Top Law Schools

I want to get my apps in during late-September or October. My LSAT is done and my PS is mostly done. I plan to write a few "Why" essays for Penn and Virginia. I may also write some scholarship essays. I plan on applying to 10-15 schools.

But I also have a very busy semsester with various jobs and activities in addition to classes. How time-consuming does it sound like my cycle will be? I don't want to overwhelm myself.

As an additional question, how important is it to have "recommenders" when they're optional?

Please don't quote.

The actual applications do not take long at all. Like 10 minutes each iirc

I don't understand why we can't quote this...

Sounds like you have it mostly buttoned up, so no problem at all if you finish all your essays before hand.

If your PS is done and you've taken the LSAT (and aren't retaking) then you've got the bulk of it done.

If you're planning on why essays, you could always start them now.

The actual applications are a little timely (like filling out a job application) but they're tedious mostly.. Not anything to stress over. Like 30 minutes MAX.

Then you'll just have to worry about any tweeking of your PS for different schools and any other addendum.

I wouldn't sweat it.

And.. there's nothing sensitive in your original post, so I wouldnt worry about quoting...

ManOfTheMinute wrote:I don't understand why we can't quote this...

Sounds like you have it mostly buttoned up, so no problem at all if you finish all your essays before hand.

Some of us are just that paranoid haha. Any more thoughts on this or the recommenders?

kayleighcheyenne wrote:If your PS is done and you've taken the LSAT (and aren't retaking) then you've got the bulk of it done.

If you're planning on why essays, you could always start them now.

The actual applications are a little timely (like filling out a job application) but they're tedious mostly.. Not anything to stress over. Like 30 minutes MAX.

Then you'll just have to worry about any tweeking of your PS for different schools and any other addendum.

I wouldn't sweat it.

And.. there's nothing sensitive in your original post, so I wouldnt worry about quoting...

I don't plan on tweaking the PS (is that bad?) And maybe I mean evaluators when I say recommenders.

Evals definitely won't make or break your app, assuming they're positive.

May as well get them filled out though.

Some schools ask for specific things in their essay (PS).. So you should definitely read and make sure before you blindly submit one document for all.

Some are fine with whatever, but a few schools I looked at required something different.

The little survey evaluator thing may not matter.. But it wouldn't hurt to have it if your recommenders are willing to fill out a survey (provided they say good things, of course).. But it really doesn't matter.

kayleighcheyenne wrote:Some schools ask for specific things in their essay (PS).. So you should definitely read and make sure before you blindly submit one document for all.

This isn't really true. The same essay should serve you well for pretty much every school out there.

bp shinners wrote:

kayleighcheyenne wrote:Some schools ask for specific things in their essay (PS).. So you should definitely read and make sure before you blindly submit one document for all.

This isn't really true. The same essay should serve you well for pretty much every school out there.

I found a thread with most of the T-14's personal statements prompts. My 2 pager already seems to fit the criteria for 90 percent of them. But I also don't plan to add the "name dropping" line or paragraph, where I basically just insert law school XXX in for each app. Should I do this? I'm sure adcoms know people do it and it probably doesn't help. Am I wrong?

I wasn't suggesting you add a specific paragraph, sorry.

A few of my last minute apps I had to shorten by like half a paragraph because they had odd requests, and I didn't apply to T14, I applied to top 30 schools and I had at least two applications I considered, but they required weird essays (unc for example).

So, yes you should be fine for most schools, but always double check that they're not asking you to include something you haven't in your essay was my point.

jlb251 wrote:
I found a thread with most of the T-14's personal statements prompts. My 2 pager already seems to fit the criteria for 90 percent of them. But I also don't plan to add the "name dropping" line or paragraph, where I basically just insert law school XXX in for each app. Should I do this? I'm sure adcoms know people do it and it probably doesn't help. Am I wrong?

I didn't name drop any schools in any of my essays. I also avoided applying places where I'd have to write a school specific or weirdly prompted PS, which meant I didn't apply to my UG.

One of the nice things you may not realize is that LSAC uses what I think they call a flex application... when you fill out one then open another it will automatically have everything filled out, and you just have to click save (assuming there's nothing you want to change for that school). You still have to upload attachments like your resume and PS, though. So if you're not changing anything it could literally take a minute or two... but I do recommend reading the full instructions for each school, because some schools have very specific instructions that you might not expect... for example, I remember that UChicago specifically says that they want the number of hours that each activity took every week listed in your resume, not just the extracurriculars section of the app. Other schools had similar quirks... Yale wants a one page resume (though I think I got this from their blog, not the instructions) whereas Chicago is fine with a two pager. So the bulk of your time with applications, post-PS, will/should involve reading these specific instructions/applying the relevant alterations to your app materials.

LSATSCORES2012 wrote:One of the nice things you may not realize is that LSAC uses what I think they call a flex application... when you fill out one then open another it will automatically have everything filled out, and you just have to click save (assuming there's nothing you want to change for that school). You still have to upload attachments like your resume and PS, though. So if you're not changing anything it could literally take a minute or two... but I do recommend reading the full instructions for each school, because some schools have very specific instructions that you might not expect... for example, I remember that UChicago specifically says that they want the number of hours that each activity took every week listed in your resume, not just the extracurriculars section of the app. Other schools had similar quirks... Yale wants a one page resume (though I think I got this from their blog, not the instructions) whereas Chicago is fine with a two pager. So the bulk of your time with applications, post-PS, will/should involve reading these specific instructions/applying the relevant alterations to your app materials.

I'd been planning to send the same resume to each school, so thanks for this! Time to do some tweaking...

Cicero76 wrote:

jlb251 wrote:
I found a thread with most of the T-14's personal statements prompts. My 2 pager already seems to fit the criteria for 90 percent of them. But I also don't plan to add the "name dropping" line or paragraph, where I basically just insert law school XXX in for each app. Should I do this? I'm sure adcoms know people do it and it probably doesn't help. Am I wrong?

I didn't name drop any schools in any of my essays. I also avoided applying places where I'd have to write a school specific or weirdly prompted PS, which meant I didn't apply to my UG.

Yea, the name-dropping essay never comes across well because it's patently obvious what you're doing. You're also infinitely times more likely to mess it up and send the wrong essay to the wrong school.

The one exception is if you write your essay on a specific topic for which the school has a unique program in which they take pride. Then, you can bring that info in. That situation, however, is pretty rare.

what do the applications actually consist of? what do we fill out besides the personal statement and the C & F section?

also regarding the C & F you're supposed to keep those short right? I think a paragraph should suffice to explain the time I was caught with 4 half-empty beers in my room

kayleighcheyenne wrote: The actual applications are a little timely (like filling out a job application)

You can look some up, but you have to fill in all the details you would expect in an application.

Then you have to upload your PS, your Resume, and any addenda you might need to add.

Yes, everything should be concise but anything C&F you want to make sure to include all the facts, otherwise it'll bite you.