Jacqlene Nance on Law School Admissions: Personal Statements, LSAT, GPA and Application Strategy

^{Last Updated: September 2026}

Originally published as an interview with Jacqlene Nance, then Director of Admissions at the University of Kansas School of Law. This article has been reorganized and updated as an evergreen admissions resource. Because individual law school requirements, deadlines, testing policies, scholarship programs and admissions practices can change, applicants should always confirm current requirements directly with each law school.

Applying to law school involves much more than submitting a GPA and standardized test score. Admissions committees evaluate applicants as individuals, looking at their academic records, writing ability, experiences, recommendations, judgment, motivations and the overall story presented by their applications.

Jacqlene Nance, who served as Director of Admissions at the University of Kansas School of Law, provided Top-Law-Schools.com with an inside perspective on what admissions professionals look for when evaluating law school applicants. Her advice remains particularly useful for applicants trying to understand how admissions committees approach personal statements, academic records, recommendation letters, addenda and other components of an application.

Students beginning the process can also explore the broader Top-Law-Schools.com law school admissions resources for additional guidance on applications, testing and choosing schools.

How Law School Admissions Committees Evaluate Applications

One of the most important lessons from Nance's admissions experience is that an application should be viewed as a complete file rather than a collection of isolated numbers.

Although undergraduate GPA and admissions test results can be important, admissions committees also examine information that helps them determine whether an applicant is academically prepared for law school and what the person could contribute to the student community.

Relevant considerations may include:

Academic performance and the rigor of undergraduate coursework
Standardized test performance
Grade trends
Personal statements and supplemental essays
Letters of recommendation
Work and volunteer experience
Leadership and community involvement
Graduate education
Significant personal experiences
Reasons for attending law school
Evidence of writing, research and analytical ability

Applicants should therefore resist the temptation to treat the application as merely a GPA-and-test-score competition.

As Nance explained in the original interview, numerical factors matter, but they do not completely define an applicant. Experiences that shaped someone's goals, influenced the decision to pursue law or distinguish the candidate from other applicants should be presented clearly rather than buried somewhere in the application.

For a broader overview of how application materials may be evaluated, applicants can read LawCrossing's discussion of the law school admissions process and the different factors admissions professionals consider.

How Much Do GPA and LSAT Scores Matter?

Law school applicants understandably focus heavily on GPA and admissions-test results because those numbers provide schools with standardized ways to evaluate academic performance and potential.

However, applicants should avoid assuming that numbers are the entire application.

A GPA provides information about an applicant's academic history, but admissions reviewers may also consider the courses taken, changes in performance over time, the demands of the academic program and any legitimate circumstances that affected particular semesters.

Similarly, an LSAT score is one component of a larger record. Applicants preparing for the current examination should use up-to-date resources because the LSAT has changed substantially over the years. The TLS LSAT Preparation Resources provide information about the current test format, scoring, study strategies and preparation methods.

Applicants whose GPA or test score is less competitive than they hoped should concentrate on strengthening every component still within their control. A well-prepared application can provide admissions officers with useful context that numbers alone cannot convey.

Why Non-Numerical Factors Can Strengthen a Law School Application

Admissions committees may encounter many applicants with similar academic profiles. Personal experiences can therefore help explain what makes one candidate different from another.

There is no single experience that automatically makes an applicant impressive. Military service, professional employment, public service, research, entrepreneurship, volunteer work, caregiving responsibilities, leadership and other experiences can all be meaningful when they genuinely help explain the applicant.

What matters is not simply possessing an impressive résumé item. Applicants should show what they learned, how an experience shaped them and why it is relevant to the person they have become.

Nance emphasized that meaningful experiences should be presented proactively. If something helped shape your perspective, motivated you to consider legal education or distinguishes you from other applicants, give the admissions committee enough information to understand its significance.

This is one reason a personal statement can become such an important component of the application.

How to Write a Strong Law School Personal Statement

A law school personal statement gives an applicant something that transcripts and test scores cannot: an opportunity to introduce the person behind the application.

Top-Law-Schools.com's comprehensive collection of law school personal statement guides, examples and writing tips can help applicants move from selecting a topic through revising and proofreading a final draft.

Nance's central advice remains valuable: the personal statement should accurately represent the applicant.

Do not spend so much time trying to impress an admissions committee that your authentic voice disappears.

