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Applying to and Selecting a Law School

Now that you've completed your self-assessment and determined that obtaining a JD is your next goal, how do you determine what schools to apply to? Applying to law school can be a time-consuming and costly task, but there are some strategies that you can use to make the process a little easier. Law schools aim to provide a general degree anticipating that students will change their mind throughout the program about pursuing a particular area of law. However, programs do vary significantly in cost, size, and course offerings. You must take into consideration many factors when selecting schools to apply to and attempt to target those programs that best match your needs and professional interests.

• Academic Program
• Cost and Financial Aid
• Faculty/Institution
• Geographic Location
• Locating Information on Schools
• Resources
• Student Population
• Additional Considerations
• Final Tips
• Selecting a Law School

Academic Program

• Number of core courses required and when taken - Certain programs offer more flexibility in their curriculum than others.
• Curriculum - Law schools intend to provide a general degree. However, some schools may have a reputation for specialty in particular area of law.
• Electives - What electives are available and when can students begin taking them?
• Methods of instruction and class size - What is the balance between large lecture courses and smaller discussion-based classes?
• How does the school conduct registration? Is it difficult to get into your classes of choice?
• What types of clinical programs are available or required?
• Joint Degree Programs - Many schools offer joint degree programs where students can obtain a J.D. in conjunction with a Ph.D., M.D., M.B.A., or other degrees.

Faculty/Institution

• Specialties - Programs may have reputations for strength in particular areas.
• Faculty - Investigate faculty reputations in teaching and publication and explore what opportunities may be available for you to assist in your areas of interest.

Student Population

• Number of students - How large are the lectures, project groups, etc.?
• Student-to-faculty ratio - Law schools differ considerably in the size of in-coming classes, ranging anywhere from 180-800 students.
• Attitude of students - Use ICAN and other databases to obtain names of students to contact, attend panel presentations, and speak directly to current students to develop a feel for students' attitude.
• Diversity - Ethnicity, gender, age, state of residency.

Resources

• Academic facilities - Classrooms, libraries, study halls.
• Housing - Is it provided? Guaranteed? What are student impressions?
• Additional facilities - Athletic, Career Services - condition of facilities and investigate if utilized by students.
• Student organizations - How many and what types exist?

Geographic Location

• Does the program offer opportunities to study temporarily elsewhere or internationally?
• In-state vs. Out-of-state considerations - What is the likelihood of acceptance at in-state institutions, cost differences?
• Neighborhood - Crime rate, size of community, rural, suburban, urban?
• Climate
• Local business community - Does the area provide many law firms for internships and summer employment?

Cost and Financial Aid

• Tuition and Fees - In-state tuition considerations, private vs. public.
• Books and Supplies
• Living Expenses - Investigate cost-of-living in location of law school.
• Forms of financial assistance offered - See what types of loans and grants are available.
• National Financial Aid Programs
• Scholarship and Loan Programs

How To Gather Information on Schools

• School's website, brochures - Request by mail or see what information is available at Office of Career Services and Preprofessional Advising
• Law School Admission Council
• ABA LSAC Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools, 2003 by Wendy Margolis, Andrew Arnone, and Rick L. Morgan (Editors)
• Find Law for Students
• Law School.com
• Visit schools - Speak with current students and faculty.
• Audit a class if possible.
• Obtain alumni evaluations - Use the Alumni ICAN database to contact MIT alumni.
• Read literature/journals to learn about legal issues that interest you.

Additional Considerations

• Size of the program - affects competitiveness of admission.
• Your chances of acceptance - Prelaw Data for MIT Students
• Consider the placement of their graduates and what they study.
• Focus of the program - Does the school prepare students to practice law in a particular environment?
• U.S. News and World Report Law School Rankings
• Joint Degree Programs - Many schools offer joint degree programs that allow students to obtain an JD and another degree in conjunction. Joint degree programs typically require two separate applications, one to the law school and one to the other program. Applicants not accepted into a school's joint degree programs are usually still eligible for admission to the law school.
  Consider the time commitment - joint degrees programs average 4 years in length.
• Deferral Policies - Only some schools offer deferral of enrollment. If you anticipate deferring, explore whether the schools that you apply to offer deferral and under what circumstances.

Final Tips

• Only apply to schools that you would actually attend if accepted.
• Apply to a broad range in terms of likelihood of acceptance and the types of programs offered.
• Speak with the Preprofessional Advising Staff and you prelaw advisor for more guidance.

Selecting a Law School

Now that you have finished applying and have heard back from schools, how do you select the law school to attend? Follow these steps to ensure that you choose the school that best fits your needs and interests.

1. Visit the schools that you have not yet seen. Speak with current students and faculty. Audit a class if possible.
2. Use the Alumni ICAN database to locate and contact alumni of MIT and the law school.
3. Discuss your thoughts with a prelaw advisor, Preprofessional Advising staff, faculty, friends and family, or other individuals that you feel know you well.
4. Consider each school initially without regard for its cost. Determine which most appeals to you academically, professionally, and geographically. What methods of instruction and evaluation are used? How competitive is the student body? Where do most students work upon graduation?
5. Now examine the cost and financial aid opportunities for your top choice schools.
6. Follow your gut instinct. How does the general student and faculty culture make you feel?

Remember: It is important to notify a school of your decision by the deadline provided otherwise the school may withdraw its offer. Additionally, when you have selected the school that you are going to attend, you must inform all of the other schools to which you applied of your decision either by phone, e-mail, or letter. Failure to do so is considered unprofessional and even unethical.

If the deadline to notify a school of your decision is approaching and you have not heard from all of your schools, you may contact the office of admissions at those schools and inquire about the stage that they have reached in reviewing your application. It cannot hurt to be proactive and simply inform them of the position that you are in and to request information about the status of your application.

If you feel it necessary, you may also consider contacting the school that you have been accepted to and request an extension on the deadline for your decision.

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