The formal application to law school process runs from September through a variety of application deadlines (typically anywhere from January 1st through March 15th). It is preferable, however, to apply early. Plan to complete all aspects of your applications and submit them by Thanksgiving if possible. Submit applications prior to deadlines because the law schools do not make exceptions to deadlines. To prepare a timely application requires organization, attention to detail and conscientiousness. For this reason, you should begin the application process during the spring semester before you intend to apply. To do this, you should:

1. THOROUGHLY READ ALL THE PRELAW SECTIONS OF THIS WEB SITE.

2. ATTEND A PRELAW APPLICANT WORKSHOP.

3. MEET WITH A PRELAW ADVISOR. Call (215) 898-1789 to schedule an appointment, AFTER you've attended a workshop.

If you cannot attend a workshop in the spring, be sure to attend one in the fall (they will be repeated) prior to meeting with a pre-law advisor. By following this suggestion and the timetable (Appendix E) outlined in this manual, you will facilitate the application process.

I. THE APPLICATION PROCESS

Although the formal application process begins in September when applications become available (on paper and on-line), you can reduce the time spent in completing your applications by following the Application Timetable. A completed application requires an application form with an essay, supportive letters of recommendation, a Dean's letter when required and an LSDAS report.

All steps, ideally, should be completed by the middle of November or shortly thereafter, allowing you to submit the applications well before the deadlines. While this will not guarantee your admission to a particular school, nor early notification of your status, applying early will get you thorough consideration. It will also increase the likelihood of your admission, provided your profile meets a school's admissions criteria.

You can monitor the status of your application by checking the LSAC/LSDAS web site.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING LAW SCHOOLS

Determining a range of schools for application requires information on the type of school you want and a realistic idea about where you are likely to be accepted. Relying on general notions of prestige or reputation is not enough. If you select the "best" law school in these terms, it may turn out not to be at all well suited to your specific needs and personal goals, or you may be out of that school's range. It is important for you to come to Career Services and use the materials available to guide you in determining a list of schools that are in your range and that suit your personality, interests, geographical preferences, ability to pay, etc.

For initial information on LSAT/GPA ranges of law schools, visit the LSAC web site or the Boston College Law School Locator.

Some things to know about:

•To begin your search, review the plentiful information on our web page.

•Check out "Things to consider when choosing a law school" and the Boston College On-Line Law School Indicator, linked to our pre law site.

•ALSO, BE SURE TO VISIT THE SCHOOLS' WEBSITES FOR SPECIFICS ON THEIR PROGRAMS, FACULTY, CLINICS, ETC.

•Be sure to come into Career Services to sign up for our pre law and/or pre graduate distribution lists. You will receive useful information, not only about the pre law process, but also about law school recruiters who will be visiting Penn, law school fairs, panels of lawyers and law students, and other related events.

•Finally, consult your pre law advisor for help with the process. It is greatly to your advantage to use this service for guidance and direction.

RESEARCHING SCHOOLS

Things to consider when evaluating law schools:

•THE SCHOOL: Does it have a national or regional reputation? Is it traditional or non-traditional, practical or theoretical, in its general approach to legal education? How flexible is the curriculum in allowing you to pursue your interests? Open to dual-degree programs? What types of clinical offerings are available? Are there enough clinical slots to accommodate student demand?

•THE FACULTY: How accessible is the faculty? What is the student-faculty ratio? What are the credentials of the faculty? What are the particular strengths or interests of the faculty?

•THE STUDENTS: What are the size, gender and racial compositions, and backgrounds of the students? How competitive are students with each other? Are they ranked? What is the curve? Is the school small or large? Does the school offer some small, seminar style classes after first year? What opportunities are there for socializing and working together on projects?

•PLACEMENT: Where are graduates of the school finding placement - in what areas of the country? What kinds of positions and salaries are they being offered? What assistance is given for locating summer and part-time work? Who comes to recruit on campus and do they interview all students, or only a prescreened percentage? How much assistance is available to grads not interested practicing corporate law?

•COSTS: What is the overall cost of attending the school, including tuition, fees, books, housing, food, and transportation? Is financial aid available? Is it needs or merit based? To qualify for needs based, is parents' financial information required? What is the average debt load of graduates? Is there a loan repayment program for lawyers who go on to public interest? What is the income cap for loan repayment and what range of jobs is covered by the program?

•SETTING: Is the environment of the school urban, suburban or rural? Do you have strong feelings about one or the other? What is the availability, cost and desirability of the housing? Are there safety issues? Is the library convenient and comfortable?

