Foray to the Forum

Today I'm going to be focusing on #7 from my previous blog: attend a LSAC Forum. 

After I took the LSAT in June, I decided it would be good to attend a law school forum in July, hosted by LSAC (LSAC is the centralized website that you send all your application information to. They compile it, and send it to all the law schools for you). A law school forum is basically a law school fair where representatives from most law schools come and you walk around and talk to the different admissions counselors, get tons of brochures, and if you're lucky even a few fee waivers. There are also seminars you can attend that explain the application process or financial aid. 

Anyway, I signed up for the closest one which was in Chicago. Cool I thought. I love big cities I thought.

WRONG. Or at least driving in them.

See here's the problem, while I may have mental capacities to do well in school, directions and I do not coexist very well together. Meaning, I get lost ALL the time. It's a real struggle. Even with the beautiful invention of GPS I still manage to get lost. Also, I prefer simple country roads to crazy multiple lanes. 3 or more = stressed Maddie. 

Well, no surprise, on a day where I definitely didn't want to be late, I got lost. AND had to drive over one of the biggest bridges. Fun fact, I HATE driving over bridges. Irrational fear? Maybe. Still terrifying? Definitely. Throw in road construction, and it made for one crazy morning.

Pictures of Scary Chicago Skyway Bridge

To make it worse once I finally found the Marriott I pulled into a parking garage that was NOT the Marriott's, realized that all the cars were facing me (apparently it's some place where people park the cars for you...seemed really sketchy to me) and took a creepy "short-cut" down an alley that I was sure I was never going to make it out of. 

Needless to say it started out rough. 

But, once I got there I was so glad I made the trip. I met so many of the admissions counselors for the schools I wanted to attend. I was able to talk with them all, ask questions about their schools, pick up a few fee waivers and even make some friends. I also found some of the seminars I attended very helpful. Especially the one about financial aid. 

I would recommend if you're considering applying to law schools to go to a forum or law school fair if you get the chance. It really helps being able to have a face-to-face conversation with the admissions counselors. 

A few tips for the day:

• Dress professionally. I saw a wide range from suits to jeans. But my motto is "dress to impress." Nothing flashy, but also nothing that looks sloppy or like you don't care. I think first impressions, whether we like it or not, are in part based upon appearance.  
• Leave early. Even though I was "late" by my own standards, I knew myself and my propensity to get hopelessly lost so I left about 2 hours early. And sadly I almost needed all of my extra time. Plan accordingly for the unexpected.
• Practice first. Don't go to your number one pick first. I went to a table where I had no intention of going and chatted with the admission's counselor for a while. It calmed my nerves, and it actually turned out to be really helpful. She was kind and informative and breaking the ice without pressure helped give me confidence for the rest of the day.
• You don't have to go to all the seminars. Only go to the ones that really interest you. Otherwise, you may waste valuable time sitting through something you don't really want/need to hear.
• Talk to other people. It may sound simplistic, but while I was waiting in lines, I used that time to talk to other people. It made the lines seem less long, I got to meet some fun people, and I wasn't worrying about talking to the representative. 

8 Tips for an Outstanding Application

Most law schools don't offer interviews. So it's important to make sure that your application is outstanding, since they can't meet the lovely you in person. 

Here's my Top 8 List for Outstanding Applications, compiled from all my research.

1. Start Early. This process can take awhile, and you don't want to rush and risk the chance of messing up. Remember the personal statement saga? DON'T be that person. Also the earlier you finish the earlier you could hear back. Many schools do rolling admissions, so you could potentially be in the first batch of applicants and hear back sooner.
2. LOR Do's and Don'ts. Letters of Recommendation, ask early for them. They are busy people, make sure you give them plenty of time to write the essays. Pick people who actually know you. Every book and admissions counselor I talked to said they would prefer to have have 1) Professors because they would know best whether you could handle the academic rigors of law school and 2) Bosses who know your character and work ethic. They said skip the lawyer friends of Daddy who don't really know you that well.  
3. Take the LSAT in JUNE. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. June is the best time to take the LSAT. And it's not just me, the experts think so too.
4. NO spelling and grammar errors. You want to convey the idea that you are a professional. Spelling and grammar errors show that you aren't ready for a professional career because you can't even take the time to adequately proof your application. My advice? Work on it. Leave it alone for a day, and then come back. Particularly aspects like your resume and personal statement, I would have those proofed by professors, editing savvy friends and Career Services.
5. Closing Personalized Paragraph. At the end of my personal statement for each school, I would include a school-specific paragraph. It may sound like more work, but from the admissions counselors I've talked to, it makes you stand out. So research each school, find a program or qualities it emphasizes and write about it. And this is the part where you convince them that by having you there, you would benefit from it, but you would also be able to contribute towards the school. 
6. Law Specific Resume. One of the ways I tried to have my resume stand out was by making a law-specific category. Why? Well it shows that 1) Law school isn't a last resort, or whim, that it's something I've pursued and thought out. 2) It helps them see that I have had internships and shadowing, so I know a little bit about the legal profession 3) It helps them as admissions boards, when reading through countless resumes, read it a little easier because they don't have to try and pick out the law-specific parts on their own.
7. Attend a Law School Forum. I attended one in Chicago (a little late, because I got hopelessly lost for an hour). It's a great experience! I got to talk to every admissions counselor from the schools I wanted to go to. I was able to ask them specific questions, and get their contact information. Later I sent follow-up emails thanking them for their time. 
8. Highlight leadership and education in Resume. Avoid ANYTHING from high school though. Use active verbs to show how you excelled in various areas. Highlight any academic honors.