Greetings 7Sagers!
As promised, Dr. Riley and I are going to address some of the most common questions from last night's Q&A that we weren't able to get to. We'll be adding questions and responses to this thread through the end of the week!
Warmly,
Taj
3
37 comments
Hi @ivettem15910768,
Thanks for your question! Yes, the discussion is being edited for sound quality and will be added to our podcast soon!
Is there a recording of this roundtable discussion for those who weren't able to make it?
If I'm applying in late November is that considered on time and will there still be good amount of scholarships left?
It depends on the school. For some schools, by late November it's possible that they've received close to half of their application volume for that cycle, which could equate to thousands of applications. For others, their application pool may not hit this point until January. Additionally, some schools award scholarship with their offers of admission while others do scholarship considerations after offers go out. It'll be a good idea to check in with schools directly to get a sense of their timelines.
If I take the LSAT for a total of 4 times, will that reflect badly on my application?
I hate to sound like a broken record, but it depends. It depends on when the tests were taken, are the scores very different, or are they all similar, etc. From my experience, if I saw 4 or more scores, I understood the applicant was trying to increase their score. However, some may put more emphasis on the applicant's judgement about retaking the LSAT multiple times, especially when their scores are practically the same. If there is a good reason, an addendum may be appropriate to explain why take it so many times. In the end however, admissions officers will focus on the highest of the four scores for admissions and scholarship purposes. Remember, this is just a small part of your application in total. Your academic record, your personal stories and passion for the law will play a role in the overall decision as well.
In regard for the early decisions, in a situation that where a candidate binds to an early decision to a school but finds out they did not get enough aid to cover full cost. What would you say the candidate decide what to do next?
It is not advisable to apply to a binding early decision program that does not have guaranteed scholarship if you know that you have to receive a certain amount to make attendance feasible for you. Doing so leaves you in a position without options and often you receive this decision prior to any financial offers from other schools that you can use to justify an award or increase in scholarship award should one be offered. In applying to a binding early decision program, you are communicating to that school that they are your top choice and that you will immediately commit and withdraw all other applications if admitted regardless of financial offering. Further, most binding early decision programs do not offer scholarship awards that cover full cost. If that's what you need, then binding early decision is likely not the best option for you.
Should reapplicants address the reason why they didn’t commit the previous cycle in an additional statement? What would you recommend to reapplicants?
Often, applicants will address their status as a reapplicant in a Why X School statement. Alternatively, if a school doesn't accept a Why X statement but they do ask specifically about why you're attracted to their program or how you'll engage to their community as a part of their PS prompt, you can address the fact that you are a reapplicant there. Without context, there can definitely be question marks about why you opted not to commit if previously offered admission.
If you have a professional letter of rec, does it need to be on employer letterhead?
Ideally, yes.
There was mention that there’s no limit on academic letters unless you’ve been out of school a long time. Can she speak more to that? What if you’ve been out of school for 5 years and realistically cannot get an academic LoR? Will professional letters suffice in that scenario?
So if you obtained LORs when you graduated or can obtain academic LORs still, AOs will gladly receive them because these attest to you within an academic setting. That being said, if you are 5+ years out of school, having only professional letters is typically acceptable. If you are only 2 years out, or anywhere less than 5 years out, some law schools will require an academic letter.
If I finished my bachelor’s degree a year ago, but my professors are out of office and I can’t get an academic letter of recommendation, can I have two professional ones instead?
Most law schools will expect at least one academic LOR if you've only been out of undergrad for a year. The professional LORs will be helpful, but remember that you're applying to a school, so the academic perspective is important.
If I played a college sport, would it help to get a letter of recommendation from a coach as well? (Given that sports mentality is another aspect of personality and values)
In my experience, admissions committees focus the vast majority of their attention on academic or professional letters only.
Does it look bad to have an undergrad LoR but no graduate school LoR?
Given the recency of the graduate program, it may seem a little odd not to have an academic letter from your graduate program, but if you have academic and professional letters overall, you've covered your bases. I'd be more concerned if you went to undergrad and grad school and didn't have any academic letters submitted.
Looking for general advice for a non-traditional student, what are you looking for in a student that already has a well established career in another field? Do other advanced degrees hold additional merit when looking at various applicants?
In general, law schools are looking for academically strong applicants with great communication, leadership and organizational skills. This comes in many different forms. Age is not a factor to keep someone out of consideration. The advice for non-traditional students holds true as it does for all applicants...tell your story of why law and any other information you want to relay to an admissions committee. Do this in well written statements in your own authentic voice. Advanced degrees are positive factors (unless the applicant did not perform well). The issue is most applicants do not have them. Thus, they are not one of the major factors like the LSAT score and UG record which every applicant has when applying.
Does it look bad to have taken the LSAT in Sept and again in Oct?
Not at all. Most AOs know that applicants who take the LSAT more than once are just trying to get the best score possible. And, they will consider the higher score of the two for admission and scholarship purposes.
