Five parts of the application

By on June 24, 2009 in Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep, Test Expert

You may be curious as to how the application process works, so here goes…

I view the application process as containing five different pieces:

  • The application form itself
  • Undergraduate GPA
  • LSAT score
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Personal statement

Over the course of the next few blogs, I will address each piece individually. In the meantime, I feel it is important for you to understand the overarching sequence of the process.

You will need to submit your transcript(s) and letters of recommendation to LSAC. It is your responsibility to make sure that LSAC receives both, and the good news is that you have the ability to track their receipt online on the LSAC website.… Read full post

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Overlooked Alternatives in Logical Reasoning

By on June 18, 2009 in Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep, Test Expert

The Logical Reasoning section of the LSAT contains a number of frequently repeated argumentative structures. One of the most common involves an author using the given evidence to reach a definitive conclusion without considering alternative factors. Here’s an example of such an argument:

Last night, I planted a bed of roses in my front yard. This morning, I noticed that the roses had been dug up and spread around the yard. My next-door neighbors have a dog that enjoys digging up flowers, so it must have been their dog that dug up my new roses.

In this argument, the author discovers a possible factor in the flowery destruction: a dog with a penchant for digging up flowers.… Read full post

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Welcome to the Admissions Process

By on June 17, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

So you’ve made the decision to apply for the Fall 2010 Entering Class. I welcome you to the admissions process.

I’ve mentioned this before and I will continue to do so throughout my blog entries: I want you to enjoy your law school experience, and this entails finding the right school for you. You may be asking yourself how you go about doing this. Below are some hints:

I encourage you to take advantage of a number of free opportunities that will help you learn more about the various law schools.

  1. Kaplan offers seminars in your community which bring together law school admissions officers who will introduce you to the application process.

    2. … Read full post

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Is law school in 2010 right for you?

By on June 10, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

If you are considering applying to law school this year, I ask you an important question: Is law school in 2010 right for you? Riding out the economy shouldn’t be your motivation for law school now. I urge you to do some soul searching as to your reasons for applying now. To assist you in this process, I pose the following questions for your consideration:

◊ I believe that investing in education is an investment in yourself. Having said that, I’m sure you’re aware that law school is expensive. Are you financially prepared for the costs you’ll incur? Resources are available to help you meet these expenses.… Read full post

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Canceling Scores – Making the Decision

By on June 10, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

Ideally, every person who takes the LSAT goes into the testing center, takes the test, and leaves feeling confident that great results will follow. However, it’s inevitable that some test takers will succumb to the pressure of Test Day and walk away feeling anxious and uncertain.

The LSAC offers test takers the opportunity to cancel their scores. Before making that decision, one should know a few facts about canceled scores:

1.) If you choose to cancel a score, nobody will ever know your actual results on that test – not law schools, not the LSAC, not even you. It will be as if you never took it.… Read full post

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June Law School Admissions Seminars in DC, Chicago, and Boston

By on June 4, 2009 in Law School Admissions

If you’re in the DC, Chicago or Boston areas, attend a Law School Decision seminar hosted by myself (I’ll be in Chicago) or one of my Kaplan Admissions Consulting colleagues.

At these free events, we’ll discuss:

  • • How the current economic climate is affecting law school admissions
  • • The value of a JD
  • • What it takes to get accepted to law school

We’ll also dissect a before and after version of a former admissions consulting student’s personal statement you’ll learn how to avoid common pitfalls while obtaining tried and true practices for a successful application.

Law School Decision Events – Register today!… Read full post

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The Week Before The Test

By on June 1, 2009 in Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep

Test Day is right around the corner! This is when tensions get high and the pressure of taking the exam can start to take its toll on test takers. That stress, however, can only impede your final preparations. That being said, here are a few don’ts to avoid as game day approaches.

1. Don’t take a full-length exam every day from now until the day before the test.

This leaves less time for a more analytical approach to studying. Simply taking exams and looking at the scores will do little to improve your performance. Instead, you need to spend time reviewing each test you take to understand what you did wrong and what you need to do to get better.… Read full post

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Attention College Juniors:

By on May 27, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

Are you considering taking a year or two off before applying to law school? Whether you plan to travel (I’m jealous already), or work, or both, I encourage you to do it, or at least be sure to look into it.

As you may be aware, as part of the application process, law schools ask that you submit a personal statement. I guarantee that the person you are two years from now who sits down to write this statement will not be the same person who would compose it in six months. You will have more life experience, depth, insight and maturity…all characteristics that law schools are looking for.… Read full post

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The Importance of Reading Comp Keywords

By on May 26, 2009 in Law School & Legal Life

One of the most common complaints about the LSAT is the perceived lack of time to complete a section. This is especially true for Reading Comprehension. Many test takers cite being a "slow reader" as the reason it’s so difficult to complete all four passages.

However, the key to success in Reading Comprehension has nothing to do with being able to read quickly. Instead, mastering Reading Comprehension depends on reading strategically. That means reading with a purpose: to actively find the most important information – the kind of information the LSAT will ask questions about. Ultimately, that results in more correct answers and a higher score.… Read full post

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Trying to decide where to apply to law school?

By on May 18, 2009 in Law School Admissions, LSAT Test Prep

You’re in luck. There are a plethora of opportunities available to help you explore potential law schools. Yes, you can read about the schools in publications and online, but I believe that the best way to really get to know a law school is to visit it, or at least speak with representatives from there. Two of the most valuable alternatives are listed below. Please, please, please take advantage of these valuable resources.

Law School Admission Council (LSAC) Law School Forums
The Law School Admission Council offers Law School Forums in nine cities around the country, and the good news is that admission is free.… Read full post

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