What Law Schools Look for in Applicants: Admissions Advice from Richard Geiger, Former Cornell Law Admissions Dean

Last Updated: September 2026

Applying to law school is about far more than achieving a particular LSAT score or undergraduate GPA. Admissions committees evaluate applicants as individuals, considering academic performance, writing ability, recommendations, experiences, judgment, motivation, and the qualities they may contribute to a law school community. Applicants who understand this broader process are better positioned to build an application that communicates both their academic ability and their potential as future members of the legal profession.

Richard Geiger spent decades working in law school admissions and served as dean of admissions at Cornell Law School. In this interview with Top-Law-Schools.com, Geiger discussed what admissions officers look for in applicants, how they evaluate academic records, the importance of personal statements and recommendations, and how prospective students should think about rankings, waitlists, transfers, and choosing a law school.

This interview was originally conducted in 2008. Many of Geiger's broader observations about admissions remain relevant, but specific Cornell policies have changed since then. This updated version therefore preserves his enduring admissions insights while adding current context where necessary. Applicants should always verify current application requirements directly with individual law schools before applying.

Applicants who want a broader overview of the process can also read how law schools determine who to admit and evaluate applicants beyond numerical credentials.

About Richard Geiger

Richard Geiger became one of the most experienced admissions professionals associated with Cornell Law School. His perspective is particularly useful because he evaluated applicants across many admissions cycles and saw how law school admissions evolved as standardized testing, rankings, applicant behavior, and institutional priorities changed.

The value of his advice is not that every admissions office will make exactly the same decisions. Rather, his comments illustrate how experienced admissions professionals may evaluate an application as a complete record rather than simply comparing applicants by numbers.

That principle remains consistent with Cornell Law's current admissions guidance. Cornell states that each application is thoroughly reviewed and that decisions are not made solely on numerical scores.

What Do Law Schools Look for in an Ideal Applicant?

TLS: How would you describe the type of candidate who is likely to succeed at Cornell Law School?

Richard Geiger: Strong applicants are intellectually curious but also capable of connecting ideas to real-world situations. Law schools benefit from students who actively engage with what they are learning rather than simply absorbing information.

Initiative is also important. Applicants who have identified goals and then taken meaningful steps toward achieving them often demonstrate qualities that translate well into legal education.

Another valuable characteristic is the ability to understand that intelligent, reasonable people can disagree. Legal education frequently requires students to examine competing arguments, reconsider assumptions, and work productively with people whose conclusions differ from their own.

These traits—curiosity, engagement, initiative, intellectual flexibility, and interpersonal maturity—can be useful indicators of whether someone will thrive both in law school and eventually in the legal profession.

TLS: What type of student is particularly well suited to Cornell Law?

Students who appreciate a relatively close-knit law school environment while also wanting access to the resources of a major research university may find Cornell attractive. The combination can offer significant faculty interaction while providing access to the broader academic and cultural opportunities of Cornell University.

Applicants comparing schools should therefore look beyond admissions statistics. Class size, academic environment, faculty accessibility, location, curriculum, student culture, career outcomes, and cost may all affect whether a particular law school is the right fit.

How Do Law School Admissions Committees Evaluate Applications?

TLS: How does an admissions committee evaluate an application?

Richard Geiger: Cornell historically used a full-file review. Rather than making an admissions decision based on one isolated factor, the admissions process considered the complete application.

That approach recognizes that applicants reach law school from very different academic, professional, socioeconomic, and personal backgrounds. The purpose of reviewing the entire file is to understand the applicant in context.

Current Cornell guidance continues to state that every application is reviewed and that all components are considered rather than decisions being based solely on numerical scores.

A complete application can provide information about:

undergraduate academic performance;
standardized testing;
course rigor;
personal statements and supplemental essays;
recommendations;
work experience;
extracurricular involvement;
leadership;
community involvement;
significant accomplishments;
challenges or unusual circumstances; and
evidence of maturity, judgment, resilience, or intellectual curiosity.