For a lengthier discussion of choosing a law school, see Things to Consider When Choosing a Law School.

WHAT YOU CAN FIND OUT ABOUT LAW SCHOOLS WHILE AT PENN:

•Career Services Library

The Career Services library has numerous law school reference books, along with publications on careers in law, the law school experience, the LSAT, and sample LSAT tests. In addition, there are binders containing Penn students' law school admissions statistics from past years, and useful comments by Penn graduates on the various law schools they are currently attending. Be sure to visit the law schools' web sites also.

•Campus Visits

During the fall semester a number of law schools send representatives to campus to discuss their programs and to answer individual questions. Calendars of such visits are available on our website and upcoming visits are announced on our pre-law email distribution list. Students must come in and sign-up for these scheduled sessions.

Developing Realistic Expectations

Law school admission is more than a numbers game, but numbers are important. To estimate your chance of acceptance, look at the patterns of acceptance/rejection (based on GPA/LSAT score) in The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools Prelaw Handbook, or in the Pre-Law Stat Binders (admission results of Penn students) available in the Career Services Library. You may also check the Boston College Online Law School Indicator, and Law Services (LSDAS) has a link that allows you to search for law schools based upon your LSAT and GPA scores: http://officialguide.lsac.org/search/cgi-bin/lsatgpa.asp?WhichScreen=LSATGPASearch.

Although these are all useful as general guides for your application process, statistics aren't everything, and that is why it is important for you to speak with a pre law advisor about your application strategy.

Unfortunately, each year some students are rejected by all the schools to which they apply because they overestimate their qualifications and underestimate the competition. Also, the difficulty of getting into law schools varies every year, depending upon fluctuations in the numbers of applicants. The best way to avoid disappointment is to apply to a range of schools that includes a few long shots, some safety schools, and a good number of "likely to be admitted" schools. Apply only to schools that fit your criteria (as long as you consider more than prestige when assessing law schools) and that you are willing to attend. Despite the odds, if a particular school seems to have just what you are looking for, by all means apply!

Deferral

Law schools encourage you to submit your applications the fall before you want to matriculate and not before. After you have applied, however, if your circumstances change and you decide not to enter that year, some schools will consider requests for deferred admission (usually for one year) while others will require you to reapply at a later date. Do not ask for a deferral until after you have been admitted. Specific deferred admittance policies are usually outlined in application materials of each school or on the school's web site. Be prepared to write a letter explaining why you want to defer.

II. APPLICATION EXPENSES/FEE WAIVERS

EXPENSES

Be prepared for the various costs associated with applying to law school. Fees for registering with LSDAS ($109.00), and taking the LSAT ($118.00) once, having your LSDAS report sent to eight schools ($70 — 1 free report + $12.00 each additional report), and fees for applying to eight schools will add up to about $1000. Currently, most application fees are running from $50-100, with many more schools at the higher end of the range. Law schools affiliated with state university systems usually have lower application fees.

Additional fees should also be expected. An LSAT prep course can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000. Postage, phone calls, transcripts, recommendations fees, etc. can add up to another $100 -$300. You should seriously consider visiting some of the schools before you make your final decision on law schools and thus should factor in travel costs. Added to these figures would be your acceptance deposit which law schools require when you are admitted. These currently average $200-400 and in many cases are nonrefundable. Given that these figures represent conservative estimates, you may want to budget your costs at a higher level.

WAIVERS

Students who currently receive financial aid at Penn can attempt to have application fees waived. They must be American or Canadian citizens. A waiver would cover one LSAT per testing year; an LSDAS registration and 4 LSDAS Law School Reports, the letter of recommendation service, and access to electronic applications for all ABA-approved law schools. You would also be entitled to one free copy of The Official LSAT SuperPrep. Only students in "extreme need" qualify (it is not clear how that is defined). See page 9 of the 2006-2007 LSAT and LSDAS Information Book for further information, or go to www.lsac.org.

There are three ways to request a fee waiver:

1. Go to www.lsac.org and use the online fee waiver which will be available late summer 2006.
2. Download the fee waiver packet from www.lsac.org or obtain a paper fee waiver packet from LSAC by calling 215-968-1001 four to six weeks before a particular test date.
3. Obtain a paper fee waiver packet from the pre-law advisor 6 weeks prior to the regular registration deadline for a particular test date.

