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How hard is it to get accepted into law school
I am wondering about SAT or ACT scores and if they matter or not. Will there be an essay or something #law-school
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Marcia’s Answer
While it is competitive to get into Law School the specific factors, which are considered by a particular school may vary and may include such things as your academic transcript, as well as, your SAT and ACT scores. Non-academic factors may also be included such as personal reference letters, your engagement in community service and/or civic-related activities, why you aspire to attend law school, etc.
You will also need to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) which is offered at different times and locations across the country. There are preparatory courses which you can take prior to the actual LSAT, if you like, and I would encourage it, as it was very helpful to me. Have patience and confidence in yourself - if you can conceive doing it, then you can achieve it!
Best wishes!
You will also need to take the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) which is offered at different times and locations across the country. There are preparatory courses which you can take prior to the actual LSAT, if you like, and I would encourage it, as it was very helpful to me. Have patience and confidence in yourself - if you can conceive doing it, then you can achieve it!
Best wishes!
Updated
charles’s Answer
Hello, Alexander.
I will attempt to answer this question to the best of my ability; although my experience is somewhat dated, having enrolled at UCLA School of Law in 1981. When I applied, the key factors were GPA and LSAT scores. I'm not certain if that is still the case. Of course, the answer depends on which law school you want to attend. Schools such as Boalt Hall at Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA and Hastings were (and probably still are) considered the top choices for California. I am completely unqualified to discuss any non-California schools, since I did not apply anywhere out of state.
Back in 1981, to get into the top CA law schools, you needed a college GPA of close to 4.0, plus a very high score on the LSAT (around the top 10% - 20% or so). I am certain that the Application contained information that might have been helpful (honors and awards), along with the contents of essay responses. (However, I honestly don't remember if the UCLA Application contained essay questions.) I do not believe that the SAT or ACT scores mattered at all; perhaps under the assumption that the ranking of your undergraduate institution provided enough information to determine whether or not you had good credentials in high school. I believe that professor recommendations also played a significant part in the law school application process - letting the law school know whether or not you were a dedicated student who diligently prepared for classes. Law schools attempt to determine who is qualified enough to make it through a rigorous law school curriculum. At the higher end, these schools screen out applicants, rather than flunk them out after the first semester or first year, as do some of the State-only accredited institutions.
If candidates do not have the grades or LSAT scores to be accepted into the top tier of CA law schools, then they must apply at a lesser known institution, or perhaps one of the many for profit law schools in the State. So, given the number and variety of law schools in California, it might not be as hard as one would imagine to be accepted at a law school. The key is whether the candidate will make it to the 2nd year. Speaking from experience, my first year at UCLA School of Law was probably not as stressful as those of my peers who attended, say Western State in Fullerton. They were subjected to the old trope: "Look to your left and look to your right. By the end of the year, only one of you will still be in law school."
You will need to decide whether you want at all costs to be a lawyer (which means applying to any number of schools), or whether you don't believe it is worth it to commit such a huge time and financial commitment to study law, if you aren't accepted by one of the top two or three tiers of law schools in the state.
I hope I was able to answer your question, even though my experience with applying to law schools took place 40 years ago.
Good luck to you as you discern your calling and ultimately decide whether or not you want to be a lawyer.
I will attempt to answer this question to the best of my ability; although my experience is somewhat dated, having enrolled at UCLA School of Law in 1981. When I applied, the key factors were GPA and LSAT scores. I'm not certain if that is still the case. Of course, the answer depends on which law school you want to attend. Schools such as Boalt Hall at Berkeley, Stanford, UCLA and Hastings were (and probably still are) considered the top choices for California. I am completely unqualified to discuss any non-California schools, since I did not apply anywhere out of state.
Back in 1981, to get into the top CA law schools, you needed a college GPA of close to 4.0, plus a very high score on the LSAT (around the top 10% - 20% or so). I am certain that the Application contained information that might have been helpful (honors and awards), along with the contents of essay responses. (However, I honestly don't remember if the UCLA Application contained essay questions.) I do not believe that the SAT or ACT scores mattered at all; perhaps under the assumption that the ranking of your undergraduate institution provided enough information to determine whether or not you had good credentials in high school. I believe that professor recommendations also played a significant part in the law school application process - letting the law school know whether or not you were a dedicated student who diligently prepared for classes. Law schools attempt to determine who is qualified enough to make it through a rigorous law school curriculum. At the higher end, these schools screen out applicants, rather than flunk them out after the first semester or first year, as do some of the State-only accredited institutions.
