Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw Interview: Law School Admissions, LSAT, Personal Statements, and Choosing a Law School

^{Last Updated: September 2026}

Law School Admissions Advice from Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw

Applying to law school involves much more than submitting an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. Admissions committees may also examine an applicant’s academic record, writing ability, work and life experience, recommendations, personal statement, accomplishments, and the circumstances that have shaped the applicant’s education and career goals.

Lillie V. Wiley-Upshaw, who served as Vice Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid at the University at Buffalo Law School, discussed these issues in an interview with Top-Law-Schools.com. Her comments offer a useful look at how an experienced admissions administrator approached applications and what prospective law students should consider when presenting themselves to a law school.

Although the original interview was conducted in 2011 and school-specific policies may have changed since then, much of Wiley-Upshaw’s broader advice remains valuable for applicants thinking about their LSAT, GPA, personal statement, recommendations, application timing, waitlists, transfers, and law school selection.

Applicants beginning the process can also explore the Top-Law-Schools.com Law School Admissions Guide for additional guidance on preparing a competitive application.

How Do Law School Admissions Committees Evaluate Applicants?

Question: What does the law school admissions process involve, and how is an application evaluated?

Wiley-Upshaw: Admissions committees generally consider both quantitative and qualitative factors. LSAT scores and undergraduate GPA are important components of an application, but they do not necessarily tell the entire story of an applicant.

Admissions officers may also consider achievements demonstrating academic potential, intellectual curiosity, professional experience, community involvement, leadership, life experience, and circumstances that affected an applicant’s educational opportunities.

The goal is to determine not simply what an applicant has already accomplished, but whether the applicant appears prepared to succeed in law school and contribute meaningfully to the law school community.

Applicants should therefore think of the application as a complete presentation rather than a collection of unrelated documents.

For additional perspective, readers can review LawCrossing’s How Law Schools Determine Who to Admit: Inside the Admissions Process of Law Schools.

How Important Are the LSAT and Undergraduate GPA?

Question: How much do factors other than GPA and LSAT scores matter?

Wiley-Upshaw: A strong admissions process takes a holistic approach. Numerical credentials provide useful information, but committees can also consider the experiences and qualities that distinguish one candidate from another.

Applicants should communicate their strengths clearly and honestly. Work experience, military service, community involvement, leadership, significant personal experiences, or academic accomplishments can provide additional context about an applicant’s potential.

There is no single extracurricular activity or professional background that automatically makes an applicant desirable. What matters is what the experience demonstrates about the applicant and how effectively the candidate explains its significance.

At the same time, applicants should not underestimate the importance of preparing seriously for the LSAT. A competitive score can strengthen an application and potentially broaden the range of schools and scholarship opportunities available.

Students preparing for the current exam should consult the TLS LSAT Preparation Resources rather than relying on outdated test-preparation materials.

How Should Applicants Prepare for the Law School Application Process?

Question: What advice would you give students preparing to apply to law school?

Wiley-Upshaw: Learn as much as possible about both the admissions process and the individual law schools you are considering.

A strong application should give the admissions committee a complete and coherent picture of the applicant. That normally includes the academic record, résumé, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and any supplemental information requested by the school.

Applicants should allow themselves enough time to prepare each component carefully. Small mistakes can undermine an otherwise strong application, particularly when those mistakes suggest that the candidate did not read the instructions or proofread the materials.

LawCrossing’s Ultimate Guide to Preparing for Law School provides additional guidance on assembling application materials, including personal statements, recommendations, and résumés.

What Should You Consider When Choosing a Law School?

Question: What are the most important factors an admitted student should examine when deciding where to attend law school?

Wiley-Upshaw: Choosing a law school requires looking at more than a single ranking.

Applicants should consider factors such as:

Alumni network
Career outcomes
Career preparation
Cost of attendance
Potential debt
Faculty
Curriculum
Academic resources
Experiential learning opportunities
Location
School culture
Student organizations
Professional networking opportunities

A law degree is both an educational commitment and a substantial financial investment. Applicants should determine whether a school fits their professional goals, financial circumstances, and preferred learning environment.

Prospective students should also consider what type of legal market they hope to enter after graduation and whether the school has demonstrated connections to that market.

The best decision is generally based on the total value of the education and the opportunities the school can realistically provide—not simply where the school appears in a ranking.

How Should Applicants Think About Multiple LSAT Scores?

Question: How should applicants approach multiple LSAT scores?

Wiley-Upshaw: Applicants should prepare carefully and attempt to earn the strongest score they reasonably can.

Law schools may have different policies or practices regarding multiple scores, and those practices can change. Applicants should therefore review the current admissions policies of each school they are considering.

If a score differs substantially from another score because of an unusual circumstance, an applicant may also want to determine whether a concise explanatory addendum would be appropriate.

The important point is to understand that standardized testing is one part of a broader application and to follow each law school’s current instructions.

When Should You Write a Law School Addendum?

Question: When should an applicant include an addendum explaining a low GPA, LSAT score, or other academic issue?

Wiley-Upshaw: An addendum can be useful when something in the academic record requires context.