You will be required to provide a copy of your financial aid status statement (available at the Financial Aid office in the Franklin Building. If you are an alumna(us), then you will have to provide last year's tax information.

Keep in mind that it will take some time to complete the necessary financial information for the waiver, and that LSAC/LSDAS will require at least 6 weeks to process your application. You may not know whether you qualify for a waiver for quite a while. The service applies very stringent criteria and so it is important to be realistic about your chances of getting a waiver.

III. THE LAW SCHOOL DATA ASSEMBLY SERVICE (LSDAS); LAW SCHOOL ADMISSIONS COUNCIL (LSAC): LAW SERVICES

LSAC/LSDAS is the organization that administers the LSAT exam and the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS). Become familiar with its services and procedures by reading the materials in the LSAT/LSDAS Information Book available at Career Services. Be sure to visit the Law School Admission Council web site. ALL FORMS FOR ALL ASPECTS OF THE LSDAS and LSAT APPLICATION ARE AVAILABLE THERE.

You can register with LSDAS/LSAC/Law Services using the forms in the Information Book, or on-line. Remember, careful completion of all forms will aid in the quick and accurate processing of your registration materials.

THE LAW SCHOOL ADMISSION TEST (LSAT)

The LSAT is designed to measure one's ability to reason, understand and read. The LSAT consists of five 35 minute sections (one of which is experimental) and a 30 minute writing exercise. This writing sample is not scored, but a copy is forwarded along to each law school to which you apply. Some law school admissions officers take the writing exercise seriously, so be sure to give it careful attention. The four scored sections include three different types of questions: Reading Comprehension (1 part), Analytical Reasoning (1 part) and Logical Reasoning (2 parts). The scoring scale is 120-180.

It is extremely important to try to take the LSAT just once, and to attempt to do as well as possible the first time. It is a grueling test and you MUST take your preparation for it seriously. Please see “Preparing for the LSAT” on our pre law website for useful information on the test.

All your scores will be reported (up to the last 5 years' test results) to the law schools, along with your average LSAT score. The LSAT is administered four times a year, in February, June, October and December. The optimal time to take the test, if you are planning to apply Early Action, is in June between your junior and senior year, or in October of your senior year. Most important, however, is to be well-prepared for the exam and to take it when it best fits your schedule. If you are not going to go to law school the year after graduation, then you may want to take the LSAT after the school year ends, when you have time to prepare. Scores are usually valid for three years.

You can register for the LSAT Test online which is now the preferred way. Please respond "yes" to the question authorizing your pre-law advisor to receive a copy of your score and other coded information. This information is held in strict confidence and is the only way our office receives accurate information on Penn applicants.

To obtain more information about the LSAT and its intended use in the law school admissions process, consult chapter 5 ("The Admissions Process" ) on pages 100-113 of Richard Montauk's How to Get Into the Top Law Schools and the materials in the LSAT/LSDAS Information Book. Both are available in the Career Services Library. For LSAT test dates, see www.lsac.org.

Again, for useful information on preparing for the LSAT, see Preparing for the LSAT on the Pre Law home page.

THE LAW SCHOOL DATA ASSEMBLY SERVICE (LSDAS)

LSDAS organizes and summarizes information from the LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Order Form, your LSAT score and the information from your undergraduate transcripts, into LSDAS Reports that will be used by the law schools in their consideration of your application. Nearly all law schools require applicants to subscribe to the LSDAS, even if you are just applying to submatriculate.

A complete LSDAS Report includes your LSAT score(s), a summary of your undergraduate transcript(s), information from your LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Form with copies of all your undergraduate/graduate transcripts and the LSAT writing sample attached to it. In addition, your letters of recommendation may be distributed to the law schools with your reports.

Transcripts

    Once registered with LSDAS, you are responsible for seeing that they receive transcripts of all your undergraduate and graduate course work completed in the United States, Canada, and specific foreign schools. Transcripts from foreign institutions not listed in the Law School Admission Information Book are not interpreted by LSDAS and should be sent directly to the law schools. LSDAS does not summarize graduate and professional school transcripts (unless the work contributed to your undergraduate degree), but does send copies of them to law schools. Courses taken during a semester or year abroad that receive a grade on your Penn transcript do not need separate transcripts sent to law schools or LSDAS. Courses that do not get converted for your Penn transcript should be sent to LSDAS and law schools.

