does not much matter which major you choose, as long as it helps you think analytically and write well. Select something that you find interesting, challenging, and enjoyable, and work your hardest at it.

ˇ Do I have to take any pre-requisite courses before applying to law school? No.

ˇ Which parts of my application carry the most weight? Law schools generally consider five components, listed here from most to least important: LSAT scores, GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities.

II. THE LSAT/LSDAS

ˇ When should I take the LSAT? June of your junior year is best, early fall of senior year is second best.

ˇ How often should I take the LSAT? Plan to take the LSAT only once. Repeat only if your score is low enough to hurt you or if you have reason to believe that you can do better a second time. Normally, scores vary by no more than a few points. General law school policy: if scores are close, they will be averaged; if scores vary drastically, schools might consider giving more weight to the higher score, especially if you can explain why you bombed one of the tests.

ˇ What is the LSDAS? It is the Law School Data Assembly Service, a central clearinghouse of information about law school applicants. It works like this: you and your professors send your LSAT scores, a copy of your academic transcript, and letters of recommendation along with (surprise!) a fee to the LSDAS; the LSDAS, in turn, provides copies of the same to designated law schools.

III. THE APPLICATION PROCESS

ˇ To how many law schools should I apply? This depends on your personal circumstances and temperament-and on how much cash you have to blow on admissions fees. Most students spread their applications among three categories: "safeties," "maybes," and "fantasies."

ˇ How should I decide which schools to apply to and which one ultimately to attend? After researching widely in the various law school guides, follow the following six pointers: (1) Think twice before picking schools on the basis of special programs alone; try not to sacrifice quality for the sake of a program. (2) Some believe that you should go to the most prestigious school that will admit you and that you can afford. (3) You might also think about what kinds of learning environments you prefer: big school vs. small school, hard-driving vs. warm and fuzzy, etc. (4) Consider which parts of the country you might like to live in during and after law school. Many, though by no means all, law students wind up getting jobs in their law school's general region. This is true roughly in inverse proportion to the prestige of the law school in question. Most Yale students leave Connecticut; most Campbell students stay in North Carolina. (5) Consider applying nationally. Many law schools seek diversity. If you are from Charlotte and attended Davidson, you might have greater "diversity" appeal to the University of Puget Sound, say, than to Wake Forest. (6) Think seriously about applying to one or more of the public law schools in your state of residence; their prices tend to be low and their quality can be very high.

ˇ When should I apply? As early as possible in the fall before you wish to matriculate. Try to have all of your applications in by Thanksgiving. Many schools, irrespective of deadlines, begin to act upon applications as soon as they arrive. (Note: if your fall semester grades stand to raise your GPA considerably, you can consider not sending your transcript in to the LSDAS until fall grades are reported. Provide law schools with all other application materials and inform admissions personnel that your transcript will arrive as soon as fall semester grades are reported. Of course, this can be a risky move at schools with early application deadlines.)

ˇ What should I say in my personal statement? Treat your written statement as your personal interview with the law school. Imagine that the admissions officers at your top choice know but two things about you: your LSAT score and your GPA. What else do you want them to know about you before they turn their thumbs up or down? Make them want to add you to their student body; do so in a way that makes them sit up and stop skimming.

ˇ How can I minimize the damage of a conspicuously low LSAT score or GPA? If you have a legitimate explanation for either, let the admissions people know, either in your personal statement or, better yet, in an accompanying letter. But it had better be good. Do not say something vague, such as: "My grades do not accurately reflect my academic ability." Do say something concrete, such as: "As my transcript shows, I failed every pre-medical class I took; since dropping out of the pre-med program at the end of my freshman year, however, I have carried a perfect 4.0 average." (Or, "I realize that my LSAT score is somewhat below your school's average, but allow me to point out that I took the test just three days after dashing into a burning building to save the lives of a dozen or so orphans. I received second-degree burns on 70% of my body and wound up taking the LSAT in traction, in a mummy-like wrap, on five different pain-killing drugs, writing with my toes." Or, perhaps: "Regarding my disappointing LSAT result, suffice it to say that what I thought was a #2 pencil was actually a #22 pencil. . . .") But seriously, if you have a valid justification for deficiencies in one area of your application, you might let law schools know about it.

ˇ Which activities should I list? Do not list fifty activities. Law schools can spot résumé-padders who flit from club to club doing nothing in depth. Furthermore, none of your fifty listed activities will stick in their minds. It is better to highlight your most important activities, the ones where you actually have done something. Be honest with law schools.

IV. LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

ˇ Which professors should I ask to write letters for me? Choose faculty members who know you well and for whom you have done well. A mix of professors from inside and outside of your major might be a nice touch, but is by no means necessary. The rank of the professor makes little difference.

ˇ How about outside (non-academic) recommendations? If you can get a strong and revealing recommendation from a significant outside-of-school experience, go ahead and submit it. But make sure that it is from someone who has seen you in action and who knows you well. Do not bother sending vague, general recommendations from big-shots who obviously do not know you well.

ˇ How can I make my recommenders' jobs as easy as possible? Your recommenders are doing you an important favor; be considerate in small matters. Heed the following points: read over all law school recommendation forms and fill in all appropriate blanks before submitting them to recommenders; provide an opportunity for your would-be writers to decline gracefully; remind professors of the courses you took with them and the grades you earned in those courses; be prepared to show professors the papers and exams that you wrote in their classes; provide an informal résumé, including relevant background information about yourself-your major, academic highlights, extracurricular activities, work experience, etc.; make your requests far enough in advance to allow your busy writers time to do a decent job; if you cannot submit all necessary materials at once, warn your writers that more forms are on their way; provide stamped envelopes, pre-addressed to the LSDAS or to law schools, not to you; and give writers crystal-clear instructions about what they need to do and when they need to do it. Finally, thank recommenders for their efforts and let them know what happens.

V. THE END GAME

ˇ What should I do if I get wait-listed? If you remain interested in a school that has "wait-listed" you, by all means inform its admissions office of your continued interest. Also, if you can promise with absolute certainty that you will commit to attend the instant you are admitted, go ahead and make that promise. (Obviously, do this with no more than one school and only if you genuinely mean it. Do not go back on your word.) You might also consider hitting "wait-list" schools with additional letters of recommendation, fall semester grades, phone calls from additional recommenders, and any other non-bothersome ways you can think of to keep your name fresh in their minds.

ˇ Should I defer admission? You can give it a shot, but not all law schools allow deferrals. Many admissions officers believe that applicants who defer will never be heard from again. These schools will tell you merely to apply again when you are ready to attend. But do not despair: waiting a year or more to apply might actually make you stronger candidate than you are now than you are now, enabling you to raise your aim.

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