Anna Ivey gives you ruthlessly practical admissions advice
A guest post from our friends at Blueprint LSAT Preparation:
It shouldn't be news to you that you want to get a good LSAT score to have a competitive law school application. Nothing complements the luster of a high GPA like a great LSAT score (other than a sequined pair of harem pants, of course).
Conversely, nothing can help scrub the tarnish off a low GPA like a good LSAT score.
"You're so beautiful, you could be a part-time model."
That's Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords, making up an awesome song that he thinks is actually paying a great compliment to a pretty girl he meets at a party.
What an interesting year this is shaping up to be. It's only early September, and we've already received an unusual number of emails from people who have just started law school and are already looking to transfer. They're not even willing to give their schools a chance. Why is that?
I imagine that 2010 saw a large number of people saying "yes" to their law schools out of desperation, and now that they find themselves at school and are bumping into so many 3Ls who are up to their eyeballs in debt and still struggling to find jobs, they're having second thoughts.
In a previous blog post about the Forbes rankings, I explained why I think understanding the methodology of a ranking is the key to determining if and how a particular ranking is helpful in your own college search. Since US News is the granddaddy of the college rankings (now in their 26th year), I'm always interested in how they change their methodology each year.
Yes, US News changes their methodology each year.
Anna, I am an Iraq veteran and I have read that military service is anywhere from "extremely valuable" to law school admissions to something akin to any other job. What is your take? Is there anything I should do to highlight its strengths while also countering its possibly negative connotations?
As for another, more specific question: I am struggling with whether to include my platoon's "number of enemy captured/killed" on my resume.
Forbes has just released its annual ranking of America’s Best Colleges for 2010 (online at www.forbes.com/colleges and in hard copy in the August 30, 2010 issue of Forbes now on newstands).
I am often asked how applicants can make themselves "look unique," and I actually think it's the wrong question to be asking.
To see why this is, let's start with what the word actually means, courtesy of Random House Dictionary (here are the first three definitions):
1.
Copying and pasting from Wikipedia in your college papers may seem totally normal to many college students, but this NYT article ("Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age") makes clear that (1) there is a casual attitude among many students about what constitutes plagiarism, and (2) copying and pasting and "borrowing" language is still considered plagiarism by any self-respecting university.
I think your blog is incredible and I really appreciate the time and thought that you put into your law school admissions book.I have a question/topic that I would love to see discussed on your blog.
I am wondering what advice you would give to someone who was dismissed from law school after their first semester and is interested in reapplying to law school after the ABA "blackout" application period.
Thanks to everyone who participated in today's chat for law school applicants. I promised you some links during the chat, so here they are:
I'll post a link to the recording of the chat as soon as it's ready to go.
I'll be conducting a free online chat for law school applicants today at 4 pm Eastern -- please join!
More info and registration here.
Law professor and blogger Jeff Lipshaw reads a lot of student essays and term papers, and he has graciously written a great piece on the three biggest problems that trip students up when they're trying to get their ideas across on paper. Read his post about the "Elevator Speech" failure, the "Peeling the Artichoke" failure, and the "Presentational" failure.
More thoughts on the subject here.
Former Dean of Admissions at the University of Chicago Law School and a recovering lawyer, Anna Ivey founded Ivey Consulting to help college, law school, and MBA applicants navigate the admissions process.
Esther helped me navigate the time consuming and difficult task of applying to 4 top MBA programs. She helped me establish a realistic timeline, identify interesting topics for my essays and synthesize my ideas into a cohesive story.
I love hearing from applicants with whom I crossed paths in years past. Here's an update I just received from a soon-to-be JD. It's a great reminder not to tack on graduate degrees willy-nilly, but to think hard about how a more general degree (like an MBA) stacks up against more specialized ones.
In my last email I told you that I was considering getting a MBA because of my interest in working for the Justice Department or the SEC.
TOEFL test prep guru Jon Hodge over at Strictly English sent me this question recently:
I'm writing to ask you if you can verify this claim I found on an online bulletin board:
A lot of law schools, especially the "top" ones, don't require the TOEFL even for the international students (from Europe, Asia etc.
I am often asked "How much would I make as a public interest lawyer?" There are many types of public interest law (see my blog posting from February 2009); accordingly, there is a wide range of salaries, depending on the type of work, employer, and location.
Most federal agencies use the "General Schedule," or GS Pay Scale, which has "grades" and "steps" to cover salary ranges.
When I first started preparing my law school applications, I hadn't a clue where to start. I knew I needed a solid GPA and LSAT score to be admitted to some of the best law schools in the country, but I didn't know how to put together a comprehensive application that highlighted my strengths while minimizing my weaknesses.
I didn't know how to craft well written resumes or personal statements because I didn't know what schools desired.
Two great new postings from Steve Schwartz at LSAT Blog, one on the shift in test dates this coming season (and why that matters), and the June vs. October debate. Well worth reading.
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