Forms

Use the Transcript Request Form from the LSAC web site to ask the registrar's office(s) to forward official transcripts to LSDAS. This form is available to you only after you register with LSDAS. If you are unable to obtain a transcript from an undergraduate institution because of an outstanding financial obligation, you must complete the Academic Record Form (Form I-7) and return it with the LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Order Form. Failure to do so or neglecting to mention an undergraduate institution on your LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Order Form will result in a note appearing on your LSDAS Reports to this effect. You do not want this to happen!

Letters of recommendation sent to LSDAS also require their own separate forms, again printable from the LSAC website after you register.

Beginning on the date LSDAS processes your signed and completed LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Order Form, your subscription will be valid for 5 years. Be sure, if you take additional courses during that period of time, or acquire another degree, that you have those transcripts also sent to LSDAS.

You do not have to subscribe to LSDAS when you take the LSAT. It is best to subscribe to LSDAS when you are ready to apply to law school. If you did not subscribe to the LSDAS on your original LSAT/LSDAS Subscription Order Form and only registered to take the LSAT, you can register for LSDAS at a later date by completing the Supplemental LSDAS Subscription Form on the LSAC web site.

Use the additional LSDAS Law School Report Order Form from the LSAC website to order LSDAS Law School Reports in addition to those ordered on your original LSDAS subscription. There will be a LSDAS File Access charge as well as a charge for each additional report requested.

IV. TRANSCRIPTS/ACADEMIC CONSIDERATIONS

Copies of all your undergraduate and graduate transcripts accompany each LSDAS Report processed during the year. Law schools look closely at your academic record, not just at your cumulative GPA, giving special attention to the intensity and depth of your undergraduate curriculum. They like to see applicants with strong liberal arts backgrounds, although Wharton and Engineering students fare well—especially if they have some College (writing) courses also. Law schools are particularly interested in your ability to perform well at an academically rigorous level and expect to see some upper-level coursework, not an undergraduate record of all introductory level or "gut" courses. Keep in mind that the "balance" of your academic program is also important.

You are responsible for sending all transcripts through the summer before you apply to law schools to LSDAS (use the Transcript Request Form from your LSAT/LSDAS Information Book; you can also get the form online). It is helpful also if you would bring an unofficial transcript in when you meet with a pre law advisor. At Penn, transcript requests are handled by the Registrar's Office in the Franklin Building. There is a $7.00-$12.00 fee to have your official transcript sent to LSDAS. If you attended other undergraduate institutions for credit towards graduation, follow their procedures for acquiring a transcript, then have it sent to LSDAS using the Transcript Request Form.

In addition to reviewing your course selection, law schools are also interested in any trends in your grades. They usually make some allowance for a "disastrous freshman year," a "sophomore slump," or an "off semester" when substantial improvement in subsequent semesters occurs. In many cases, an upward trend is evaluated more favorably than strong freshman and sophomore years followed by a mediocre junior year. Likewise, if your grades improve after a change of major or leave of absence, this will also have some bearing on the way law schools interpret your GPA. It is always useful to send an addendum to your application to law schools, however, if you did have a problem semester, to explain the nature of the difficulty. Please consult a pre law advisor on this if you do so. Do not use your personal statement to discuss your transcript or LSAT score.

Fall Semester Grades

In January, if your fall semester senior grades are consistent with past semesters or are stronger, reflecting an upward trend, you may want to send Penn-in-Touch transcripts from the Registrar's Office directly to the individual law schools if you have not yet received a decision, and send an official transcript to LSDAS. Discuss this with your pre-law advisor. In some cases, your fall grades will make a difference, and some schools are now requesting that you send your fall transcripts. If you are waitlisted in the spring and you performed well in the fall, you may want to have your transcript sent to the law school. Likewise, if you are on a waitlist and performed well in the spring, do not hesitate to send a final transcript of all of your grades.

Undergraduate Law Courses

Many law schools do not look favorably upon students taking more than 2 or 3 undergraduate law courses. They tend to feel that undergraduates who are serious about attending law school should use their electives to study other areas, leaving the actual study of law to their three years of law school. At the same time, taking one or two undergraduate legal studies classes to introduce yourself to the broad legal principles and to provide a basis for deciding whether you want to study law will not negatively effect your chances of acceptance.

V. EXPANDED RESUME OR REGULAR RESUME

It is optional to include an Expanded Resume with your applications. The Expanded Resume is a summary of the important events, activities and experiences in your life, focused predominantly on your college years. Its format is similar to a resume, but includes a more descriptive listing of each item. For instance, when listing a work or extracurricular experience, you should describe WHY you got involved in it, WHAT you actually did (what specific duties you performed) and WHAT you derived from the experience. In this way, information about your motivations and personal development becomes clear.

