Can your resume have a BIG impact on your admission? Forum

[legal10101]

I understand the impact of the LSAT and GPA on admission, but what about the resume?
I am a non-traditional student. I have been working as a paralegal for the last 8 years. I am a Certified Coder and Certified in Healthcare Compliance. I am hoping to be accepted into a health law program in the Chicagoland area. I have looked at several schools, mostly T2. I am concerned I did not do well on my LSAT. Honestly, I never scored over a 155 when taking the practice tests, and yes I did spend a significant amount of time studying. (Don't eat that alive)

[dihydrogenmonoxide]

If you could improve your LSAT, Northwestern seems like an ideal fit given your Chicago preference and the fact that they value work experience to a far greater degree than any other T20 law school.

[2014]

If your resume is filled with typos, obsenities, or loaded up with jobs you got fired from, that could have a big effect on your application I suppose.

[Grizz]

Not really gonna have much of an impact unfortunately. Agree with the above wrt NW.

[legal10101]

Never fired, quite the contrary actually. I always excelled in my work experience. I have worked with great health law attorneys and firms. McDermott Will Emory, Monahan & Cohen, Hinshaw & Culbertson, etc..... For the life of me, i can not get past the LSAT score. I originally was going to go the Temple for my undergrad, but had a significant health issue arise. It had a huge impact on my first 2 years of school. I had a terrible GPA. Now 280 credits later, I graduated from my degree granting institution with a 3.7 GPA. So there is a clear difference from my late '90s GPA and present day. Oh by the way, I am married and have two small children. I have awesome letters of recommendation from my boss (Northwestern Grad) and the Dean of Admissions at my undergrad....
I am holding on submitting aps because I want to see how the LSAT comes back. I am concerned that I will need to apply for a PT program to have a more probable chance of getting into a "good" program in the area. I can not uproot my family.

[crysmissmichelle]

Yes, the resume can definitely make a difference, but the test scores are still more important.

Have you read the Ivey Guide?

[legal10101]

I have not. I have seen it posted and I suppose it makes sense, if it is what the name indicates. Does it help guide the student to determine where they will "fit" the best?

[Renzo]

One's resume can have a BIG impact. Yours will not.

[Perch]

Sorry to piggyback on the thread but I didn't want to make a new thread for one question:

I just went through my transcript and I was Dean's List every semester except for one (3.5GPA is Dean's List, and the one semester I didn't get it I literally had a 3.4975 and my school doesn't round at all apparently).

Is it better to just not include Dean's List at all or to include it for every semester except for one? Bummer, but I don't want to mislead anyone with the resume.

[Kohinoor]

If the last name at the top of your resume is Rockefeller, then sure.

[taxguy]

I just came back from a law school career day at Penn State. I spoke with over 50 admission officers and deans. Let me share my experience with you.

Generally, the longer you are out of college , the less GPA and even LSATs matter. Not that these factors don't matter; however, their impact is lessoned the longer you are out of school.

Law schools are besieged primarily with kids right out of college. if you have been out a few years, you definetely will stand out.
Secondly, if your life experiences are very strong , you could be considered an interesting outlying candidate. This could result in admission even though you are outside of the bottom 25% of the LSAT. However, you would need really strong soft factors, such as CPA., great work experience, fabulous grades in grad school, awards etc.

Bottom line: yes, your resume can be crucial as is your personal statement;however, you would need some very strong soft factors if you want to be considered a "diamond in the rough."

[capitalacq]

Sorry to piggyback on the thread but I didn't want to make a new thread for one question:

I just went through my transcript and I was Dean's List every semester except for one (3.5GPA is Dean's List, and the one semester I didn't get it I literally had a 3.4975 and my school doesn't round at all apparently).

Is it better to just not include Dean's List at all or to include it for every semester except for one? Bummer, but I don't want to mislead anyone with the resume.

You could just say Dean's List (7 semesters)

[northwood]

If you leave a job and then come back to it, do you put both sets of dates of employment, or do you copy and paste the job description and company name abover and below.

