Law School Application Tips: Maximize Your Time Before Application Deadlines

The holidays and/or winter break aren’t just for relaxing; it’s the perfect time to make serious progress on your law school applications. With many law school application deadlines approaching in January and February, this short window is critical to submitting polished, competitive applications.

Here are tips that will help you stay on track and reduce the stress of applying to law school:

1. Know Your Law School Application Deadlines
Before you do anything else, create a list of law school application deadlines. Many ABA accredited schools have priority deadlines in early January, while others accept applications into the spring. Missing a deadline can mean missing out on scholarships or even admission. Check official application dates on each school’s website for the most accuracy. Staying organized now will save you stress later.

2. Create a Schedule and Stick to it
Now that you have a list of law school application deadlines, you can work backwards to create a schedule that will maximize the short application window. Making a daily schedule of tasks and goals that should be completed will help you stay organized and keep you on track to apply within the law school application cycle. Some examples of tasks are “Search for scholarship opportunities & make a list of ones to apply for” “Apply for scholarships on list” “write first draft of personal statement” “Request review of personal statement from professor” and more. In fact, JD-Next has created a Pre-Law Pace Plan to help those interested in applying to law school for the upcoming fall semester to stay on track with their applications.

Be sure to take the holidays, vacations, and other lifestyle breaks into account. Just because you’re completing tasks doesn’t mean your life stops.

3. Request Transcripts
Before you take time off from work for the holidays or leave school for winter break, be sure to request your transcript from all necessary institutions. While some of this processing is set up automatically, the distribution of your transcripts may still require the approval and/or review of the University Registrar. This will also allow you to focus on putting the final touches on the rest of your law school application during the break itself. Depending on the school and their process, it can take 1-2 weeks for a registrart to review and send a transcript to a law school.

4. Polish Your Personal Statement
Your personal statement is your chance to stand out and show law school admissions why you want to attend their institution. Use your winter break or time-off during the holidays to refine your narrative, making sure it reflects your motivation for law school and your unique experiences. Items to consider upon your second review should be:

• Conciseness: Try not to cover too many topics. Be sure to focus on one or two different experiences, achievements, or passions to expand upon.
• Evidence: Whatever you decide to write your personal statement about, be sure to have stories or anecdotes to back up your claims.
• Tailoring to Schools: Research each school’s “About” or “Mission” on their website and be sure that you tailor messaging in your personal statement that speaks to their values.
• Submission Criteria: Reread each school’s personal statement requirement to make sure that you’ve followed instructions correctly. If given an essay prompt, did you answer it fully? Did you adhere to formatting requirements?
• Finally, share your personal statement with peers and professors you trust to get feedback. You don’t need to incorporate every edit you receive, but this will give you an idea of how your statement is being perceived by others.
  
  

5. Request Letters of Recommendation Early
Professors and supervisors may be harder to reach during the holidays. Use this time to send polite, detailed requests for recommendations. Select an array of educational and professional contacts with whom you would like to use because not everyone will have time to provide a letter, and each contact will be able to speak to different abilities.

A professional manager or supervisor can speak to your job performance and how you handle projects in a work environment. An educator can speak to your critical thinking abilities and how you digest and apply the information you’re taught.

Be sure to provide them with your resume and a summary of your goals to make their job easier. The University of Kansas provided examples of how to request a letter of recommendation for your reference.

6. Review ABA 509 Disclosures
Choosing where to apply isn’t just about rankings—it’s about outcomes. The ABA 509 Disclosures provide audited data on admissions, employment, and bar passage rates. Use these reports to target schools that align with your career goals.

7. Research ways to Strengthen Your Application
At this point in the law school application process, there are a few ways to improve your application:

• Conducting Original Research – researching and drafting a compelling article or essay on a complex topic can impress law school admissions officers because research and writing are heavily involved in the legal profession. It helps even more if it is published.
• Extracurriculars & Work Experience- Joining additional extracurricular clubs or initiatives that align with the legal profession can show your passion for the field. Also consider taking a gap year to work as a paralegal or legal assistant. The additional work experience can help compensate for lower GPAs.
• Take JD-Next - Did you know that many schools accept JD-Next as part of their admissions process? JD-Next is an innovative 8-week course and law school entrance test designed to prepare you for law school success and demonstrate your readiness beyond traditional metrics like the LSAT. Taking JD-Next instead of or in addition to the LSAT shows law schools that you have the grit and determination to finish an 8-week course and give them a more holistic view of how you process information in a course modeled after a 1L class vs. a generic standardized test. This can give you an edge over other applicants to give you the final push to be admitted to the law school of your dreams. See the next available JD-Next Admissions Assessment Cohort here  and our informational webinar schedule here.

Final Thought 
The holiday break is your secret weapon. By starting your preparation before you go on your break by creating a calendar based on each law school application deadline, you’re setting yourself up for a productive break. Completing daily tasks and sticking to the goals you’ve set will ensure that you have the time to polish your application materials, research and sign up for tactics to improve your law school application and confirm you’re meeting each law school’s requirements by their deadline. Treat this time as an investment in your future legal career.