When you develop your expanded resume, avoid repeating information already presented in your application. Examples include your home address, social security number, and specific courses, since law schools will have your transcript. If you decide to discuss in detail two or three extra-curricular experiences as your personal statement/essay, then list these activities only briefly on the resume. If you decide to discuss a work experience in your personal statement/essay, you need only to briefly write it on the resume. Use this expanded resume to discuss or explain accomplishments such as a thesis topic, a special academic honor, or a study-abroad program.

It is helpful to give copies of your Expanded Resume to your recommenders so they can write more comprehensive letters supporting your applications. You may also bring your resume to an appointment with your pre law advisor. S/he can critique the Expanded Resume as a supplement to your law school application. Please allow 3-5 working days for a written critique dropping it off and picking it up with our assistant. Remember to include this optional Expanded Resume in your application only if it provides additional information not revealed elsewhere in the application or in your personal statement/essay.

If you have been out of school for some time, then a regular, business-oriented resume may be preferable.

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

Be sure to open a credentials file in the spring of your junior year, or during the fall of your senior year at the latest. Although law schools requiring letters of recommendation include their own recommendation forms in their application materials, it is not necessary to use them. All law schools accept recommendations from Credentials in Career Services. Likewise, they will accept letters sent from the LSDAS Recommendation Service (see below). In some cases, law schools will want the top section of their forms completed by the applicant and returned to them with the letters from Career Services; if this is the case, include this top section when you submit your request to send your letters to those schools. Stop by the main desk at Career Services to open your credentials file and to pick up the requisite recommendation forms.

These forms contain a section asking you to indicate whether you wish to waive your right of access to the recommendation. Since most law schools give more credibility to confidential recommendations it is suggested that you waive your rights.

Depending on the law school, you may be required to send one, two, or three letters of recommendation. The norm for seniors or recent grads is to send three letters of recommendation with your law school applications: two academic recommendations (be sure one of these is from an instructor in your major and another from a full-time faculty member); and one related to an extra-curricular or work activity. Beyond three, consider whether or not each additional letter contributes significantly to a law school's ability to evaluate your application. Law schools do not find letters from Very Important Persons who barely know you, or friends of the family who can say nothing specific about your skills or work, to be helpful. Admissions officers get lots of those every year and are not impressed.

The question comes up frequently: "is it preferable to send my Letters of Recommendation (LOR) through Penn's Credentials service directly to the law schools or to send them through LSDAS?" Most law schools PREFER to receive the LOR's through LSDAS because, since the law schools request reports from LSDAS when they are ready for them, the materials are less likely to be misfiled. You can either have your recommenders send your letters directly to LSDAS, or first to Credentials from where they can be sent to LSDAS for a $6.00 fee. If you have them put first in Credentials your pre-grad advisor can look at them to let you know wheter they are appropriate for law school. They should subsequently be sent to LSDAS/LSAC accompanied by the LSDAS Recommedation Form, one per letter.

Candidates are also now able to direct their LOR to specific law schools based on each school's required number of letters, or the applicant's desire to target certain letters to certain schools. Candidates will also be able to change their minds and redirect a letter before it is sent to a specific school, and/or adjust the number of letters sent, up to the limit set by the school. They will also be able to use default options and have all letters sent to all schools. See www.LSAC.org for more information.

Asking for letters:

In requesting a letter of recommendation, ideally your goal should be to contact someone who knows you and thinks well of your work. This person should be both willing and able to take the time to write a thoughtful and thorough evaluation. If the recommender is well-known in his or her field, this can be an added plus, but only if the other factors are there. It is better to have a thorough recommendation from a teaching assistant than a few lines from a famous professor who barely remembers you.

Consider the purposes for which you want the recommendations. Try to include letters from people who have seen you in relevant activities and could compare your work with that of other students. For example, law schools are interested in your writing, communication, research, and analytical skills and how they compare with those of past and present Penn applicants.

You should initially contact in person the individual you would like to write your recommendation, if at all possible, and if not possible, by telephone. Only if no other way is feasible should you ask someone by email to write you a letter. You want to be able to gauge your potential recommender's response to your request.