For applicants trying to understand how these pieces fit together, the LawCrossing guide on how law schools evaluate applications beyond LSAT scores and undergraduate GPAs provides additional background.

LSAT vs. GPA: Which Matters More for Law School Admission?

TLS: Is there a hierarchy among GPA, standardized test scores, and other admissions factors?

Richard Geiger: There is no universal answer because the meaning of each part of an application depends on the applicant's circumstances.

For example, an applicant with years of consistently excellent performance in rigorous academic work has already supplied significant evidence of academic ability. By contrast, someone whose college record is older or inconsistent may give an admissions committee more reason to examine later achievements, professional accomplishments, graduate work, or standardized test performance.

The key point is that admissions committees are trying to determine whether an applicant is likely to succeed academically and contribute positively to the law school community.

Applicants should therefore resist thinking of their application as a mathematical formula.

A strong LSAT score cannot erase every weakness in an application, just as a lower score does not automatically eliminate every otherwise strong candidate. Similarly, a GPA must be understood in context: course difficulty, academic progression, institutional environment, and unusual circumstances can all provide relevant information.

LawCrossing's discussion of GPA, standardized testing, personal statements, and other factors involved in gaining law school admission provides additional context for applicants evaluating their credentials.

Does Applying Early Decision Help?

Applicants should distinguish Geiger's historical comments from Cornell's current admissions process.

When the original interview was conducted, Geiger explained that he did not view early admission as providing the same type of selection advantage applicants sometimes associated with undergraduate Early Decision programs.

Current Cornell Law Update: Cornell now operates a binding Early Decision program, and applicants should rely on Cornell's current admissions instructions rather than the school's 2008 practice when deciding whether to apply early. Cornell's current application guidance identifies Early Decision separately from Regular Decision and sets specific testing and application deadlines.

Before applying Early Decision anywhere, applicants should carefully evaluate the binding nature of the program, financial considerations, scholarship opportunities, and whether the school is unquestionably their preferred choice.

How Do Law Schools View Multiple LSAT Scores?

TLS: What happens when an applicant takes the LSAT more than once?

Historically, Geiger explained that Cornell examined an applicant's testing record in context rather than treating score differences as an exact measurement of ability.

The broader lesson remains useful: standardized tests provide one form of evidence about academic preparation, but they do not describe an applicant's entire potential.

Applicants should avoid assuming that a small difference in scores tells an admissions committee everything it needs to know.

Policies regarding multiple scores, however, can change. Applicants should check the current requirements of each school to determine how repeat testing, cancellations, and multiple examinations are treated.

Current Cornell Law Update: Cornell's current admissions materials allow J.D. applicants to satisfy the standardized testing requirement through the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT. Applicants should consult Cornell's latest admissions instructions for current policies concerning multiple test scores and cancellations.

Does an Upward GPA Trend Help a Law School Application?

TLS: How does an admissions committee view an upward undergraduate grade trend?

Richard Geiger: Improvement is generally preferable to declining performance, but an admissions committee will want to understand what caused the change.

Did the applicant begin working harder? Did the student become more mature and focused? Did the academic program change? Did course difficulty increase or decrease? Was the student adjusting to college during an initially difficult period?

An upward trend becomes more meaningful when it reflects increased discipline, maturity, academic confidence, or success in progressively challenging coursework.

Applicants should therefore provide context when context genuinely helps explain the record.

When Should You Submit a Law School Addendum?

TLS: When should an applicant explain poor academic performance?

An addendum may be appropriate when a period of obvious underperformance resulted from circumstances that are not apparent from the transcript itself.

Examples may include:

serious illness;
significant family responsibilities;
a major personal disruption;
unusual employment obligations;
an identifiable event affecting one semester;
a temporary academic problem followed by sustained improvement; or
another circumstance necessary to understand the record fairly.

The strongest addenda are usually concise and factual.