Make the Personal Statement About You

Applicants sometimes believe they need an extraordinary accomplishment, dramatic hardship or life-changing experience before they can write a memorable personal statement.

They do not.

A thoughtful discussion of an academic experience, volunteer position, professional responsibility, intellectual interest, personal challenge or meaningful decision can be effective when it reveals something important about the applicant.

The strongest subject is generally one that allows the reader to understand something that cannot already be learned from the résumé or transcript.

Your statement might explore:

An experience that influenced your interest in law
A responsibility that changed your perspective
An academic subject that challenged you
An important professional experience
Volunteer or community involvement
A meaningful accomplishment
An obstacle and how you responded
A change in your goals or outlook
An experience that demonstrates judgment, resilience or intellectual curiosity

Applicants looking for additional writing guidance can also review LawCrossing's article on submitting a law school personal statement and using the essay to distinguish your application.

Do Not Manufacture a Dramatic Story

A common misconception is that every successful personal statement requires a dramatic story.

Nance cautioned applicants against believing they need a perfect quotation or a tragic experience to attract an admissions committee's attention. The purpose of the statement is to communicate something genuine and meaningful about the applicant.

If adversity genuinely influenced your development and you feel comfortable writing about it, it may be appropriate. But applicants should not exaggerate circumstances or force an adversity narrative simply because they believe admissions officers expect one.

Authenticity is more persuasive than manufactured drama.

Follow the Law School's Actual Prompt

Not every law school asks applicants the same question.

Some schools provide an open-ended personal statement prompt. Others ask about career goals, personal background, reasons for pursuing law, contributions to the student body or reasons for applying to that particular institution.

Before submitting an application, reread the school's current instructions carefully.

A strong essay that does not answer the assigned question is still an ineffective application essay.

Tailor the Application Carefully

Applicants often apply to several schools, and using the same core personal statement can sometimes be practical when prompts are sufficiently similar.

But every application should be reviewed separately.

Nance identified one particularly damaging mistake: sending a personal statement to one law school that names another school.

Beyond checking school names, applicants should determine whether a particular institution asks them to discuss their interest in that school, geographic ties, academic programs or professional goals.

Customization should feel intentional rather than like a school name inserted into an otherwise generic paragraph.

Proofread Everything

Grammar, organization and tone matter because the personal statement is also a writing sample.

An essay filled with grammatical mistakes, unclear sentences or careless formatting may create concerns that extend beyond the specific errors themselves.

Review the final draft for:

Grammar and punctuation
Clear organization
Professional tone
Unnecessary repetition
School-specific references
Word or page limits
Formatting instructions
Accurate school names
Coherent transitions
A clear central idea

The current TLS law school personal statement resource center also provides examples, checklists and detailed writing guidance.

When Should You Submit a Law School Addendum?

An addendum can provide helpful context when part of an application raises a reasonable question that is not adequately explained elsewhere.

For example, an applicant might consider an addendum when unusual circumstances contributed to a semester of unexpectedly poor grades, a significant change in academic performance or another identifiable irregularity in the record.

Nance advised applicants to make addenda professional, brief and specific.

An effective addendum should generally:

Identify the issue clearly.
Provide relevant factual context.
Explain the circumstances without unnecessary drama.
Include specific dates or academic terms when relevant.
Avoid blaming other people.
Address the question an admissions reviewer is likely to have.
Stop once the necessary explanation has been provided.

An addendum is not an opportunity to rewrite the personal statement or argue that the admissions committee should disregard an entire academic record.

Its purpose is context.

How Admissions Committees View an Upward Grade Trend

A difficult beginning to college does not necessarily tell the entire academic story.

Nance explained that an upward grade trend can be viewed positively because admissions reviewers may consider academic performance over time rather than looking only at a final cumulative GPA.

An applicant who struggled early but later completed increasingly challenging courses with strong grades may have a different academic narrative from someone whose performance declined substantially.

Where a legitimate circumstance explains a period of poor performance, a concise addendum may help admissions officers understand the record.

Applicants should remember, however, that an explanation is most useful when paired with evidence of subsequent academic performance.

Does Undergraduate Prestige Matter?

Applicants sometimes worry that attending a less prominent undergraduate institution will automatically put them at a disadvantage.

Nance's comments suggest a more nuanced approach. Academic rigor can be more informative than simply looking at the name or perceived prestige of an undergraduate school.