When asking for letters of recommendation, it cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to get a sense from the person whether s/he is really willing to write for you. Always ask politely. Phrase your request in such a way that if the potential recommender does not feel comfortable writing for you, he or she can gracefully decline. Pressuring someone to write a letter for you when she would rather not is likely to result in a lukewarm or qualified recommendation, which does you no good. A tactful approach might be, "Do you feel you know me well enough to write a letter of recommendation supporting my applications to law school?"

It helps also if you discuss your plans with your recommender. Letters are most effective when the writer can describe you as being well-suited to a particular goal. Even if you are not entirely sure what you will do, let him know the purposes for which you are most likely to use your letters of recommendation. If you are considering a variety of goals (law school/employment), you may want to ask him to write two letters targeted for two different kinds of goals, each with its own date to distinguish it. Remember that career goals are a work in progress and that you don't have to have every last part of your life mapped out before you choose a course of action.

Inform your recommender about your background and remind her of the work you have done. Give her a copy of your expanded resume, a description of your courses with grades, and copies of your papers and exams. If she is a former employer, remind her of the specific contributions you made and any special projects you worked on.

You should also provide him with a copy of your resume, transcript, work done for class, a copy of your personal statement or a paragraph explaining your reasons for applying to law or graduate school. After the initial request has been made, you may follow up with an email or telephone contact a few days letter, thanking the person for writing you a letter and asking him if he needs anything else.

Make it easy for him to return your letter. If you are having the letter sent to Career Services, provide him with a stamped envelope addressed to:

Credentials Officer, University of Pennsylvania, Career Services, Suite 20, McNeil Building, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6209.

Always include the Career Services form to be attached to his letter, or, if you are having the letter sent directly to LSDAS, include an LSDAS/LSAC recommendation form for his/her letter (and a stamped enveloped addressed to Law Services.) These forms are available on line at www.lsac.org or in the LSDAS/LSAT Information Booklet.

It will be your responsibility to keep track of the status of your letters. You may check to see whether Career Services, or LSDAS/LSAC, received your letters by going on-line. As letters of recommendation are received and placed in your Credentials File in Career Services, they are scanned into Credentials' database system. To ascertain their status go to: www.upenn.edu/careerservices/credentials/credentialsmenu.html (for Credentials) or www.LSAC.org (for Law Services)

At Career Services, recommendations must be logged onto our system before you can make a request to have them mailed to law schools. If a recommendation has not arrived by the time a recommender told you to expect it, it is appropriate to get back to him/her with a polite reminder.

For detailed instructions on sending letters to schools, go to http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/credentials/credentials.html.

IF YOU WANT YOUR LETTERS SENT TO LSDAS FROM CREDENTIALS, YOU MUST FILL OUT AN LSDAS FORM FOR EACH LETTER THAT IS TO GO TO LSDAS AND INCLUDE THESE WITH YOUR REQUEST.

VII. THE DEAN'S LETTER OR CERTIFICATION

Many law schools require a statement (Dean's Letter/College Questionnaire) from each of your undergraduate and graduate institutions where you are/were a full-time student in good standing. It will require that you sign a waiver allowing the Dean's office to contact the Office of Student Conduct. Read the law school admissions materials carefully to determine if this is necessary. At Penn the procedure is fairly routine with the Dean's letters currently written by each undergraduate school office. Please see the link for Dean's Letter or Certification Forms. Each school within Penn requires that you complete special forms in order to process a Dean's Letter. These forms are available in Career Services and online.

By the fall of your application year, open a Credentials File in Career Services, complete the forms, then bring these to your Dean's office as per instructions. Your request will result in a Dean's Letter written on your behalf. Submatriculated students will require two letters (one from the undergraduate school and one from the graduate school). Give your Dean's office a signed Career Services standard recommendation form and complete any other information requested by them. Remember to request your Dean's Letter early in the fall to avoid lengthy delays in processing your letter. Processing these letters may take up to three weeks, so plan ahead.

If you are a graduate student in the Arts and Sciences, bring your law school-specific Dean's Letter forms to the Dean's office. They will fill these out and mail them to the law schools. After your Dean's Letter is written, it will be returned to Career Services and placed in your credentials file. Be sure to list the Dean's Letter on your Pre-law Mailing Request Form when you want it sent to the various law schools. LSDAS DOES NOT PROCESS DEAN'S LETTERS AT THIS TIME.

DO NOT send individual Law School Dean's Letter forms to your Dean's office unless you are a graduate student. If you attended any undergraduate institution other than Penn and need their Dean's Letter for a law school, check with that school's pre-law advisor or Dean’s office for procedural information. You may use a standard Career Services recommendation form and request that the Dean's Letter be forwarded to your credentials file in Career Services.

