Admissions consulting for law school: an honest look

During free consultations, we occasionally surprise people when we tell them that law school admissions consulting isn’t right for everyone.

Don’t get us wrong—admissions consulting can definitely help increase your odds under the right circumstances. But the advantages you’ll gain from consulting are highly individualized, and depend on factors like the law schools you’re targeting, your numbers, and your background. Every season, we help a ton of students, and every season we encounter a couple of people who may have been just fine on their own. 

So the real question you should be asking isn’t “Is law school admissions consulting worth it?” Instead, you should be asking “Is law school admissions consulting worth it for me?” In this article, we’ll walk you through the decision-making process.

Why might admissions consulting not be worth it for you?

Every situation is unique, but here are a few reasons consulting might not be a worthwhile investment for you:

  • Consulting is expensive! A reputable service will run you thousands of dollars. And once you get in, you’ll need to pay for law school, too (unless you get a good scholarship, which a consultant could help you get, but it’s never guaranteed). 
  • Numbers really matter. If your GPA and LSAT score are both below the medians of a law school, you probably won’t get in, even with a consultant’s help. On the flip side, if your GPA and your LSAT score both exceed the school’s medians, you have a good chance of getting in even without the help of a consultant—assuming, of course, that you don’t say anything off-putting in your essays and there aren’t any other red flags in your application. 
  • Yale asks applicants to disclose if they worked with a consultant. And they probably won’t be thrilled if you tell them you did. That said, we work with plenty of clients who get into Yale every year (including the very first admit in the 2022–2023 cycle!) so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. 
  • You still might not get in. Though consulting can improve your odds, results can also be inconsistent. Just because one person has great results working with a consultant doesn’t mean everyone will. The universe is a chaotic place, and every year we have clients—few, thankfully, but they do exist—whose results confound us and defy logic. If you’re not okay with the possibility of failure, consulting is not for you, and neither is stand-up paddle boarding. 

Why might admissions consulting be worth it for you?

Now that we’ve talked through a bunch of good reasons not to hire an admissions consultant, we’ll give you a few reasons we think consulting can be helpful:

  • Find hidden red flags in your application.  It’s easy to say something off-putting in an essay without noticing. We see this a lot, from over-enthusiastic Why Xs that read like creepy love letters to excuse-laden GPA addenda that create more concerns than they dispel. A consultant can help you identify—and eliminate—points of concern in your materials that could tank your chances.
  • Improve your odds. If your numbers meet or approach a school’s medians or if you’re a splitter, you’re likely to be a competitive applicant. This is when consulting can really give you an edge.
  • As many read-throughs as you need. If you’re driving your friends nuts by asking them to read updates to your personal statement draft four times a week, you might be better off hiring an expert. A good consultant will look at as many drafts of as many essays as you need, and they’ll probably give better advice than your college BFF, even if she was an English major.
  • Get help explaining something embarrassing. Four speeding tickets in one day? Caught with illicit substances on your college campus? Everybody makes mistakes—but it’s important that you don’t make any when writing your character and fitness addendum.
  • Become a better writer. If writing doesn’t come easily to you, or if English is not your first language, you may want to spend some time bolstering your writing skills before law school. Working with an admissions consultant to brainstorm, outline, and revise your documents will help you strengthen your writing overall. Plus, you’ll get used to implementing constructive feedback, something you’ll do a lot of in law school.
  • Don’t go it alone. Even under the best circumstances, applying to law school is stressful and confusing. Working with a consultant means you’ll have a personal cheerleader/guidance counselor/muse to guide you through each step, from updating your résumé to phrasing a follow-up email to a professor whose letter of recommendation is late. 

And finally, the best reason to sign up for admissions consulting:

  • Free pair of socks. If you work with us, we’ll give you a pair of 7Sage-themed socks when you finish your applications. 

So, should you hire a law school admissions consultant?

There are many good reasons to hire an admissions consultant, and many good reasons not to hire one, too. To help you consider your options, we made a handy flowchart.

How to choose the right law school admissions consulting service

If you’ve thought it over and decided that law school admissions consulting is right for you, the next step is picking a service to work with. The internet is full of lots of great consulting services—and lots of lousy ones. Of course, they all have five-star reviews and they all claim to be the best in the business. Free consultations can be a great way to “interview” different services to find a good fit. Here are some qualities to look for in a good admissions consultant:

  • Actual experience in law school admissions -  Don’t hire a service that specializes mostly in, say, med school admissions. The processes and requirements are very different for law school. Even if the company does specialize in law school admissions, before you agree to work with a consultant, ask about their qualifications and what experience they have actually reading law school apps—and pass if the answer is “none.”
  • Availability - Check how often you’ll meet with your consultant, and if they guarantee email responses within a specific timeframe. If they have trouble emailing you back quickly early on, see that as a red flag. Responsiveness is one of the most important qualities in an admissions consultant—the last thing you want is to be waiting for a reply when you’re on a deadline.
  • Track record of success - A reputable law school admissions consulting service should be able to showcase a history of successful client outcomes. Look for evidence on their website in the form of testimonials, case studies, and data. Think critically about obfuscatory language claiming things like a “98% success rate” without context—always try to find out how success is really being defined. 
  • Communication and rapport - When a 7Sage client doesn’t feel that their consultant is a good fit (we’ll be real with you—it happens occasionally!), it’s almost always due to the client and consultant having different styles of communication. Some people prefer direct, to-the-point critiques while others appreciate a gentler approach. Effective communication is probably the most crucial part of the admissions consulting process, and it’s also the most subjective. Read bios and reviews of consultants! A good consulting company should also have a policy that allows you to switch consultants if it’s not a good fit. 
  • Price - Keep in mind that a higher price does not necessarily guarantee better service. By the same token, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

On the fence?

So, do you need admissions consulting, or will it be an expensive waste of your time? The jury’s out, and unfortunately, though we’re very smart, we can’t always predict the future. If you’re still on the fence, book a time to chat and we’ll let you know what we think.