An applicant generally does not need to turn the explanation into another personal statement. Explain what happened, provide necessary context, and—where appropriate—show what changed.

Applicants should also avoid writing an addendum merely because they are uncomfortable with a number on their transcript. The question is whether additional information helps the admissions committee interpret the record more accurately.

Can Poor Grades After Admission Cause Problems?

An offer of admission should never be treated as permission to stop taking academic responsibilities seriously.

Geiger explained that serious issues involving academic integrity could be materially different from ordinary fluctuations in grades. Applicants should remember that schools may require final transcripts and that offers of admission can be subject to institutional conditions.

Students who have significant changes in academic standing or disciplinary matters should carefully review the terms of their admission and communicate honestly with the law school when disclosure is required.

Applicants awaiting a decision should also submit academic updates when a school requests them or when new grades materially strengthen or clarify the application.

Do Law Schools Consider the Difficulty of Your Undergraduate Institution or Major?

TLS: How do admissions committees account for grade inflation, grade deflation, institutional differences, or difficult majors?

Admissions professionals know that transcripts do not exist in a vacuum.

Schools may have access to information that provides context about an applicant's undergraduate institution and the performance of other students who have applied to law school.

However, admissions offices may have less precise information about grading practices within individual departments or majors.

The broader principle is that a strong applicant can come from virtually any legitimate undergraduate institution. Admissions officers are generally interested in identifying students capable of succeeding in law school rather than applying a simplistic prestige formula to undergraduate schools.

Applicants from lesser-known colleges should therefore focus on building the strongest record available to them rather than assuming their institution automatically disadvantages them.

How to Write a Law School Personal Statement Admissions Officers Remember

TLS: What advice would you give applicants writing personal statements?

Geiger's advice is particularly useful because the personal statement is one of the few parts of an application over which the applicant exercises substantial control.

Think of the personal statement as an opportunity to answer an important question:

What should the admissions committee remember about you after reading hundreds or thousands of applications?

Do not simply reproduce the information already visible on your resume and transcript.

Instead, identify an experience, quality, intellectual interest, challenge, motivation, accomplishment, or perspective that helps the reader understand something meaningful about you.

Applicants should also resist gimmicks designed only to attract attention. Unusual formatting or overly theatrical writing can distract from the qualities the essay is supposed to reveal.

TLS's comprehensive guide to writing an effective law school personal statement that reveals qualities beyond your resume and transcript offers additional guidance on choosing a topic, structuring the essay, writing for admissions committees, revising drafts, and avoiding common mistakes.

LawCrossing likewise provides guidance on preparing and submitting law school application essays and personal statements.

Should You Customize Your Personal Statement for Every Law School?

TLS: Does mentioning a particular law school make a personal statement stronger?

A strong personal statement should remain strong because of what it reveals about the applicant, not simply because the applicant inserted the school's name.

Applicants should therefore distinguish between the principal personal statement and a school-specific supplemental essay.

The personal statement usually gives the admissions committee deeper insight into the applicant.

A "Why this law school?" essay has a different purpose. It can demonstrate that the applicant understands the school's programs, community, opportunities, faculty, location, clinics, or other features and has considered why those characteristics fit the applicant's goals.

Current Cornell Law Update: Cornell's current application materials include a personal statement and offer an optional "Why Cornell" statement, along with a resume, transcripts, testing, and recommendation requirements.

Applicants should therefore follow the instructions of each individual school rather than trying to force school-specific material into an essay intended to serve another purpose.

What Makes a Strong Law School Recommendation?

TLS: How should applicants choose recommendation writers?

The best recommender is not necessarily the person with the most impressive title.

For current students and recent graduates, professors who know the applicant's academic work well can often provide the most useful recommendations.

Give recommenders enough information to write a detailed letter. Depending on the relationship, that may include:

a resume;
transcript;
draft personal statement;
explanation of career goals;
reminder of projects or papers completed with the recommender; and
sufficient time before the deadline.

