The Law School Expert team is constantly working to bring you all the news you need to know about law school admissions. We wanted to let you about some new and easy ways to keep the good advice and information coming your way.
With a debut issue in January 2012 Law School Expert has started a monthly newsletter that can be delivered right to your email inbox each month. Be sure to get your name on our mailing list.
Another great way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is to “Like” Law School Expert on Facebook. Our Facebook page has a lot of great links from friends and partners of Law School Expert like LSAT Prep companies, law school bloggers, and more. You’ll want to check it out and join the conversation.
Or, if you like your news 140 characters at at time, you can follow Law School Expert on Twitter!
We’re delivering the news you want to know, so be sure to get plugged in so you don’t miss out!
Law school applications will be released on September 1st. That date should motivate you to create a timeline to follow throughout the application cycle. Some key points:
1. You don’t have to apply the minute applications are available. That’s not what it means to take advantage of rolling admissions. Law school admission officers spend most of September traveling to recruiting events, they aren’t moving through applications quite yet.
2. I consider anything submitted before Thanksgiving to be taking advantage of rolling admissions.
3. Early Decision and Early Notification Deadlines are usually around 11/1 and 11/15, so that goes to show you that law schools consider applications submitted in October to be early in the profess.
4. If you are sticking with an LSAT score you already have, aim to apply to law school by early to mid-October. That gives you 6-7 weeks to really concentrate on your application materials and make sure they are the best they can be.
5. If you are taking the October LSAT, aim to submit applications in the first two weeks of November. Work on things a bit now, but give the LSAT priority until October 1. Then spend October solidifying your materials. Just make sure your transcripts and LORs are underway in September in case any hiccups arise.
6. If you cancel the October LSAT or don’t feel ready for it, December is a perfectly fine option. I repeat, the December LSAT is NOT the end of the world. Just spend time now getting your application materials together so that you can submit applications in early January. (No one is reviewing them over winter break, so no reason to rush to submit them by the end of the year).
7. When to hire a law school admission consultant? If you already have your LSAT score, now is the time to look for the right law school admission coach for you. If you know you are applying to law school for Fall 2012 no matter what your upcoming LSAT score is, then start comparing consultants now and make your decision since the best admission consultants can only take on so many clients per cycle. If you are not sure you will be applying because you’re waiting to see your LSAT score, then it’s fine to wait until then to hire a consultant but just be ready to really get a lot of work done in month after getting your LSAT score. Read this for more about hiring a law school admission consultant and what a law school admission consultant can (and can’t) do.
As you know, in addition to being a blogger and author, my day job is that I’m a law school admission consultant. Since 2004, I’ve worked with law school applicants through unlimited, all-inclusive packages to strategize with them on their law school applications and all admission-related decisions. However, everyday people contact me who are only looking for hourly help, or help with parts of their applications but not others. I didn’t have time to help these people, and I hated telling them that. But I also knew I couldn’t hire just anyone to help my clients, so I waited.
I waited more than 6 years! Then, I found an amazing law school admission consultant whose experience, perspective and advice (and personality!) totally mesh with my own. Her name is Jocelyn Glantz and I want you to meet her! Jocelyn is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where she then served as Assistant Director of Admissions. For the past 10 years, she has been working as a law school admission consultant, first through Kaplan and then on her own. Her passion is helping people get into law school, and we’re happy to have her on the LawSchoolExpert team. She is now available for hourly consultations – you can sign up for one hour or for a 5-hour package at a discounted rate.
If you’re looking for information about hiring a law school admission consultant or coach for the Fall 2011 law school application cycle, here are some resources you might find helpful:
AdmissionsDean.com put together a list of categories and services offered by different admission consultants for law school applicants. This is a new website, and they are adding some really useful content and a compilation of resources for law school applicants, so definitely check it out.
I don’t like to use the blog as a sales pitch, but for those of you applying for Fall 2011 admission to law school and are considering working with me as your law school admission coach, I want to warn you that my rates are going up on February 20th because I will now have a professional proofreader/editor check things in addition to just my eyes checking (although I do think I’m a great proofreader and editor, it never hurts to have back-up and the added confidence that comes with a second reader). If you sign up before February 20th, you’ll be able to take advantage of my Fall 2010 rate, which is a great deal! I will also be adjusting the packages slightly based on recent changes in law school applications, like the common usage of optional essays.
Just wanted to give you three updates regarding my law school admission counseling services:
1. Yes, I still have room for Fall 2009 applicants. I limit the number of clients I work with at any given point, but am currently accepting clients. (I’ve gotten a few emails inquiring about this, so I wanted to let everyone know).