VIII. ESSAY/PERSONAL STATEMENT

The law school application essay/personal statement provides the law schools with the opportunity to evaluate your writing and your ability to communicate an idea or theme in a clear and concise manner. It is most important that your ideas be well organized and focused. Your theme choice is not typically limited to "Why do you want to attend law school?" but should be a topic that reflects personal values, decision making processes, significant contributions, accomplishments and/or special experiences that are not fully revealed elsewhere in your law school application.

Think of the personal statement as your opportunity to share your strengths in a positive, non-defensive way. This should not be viewed as an opportunity to explain, apologize for, or defend a negative issue or experience, such as a poor academic record or LSAT score. In choosing a topic take time to first analyze your personal history, evaluate experiences most relished, and determine the personal significance of learning or events in your life.

Most importantly discuss the "hows" and "whys" of your experiences. Why did you make a particular decision? How did you benefit from the choice you made? What did you value or gain from your experience? Discuss the personal significance of an event.

Keep in mind that the topic is your choice. Law schools will be interested in analyzing the content quality of your essay as well as learning more about you. In fact, since law schools do not usually provide interviews,the essay serves as an opportunity for admissions officers to "get to know you." Think: What can I write in a couple of pages that would serve as an introduction to who I am?

Try to personalize your statement by avoiding the use of passive expressions. Instead use active language. Perfecting your grammar and spelling is a given. Vary your sentence structure and write engagingly. Many law schools request that the length be 250 or 350 to 600 words. As long as the essay strongly holds the reader's attention, a slight deviation from the suggested length will not be a problem. Two typed pages (space and a half) are acceptable by most law schools. Generally, applicants can attach the same essay to each application, perhaps varying the last couple of paragraphs to address the particular issues a particular school would like you to cover.

Finally, realize that you will probably be making several drafts with many revisions and refinements. The pre-law advisors will be happy to assist you in the critique of typed drafts. The Pre-law advisors limit written critiques provided to you by the office to two and require that the revision be attached with the first critiqued draft. Please allow 3-5 days before this critique can be returned. Please drop off and pick-up essays from our assistant, or email essays to advisors as attachments as long as you provide a fax number or address to which printed and critiqued copies can be sent.

IX. FOLLOW-UP

You, and you alone, are responsible for getting all application materials in on time. Make copies of everything and keep track of dates. Allow sufficient time when requesting supportive materials for your applications. All offices experience delays, especially during peak request periods.

Credentials generally take 72 hours to process, but prior to the Christmas holidays (the beginning of December through January 31st), credentials processing takes up to 5 days once a request is received.

Assume nothing and check everything. Keep copies of all your application materials, including checks. Be sure that schools have received all your materials and that each file is complete. You may want to send all applications to law schools by certified or return receipt mail. You may want to enclose your own return postcard verifying your file is complete with law schools. CALL THE LAW SCHOOLS IF YOU DO NOT GET VERIFICATION OF THE RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION MATERIALS.

If you do not receive notification from LSDAS within 6 weeks of forwarding your transcript, write or call the LSDAS, using the information provided in your LSAT/LSDAS Information Book. You should first check the status of your application by going to www. LSAC.org. If there is an error or unreasonable delays through no fault of your own in materials being received, contact the law school, Law Services (www.lsac.org), or the pre-law advisors in Career Services.

Financial Aid

Apply early for financial aid. Although most law schools have an April 15th deadline, it is recommended that you apply well before this deadline (by the end of February, if possible). Complete your FAFSA form, which is available at Financial Aid at the end of December (or online at www.fafsa.ed.gov), and request that it be sent to the law schools where you have applied for financial aid. Some law schools require other forms, so be sure you complete all appropriate financial aid forms for each school. Also research the scholarships offered by individual law schools. Information about scholarships is available on our web site at http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/gradprof/law/law_finaid.html

Wait, Hold or Defer Categories

If you find yourself in such a category, definitely write a letter to the law school confirming your interest in their school. Be sure to mention any academic endeavors or extracurricular achievements that have occurred since the time you applied. Do not hesitate to send further information that will aid them in evaluating your application (fall semester grades and if necessary spring grades, an additional letter of recommendation or two) and to inquire as to whether a personal interview can be arranged. Do not push your luck by contacting the law schools too frequently about your status, but do let them know of your continued interest. A good rule of thumb is to remain confident about your candidacy, keeping your applicant file "current" with pertinent information, not with a lot of "extras."