Applicants who have been outside school for a substantial period may need professional recommendations. In that situation, the goal is to identify someone who knows the applicant's work well enough to comment meaningfully on skills related to rigorous academic or professional performance.

The LawCrossing guide to choosing people who can write detailed and persuasive letters of recommendation reinforces the importance of choosing recommenders who know the applicant's work rather than relying primarily on prestige.

Can a Weak Recommendation Hurt Your Application?

Yes.

One of Geiger's most practical warnings concerned reluctant recommenders.

If someone hesitates when asked to recommend you, take that hesitation seriously. A generic, restrained, or negative letter may be worse than obtaining a recommendation from someone else who knows your work and can discuss your strengths with confidence and specificity.

Ask potential recommenders whether they feel comfortable writing a strong recommendation.

That wording gives someone an opportunity to decline before an unhelpful letter becomes part of your application.

Cornell Law, International Opportunities, and Academic Interests

The original interview included extensive discussion of Cornell's international-law programs and international degree opportunities.

Those specific programs, structures, admission requirements, and participation numbers can change considerably over time. Applicants interested in international legal study should therefore confirm current opportunities through Cornell Law rather than relying on details originally provided in 2008.

The broader admissions principle remains important, however: applicants do not necessarily need to identify a particular specialty before beginning law school.

Expressing an interest in international law, corporate law, public interest work, litigation, intellectual property, or another field may help explain an applicant's experiences and goals, but admissions committees understand that legal interests often evolve during law school.

A compelling application should therefore communicate genuine interests without pretending that a future career path is already fixed.

Does a Law School's Location Matter?

Location deserves considerably more attention than many applicants give it.

Students considering Cornell, for example, should think seriously about studying in Ithaca rather than evaluating the school only by rankings and employment statistics.

Consider questions such as:

Would you be happy living there for three years?
How expensive is housing?
What type of student community exists?
How easy is it to reach major cities?
Where do graduates typically work?
Which employers recruit heavily from the school?
Where is the alumni network strongest?
What opportunities exist outside the law school?
Could you envision building professional relationships in that region?

Cornell offers the resources of a major university within a smaller-city environment, and its law school describes itself today as a close-knit community with approximately 600 J.D. students and a low student-to-faculty ratio.

Location should therefore be treated as part of fit—not as a minor detail to consider after rankings.

How Much Should Law School Rankings Matter?

Geiger encouraged applicants to treat rankings as one source of information rather than as an instrument capable of measuring tiny differences among schools with perfect precision.

That distinction remains important.

Rankings can provide useful comparative information, but applicants should not assume that a difference of one or two positions automatically makes one school a better choice for a particular person.

A thoughtful law school decision may involve comparing:

total cost of attendance;
scholarships;
debt;
employment outcomes;
bar passage;
geographic placement;
practice-area opportunities;
alumni networks;
clinics;
faculty;
class size;
student culture;
academic programs; and
personal career objectives.

The appropriate question is not simply, "Which school has the highest ranking?"

It is:

"Which school gives me the strongest combination of educational opportunities, career outcomes, financial value, and personal fit for the kind of career I hope to pursue?"

What Should You Do If You Are Waitlisted?

TLS: How should an applicant approach a law school waitlist?

A waitlist is not an admission offer, but it is also not necessarily a rejection.

The number of applicants admitted from a waitlist can vary substantially from year to year depending on how many initially admitted students enroll.

Applicants should carefully follow the school's instructions.

Depending on what the school permits, a waitlisted applicant may consider:

confirming continued interest;
submitting a concise letter of continued interest;
reporting meaningful new academic achievements;
reporting significant professional accomplishments;
updating contact information;
providing new grades when relevant; and
responding quickly when contacted.

Geiger's broader advice was that applicants who remain genuinely interested should remain appropriately engaged with the admissions process.

However, Cornell's specific waitlist procedures from 2008 should not be assumed to describe the school's procedures today.

LawCrossing's guide to understanding what happens when you are placed on a law school admissions waitlist provides additional perspective on waitlist movement and continued interest.

