Want to know how to get into law school? Law school admissions can be tough, but getting in is not impossible. Applying to law school and getting accepted can be a long and involved process, but it might be absolutely worth it if becoming a lawyer is your dream. No matter where you apply, getting into law school requires all the dedication, attention to detail and thoroughness that your future legal career will demand. In this blog, we’ll explore everything you need to know about how to get into law school, from law school acceptance rates and admission requirements to how to craft a stellar law school application and increase your chance of getting in!
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How Hard is it to Get Into Law School?
How hard is it to get accepted to law school? Law schools in the US have an average acceptance rate of around 40%, which is pretty competitive to start. The top-ranked law schools in the US have an even lower acceptance rate of about 15%, so getting in can be quite challenging.
In Canada, the numbers are just as competitive, with most schools hovering around the 10-15% acceptance rate mark.
Despite the challenging statistics of law school admissions, it’s possible to significantly boost your chances of getting into law school by doing your due diligence when it comes to researching potential law schools, ensuring you meet all law school requirements and doing what you can to submit an excellent law school application.
First, let’s take a brief look at law school acceptance rates in the US and Canada to give you an idea of what to expect.
Most Competitive Law Schools in the US
Here are the toughest law schools to get into. They’re also among the top of law school rankings in the US.
- Yale Law School
- Stanford Law School
- Harvard Law School
- University of Pennsylvania Law School
- Texas A&M University Law School
- University of Virgnia Law School
- University of California Berkeley Law School
- Columbia Law School
- University of Chicago Law School
- Duke Law School
Least Competitive Law Schools in the US
On the other side, here are the easiest law schools to get into based on admissions data:
- Creighton University Law School
- University of Wyoming Law School
- Marquette University Law School
- Loyola New Orleans Law School
- Drake University Law School
- Oklahoma City University School of Law
- University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law
- Vermont Law School
- Indiana University School of Law
- University of Maine Law School
Most Competitive Law Schools in Canada
These are some of the top, and also most competitive, law schools in Canada to get into:
- Western University Law School
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law
- Queen’s University Law School
- University of Windsor School of Law
- York University Osgoode Hall Law School
Least Competitive Law Schools in Canada
Looking for the easiest law schools to get into in Canada? Here are the top five least competitive options:
- University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School
- University of Alberta Faculty of Law
- McGill University Faculty of Law
- Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law
- University of Calgary Faculty of Law
Should you apply to law school?
If you’re still in the early stages of researching how to get into law school, or you’re still asking yourself “should I go to law school?” it’s worth doing a little more research and soul-searching first. While acceptance rates and admission data can be helpful, they should not deter you from applying to a program if it is a good fit for you and you have a reasonable chance of admission. It’s also worth exploring what law school will be like and whether it is the right path for you.
Check out the various law school options there are out there. For example, if you’re attending law school as a part-time student law school will be longer than if you apply to an accelerated program. Or you might decide to look at online law school options, which might limit where you are able to apply.
Once you’ve research potential law schools, the first thing you need to do to get into law school is make sure you meet all the minimum admission requirements.
How to Get Into Law School: Meet Admission Requirements
The first step to how to get into law school is to meet the minimum requirements for admission. At most law schools in the US and Canada, this includes:
1. Undergraduate degree
An undergraduate degree is a must for law school applicants. Completion of a bachelor’s degree is often the first requirement listed for law school, so you’ll need to either have graduated or have completed your studies by the time you matriculate to law school. There is no single best major for law school, since law is quite inclusive of all backgrounds and lawyers have many different areas of expertise. However, your undergraduate studies might inform your decision to go to law school or indicate what type of law you’re interested in.
2. GPA Requirement
Some law schools have a minimum GPA requirement to apply. If this is the case, check to make sure your GPA is above the minimum. For the best chance of getting in, your GPA should be above the average accepted GPA of a law school. If you want to get into law school with a low GPA, check schools without a minimum GPA requirement, law schools that accept low GPA or are on par with your grades, or look into what you can do to raise your scores before graduation.