Seconding all of the questions that have asked about applying later in the year! Does applying by the end of the year, or even into January, put you at a significant disadvantage (in terms of spots available and financial aid)?
I would not say it puts you at a significant disadvantage. This will vary from law school to law school however. Some applicant pools are more competitive than others. It will depend. However, I am sure that an applicant that may be considered very strong that applies later in the cycle, will probably have a shot at being admitted. You will have to judge if you are strong candidate for each particular applicant pool. Lastly, it is always better to apply earlier in the cycle, but it is even better to submit an application that is polished as opposed to one that is thrown together.
Is it advised to apply to a school if you’re below their GPA median but above their LSAT median?
I believe an applicant should apply to an array of law schools. A few schools that are target, a few that are safeties, and even one or two that are reach schools. The reason is, the numbers are only part of the equation. If you have a great story and passion for why law, great leadership and communication skills, admissions committees may give you a shot in being a student at their law school. There are applicants admitted below the 50th and 25th percentile medians. Who knows, you may be one of those admits.
Will I still be able to have a fair shot at scholarships if I send out all my applications by December 2024?
This will depend on how each law school awards scholarships. Most law schools will state if they have a scholarship application and when it will be available and when the deadline will be. If it is not clear how scholarships are awarded, nor if scholarship funds run out by a certain date, an email to the admissions office is recommended to ask.
How should we ask for fee waviers? And how early can we start asking for them?
Once the application opens, candidates can typically begin requesting fee waivers; however, you'll want to pay close attention to schools' websites, as some have specific fee waiver programs and have instructions posted on how to apply for them. If a school doesn't have a program or request instructions posted, you can email their office to request one. Some schools may ask for your stats if they offer merit-based fee waivers, while some will honor a fee waiver request if you've been approved for LSAC fee waivers.
If I've been out of school for two years, will schools expect a professional reference? I'm scared of being penalized by my current employer, and simultaneously know that I can get 2-3 strong academic references.
Admissions teams are aware that sometimes a candidate cannot ask their current employer for a letter for fear of adverse consequences. Strong academic letters are typically sufficient, though occasionally there will be a school that asks specifically for a professional letter. In those instances, you can share with that school your circumstances and consider asking a supervisor from a former job.
How many schools can you apply early action to that are binding? What happens if you're accepted into both?
Typically, you can only apply to one binding program at a time. If you are then rejected from a binding program, you could feasibly apply to another binding program assuming you are still within the deadline. You'll want to read the requirements closely to see what limitations are placed on the other types of applications you can submit.
Do you have any advice for reapplicants? Especially those that were waitlisted the first time - aside from raising LSAT scores, how can we give our applications the boost it needs this time around?
The goal is to strengthen the overall application. Improved stats, earlier app submissions, additional experience, new LORs, and stronger written materials that demonstrate growth from the time of the first application can all factor into a reapplicant gaining admission in a subsequent cycle.
How do you view a P grade during covid and a R (retake) grade on a transcript? Does it matter if the college did or did not factor it in the GPA?
Each school had different grading policies at the start of COVID, which are printed on your transcript so that we have a sense of whether all classes moved to pass/fail or whether students were allowed to opt for pass/fail rather than graded courses. Retaken courses do tend to be visible on transcripts––both the first grade performance and the subsequent one. typically these are ones that should be explained in an addendum.
I’m interested in working abroad for a year but am still indecisive about this idea, so I am not sure if I want to apply this cycle or next cycle. How bad does reapplying look? Would it be better for me to hold off a year?
It's best to apply when you know you're ready to attend. In some instances, it can't be avoided, and it becomes necessary to ask for a deferral to join the school a year later; however, many schools have very limited instances in which they will grant a deferral (and if they don't grant a deferral, an applicant would have to reapply). Often, deferrals are granted for military deployment, completion of another graduate/professional program, or unavoidable family circumstances. If you end up reapplying, you have opportunities to provide context within your materials.
If your stats are below the median, what are your chances of receiving a scholarship?
It depends on the school, the types of scholarships they award, and the other factors within your file. Need-based awards are not dependent on your stats, while merit-based ones are.
Would you say that attending a prestige/top undergraduate institution hold any significance in the committees decision making—attesting to the rigor of the academics and curriculum?
Attending matters far less than performance. The institution and the program can be taken into account, though how they are is dependent on each particular law school.
Do law school’s look closely at the writing assessment? How is it looked at in comparison to a personal statement?
It depends. Each school has their own admissions policies. In my experience, law schools can and do look closely at the writing assessment––it's a raw sample of writing and gives us a chance to assess your writing with the guarantee that there's been no outside feedback on it. While the writing assessment is about writing quality and ability to be responsive to the prompt and craft an argument, the personal statement serves a different purpose. It can be an indicator of writing quality, but it's also meant to tell AOs about you as a candidate.