Applicants should also avoid putting their entire future on hold for one waitlist. Continue preparing to attend a school where you already have an offer unless and until another admission actually arrives.

What Do Law Schools Look for in Transfer Applicants?

TLS: What matters when a student applies to transfer after the first year of law school?

Once a student has completed a year of law school, actual law school performance becomes an especially useful indicator of academic ability.

Geiger identified first-year academic success and strong recommendations as important transfer considerations while also noting that the broader background of the applicant can matter.

Transfer applicants should therefore focus on:

strong 1L grades;
thoughtful relationships with professors;
persuasive recommendations;
a clear explanation for transferring;
strong legal writing;
academic or extracurricular achievements; and
understanding the professional consequences of transferring.

Current Cornell Law Context: Cornell currently states that transfer candidates with a strong academic record at an ABA-accredited law school who remain in good academic standing after the first year may qualify for transfer consideration.

Transfer candidates should always consult the school's current transfer requirements because deadlines, credit policies, recommendation requirements, and application procedures can change.

Should Applicants Worry About What They Post Online?

The original interview also addressed the longstanding concern that law school admissions officers may encounter online discussions involving applicants.

The online environment has expanded dramatically since 2008.

Applicants today should assume that material posted publicly may be discoverable by admissions officers, employers, clients, journalists, classmates, or future colleagues.

That does not mean applicants should avoid legitimate participation in online communities. TLS forums and other communities can be helpful places to exchange information and compare experiences.

It does mean prospective lawyers should develop professional judgment about what they publish under their real names and identifiable accounts.

Professional reputation begins before the first day of law school.

Richard Geiger's Advice for Prospective Law Students

Perhaps the most enduring point from Geiger's interview concerns the decision to attend law school in the first place.

Applicants should make sure that law school is a considered decision rather than something they pursue automatically because they are academically successful or uncertain about what else to do.

Before enrolling, think seriously about:

why you want a legal education;
what lawyers actually do;
the cost of attendance;
potential educational debt;
the careers available from the schools you are considering;
where graduates work;
whether legal work fits your abilities and interests; and
what you want your professional life to look like.

Taking time before law school can be entirely reasonable if it allows you to gain professional experience, clarify your goals, strengthen your application, save money, or simply determine whether practicing law is what you genuinely want.

Law school will expose students to many new ambitions and pressures. Grades, recruiting, prestige, compensation, journals, clerkships, practice areas, and the expectations of classmates can gradually shape how students define success.

Having a clear sense of why you entered law school can make it easier to evaluate those opportunities without simply following everyone else.

For prospective students preparing for the transition, LawCrossing's guide to preparing for law school and building a strong application provides additional guidance on application materials, academic preparation, and entering legal education.

Cornell Law Admissions Today: 2026 Snapshot

Because the original Richard Geiger interview was conducted in 2008, applicants should distinguish his historical comments from Cornell's current admissions statistics and requirements.

For the entering Class of 2029 in fall 2026, Cornell Law reports:

5,960 applicants
218 enrolled J.D. students
14% acceptance rate
173 median LSAT
3.94 median undergraduate GPA
167–175 25th–75th percentile LSAT range
3.77–4.00 25th–75th percentile GPA range

Current Cornell J.D. applicants may satisfy the standardized testing requirement through the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT. Cornell's application materials currently include a personal statement, resume, transcripts, two recommendation letters, and an optional "Why Cornell" statement.

These figures and requirements can change from one admissions cycle to another, so applicants should always confirm current information directly with Cornell before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions About Law School Admissions

What do law schools look for besides GPA and LSAT scores?

Depending on the school, admissions committees may consider personal statements, recommendations, academic rigor, work experience, leadership, extracurricular activities, life experiences, accomplishments, challenges overcome, writing ability, judgment, and the contributions an applicant might make to the school community.

Is GPA or LSAT more important for law school?