3. I have put together two “Power Papers” – “Six Secrets to a Successful Personal Statement” and “Tips and Tricks for Law School Admission: A timeline of hints for law school applications”. Both of these papers will be included in the Option A package effective immediately.
I do offer a free initial consultation for anyone interested in having their own personal law school admission coach. Please see my website for more details.
I’m back from Maui and wanted to share with you the most common questions and issues I’m hearing this week from law school applicants. Hopefully this will make you feel better. (It isn’t just you, really!).
We must receive a signed fax or overnight letter with your request within six calendar days of the test. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your request within four calendar days after your request was submitted, contact LSAC immediately. If your request has not been processed, you may submit proof that your request was received at LSAC within the required period. Documentation of proof of receipt will not be accepted beyond 14 calendar days after the test. You can also cancel your score at the test center if you are absolutely certain you want to cancel your score.
2. How do I know whether I would benefit from working with an admissions consultant? I was recently quoted in an opinion piece by Dennis Beaver, Esq. entitled “You and the Law: the Business of Getting You Into Law School.” The following is taken directly from that article: Do you need a consultant?
“A good consultant gives you an added layer of guidance and confidence. However, if you are only applying to one or two schools, and your LSAT and undergraduate GPA is in line with what they are looking for, and there are no problem areas in you application, you probably do not need a consultant,” [Ann Levine] was quick to point out. I respect that kind of honesty.
“Law School applicants who benefit the most have a weakness in their application, such as a low grade point average, poor LSAT score, an arrest, or have been out of school for a great deal of time. In today’s reality of getting into school, they truly need the help of a good consultant,” she [Ann Levine]adds.
In addition to the above, you may benefit from working with a law school admission consultant if: (a) You are out of college and/or do not have access to a helpful and knowledgeable prelaw adviser. (b) You feel overwhelmed by the process of applying to law school. (c) You work better when you are held accountable to someone. (d) You would like to get your parents/spouse/significant other out of the process and have access to an objective and knowledgeable third party to answer your questions and make sure you’re making the right decisions for yourself. (e) You don’t know where to start and feel like you’re spinning your wheels. (f) You have a tendency to procrastinate. (g) You are re-applying to law school. (h) You simply want the best of everything and to arm yourself with every possible advantage in this competitive process.
3. Should I retake the LSAT in October? This is a very hard question to answer on a personal basis in the blog format because it depends on so many factors. But if you took June and have decided not to cancel the score, then let’s wait and see what the score is before you make this decision.
4. When is the earliest I can start submitting applications? Most schools begin accepting applications September 1, but many do not begin reviewing them until November. What matters is when your application is “complete” – when all materials to be considered by the law school are received by the individual law school. The most common aggravating factor is waiting for a letter of recommendation – try to avoid this by asking for LORs early and making sure the people you ask are reliable and accountable.
5. Is it better to have a June LSAT score that doesn’t reflect my potential and apply early, or to wait until October and have a better LSAT score? WAIT! Please! It is ABSOLUTELY much better to have a higher LSAT and have your application be complete in November than to have a lower LSAT and be the first application to be submitted. (Depending on the score differential, the same rule may or may not be true with the December LSAT but we won’t worry about that quite yet since it’s still June). Here is a link to a guest blog post I answered on Integrated Learning about the importance of preparing for the LSAT the right way and taking it once (as opposed to taking it cold).
I hope this helps – and for everyone who has been asking whether you might have your LSAT scores before July 7th, I don’t have solid insider info on that. But my guess is that you will have scores e-mailed out July 3rd. However, this is only a guess and it’s not based on anything other than a hunch. Good luck to everyone. I’ll be in the office Monday-Wednesday (June 23-25) this week, but won’t be able to answer blog questions Thursday through Sunday. I will get back to everyone on the 30th. Thanks for reading, and I apologize for any sloppy formatting today -I’m still jet lagged.
I hate to hear stories about law school applicants who feel misled by law school admission consultants about their chances for law school admission. If you are going to invest in expert advice, it’s important to work with someone who is candid with you from the very beginning. I thank Dennis Beaver, Esq. for asking me to respond to an article he wrote on how a law school admission counselor can (and cannot) help law school applicants navigate the admission process.
For more information about the ethical standards a graduate admission consultant should adhere to, learn more about AIGAC. Always check to see whether the person or company you’re considering hiring is a member of this organization.
For my previous posts about considerations in hiring a law school admission consultant (which June LSAT takers usually do in June, July and August, and which October LSAT takers usually do in August, September, and October) see:
No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome! 
Ann K. Levine, Esq., former director of law school admissions for two ABA approved law schools, is a law school admission consultant and owner of Law School Expert,
