Happy August! We are excited to wrap up this summer with a new and improved website, new instructors, and a growing admissions service. We now have three instructors providing admissions consultations, so I wanted to show you what an initial admissions consultation would look like.
In my first admissions consult with a client, we review the "Law School Application Pie Chart". This visual helps students remember that each part of the law school application is just one piece of a much bigger pie, and that admissions officers will view every candidate's application holistically.
The Law School Application Pie Chart
Above, you'll see that there are variety of parts that comprise the law school application. Note: Some schools will have optional/supplemental essays, and others will not. Additionally, some may have an essay labeled 'Diversity Statement,' but others will offer room for a supplemental essay or additional information but not title it as a diversity statement.
Here is the complete list of slices of the Law School Application Pie:
LSAT* scores and ungraded writing sample (*or GRE score)
Undergraduate GPA (combined by LSAC if completed at multiple institutions, including community colleges)
GPA Addendum for Grade Explanations
Resume
Letters of Recommendation
Personal Statement
Diversity Statement
Optional/Supplemental Essays
Character and Fitness Statement(s)
FAFSA if seeking financial aid
Non-Traditional Students
One of the primary reasons that students get acceptances when their LSAT and UGPA would indicate otherwise, or receive higher than expected scholarship awards, is because of all of the other slices of the pie that the student is carefully preparing for submission.
This is especially true in the case of non-traditional students with significant professional experience. So, be sure to present your professional experience prominently throughout the different slices of your application.
Candidates With Low GPAs
A 2.7 GPA by itself may indicate that a student does not present as a strong academic, but if that same student provided a GPA addendum explaining the variety of factors that resulted in the low GPA, that negative presumption may start to go away.
Isn't it great to know that a low GPA can be balanced out by that decade of professional experience and incredible resume?
If you need assistance developing your application, reach out and request a free phone consult to learn more about our admissions services!