3. LSAT: Law School Admission Test
Similar to the law school GPA requirements, some schools might have an LSAT score minimum. Unless you are applying to law schools that do not require the LSAT, you should investigate the average accepted LSAT scores of your chosen law schools. For more competitive law schools, your LSAT score should be 165+ for the best chance of admission. It’s a good idea to start preparing now and learn what is on the LSAT and how long to study for the LSAT so you know what to expect.
If you’re struggling with preparing for this difficult test, you can find expert LSAT prep to help you learn the best strategies for the test. A LSAT tutor can also help you create the perfect LSAT study schedule for your law school application timeline.
4. Law School Application and Law School Interview
The law school application includes all the non-academic information that qualifies you for law school, including but not limited to:
- Law school personal statement
- Law school recommendation letters
- Law school essays
- Law school extracurriculars and experiences
- Law school resume
Your application, along with your law school interview, are the key to how to get into law school. You can have excellent grades and a high LSAT score, but with a weak application or poor interview, you won’t be accepted to law school. It’s important to get to know the law school application thoroughly and craft the best possible essays, resume and letters so you can highlight what makes you an ideal student of the law and future lawyer.
Next, we’ll look at the law school application in more detail and how you can use it to get into law school.
How to Get Into Law School: Know the Application Process
An important part of how to get into law school is knowing how to apply!
Applicants to law schools in the US can create an online account through the Law School Admission Council (LSAC), a not-for-profit organization which oversees administration of the LSAT and has an online law school application service. Through the LSAC, you can apply to as many law schools as you want, and send your official transcripts and LSAT scores to law schools.
Law applicants in Canada will typically need to submit an application directly to the law schools of their choice through an online application portal, since there is no central application service. The exception is law schools in Ontario. Applicants to law schools in Ontario must submit an application through the OLSAS application service.
How to Get Into Law School: Ace the Law School Application
1. Law School Personal Statement
Your law school personal statement is the cornerstone of your application. It shows the admissions committee who you are, why you are applying to law school and even what your future legal career goals are. It’s a sort of summary of your journey to law school up to this point, and highlights what has drawn you to the legal profession. It’s an important essay as it really encompasses who you are, rather than your GPA or test scores, and can be a deciding factor in whether your are admitted or not.
2. Law School Recommendation Letters
Your law school recommendation letters are important because they tell the admissions committee what other people think of you and your suitability for law school. You will typically need to submit 2 recommendation letters, but this requirement can vary from school to school.
The best recommendation letter writers will be those who can testify to your professional skills and attitudes. This means an academic advisor, professor, teacher’s assistant or employer would be a suitable choice. You should avoid asking friends or family to write your letter, since they will not usually have the best insight into your professional ability. If you have experience in a legal area and have a practicing legal professional who served as a supervisor and can write you a letter, even better!
3. Extracurriculars and Experience
Your law school extracurriculars, professional work experience and other supplemental application components all add something to your application as a whole. They form a broader and richer picture of who you are, why you want to study law and what your future career goals are.
Keep in mind that not every entry on your resume or in your extracurriculars needs to be directly related to the law. Your application should demonstrate your genuine interests and life experiences. Above all, they should demonstrate why you want to become a lawyer.
4. Law School Interview
Your law school interview is arguably the most important part of your entire application. This is your chance to impress the admissions committee in person and solidify your acceptance. Be prepared for the different types of law school interview questions and practice your responses multiple times with a law school mock interview. Your interview performance should be polished and confident but natural.
Law school interview prep can be a huge help here, as the law school interview can not only be pretty intimidating but critical to your acceptance chances. Law schools use interviews to evaluate strong applicants and make final decisions about whether to admit them or not, so a strong showing in the interview room is a must.
How to Get Into Law School: Go the Extra Mile
To give your application a boost and help you stand out from the crowd, here are a few more “optional” but highly encouraged things you can do:
1. Write a law school diversity statement
A law school diversity statement can be a powerful tool in your application. It provides a broader picture of who you are to the admissions committee and shows them what is unique and memorable about you. Admissions officers read hundreds if not thousands of personal statements from applicants, so adding an essay that helps you stand out from this crowd is a nice bonus. Plus, law schools want to admit students from diverse backgrounds with an array of life experiences who will contribute to the legal profession, so this extra essay can tip the scales in your favor.