Challenging coursework—particularly classes requiring substantial reading, research, analysis and writing—can help demonstrate preparation for legal education.

Students still completing their undergraduate studies should therefore consider developing strong academic skills rather than attempting to select courses merely because they believe those courses will look impressive on an application.

How Graduate Education Fits Into a Law School Application

Graduate education can add another dimension to an applicant's academic record.

Strong performance in a graduate program may demonstrate intellectual development, discipline or improvement after undergraduate study. It may also give applicants access to professors who can provide recent academic recommendations.

However, applicants should understand that graduate-school performance does not simply erase an undergraduate record.

The most useful approach is to present the entire academic history honestly and, where necessary, explain meaningful differences between undergraduate and graduate performance.

Choosing Strong Letters of Recommendation

A powerful recommendation does not necessarily come from the person with the most prestigious title.

It usually comes from someone who knows your work.

Nance advised applicants to seek recommendations from individuals who have directly evaluated their performance. For a recent graduate, professors who taught demanding courses and evaluated substantial academic work can often provide valuable insight.

For applicants who have been out of school for a significant period, professional or volunteer supervisors may also be appropriate when they can discuss the applicant's abilities in detail.

The essential question is:

Can this person provide specific evidence about how I think, work, write, analyze problems or respond to challenges?

A detailed letter from a professor or supervisor who knows your abilities is generally more informative than a generic endorsement from a prominent person who barely knows you.

Recommendation Letters That Can Hurt an Application

Applicants should choose recommenders carefully.

A letter can be weak when the writer knows little about the applicant's actual work. More seriously, it can become damaging if the recommender expresses reservations about the applicant's preparation, judgment or suitability for law school.

Before requesting a letter, applicants should have a direct conversation with the potential recommender.

Explain your plans and ask whether the person feels comfortable providing a strong recommendation.

That conversation gives the recommender an opportunity to decline if they cannot write an enthusiastic letter and gives the applicant an opportunity to choose someone better positioned to evaluate their abilities.

Applicants should generally avoid personal recommendations from family members or close family friends when a school is seeking an objective academic or professional assessment.

Should You Apply to Law School Early?

Application timing can matter, particularly at schools that use rolling admissions.

However, submitting an incomplete or rushed application merely to apply early can be counterproductive.

An applicant deciding between applying immediately and spending additional time strengthening a major part of the application should consider the tradeoff carefully.

The goal should be to submit a strong application within a competitive timeframe—not simply the earliest possible application regardless of quality.

Current application deadlines and policies vary substantially by school, so applicants should verify requirements directly with every institution on their list.

LawCrossing provides additional discussion about how applicants can prepare a competitive law school application.

What Should Applicants Do If Their Numbers Are Below a School's Median?

An applicant whose GPA or LSAT falls below a school's typical range should first develop a realistic understanding of that school's recent admissions profile.

Then focus on the areas that can still be improved.

Depending on the applicant's circumstances, this might include:

Retaking the LSAT after meaningful additional preparation
Writing a stronger personal statement
Obtaining better recommendations
Providing an appropriate addendum
Demonstrating a clear reason for applying
Expanding the range of law schools under consideration
Applying at an appropriate point in the admissions cycle

Applicants should avoid assuming that a compelling personal statement can automatically overcome substantially weaker numerical credentials. The application needs to be considered as a whole.

How to Choose the Right Law School

Receiving an admission offer creates another important decision: determining which law school makes sense for you.

Nance emphasized that choosing a law school is a personal process.

Instead of choosing exclusively according to a ranking, applicants should identify the factors that matter to their educational, professional and financial goals.

Those factors may include:

Academic programs
Employment outcomes
Bar passage information
Tuition and total cost of attendance
Scholarships
Expected debt
Location
Geographic reach of the alumni network
Faculty accessibility
Class size
Clinics and experiential opportunities
Student organizations
Career services
Areas of curricular strength
Quality of life
Where graduates typically practice

There may be meaningful differences between schools even when they appear close to one another in a ranking.

Applicants should research those differences before committing.

Do Law School Rankings Tell the Whole Story?

Rankings can provide one source of information, but they should not become the only basis for choosing a law school.

Applicants should investigate the underlying characteristics that matter to them.

A student interested in working in a particular state, for example, might place considerable importance on a school's regional alumni network and employer relationships. Another applicant may prioritize national placement, specialized academic programs or opportunities in a particular practice area.

