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Anyone not going straight from UG? Have kids? Just kind of curious, is it a hazy kind of line or is there some official definition? Sorry if this has been posted before.

My expansive definition of nontrad: someone who has done something that is not school for 2 or more years before applying to LS. The "something" cannot be a master's degree or a time-limited organized "program" for people who know/plan to apply to LS after (like TFA, Americorps, 2 yrs of paralegaling, etc). The "something" could also be pre-UG if the person finished UG later in life (e.g. went to work straight out of high school).

My narrow definition of non-trad: someone who is 27 or older at the start of law school. This definition is mainly written to narrowly exclude me

Older than traditional law school students? If you are a White Male between the ages of 20-25 you in all likelyness are not a "nontrad" student. If you aren't a young White Male you have a good chance of being a "nontrad" student. Unfortunately I'm the former.

Yes, there are plenty of us. <--- non-trad.

darknightbegins wrote:Older than traditional law school students? If you are a White Male between the ages of 20-25 you in all likelyness are not a "nontrad" student. If you aren't a young White Male you have a good chance of being a "nontrad" student. Unfortunately I'm the former.

Pretty sure race and sex have nothing to do with it.

Then I humbly stand corrected.

Is there any boost nontraditional applicants receive? Is 27 a typical definition in the eyes of law schools?

I don't think there's any special consideration a non-traditional gets from AdComms. By the above "narrow" definition, I will be a non-trad, but it certainly didn't help me.

If you can work into the story your application will tell about overcoming adversity or something similar, then you may get a little mileage out of it.

....

I'm a nontrad. I applied last cycle though. Typically, older applicants are called nontrads. It's just so we don't feel bad for being so old.

In general, at least > 5 yrs out of undergrad (and/or over 30). Successful in another career path before applying to law school.

Could also be someone who took an unusual path including overcoming significant adversity (such as someone who had a kid at 17, dropped out of high school, later went back and got a GED and Bachelors while working 2 jobs and supporting their kid).

Amount of boost varies but is roughly correlated to how far away from the "typical" applicant they are and the magnitude of what they accomplished while away from school.

Optimus Prime.

traehekat wrote:Optimus Prime.

This is a minor soft, worth probably 1 LSAT point.

I think I fall under nontrad under all accounts.

I had a kid at 17, worked on an ungrad forever, while waiting tables, then did an MBA. Have worked as a Paralegal full time for last 10 years, got married, had two more kids. Over 30 too. And I finally got around to taking the LSAT Feb 6th.

I feel like I am an eduacation treadmill.

bahama wrote:In general, at least > 5 yrs out of undergrad (and/or over 30). Successful in another career path before applying to law school.

Could also be someone who took an unusual path including overcoming significant adversity (such as someone who had a kid at 17, dropped out of high school, later went back and got a GED and Bachelors while working 2 jobs and supporting their kid).

Amount of boost varies but is roughly correlated to how far away from the "typical" applicant they are and the magnitude of what they accomplished while away from school.

Your "example" person is me, except I had my kid at 16.

YoungMa wrote:

bahama wrote:In general, at least > 5 yrs out of undergrad (and/or over 30). Successful in another career path before applying to law school.

Could also be someone who took an unusual path including overcoming significant adversity (such as someone who had a kid at 17, dropped out of high school, later went back and got a GED and Bachelors while working 2 jobs and supporting their kid).

Amount of boost varies but is roughly correlated to how far away from the "typical" applicant they are and the magnitude of what they accomplished while away from school.

Your "example" person is me, except I had my kid at 16.

Cool!

bahama wrote:In general, at least > 5 yrs out of undergrad (and/or over 30). Successful in another career path before applying to law school.

Could also be someone who took an unusual path including overcoming significant adversity (such as someone who had a kid at 17, dropped out of high school, later went back and got a GED and Bachelors while working 2 jobs and supporting their kid).

Amount of boost varies but is roughly correlated to how far away from the "typical" applicant they are and the magnitude of what they accomplished while away from school.

+1 Shorthand: 27 or older, education was disrupted for more than one semester/didn't start college until later in life