Clarification: I was at company a for 10 years. Got the urge to try a different field, went to company b for 6 months, hated it, and went back to same job at company a ( took the job back from my replacement) and have been there for a year and a half. I have the exact same title and duties ( only my pay went up.... win!) and i still hate the job.. ( lose)

thanks and sorry to derail the thread

[SilverE2]

I just came back from a law school career day at Penn State. I spoke with over 50 admission officers and deans. Let me share my experience with you.

Generally, the longer you are out of college , the less GPA and even LSATs matter. Not that these factors don't matter; however, their impact is lessoned the longer you are out of school.

Law schools are besieged primarily with kids right out of college. if you have been out a few years, you definetely will stand out.
Secondly, if your life experiences are very strong , you could be considered an interesting outlying candidate. This could result in admission even though you are outside of the bottom 25% of the LSAT. However, you would need really strong soft factors, such as CPA., great work experience, fabulous grades in grad school, awards etc.

Bottom line: yes, your resume can be crucial as is your personal statement;however, you would need some very strong soft factors if you want to be considered a "diamond in the rough."

Though they will tell you otherwise, the only thing that matters is your GPA, LSAT and race. Welcome to law school admissions.

[Barbie]

I just came back from a law school career day at Penn State. I spoke with over 50 admission officers and deans. Let me share my experience with you.

Generally, the longer you are out of college , the less GPA and even LSATs matter. Not that these factors don't matter; however, their impact is lessoned the longer you are out of school.

Law schools are besieged primarily with kids right out of college. if you have been out a few years, you definetely will stand out.
Secondly, if your life experiences are very strong , you could be considered an interesting outlying candidate. This could result in admission even though you are outside of the bottom 25% of the LSAT. However, you would need really strong soft factors, such as CPA., great work experience, fabulous grades in grad school, awards etc.

Bottom line: yes, your resume can be crucial as is your personal statement;however, you would need some very strong soft factors if you want to be considered a "diamond in the rough."

Out of curiosity, which ones mentioned having a strong life experience being beneficial?

[taxguy]

In our case, my son graduated top of his class in his master's program and got the CPA in one shot. He also got an award for working for the government. I would imagine other life experience awards would be: Running a congressional or presidential campaign, receiving a silver cross or medal of honor, starting and currently running a succesful business, working for a large law firm where the senior partner greatly endorses you and promises a job upon graduation, being an Olympian, writing a best selling book, etc.

In fact, to take a kid who is right out of college and has a higher LSAT over someone that has several of these critieria with similar ( but still lower LSAT) would be a huge mistake in my opinion. From what I heard at the law school fairs, most admission folks would agree with me.

[sgtgrumbles]

In fact, to take a kid who is right out of college and has a higher LSAT over someone that has several of these critieria with similar ( but still lower LSAT) would be a huge mistake in my opinion. From what I heard at the law school fairs, most admission folks would agree with me.

You'd think so, right? But in reality, it's the numbers. A school's US News and World Report ranking hinges on its LSAT and GPA medians. The school's prestige hinges on its USNWR ranking. The school's ability to hire elite scholars, attract top candidates and provide its students outstanding opportunities hinge on its prestige. Thus, it's all about the numbers. I don't doubt that someone who has ascended the ranks at his or her company or spent a year rebuilding New Orleans has a more robust set of experiences to bring to a law school class than a 21-year-old straight out of undergrad who scored four points higher on the LSAT. I would bet admissions officers know this, too, but they're at the mercy of the rankings system.

[r6_philly]

In fact, to take a kid who is right out of college and has a higher LSAT over someone that has several of these critieria with similar ( but still lower LSAT) would be a huge mistake in my opinion. From what I heard at the law school fairs, most admission folks would agree with me.

You'd think so, right? But in reality, it's the numbers. A school's US News and World Report ranking hinges on its LSAT and GPA medians. The school's prestige hinges on its USNWR ranking. The school's ability to hire elite scholars, attract top candidates and provide its students outstanding opportunities hinge on its prestige. Thus, it's all about the numbers. I don't doubt that someone who has ascended the ranks at his or her company or spent a year rebuilding New Orleans has a more robust set of experiences to bring to a law school class than a 21-year-old straight out of undergrad who scored four points higher on the LSAT. I would bet admissions officers know this, too, but they're at the mercy of the rankings system.

I worked at fairs, the goal is to get you to apply.