Cost can also dramatically affect the value of different choices.

The best evaluation is therefore broader than asking which school has the highest ranking. Applicants should ask which school offers the combination of education, employment opportunities, cost and geographic access that fits their goals.

How to Prepare for the First Year of Law School

Nance recommended that prospective students develop strong research and writing skills before entering law school.

Courses that require substantial reading, analytical writing, research and close engagement with complex material can be particularly useful preparation.

Students should also be prepared for the academic intensity of legal education.

Law school often requires students to absorb large amounts of material, identify important rules and distinctions, evaluate competing arguments and communicate conclusions precisely.

Prospective students do not need to master substantive law before their first day. Developing disciplined reading, writing, research and time-management habits is generally far more useful.

LawCrossing's guide to preparing for law school and building a strong foundation for legal education provides additional guidance for prospective students.

Preparing for a Legal Career Before Enrolling

Nance also encouraged prospective students to determine whether practicing law genuinely interests them before making the commitment to law school.

Applicants can learn more about the profession by:

Speaking with practicing attorneys
Observing court proceedings
Working or interning in a legal environment
Volunteering with legal or community organizations
Attending law school open houses
Speaking with current law students
Researching different legal practice areas
Learning about attorney career paths
Understanding the financial commitment involved in earning a J.D.

The objective is not to know exactly what type of lawyer you want to become before applying.

It is to develop a realistic understanding of legal education and legal work.

What to Do If You Are Waitlisted

Being placed on a waitlist is not the same as being denied admission, but applicants should follow each school's instructions carefully.

Schools may have different policies about supplemental materials, letters of continued interest, additional recommendations or updated academic information.

Applicants should not overwhelm an admissions office with materials it has not requested.

When a school permits additional information, a concise letter confirming genuine continued interest and providing meaningful updates may be appropriate.

Always follow the specific instructions provided by the school.

Advice for Transfer Applicants

Students considering transferring after beginning law school should expect their law school academic performance to receive substantial attention.

Undergraduate performance may remain part of the record, but first-year law school grades can give the receiving institution direct evidence of how the applicant performs in a J.D. curriculum.

Applicants should also be prepared to explain why transferring makes sense academically or professionally.

Because transfer admissions policies differ widely between institutions and can change, students should verify requirements directly with each prospective law school.

The Larger Lesson: Give the Admissions Committee a Complete Picture

Perhaps the most enduring lesson from Jacqlene Nance's interview is that applicants should not leave admissions committees to guess about who they are.

A transcript communicates academic history.

A standardized test communicates one type of measured performance.

A résumé lists experiences.

But the personal statement, recommendations, addenda and other written components give applicants an opportunity to provide context and demonstrate qualities that numbers cannot fully capture.

A strong law school application should therefore answer more than:

What are this applicant's numbers?

It should help the admissions committee understand:

Who is this applicant, what has prepared this person for legal education, and what does the rest of the record reveal about their potential?

That principle remains useful regardless of the school, admissions cycle or changes in testing and application procedures.

Key Takeaways from Jacqlene Nance's Law School Admissions Advice

Treat your application as a complete package. GPA and test scores matter, but they do not tell your entire story.
Use the personal statement strategically. Give the admissions committee meaningful information about experiences, motivations or perspectives that are not obvious elsewhere.
Write clearly and professionally. Your application materials demonstrate your attention to detail and communication ability.
Use addenda for context, not excuses. Keep explanations factual, concise and relevant.
Choose recommenders who genuinely know your work. Substance matters more than prestige.
Take challenging courses that strengthen research, reading and writing abilities.
Research each law school carefully. Look beyond rankings to programs, outcomes, location, costs, opportunities and institutional fit.
Understand why you want to attend law school. Explore the legal profession before making a major educational and financial commitment.
Follow each school's current requirements. Admissions policies, testing rules, deadlines and scholarship programs can change.
Give admissions reviewers enough information to understand you as a person—not merely as a set of numbers.

Additional Law School Admissions Resources

Related Top-Law-Schools.com Forum Discussions

The TLS forums contain years of applicant discussions about admissions strategies, personal statements, LSAT preparation, recommendations, school selection and admissions decisions. Forum posts reflect individual users' experiences and opinions rather than official law school policies, so applicants should confirm current requirements directly with individual schools.