Visiting law schools - never done so before! Forum

[Canarsie]

Hi everyone! I am applying to schools after I take the Oct. LSAT and my goal is before Thanksgiving. When should I visit schools? Many of the ones I am thinking of applying to are either one hour away or in a city I am traveling to in a month. Some of them require planned trips. I realize classes are out for the semester but I don't know if that will affect my visit.

When I do visit, what are some tips for me to make the most of the experience? I want to learn about graduate placement, financial assistance, and am not really sure what else. Also, can law students use the undergrad facilities? Such as free printing, etc.

Thank you for any help.

[Canarsie]

Some schools I may visit this summer include Miami, Cardozo and Fordham. Might expand to better schools in the area if my PT scores are high--just don't want to get my hopes up.

[kalvano]

Visiting won't help you get in.

It will help you narrow down your decision.

I would apply to a bunch of schools in the places you would like to be, then see who says yes and go from there.

[Canarsie]

Visiting won't help you get in.

It will help you narrow down your decision.

I would apply to a bunch of schools in the places you would like to be, then see who says yes and go from there.

Oh I know it won't help. I'm just new to the process so I don't want to feel like I missed out of something a few months later. Like "why didn't I ask about X" or "why didn't I drive to this part of town 4 months ago, now it's too expensive to go back!"

[kalvano]

Just check out the areas, see what kind of feel you get from the school. They are all going to give you the same song and dance, so pay attention to the people there. Do the they seem as if they are enjoying it or enduring it?

[flyingpanda]

Visiting won't help you get in.

It will help you narrow down your decision.

I would apply to a bunch of schools in the places you would like to be, then see who says yes and go from there.

Oh I know it won't help. I'm just new to the process so I don't want to feel like I missed out of something a few months later. Like "why didn't I ask about X" or "why didn't I drive to this part of town 4 months ago, now it's too expensive to go back!"

If you choose to visit UVA, you can stay at my place

[09042014]

Visiting won't help you get in.

It will help you narrow down your decision.

I would apply to a bunch of schools in the places you would like to be, then see who says yes and go from there.

Oh I know it won't help. I'm just new to the process so I don't want to feel like I missed out of something a few months later. Like "why didn't I ask about X" or "why didn't I drive to this part of town 4 months ago, now it's too expensive to go back!"

If you choose to visit UVA, you can stay at my place

Hey if you come to UVA, I'll show you around.

Fixed for minimal creepiness.

[flyingpanda]

Visiting won't help you get in.

It will help you narrow down your decision.

I would apply to a bunch of schools in the places you would like to be, then see who says yes and go from there.

Oh I know it won't help. I'm just new to the process so I don't want to feel like I missed out of something a few months later. Like "why didn't I ask about X" or "why didn't I drive to this part of town 4 months ago, now it's too expensive to go back!"

If you choose to visit UVA, you can stay at my place

Hey if you come to UVA, I'll show you around.

Fixed for minimal creepiness.

Creepy is creepy, I might as well go all out.

[danidancer]

Hi everyone! I am applying to schools after I take the Oct. LSAT and my goal is before Thanksgiving. When should I visit schools? Many of the ones I am thinking of applying to are either one hour away or in a city I am traveling to in a month. Some of them require planned trips. I realize classes are out for the semester but I don't know if that will affect my visit.

When I do visit, what are some tips for me to make the most of the experience? I want to learn about graduate placement, financial assistance, and am not really sure what else. Also, can law students use the undergrad facilities? Such as free printing, etc.

Thank you for any help.

Figure out what's most important to you. You can find out about financial aid, job placement, etc on the school's websites, so I would focus on the day to day life things. Ask your tour guide (probably a student) things like where most students study, if there are problems getting a seat in the library, where people live, if the food on campus is good or if people mostly eat in the neighborhood, how much of a hassle parking is, how responsive the administration is to things that come up (registration/financial aid errors, etc), how accessible the professors are, etc etc...

[Aggiegrad2011]

Isn't it the case that if you visit the campuses, you could ostensibly meet with someone (faculty, perhaps, or a 1L/2L?) from whom you may gain actionable information you can use for your PS or a targeted LoR?

I was planning to do this (And have already made an appointment with a professor during his office hours @ SLS to discuss one of his Social Justice courses in Fall...). Hopefully I'm not wasting my time, but I can't see how you COULDN'T use information gained first-hand to bolster your admissions!