2. Nail the law school optional essays
Your law school optional essays might be “optional” but we strongly encourage you to write them anyways! These supplemental essays are usually short and written in response to law school essay prompts. Optional essays are a great way to add more information to your application and set yourself apart from other applicants. In some cases, law schools won’t consider students who don’t submit an “optional” essay at all.
3. Include a letter of continued interest or law school letter of intent
Have you been placed on a law school waitlist? A law school letter of continued interest expresses your desire to attend a certain law school and your interest in enrolling if you are admitted off the waitlist. It’s a nice to do something proactive while you’re waiting for your chance to be admitted.
Is there a law school at the top of your list? Write a law school letter of intent explaining why this school is your top choice and why you should be admitted. It’s a good way to practice your argumentative skills and show your top choice school that you are committed to enrolling should you be accepted.
Just be sure to check that a law school accepts these types of letters from applicants, since not all of them do.
4. Provide a law school addendum
If there are aspects of your law school application you are concerned will hurt your chances of getting accepted, you can include a law school addendum to address them. For instance, if your GPA is a little low or you have multiple LSAT attempts, a law school addendum provides some context and explanation.
Conclusion
If you want to know how to get into law school, you’re at the start of a long and sometimes challenging road. But the end result can be incredibly fulfilling and lead to an exciting and dynamic career.
If you’re still deciding whether to go to law school or not, or researching which law schools you want to apply to, learning what to expect from the law school application process is a good start. But beyond know what it takes to get into law school, you should prepare yourself for what to expect from law school itself.
Our final tip is to seek out professional, expert law school admissions help if you feel you need an extra hand or want someone to review your application before you submit it.
Good luck on your law school journey!
FAQs
1. How hard is it to get into law school?
Getting into law school can be quite challenging, but it is not impossible. On average, the law school acceptance rate for US schools is around 40%. This drops to 15% for the most competitive schools. In Canada, law schools can be even more competitive, hovering around 10-15% on average.
2. What GPA do I need to get into law school?
Most law schools have a minimum GPA around 3.0 to get accepted. However, a GPA of 3.5 and above is ideal for the best chance of getting accepted to law school. For more competitive law schools, a GPA of 3.7 and above is ideal.
3. What LSAT score do I need to get into law school?
Each law school might have a LSAT score cut-off or average LSAT score you should aim for, but in general an LSAT score of 150 and above is required to get into most law schools.
4. How do you get into law school in Canada?
The law school requirements in Canada are similar to those in the US. You will need to have completed an undergraduate degree (with some exceptions), meet the minimum GPA requirements, take the LSAT and submit a law school application.
5. What is the best undergraduate degree to get into law school?
Law schools don’t have a strong preference for a certain undergraduate major or area of study, as they accept students from all educational backgrounds and interests. However, to best prepare yourself to study the law, a degree in History, Political Science, English, Economics, Criminal Justice, Philosophy or Psychology might be helpful.
6. How do I apply to law school?
To apply to law schools in the US, you can use the Law School Admission Council’s online application service, or apply directly to the law school of your choice. In Canada, most law schools have their own online application portal, except for law schools in Ontario which use the OLSAS system.
7. What are the requirements for law school?
Law schools generally require applicants to have an undergraduate degree, a minimum GPA score, to have taken the LSAT, and submit a law school application. Most law schools also offer a law school interview as part of their admissions practices.
8. How can I increase my chances of getting into law school?
To boost your chances of getting into law school, aim to meet or exceed the average GPA and LSAT scores of accepted students at your target schools. Then, craft a strong law school application and go the extra mile to make your application stand out. Finally, be sure to prepare well in advance for your law school interview, as this can make or break your application. If you feel that professional help would be an asset, you can look at law school admissions consulting or application review services.
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