Checklist of All That You Have to Do to Get Through the Right Law School

This article contains all important steps roughly chronologically, in the approximate order in which you should do each one. Some of the steps-preparing for the LSAT, drafting essays, filling out the rough drafts of the application forms-are tedious and time-consuming. The article indicates about when, during the sequence of events you should be working on each of them. The time frame is what we recommend for traditional students who will graduate in the spring and expect to attend law school the following autumn. Consider it a rough guide. It's more important to be working on the steps in the order indicated than it is to complete each step in the designated month. If you are a nontraditional applicant, you may be working on steps during different months, and in general you'll have more time and can spread out the application process. But you are still best advised to work through the steps in the order that have been described here.



Some of the steps have formal deadlines which change from year to year. You must write/jot in the deadlines for your year. Hopefully you'll be working well ahead of requirements.

Let us assume that you will take the LSAT in June at the end of your junior year. Below is also repeated the LSAT steps on a timetable geared toward the October test. Cross out whichever does not apply. (When you see everything else that you'll have to do that October, you'll probably conclude that the June date is best.)

Let us use parentheses to identify the steps that only a few applicants will need to complete. Cross out whatever doesn't apply to you.

How to Get into the Right Law SchooJ

All in the last week in the last month in the last 3 months in the last 6 months in the last year

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Junior Year

FEBRUARY

• Seek and have informational interviews at law schools you are con sidering applying to; handicapped students who want to have LSAT waived only
   
• Request waiver of LSAT fees; disadvantaged applicants only
   
• Request waiver of fees for LSAT prep course; disadvantaged applicants only
   
• Attend information sessions for LSAT prep courses

MARCH

• Register for and begin LSAT prep course
• Request law school catalogs by phone or mail
• Develop criteria that you will use to make preferred list of law schools
• Obtain Law Services Information Book from prelaw advisor

APRIL

• Mail off registration form for LSAT and LSDAS
• Use same form to order Official Guide
• Use same form to order LSAT prep materials
• June LSAT Deadline
• Attend prep course or otherwise prepare for LSAT
• Write away for law school catalogs

MAY

• LSAT admission ticket arrives
• Check LSAT admission ticket and inform Law Services of any errors

Summer between Junior and Senior Years

JUNE

• Complete travel arrangements for LSAT and make dry run, students taking LSAT on unfamiliar campuses
• Take LSAT
• Visit law school campuses
• Develop preferred list of law schools
• Arrange for informational interviews at law schools on your preferred list; applicants with unusual circumstances who want some modification of the application process only

JULY

• LSAT score arrives
• Check LSAT score report for grading errors
• Make any remaining visits to law schools
• Prune preferred list and select application list from it

AUGUST

• Register for LSDAS, if you haven't already done so
   
• Pay LSDAS for more schools, if you now plan to apply to more law schools than you paid the LSDAS to send reports to when you registered for the LSDAS
   
• Arrange for every college you have attended to send transcripts to LSDAS List each college and date for making arrangements:
   
• Write away for most recent application forms and catalog to any law school you intend to apply to for which you do not have a current catalog
  
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• Develop application strategy
   
• Compile objective information for law school application forms: Make lists of all schools attended, previous addresses, jobs held.
   
• Look up zip codes, dates.
   
• Begin rough drafts of application essays
   
• Register for October LSAT, if taking the LSAT over, or if you missed the June test) October LSAT deadline

Senior Year

SEPTEMBER

• LSDAS master report arrives
• Proofread LSDAS master report and notify Law Services of any errors
• Decide whom you will ask to write letters of recommendation, inventory and photocopy all application forms for each law school you will apply to
• Develop file system to keep track of forms
• Make rough drafts of application forms
• Secure proof of legal residence, if needed
• Secure proof of citizenship, if needed
• Secure proof of affirmative action status, if needed

First recommender appointments: ask recommenders if they'll write letters for you

Work on essays

• Arrange to have transcripts from foreign universities that you have attended sent directly to each law school you will apply to
   
• Put together information packets you will give to recommenders
   
• Second appointments with recommenders; give each one Law school recommendation forms
   
• Stamped or unstamped envelopes Information packet
   
• Mail information packets and forms to recommenders who are too distant to visit

OCTOBER

• Take October LSAT
   
• Prepare final drafts of law school applications
   
• Prepare final drafts of essays
   
• Collect letters of recommendation in sealed envelopes from rec ommenders for inclusion with law school applications, but only if a law school requires you to use the all-at-once method
   
• Complete application checklists and make sure each law school application is complete, with all necessary enclosures
   
• Mail law school applications (unless waiting for results of October LSAT or fall grades)
   
• List chronologically the application deadlines for the schools on your application list:
   
• Request informational interviews, applicants with special problems who do not need some waiver of application process

NOVEMBER

• Law schools acknowledge receipt of applications
• Secure financial aid forms
• Call law schools that did not acknowledge receipt of applications

DECEMBER

• Third visit to recommenders, if necessary
• Arrange for seventh semester transcript to be sent to LSDAS
• October LSAT scores arrive
• Mail law school applications, if waiting for results of October LSAT

JANUARY

• Complete and mail financial aid request forms
• Write in the financial aid deadlines for the schools on your application list
• Complete and mail financial aid need assessment forms