Barb Noble

About Barb Noble

With over a decade experience of law school advising, I have assisted individuals from around the world with their applications to law school in both the United States and Canada. I was the Assistant Director for Pre-Law and Graduate School Advising at Brandeis University for four years where in addition to advising, I created and presented to hundreds of students on the application process and organized a law school and graduate school fair. Prior to that, I worked in residence life at both Boston College and Florida State University. I earned both my undergraduate and graduate degrees from Michigan State University and when not working with future law students, I enjoy spending time with my family at the beach.
Author Archive | Barb Noble

6 Steps to Powerful Law School Recommendation Letters

By on August 23, 2012 in Law School, Law School Admissions, Law School Application, Letter of Recommendation

LSAT blog, Law school application, law school admissions, letters of recommendationRecommendations play an important role in the admissions process, and it is also one of the pieces that is out of your control once an individual agrees to write you the letter.  Follow these 6 steps to ensure that you get the best letter possible:

  1. Ask early.  Give each recommender as much time as possible before the deadline.  If you are asking a professor, do so in the early fall before midterm pressure looms.  Nothing guarantees a ho-hum letter like giving someone 2 days to write it.
  1. If at all possible, ask for the letter in person.  Ideally, try to set up a time to chat with your recommender so that you can explain why you are applying to law school.  It is also helpful for the recommender to put a face to a name – especially if it is a professor from a large lecture style class.  If you are not able to request the letter in person, be sure to provide each recommender with a package of information about yourself.

    2. … Read full post

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Your Personal Statement: What not to put in.

By on August 7, 2012 in Law School, Law School Admissions, Law School Application, Personal Statement

People always want to know what they should write about in their law school personal statement but sometimes it is just as important to law school personal statementknow what not to put in it.  The people looking at your essay read thousands upon thousands of them all on the same topic so you want your essay to stand out for all the right reasons and not be skimmed over for all the wrong reasons.  Let’s start with what seem to be the more obvious things to avoid.

The personal statement is a sample of your writing which is an important facet of a law education.  Do not send an essay with misspelled or auto corrected words and please do not send an essay with the name of another law school.  Read your essay out loud and have someone else read it aloud before submitting it to the law school.… Read full post

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How Do law Schools View Multiple LSAT scores?

By on July 24, 2012 in Law School, Law School Admissions, LSAT, LSAT Score

LSAT BlogYou are trying to figure out how each of the law schools to which you are thinking of applying will view your multiple LSAT scores.  There is no set standard for this and you will need to research it for each school.  There are two very helpful resources to help you.

The first that I recommend is the NAPLA/SAPLA Book of Law School Lists written by Edward Stern and Gerald Wilson.  It compiles the results from self-reported surveys and gives a very good break down of law schools and their responses to how they use multiple LSAT scores (you will want to reference pages 366-372).  You will see from the examples below that the majority of law schools tend to use the highest score but make it clear that they do review all scores:

American University Admission Committee reviews all scores, but typically considers higher score for admission purposes.… Read full post

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Updating Law School Applications

By on March 22, 2012 in Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions

If you have been placed on a law school waiting list or still have not heard back from some of your schools, now is the time to update your applications with any new information.  The easiest way to do this is by emailing the admission office of each school and you can also follow up with a hard copy in the mail if you choose.  Keep your updates brief, factual, and to the point.

Be selective in the information you send to the law school – only include information that was asked on the original application.  Always update contact information – especially if you are leaving a college address at the end of the semester.… Read full post

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Accepted to Law School? Time for the Campus Visit!

By on March 8, 2012 in Law School & Legal Life, Law School Admissions

You have narrowed it down to two or three acceptances and have decided that you want to visit the campuses before you make your final decision.  My first suggestion is that you try and plan your trip sooner rather than later.  Not only because the law school will want your deposit in the upcoming weeks but because they will soon be preparing for finals and will not allow outsiders to sit in on a class.  You want to be able to see a class in action and have an opportunity to talk with both faculty and students before they go into finals hibernation mode.… Read full post

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Law School – Apply Now or Wait Until the Fall?

By on February 23, 2012 in Law School Admissions, Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep

Now that the February LSAT is over and you have had a chance to catch your breathe, you may be trying to decide whether you should apply now or wait until the fall.  The true reality is that you are probably better off waiting until the fall but only you can make the decision of what is best for you.  My goal is to give you as much information as I can to make an informed decision.

You may have your heart set on starting law school in the fall to a point where you are willing to give up on a dream school.  If this is the case then applying now makes more sense.  Get ready to dedicate some serious time to your applications though because some school deadlines have already passed and many are quickly approaching.… Read full post

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Deciding on a Law School? Ask Your Fellow Alumni

By on February 9, 2012 in Law School Admissions

You are starting to hear from the law schools to which you applied and hopefully you have some choices in front of you.  Obviously there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration but one avenue to pursue is asking your fellow undergraduate alumni their thoughts.

Most colleges and universities have alumni networks available to both their current undergrads and alumni.  This network is usually accessed through either the alumni office or the career center.  Often you can search the alumni network by professions and/or law school attended.  Try finding at least two or three alumni who are attending or recently graduated from the law schools from which you are trying to choose.… Read full post

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Law School Selection: Extracurricular Activities

By on November 24, 2011 in Law School, Law School Admissions

This is a continuing series of blogs from our team of Admissions Consultants here at Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions, showcasing various considerations on finding the right law school for you.Click here for more information on Admissions Consulting from Kaplan.

When the topic of extracurricular activities is mentioned in association with law school applications, most people assume they are being asked about college activities or organizations they are active in during their career.While this is a worthy topic and needs to be highlighted in your applications, you also need to consider the matter of extracurricular activities when deciding which schools to apply to and which offer to ultimately accept.Whether you are getting ready to apply to schools or decide between acceptances, take into consideration what extracurricular activities are available at each law school and what is important and appealing to you.… Read full post

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Law School Spotlight on: The Personal Statement – What it is and is not.

By on August 25, 2011 in Law School, Law School Admissions, Personal Statement

This is a continuing series of blogs from our team of Admissions Consultants here at Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions, showcasing various facets of a candidate’s law school application. Click here for more information on Admissions Consulting from Kaplan, including our Personal Statement Review package.

The personal statement is your chance to show the law school why you are the best applicant for them.You want to shine – in the stories you tell, in your reasons for wanting to go to law school, and in your writing skills.The reality is that if you have a straight-A grade point average and a perfect LSAT score, you don’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about your personal statement.… Read full post

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Law School Application Spotlight: Letters of Recommendation Reviewed

By on August 18, 2011 in Law School, Law School Admissions, Law School Application, Letter of Recommendation

This is a continuing series of blogs from our team of Admissions Consultants here at Kaplan Test Prep & Admissions, showcasing various facets of a candidate’s law school application. Click here for more information on Admissions Consulting from Kaplan, including our Personal Statement Review package.

Determining who to ask to write your letters of recommendation can feel as complicated as defining the rule against perpetuities.(That’ll be funny after your 1L property class.)Should you go with the professor with the big name but only knows you as face in a sea of 500 other students?Should you ask the president of the law firm where your mom practices?What about your rabbi who has known you since you were two?The answer to all three of these questions is probably not.… Read full post

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