For example, an applicant may have experienced an illness, family emergency, unusual work responsibility, personal hardship, or another circumstance that helps explain an anomalous semester or significant change in academic performance.

The addendum should be concise and factual. It does not need to become another personal statement.

Explain what happened, provide enough context for the admissions committee to understand the situation, and—when appropriate—show why the issue is not representative of your current ability to succeed academically.

Applicants should avoid making excuses or trying to explain every imperfect grade.

A useful addendum helps the committee interpret something unusual in the application that might otherwise be misunderstood.

Does Applying Early Improve Your Chances of Admission?

Question: Should applicants apply early, particularly if their LSAT or GPA is below a school's typical range?

Wiley-Upshaw: Applicants should submit their applications when those applications are complete and strong.

An early application does not compensate for weak or incomplete materials.

If an applicant’s numerical credentials are below a school's typical range, strengthening the rest of the application becomes especially important. A thoughtful personal statement, strong recommendation letters, appropriate addenda, relevant experience, and a carefully prepared résumé may provide important context.

An applicant with a weaker LSAT score should also consider whether retaking the exam could materially improve the application.

Applicants should always review each school's current admissions calendar and policies because deadlines and decision practices differ.

How Do You Write a Strong Law School Personal Statement?

Question: What advice would you give applicants about their personal statements?

Wiley-Upshaw: The personal statement is an opportunity to distinguish yourself from other candidates.

It should help the admissions committee understand something meaningful about you that cannot be learned simply from your transcript, résumé, or test score.

An effective statement might discuss an important experience, your background, professional development, intellectual interests, personal growth, a significant challenge, or experiences that influenced your decision to pursue legal education.

The strongest personal statements are genuine and well written.

Applicants should not exaggerate their experiences in an effort to sound impressive. They should also avoid submitting an essay filled with spelling, grammar, factual, or formatting errors.

Your personal statement is itself a writing sample. Treat it accordingly.

Top-Law-Schools.com maintains a comprehensive Law School Personal Statements: Guides, Examples & Writing Tips resource covering topic selection, organization, revision, examples, and common mistakes.

Should You Customize Your Personal Statement for Each Law School?

Question: Can applicants benefit from tailoring their personal statements to a particular law school?

Wiley-Upshaw: When a school asks applicants to explain their interest in the institution—or when the application otherwise provides an appropriate opportunity—demonstrating genuine knowledge of the school can strengthen the application.

However, applicants should always follow the school's actual prompt.

If the school requests a general personal statement, do not force school-specific material into the essay simply for the sake of mentioning the institution.

When discussing a particular school, be specific. Explain what programs, academic opportunities, clinics, faculty interests, location, professional connections, or other characteristics genuinely relate to your goals.

Avoid generic statements that could be copied into an application to any law school.

What Personal Statement Mistakes Can Hurt an Applicant?

Question: Can a personal statement actually hurt an applicant's chances?

Wiley-Upshaw: Yes.

A personal statement can weaken an application when it is poorly written, careless, factually inaccurate, exaggerated, or inconsistent with the rest of the application.

Applicants should:

Follow the school's instructions
Write clearly and concisely
Avoid unnecessary exaggeration
Check facts carefully
Proofread multiple times
Make sure the essay names the correct law school when customized
Avoid gimmicks that distract from the substance of the essay

Good writing does not require an extraordinary life story. It requires clarity, authenticity, judgment, and attention to detail.

Who Should Write Your Law School Letters of Recommendation?

Question: How should applicants choose recommenders?

Wiley-Upshaw: First, follow each law school's instructions.

When academic recommendations are requested or preferred, applicants should look for professors who know their academic abilities well enough to discuss them in specific terms.

Applicants who have been out of school for a substantial period may be able to use professional recommendations when permitted by the law school.

The strongest recommender is generally not the person with the most impressive title. It is someone who knows the applicant well enough to offer meaningful examples.

A detailed letter explaining how an applicant thinks, writes, solves problems, participates in class, handles responsibility, or responds to challenges is generally more informative than a generic letter filled with praise.

Can a Recommendation Letter Hurt an Application?

Question: Are there recommendation letters that can actually damage an applicant's chances?

Wiley-Upshaw: Applicants should make sure that a potential recommender is genuinely comfortable providing a positive recommendation.

A lukewarm, vague, or negative recommendation can raise concerns.

When asking someone to serve as a recommender, give the person an opportunity to decline. It is better to know in advance that someone cannot write a strong letter than to discover later that an unenthusiastic recommendation became part of the application.

Strong recommendations normally include specific examples demonstrating why the recommender believes the applicant is prepared for graduate-level academic work or professional responsibility.

Does an Upward GPA Trend Matter?

Question: How does an admissions committee view an upward grade trend?

Wiley-Upshaw: Improvement over time can provide useful context.

Admissions committees may examine more than an applicant's cumulative GPA. They may consider course selection, the difficulty of later coursework, the applicant's academic development, and whether performance improved as the student progressed through college.

