Good College Experience For A Law School Application

Good College Experience For A Law School Application

It’s nearly impossible to describe a generic successful law school applicant—every applicant has different degrees, backgrounds, and experience. However, if you’re an undergraduate student who already knows they’ll apply to law school, you have an advantage. You can tailor your transcript and resume with law school in mind. These tips will help you learn what college experience looks good on a law school application.

Good College Experience For A Law School Application

How Important Is Your Undergraduate GPA When Applying To Law School?

Before we address college extracurriculars, we need to talk about the elephant in the room: your college GPA. Along with your LSAT score, your college GPA will play a huge role in your admissions success. If your GPA is not where you want it and you still have time left in undergrad, your focus should be on improving your GPA while you still have the opportunity!

Keep in mind that LSAC will recalculate your GPA to a cumulative one, where any classes taken outside of your degree-granting institution will be factored in. Check out this post for more information on how your CGPA is calculated.

Do You Need To Join Certain Clubs Or Honor Societies To Be Admitted To Law School?

First things first: there is no particular club or extracurricular activity that will make or break your law school application. Instead, your college experience should demonstrate that you use your time well, can handle difficult work, and that you have strong leadership skills. It’s great if you can demonstrate your passion for a specific issue through your experience. However, joining a bunch of different clubs in an effort to “pack” your resume may backfire. Don’t join organizations simply for the sake of listing them on your application.

Is It Important To Have Legal Experience Before Applying To Law School?

Many law school applicants will have some kind of legal experience on their resume, but it’s not necessary. Whether it’s working as a paralegal or interning at a non-profit or government office, the legal experience you gain before entering law school is most helpful for YOU. It should serve as a glimpse into your potential future career. Getting legal experience before attending law school is a great way to gauge whether or not the practice of law is right for you. It’s not a deal-breaker for admission if you don’t have it. Likewise, having legal experience won’t guarantee admissions either.

What If I’m Focused On Classes, Not On Extracurriculars?

Law schools understand that certain types of degrees may be more demanding than others. If you can’t much time to join clubs or take on internships during the school year without sacrificing your grades, don’t sweat it! However, you may want to consider using your summers to gain work experience, even if it’s as a research assistant for your professor or in a university lab.

There’s not one clear answer for what college experience looks good on a law school application. Try to find the right balance between your coursework, gaining real-world experience, and exploring your passions. More than anything, law schools are looking for diverse and well-rounded applicants to join their incoming class!

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