If candidates do not have the grades or LSAT scores to be accepted into the top tier of CA law schools, then they must apply at a lesser known institution, or perhaps one of the many for profit law schools in the State. So, given the number and variety of law schools in California, it might not be as hard as one would imagine to be accepted at a law school. The key is whether the candidate will make it to the 2nd year. Speaking from experience, my first year at UCLA School of Law was probably not as stressful as those of my peers who attended, say Western State in Fullerton. They were subjected to the old trope: "Look to your left and look to your right. By the end of the year, only one of you will still be in law school."
You will need to decide whether you want at all costs to be a lawyer (which means applying to any number of schools), or whether you don't believe it is worth it to commit such a huge time and financial commitment to study law, if you aren't accepted by one of the top two or three tiers of law schools in the state.
I hope I was able to answer your question, even though my experience with applying to law schools took place 40 years ago.
Good luck to you as you discern your calling and ultimately decide whether or not you want to be a lawyer.
Updated
ramon’s Answer
I agree with everything Marcia said. In my experience, SAT did not seem as important, although of course it never hurts to do well in it. However, the most important factor to getting into law school was the LSAT.
Studies have shown that people who are successful in the LSAT tend to be more successful in law school and beyond, so schools take your score very seriously. The score is out of a possible 180 points (perfect score), and it's determined by how well you do compared to everyone else taking that same particular LSAT, which means it's highly competitive--you want any edge you can get over other test takers. The LSAT is made up of 3 sections--Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, and Logic Games. For most people, the Logic Games are the hardest part because it's a type of question that isn't usually encountered throughout high school or even undergrad college, so that is where your biggest opportunity is to beat the competition.
The LSAT prep course I took was through Kaplan--it was extremely helpful, and at the time cost about $800. I highly recommend it. There are more in-depth courses out there that cost in the thousands if you want to really crush the exam. On the other hand, if you'd rather find a free option, I would say do as many free lsat-style logic games as you can find online. Do them a lot, as much as you can, in the months leading up to your LSAT. Personally I was terrible at them in the beginning, but after taking the Kaplan course I got pretty good and to this day I kind of enjoy them.
Also, if you're not much of a reader, it's time to become one. Read and read and read--preferably complicated works with intricate language and long sentences. Practice summarizing what you've read as concisely as possible, and double check with a fellow LSAT student or someone more experienced to make sure you're fully grasping and clearly regurgitating what you've read. Just like anything else, the more you read, the better you'll be at it.
I hope this helps! Law school is absolutely the best educational experience I ever had, and so worth it. Good luck!
Studies have shown that people who are successful in the LSAT tend to be more successful in law school and beyond, so schools take your score very seriously. The score is out of a possible 180 points (perfect score), and it's determined by how well you do compared to everyone else taking that same particular LSAT, which means it's highly competitive--you want any edge you can get over other test takers. The LSAT is made up of 3 sections--Reading Comprehension, Logical Reasoning, and Logic Games. For most people, the Logic Games are the hardest part because it's a type of question that isn't usually encountered throughout high school or even undergrad college, so that is where your biggest opportunity is to beat the competition.
The LSAT prep course I took was through Kaplan--it was extremely helpful, and at the time cost about $800. I highly recommend it. There are more in-depth courses out there that cost in the thousands if you want to really crush the exam. On the other hand, if you'd rather find a free option, I would say do as many free lsat-style logic games as you can find online. Do them a lot, as much as you can, in the months leading up to your LSAT. Personally I was terrible at them in the beginning, but after taking the Kaplan course I got pretty good and to this day I kind of enjoy them.
Also, if you're not much of a reader, it's time to become one. Read and read and read--preferably complicated works with intricate language and long sentences. Practice summarizing what you've read as concisely as possible, and double check with a fellow LSAT student or someone more experienced to make sure you're fully grasping and clearly regurgitating what you've read. Just like anything else, the more you read, the better you'll be at it.
I hope this helps! Law school is absolutely the best educational experience I ever had, and so worth it. Good luck!