The Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, published by the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), lists the following as the criteria used most by law schools in evaluating prospective students.

Personal Statement
Course of Study - Difficulty and Depth
Quality of Undergraduate Courses
Letters of Recommendation
LSAT score
Grade Point Average
College Activities
College Attended
Ethnic Background
Post College Activities
Uniqueness
Personality
Motivation to Study Law
State of Residency

Most schools publish their admission criteria on their websites. Law School Panels are available in the Fall semester each year and serve as a great way to ask specific questions from an admissions representative. The Alumni Institute Career Assistance Network (ICAN), serves as an added resource to help you collect information on law schools. Speaking with an alumni will provide you with a student perspective on the experience and quality of education at the law school he or she attended.

Activities & Work Experience

Admissions committees are interested in applicants who, in addition to having good academic credentials, are well rounded. Life experiences both in and out of the classroom are important in evaluating applicants. Law schools are looking for individuals that bring a unique perspective, background, and insight to strengthen the classroom dynamic and intellectual exchange in law school. Student leadership activities, work experiences, and personal life challenges are all elements that are considered when evaluating and making decisions on what applicants to accept.

Academic Credentials

Your GPA is an important factor to being competitive with other law school applicants. It is recommended that a student maintain a 4.2/5.0 or greater GPA to be considered for the most competitive schools. Please note that your GPA is an important factor, but it certainly isn't the only factor considered. By reviewing the data on our website you will see that there is a range of GPAs accepted. Please remember however, that Admissions committees consider all aspects of an application when making selection decisions.

It will be in your best interest to choose a manageable, yet challenging course load. In addition, do not feel as though you need to be a specific major to go to law school. Choosing a major that most interests you will be in your favor and will probably have a positive affect on your GPA. If your grades become a concern, or if you are finding yourself becoming stressed, please come talk with a member of the Preprofessional staff or with another student advisor or counselor. There are many resources and MIT staff available to you. These include the medical department, psychiatry and social work , the religious counselors and the staff in the Office of Counseling and Support Services.

Law School Admission Test (LSAT)

The LSAT is an important portion of a students application to law school. Admissions committees use the LSAT as an indicator of a student's potential success in law school. However, as mentioned before, the LSAT is not viewed in a vaccuum. Your exam score will not be the only factor that will gain you entrance to your school of choice.

Steps to preparing for the LSAT:

Register at http://www.lsat.org/
Create a study plan.
Take practice exams or enroll in a preparatory class.

MIT Data on LSAT scores.

More detail on the LSAT provided through this website.

Recommendation Letters

Applicants need at least two letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic work. It is preferrable to have two academic letters, however some schools will accept one letter to be a non-academic letter of recommendation.

As a courtesy, it is recommended that you give each recommender at least a month to write your letter of recommendation. The Preprofessional Advising staff recommends that you ask people to write you a letter of recommendation early in the Fall of the application year.

The best recommendation letters will come from an individual who knows you best, keep this in mind when selecting individuals to write your letters. Be sure you have spent enough time with each recommender so that they fully understand your interest in going to law school. You are also advised to write out a brief synopsis of any other activities, research experience, community efforts, or volunteer work you have done. It is very helpful to recommenders to have as much detail in writing for them to review when writing their letter. Providing your recommenders detailed information will also ensure you that your letters will have accurate information regarding your activities, such as dates and places you worked. Finally, the more information people have about you, the more comprehensive their letters can be. If you take responsibility in giving your recommenders solid information in writing, you help yourself in getting solid, informative letters of reference.

On the Letter of Recommendation Form, provided through the LSDAS, candidates have the choice to waiver their rights to see their letter of recommendation. The assumption is that a waived letter of recommendation is bound to be more candid. However, please note that law schools do not hold it against candidates if they choose to retain their rights to the letters.

Personal Statement/Essay

School applications may request you to write on a specific topic, however many request you to "Tell us something about yourself". The length of essays may vary from school to school.

Your essay needs to be well thought out, concise, compelling and interesting to the reader. Remember, admissions officers read hundreds of personal essays, it will be important for you to keep in mind the following suggestions:

Start your essay with something that will grab the readers attention. Often personal anecdotes can help draw the reader into the essay and keep them reading.
Make the essay personal. Try not to simply repeat the information that can be read on your application. Provide the reader with an inside view on your thoughts, interests, or motivation to get a Juris Doctor, J.D.
Make your motivation and drive clear to the reader. The admissions officer wants to get a sense from the essay that you are extremely interested in the legal profession and motivated to enter law school.
Create a well-written document. Your essay is a sample of your writing abilities. It is important that you convey your thoughts clearly, grammatically correct, and effectively in your essay.
Have your essay critiqued by a member of the Preprofessional Advising staff and by a prelaw advisor.

Resources for writing a personal statement/essay:

Essay Writing for Professional School Applications Workshop

http://writing.englishclub.com/ee/lo_law.html

Last updated on Thursday, March 15, 07 at 12:50:14 PM EDT.