There is no universal answer for every applicant or every law school. Both can matter significantly, but admissions committees may interpret them within the context of the applicant's complete academic and personal record.

Does an upward GPA trend help?

It can. An upward trend may demonstrate increased maturity, discipline, focus, or academic ability, particularly when later coursework is rigorous. Admissions officers will still consider the overall transcript and the circumstances behind the change.

Should I explain a low GPA?

Consider an addendum when meaningful circumstances help explain a period of unusual academic underperformance. Keep the explanation factual, concise, and relevant.

What makes a good law school personal statement?

A strong personal statement reveals something meaningful about the applicant that is not already obvious from the resume and transcript. It should be focused, specific, authentic, carefully edited, and memorable for substantive reasons rather than gimmicks.

Who should write my law school recommendations?

Choose people who know your work well and can provide detailed evidence about your academic ability, writing, analytical skills, character, professionalism, or potential for success. A detailed letter from someone who knows you well can be more valuable than a generic letter from a prestigious person who barely knows you.

Should I write a separate essay explaining why I want to attend a particular law school?

If the school provides or permits a "Why X" essay, it can be useful when you have substantive reasons for wanting to attend. Research the institution carefully and discuss specific factors that genuinely connect the school with your academic or professional goals.

Does being waitlisted mean I will probably be rejected?

Not necessarily, but waitlist movement varies substantially from year to year. Follow the school's instructions, communicate continued interest appropriately, report meaningful updates when allowed, and continue making plans based on admission offers you already hold.

How important are law school rankings?

Rankings are one source of comparative information, but applicants should also evaluate cost, employment outcomes, location, practice-area opportunities, bar passage, scholarships, alumni networks, academic programs, student culture, and their own professional goals.

Is taking time off before law school a disadvantage?

Not inherently. Professional experience, graduate study, public service, travel, family responsibilities, or other meaningful experiences can strengthen an applicant personally and professionally. More importantly, time away from school can help applicants determine whether pursuing a legal career is the right choice.

Final Takeaway

Richard Geiger's central message remains valuable years after the original interview: law school admissions should not be understood as a contest involving only numbers.

Academic credentials matter, but an application also tells a story about intellectual ability, judgment, growth, motivation, initiative, communication skills, and future potential.

Applicants cannot control every part of their record by the time they apply. They can, however, control how thoughtfully they research schools, how carefully they present their experiences, how well they write their application materials, whom they choose as recommenders, and how realistically they evaluate the schools available to them.

The strongest application is therefore not necessarily the one that attempts to look perfect. It is the one that gives an admissions committee a clear, credible, and compelling understanding of who the applicant is, what the applicant has accomplished, and why that person is prepared for the demands of legal education.

For additional admissions guidance, see the TLS resource on creating a persuasive law school personal statement and LawCrossing's overview of how law school admissions committees decide whom to admit.

Related Top-Law-Schools.com Resources

Law School Personal Statements Advice — Guidance on selecting a topic, structuring the essay, writing for an admissions audience, and avoiding common personal statement mistakes.
Interview with Former Dean Robert Schwartz of UCLA School of Law — Additional admissions perspective on personal statements, academic records, and presenting yourself effectively to admissions committees.

Related LawCrossing Resources

Related Top-Law-Schools.com Forum Discussions

Note: Forum discussions reflect individual users' experiences and opinions and should not be treated as official admissions policies. Always confirm current procedures directly with the law school.

T14 Waitlist Data and Law School Waitlist Discussion — Community discussion and historical applicant data concerning waitlists at highly selective law schools, including Cornell.
Cornell Students: How to Navigate the Reserve List? — Historical TLS community discussion about Cornell's reserve list and applicant experiences.
Law School Waitlist Interview Discussion — Applicant discussion concerning interview preparation after being placed on a law school waitlist.
Cornell Law Transfer Applicant Discussion — TLS forum discussion about transfer applications, first-year performance, extracurricular activities, and the Cornell transfer process.