What’s the Timeline?
If you’re applying for the fall admissions cycle, you can take any available LSAT or GRE until December of that year. Although, pay attention to the specific application deadlines for each school, as they can vary.
Law school admissions are “rolling,” meaning they are read and judged in the order they are received until there are no more positions or scholarships. It is best to apply early. Give yourself a few months to obtain at least two letters of recommendation from someone reputable that can show a law school you will succeed in their program.
You should also give yourself a few months to prepare for the GRE or LSAT. The LSAT is accepted by every law school, while the GRE is not. Consider the GRE if you plan to apply to other graduate programs besides law school.
Where Do I Find Law Schools?
There are ample options for law school. It can seem overwhelming, but there are several free tools to help you find the perfect law school.
https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools
US News
US News is a great place to start. It gives a ranked list of the top law schools in the US. It also ranks their specialties (tax law, environmental law) and has links to the website of each school, which will often have more detailed admissions information.
https://www.princetonreview.com/law-school-rankings/best-law-schools
Princeton Review
Princeton Review gives general rankings on the best law schools, and specific categories, such as “best value.” It also scores schools on helpful metrics like, “employment opportunity at graduation.”
Which School is for Me?
With so many schools, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. Looking at a school’s admissions website and searching for the ABA Disclosure form is a great way to see a law school’s detailed admissions statistics without having to pay extra money for a premium subscription in a service like US News.
Pay attention to a school’s 25th to 75th percentile ranges in categories like LSAT/GRE score and GPA. Law school admissions focus the most on grades and LSAT/GRE test scores, so falling into the average score range (25th to 75th percentile) for these two categories will go a long way in ensuring you get accepted.
