There are many important reasons why people don’t go to law school or graduate school right after completing undergrad. Fortunately, law schools want to know all about them!
For many, college can be a financial drain on families, and many cannot afford to go to graduate school right away. Given the exponential rise in law school tuition (law school tuition increases exceeded the inflation rate between 2011 and 2019), coupled with the high student loan interest rates that can come with your law school student loans, it is not easy for anyone to afford.
For many others, college can often be a time when mental health and learning challenges start to reach a breaking point, and many begin to understand their psychological and neurological needs and challenges, and access support services for the first time in their lives. For some, to pursue further higher education without first taking a break or beginning a career may be too overwhelming at that time.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Getting experience as a professional before jumping into law school can show your law school that you're invested in developing your professional and leadership abilities, and that can be a great asset on your resume and in your personal statement.
However, at some point in the lives of all advocates, we reach a point where we feel that pursuing higher education might be the very best thing for our well-being, and that we are willing to make sacrifices and adjustments for this great challenge.
So, plan carefully. Access the American Bar Association's 509 Disclosures on scholarship awards, average LSAT scores, and average undergraduate GPAs for the students of last year's incoming classes. Also check out the schools' bar passage rates and employment outcomes. Finally, insert your undergraduate GPA and LSAT score into LSAC's UGPA/LSAC calculator, and find out the chances you have of getting into almost any school where you're thinking of applying (Georgetown and Yale, for example, are not listed). Know before you go!
And remember, it's never too late for higher education aspirations. One of our previous clients, Corey B., didn’t think it was too late, and he just graduated from University of Baltimore School of Law at 65.
To life-long learning,
Shana Ginsburg, Esq.
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