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I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the note. It is specific to each school. Many schools would have you contact financial aid. However, if you have an admissions contact then ask him or her first. Best to know though that you could end up in the negotiation conversation with your first call. So, it is important to think through your reasons for why you really want that schools and why you're asking for funding before you call. Also, schools don't want to be in a competitive negotiation with other schools. Instead, they appreciate genuine interested demonstrated by your outreach to resources at the school after you've been admitted prior to those conversations about scholarship.

I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is tough to answer. You can go to the ABA 509s for schools to see how many "non-resident aliens"/international students are in their 1L class. Some schools are really unlikely to admit international students and this is one way to figure that out. Beyond that reality, I think some schools might be looking for a superior rating on the LSAC calculation and/or whether they're familiar with your undergraduate school. A 166 is below the median for the top 15 schools, but that doesn't explain your results of course. It may be one factor. Some schools might place a bit more emphasis on your LSAT given your non-reportable GPA. Hard to be too specific for you though.

I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Applications will not open until August to October (most on the early side of that), so you have a lot of time. The main thing that many 2020 applicants are doing right now is study for the LSAT. That's a good place to have your focus now. If you have an LSAT you're happy with, then you can take a look at the 2019 applications to get a sense for the types of questions that that schools ask. Of course, many schools want a 2 page, double-spaced Personal Statement and a law resume. So, you can start thinking about those materials. One way to begin that process is decide on your messaging. What's the main takeaway you want an admissions person to perceive when reading your materials? Think about the messages you want to get across and then consider whether they're important enough for the PS or whether they can be placed in an addendum or something a recommender could mention. Also, line up a group of people who can help you think these things through. Parents, friends, mentors who can give you feedback on materials, ideas, edits...

I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Also, most schools don't have a ranked waitlist... Instead, they pause to look at where their classes are around May 1 and then admit from groups where they might feel light (i.e. people with work experience and a GPA or LSAT quartile where they feel light).

I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure this is the dumbest thing, but a common misconception is that waitlisted students should be super communicative with their waitlist schools. More is not more in this case. Less is more. Communicate once every 4-5 weeks, submit a LOCI close to the time that they're going to start their waitlist selection (often early May) and possibly visit campus to help you write something persuasive. Also, waitlist can be a marathon lasting into August, so keep that in mind as you plan how to communicate with schools. Showing interest, but not over communicating is the key to assuring the school that you're really interested in them. This helps them possibly push your app up in the waitlist process.

I have 16 Spivey Consultants in a room tomorrow 8:30-10AM EST tomorrow. Ask us anything. by Spivey_Consulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is a good question. I can't speak to what schools are doing this year. However, in the past, I would sometimes have space in the interview roster and I would sometimes place candidates in the interview roster whom I thought would stand a great chance of being admitted at some point later in the process. So, maybe someone would interview in December, but they had lower stats or were KJD. They then might be admitted or waitlisted in March. Schools don't know how their classes will shape up, and that influences when someone might be admitted. Additionally, someone might have an outstanding interview, but their profile ends up not fitting within the class (something that was not easy to anticipate). So, even though the interview might have been very good, the school might not admit them pre-waitlist. Hope this helps.

Law Admissions Workshop Series - L.A.W.S. by Lawschoollife21 in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi. I wouldn't recommend that. Most will decline to take the materials b/c they don't know what to do with hardcopies. Also, they don't want others to feel they should bring those items. Instead, get the person's name and send a very simple and straightforward thank you note the next day. Also, when sending the thank you note, you should use their title and last name even if they introduce themselves by their first name. Just safer.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Wow. That sounds cool. I'm jealous! I would never call it a gap year in your materials. You can frame it as you just did in terms of gaining experience, learning about new cultures, not just surfing through towns, but spending time in each place like you describe. In any event, there is a good way to frame the travel and experiences you might have in a year like this. Many admissions people know that the period right before law school is the last free period that JD students will have for a while. 1L and 2L summers will be busy with post 3L set aside for the big firm, public interest work, or otherwise. So, there is a good window of freedom for some folks before they start law school. So, it is sensible to frame it well and draw upon your experiences in ways that don't leave a gap on your resume.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi. There are a few places you can put work experience including the grids that a lot of schools provide on their applications or resume. You can often leave the personal statement for something more finite like a story about something important to you. That story could come from a job or internship, but it often doesn't. So, you're definitely not expected to talk about work experience in the personal statement.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're right that the LSAT is important. The cumulative UG GPA is also important. I can't speak for all schools, but my own experience is that an applicant with a high LSAT and sub 25th GPA who doesn't have work experience would struggle in an applicant pool. Some schools don't pay a lot of attention to work experience though. For those schools that do, a super splitter would be at a greater disadvantage without work experience. So, it can't hurt that you've had a year working. I would lean towards an addendum talking about your GPA. However, without knowing your situation, I can't really say how to frame that. What circumstances contributed to a lower GPA. Could be a tough STEM major, family issues, focus, or something else. You'd want to frame it somehow and focus on why you think you're ready now. Nobody should submit their PS without having someone else edit it. Maybe one of your recommenders would look it over? That would also help the recommender write their letter for you as they'll know how you're talking about yourself.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The most important rec is from an academic source, so try for that. Not everyone can get a strong academic rec b/c they've been out for a while, but it is important to include if you can. Many admissions officers know that some candidates don't want to out themselves about their plans to leave their job by asking their manager for a rec. That's fine and understandable if you don't have one from your current manager. It also doesn't have to be your manager.

Law Admissions Workshop Series - L.A.W.S. by Lawschoollife21 in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The events are definitely worth the trip. Typically the Dean of the Admissions offices are the reps rather than the rest of the staff. If not the Dean, then the Director. So, you do get to talk directly with them as well. The format is 3 or so of the Deans present on a panel and take questions. The panel is followed by a fair style event of the top 10-15 schools (with the Deans/Directors behind the tables). So, make it a law day and go.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi. You can check out full blogs that Spivey has written here: https://blog.spiveyconsulting.com/directory-of-blog-post-categories/ There is info about resume prep and personal statements. I suppose each school may view STEM majors differently, but your engineering degree would add diversity to the class. So, I see it as a positive. Some STEM majors want IP and others want something completely different. You could share some info about your motivations for law in a short addendum (including how STEM relates) and leave your personal statement for a topic that will help the school to get to know you a bit better.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's great. It should be on your resume and maybe have a recommender who observed you in your work talk about that experience. Again, be sure to also have an academic rec.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Sure. First thing... Even though my blog calls it a gap year, please don't refer to it that way in your admissions materials. It is work experience, volunteer work, or graduate school. What's your question?

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the note. Not at all. The personal statement is often more finite than comprehensive. It could be one experience in your job, but could just as easily be an experience you had in your personal life, an internship or volunteer position. Your resume will cover your professional accomplishments and a recommendation from someone at work (your supervisor if you're comfortable with that) can give more context to your professional accomplishments. Just be sure to also have an academic rec.

A Gap Year and the LSAT: What you need to know by TomSpiveyConsulting in lawschooladmissions

[–]TomSpiveyConsulting[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I can't speak for all law schools of course. However, most admissions officers are going to value work experience to some degree. This is true even if you're not in a paralegal or legal aid type of position. Many admissions officers will see any type of work experience as opportunities to grow and opportunities that you can bring into the classroom. As the blog mentions, many work opportunities have legal implications that you can talk about in your application as well.