The key is to convey that you are intelligent and wiling to work hard in a setting that requires extensive amounts of reading and writing. The less work experience you have, the more emphasis will be placed on your academic record. If your academic record is not up to par, you may consider taking additional courses to make up for weak grades or fill holes in your record. Contact the law schools you are interested in to determine whether such coursework will be considered.

The quality of your academic record includes far more than simply your GPA. It also includes:

• Competitiveness of the college you attend/attended
• How well you did in your courses (particularly more difficult courses junior and senior year)
• Coursework you have taken related to the legal field: history, political science, public speaking, and negotiation to name a few
• Courses requiring extensive reading, writing, research and analysis - important skills for lawyers

All American Bar Association (ABA) approved law schools require applicants to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT). The four-hour test consists of five 35 minute multiple-choice sections that are timed separately and a half-hour essay section that is not scored.

Your score will be available by Telscore approximately three weeks after you take the exam or by mail five weeks after the exam. Your score is valid for five years.

For additional information on the LSAT test and how to ace it, visit our LSAT page.

Although many students apply to law school straight out of college, an increasing number of people are applying with more than a year of full-time work experience. Many applicants have worked as paralegals while others have been in unrelated professions such as journalism or business. There are pros and cons to both types of applicants. Paralegals may know what they are getting into by attending law school, though they probably spent most of their time doing administrative tasks rather than gaining relevant skills. On the other hand, applying to law school from a profession not related to law gives applicants the benefit of standing out in their applications, assuming they market themselves well.

Whether you have worked as a paralegal, an intern, a writer or a business professional, the key to positioning your work experience is to show that you:

• Were successful in the position (quantify the results you achieved whenever possible)
• Exceeded expectations in a challenging environment
• Acquired a wide range of skills that will help you in law school and the legal field, particularly writing and analysis
• Worked well with other people

How you position your work experience in your applications should be consistent with your overall self-marketing plan. If you would like assistance developing an admissions strategy to help you put your best foot forward in your applications, our experts can help.

Admissions committees want to see non-academic activities on applications because they provide insight into the sociability, leadership, diversity, well roundedness, and talent that applicants bring to the table. These activities often add personality to your application, as well as insight as to how you might contribute to the law school community. Of course, activities are more important to those with little or no work experience.

The type of activity is typically not important. What matters is whether you assumed a leadership position, excelled, were committed for a significant period of time and can demonstrate passion for the activity. Thus, it is better to excel in one or two activities rather than be a participant in many activities.

The way you discuss your activities in your applications should be consistent with your overall self-marketing plan. If you would like assistance developing an admissions strategy to help you put your best foot forward in your applications, our experts can help.