An applicant who struggled early but later demonstrated consistently strong performance may present a different academic picture from someone whose cumulative GPA looks similar but whose grades declined over time.

Applicants should let the transcript speak for itself when the improvement is obvious. If there is an important reason for an unusual academic period, an addendum may provide additional context.

Does Your Undergraduate Major or College Matter?

Question: Do admissions committees consider the difficulty of an undergraduate institution or major?

Wiley-Upshaw: An admissions committee may consider the context of an applicant's academic record, including the institution attended and the courses or major pursued.

However, applicants should not assume that choosing a particular undergraduate major automatically creates an advantage.

The important issue is usually how well an applicant performed and whether the academic record demonstrates the ability to handle demanding work.

Students should pursue subjects in which they are intellectually engaged and develop the reading, writing, analytical, research, and communication skills that will serve them well in law school.

Does a Graduate Degree Help With Law School Admissions?

Question: How do admissions committees view graduate education?

Wiley-Upshaw: Graduate study can provide additional evidence about an applicant's academic development, interests, and ability to complete advanced work.

A graduate degree does not erase an undergraduate record, but strong graduate performance may add useful context to the application.

Applicants should explain graduate work when it is relevant to their academic development, professional experience, or reasons for pursuing legal education.

What Should You Do If You Are Waitlisted?

Question: What steps can an applicant take after being placed on a law school waitlist?

Wiley-Upshaw: Applicants who remain genuinely interested in attending should follow the law school's waitlist instructions carefully.

If the school permits updates or a letter of continued interest, the applicant can reaffirm interest in attending and provide meaningful new information when available.

Useful updates might include:

New academic results
A significant professional accomplishment
A promotion
An award
A new leadership responsibility
An important update to the résumé

Applicants should avoid overwhelming the admissions office with unnecessary emails or repetitive communications.

A concise, professional expression of continued interest is generally more effective than constant contact.

TLS readers can also explore the forum discussion on Letters of Continued Interest (LOCI), Advice, and Samples for community perspectives on handling a waitlist.

What Matters When Applying to Transfer Law Schools?

Question: What factors are important in a transfer application?

Wiley-Upshaw: Academic performance in law school is one of the most important pieces of a transfer application because it gives the receiving institution direct evidence of how the student has performed in a law school environment.

Transfer applicants should also be prepared to explain why transferring makes sense for their academic, professional, geographic, or personal goals.

Before transferring, students should evaluate more than the perceived prestige of the destination school. Consider:

Transfer-credit policies
Financial aid
Total cost
Career opportunities
OCI eligibility
Journal eligibility
Clinics
Academic programs
Graduation requirements
Geographic goals
Existing relationships at the current school

Students considering a transfer can review the TLS Transfers Forum and the Advice for Transferring to Another Law School discussion for additional applicant perspectives.

Should Law School Rankings Determine Where You Attend?

Question: How should applicants think about law school rankings?

Wiley-Upshaw: Rankings are one source of information, but they should not become the only measure of a law school's value.

Applicants should investigate the factors most relevant to their own goals.

That means looking at the school's curriculum, faculty, career outcomes, geographic placement, experiential opportunities, alumni network, cost, scholarships, debt, and the types of employers that recruit its graduates.

A ranking cannot tell an applicant whether the school is financially sensible, whether its strongest employment markets match the applicant's goals, or whether the environment is one in which the applicant is likely to thrive.

Law school should be evaluated as both an educational decision and a professional investment.

What Should Applicants Look for Beyond Rankings?

Students comparing law schools should ask practical questions:

Where do graduates actually work?
What percentage of graduates obtain jobs requiring or preferring a J.D.?
Which geographic markets does the school serve most strongly?
What is the full cost of attendance?
What scholarship conditions apply?
What is the likely debt at graduation?
What clinics and externships are available?
How accessible are professors?
Which employers participate in recruiting?
How strong is the alumni network in the applicant's target market?
Does the curriculum support the applicant's interests?
What professional opportunities are available outside the classroom?

The answers to these questions may matter far more to an individual applicant than a small difference in ranking.

The Continuing Value of Wiley-Upshaw's Admissions Advice

Law school admissions have changed since this interview was originally conducted. LSAT procedures, admissions practices, tuition, scholarships, rankings, employment statistics, and individual law school programs continually evolve.

The broader principles Wiley-Upshaw emphasized, however, remain valuable.

Applicants should prepare seriously for the LSAT, understand their academic record, explain genuine anomalies when appropriate, write an authentic personal statement, choose recommenders who know them well, research individual law schools carefully, and evaluate the cost and professional value of a legal education before enrolling.

Most importantly, applicants should remember that a law school application is not simply a GPA and test score.

It is a complete presentation of the candidate's academic ability, experiences, judgment, writing skills, motivations, accomplishments, and potential to succeed in legal education.

Related Top-Law-Schools.com Resources

Related LawCrossing Resources

Relevant Top-Law-Schools.com Forum Discussions

Note: TLS forum discussions reflect the opinions and experiences of individual users and should not be treated as current official admissions policies. Applicants should always verify current requirements directly with individual law schools.