If you are waitlisted, you may call and ask where you stand on the waitlist and admissions may or may not tell you. Be prepared to wait a long time to hear whether or not you get off the waitlist. Each year the number of people getting off the waitlist varies and sometimes you don't find out if you are in a school until late in the summer. That means that you will have already put down deposits at another school, along with money for an apartment. At some point you have to decide how much you are willing to sacrifice financially, and disrupt your living situation in order to go to your first choice school.

Acceptances

After hearing from all your law schools, typically by April 1-15, many schools require that you submit a tuition deposit to hold a place in the class. In some cases the deposit is refundable; in some, it is partially refundable; and in others, it is non-refundable. Unfortunately, not all law schools notify you of their decisions by April 15, which necessitates that you make decisions about each offer without knowing where you stand with all the other schools. Because of this, try to decide from your admits and put down only one deposit. You also may want to contact this law school and request an extension on the deposit deadline date. Prior to making a final decision to attend or not attend your top choices, plan to visit the schools if it is at all possible. Once you have decided which law school to attend, be sure to notify the other schools (if you have not already done so) that you will not attend.

Once you begin to receive notification of your admission status to law schools, feel free to discuss your choices with your pre-law counselor.

The process described above is lengthy and demanding. If you work closely with your pre law advisor, and if you are organized, realistic and pro-active, you should be able to achieve well-planned goals. If you have decided that you want to become a lawyer, then by taking the right steps, working hard in your classes, and making use of the academic support and other resources available at Penn during the four years of your undergraduate education, you will be able to realize your ambition.

X. RECOMMENDED READINGS (Available in our library)

Deborah Schneider and Gary Belsky, Should You Really Be a Lawyer?. Seattle, WA: Decision Books, 2005.

The Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools 2005 Edition. Newtown, PA: LSAC/LSAS, 2003.

Richard Montauk, How to Get Into the Top Law Schools. Paramus, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Thinking about law School: A Minority Guide LSAC, 1996.

Bell, Susan compiled by. Full Disclosure: Do You Really Want to Be a Lawyer?, 1992.

Best Law Schools, Princeton Review, 1999.

Fox, Ronald, Lawful Pursuit: Careers in Public Interest Law, 1995

Gillers, Stephen, Looking at Law School. NY: Penguin, 1997.

Gourman, Jack. The Gourman Report, A Rating of Graduate and Professional Programs in American and International Universities. Los Angeles: National Educational Standards, 1999.

Jobs & JDs, National Association of Law Placement (NALP), 2001.

Keeva, Steven, Transforming Practices, 1999.

Lichtenstein, Elissa, Law School Public Interest Law Support Programs: 1999-2000 Directory, ABA 1999

Mantis, Hillary, Alternative Careers for Lawyers, 1997.

Munneke, Gary. The Legal Career Guide: From Law Student to Lawyer. Chicago: ABA, 3rd Edition.

Roth, George. Slaying the Law School Dragon. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1991.

Shropshire, Kenneth, Careers in Sports Law, 1990.

Simenhoff, Mark, My First Year as a Lawyer,1998.

So You Want to Be A Lawyer? Newtown Sq., PA: LSAC, 1998.

Thompson, Amy, Degrees of Difference: A How-to Guide to Choosing a Law School, 1998

The NAPLA/SAPLA Book of Law School Lists. Kaplan, 2004-5.

The NALP Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider's Guide to Every Major Practice Area, 2000.

XI. ONE LAST WORD

In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the number of attorneys leaving the practice of law. While high salaries, power and prestige are very attractive, the long hours, stress and repetition can outweigh the benefits.

Students are often lured to law school by what they perceive as a secure career path. Certainly a legal education provides a good foundation for any work setting, but there may be other ways to achieve your interests and career goals. Also, law school is expensive and requires total commitment to your schoolwork, so make sure the investment of time and money is worth it to you, now.

Before you begin the process of applying to law school, evaluate your skills, abilities, interests and personal characteristics.

•Are you a good writer?
•Do you express yourself well?
•Are you good at investigating and researching information?
•Do you like to argue and debate?
•Are you analytical?
•Can you see both sides of an issue?
•Are you persistent?
•Do you have a high tolerance for detail work and working lengthy hours?

These are many of the skills and abilities lawyers see as important in the practice of law and may give you a place to start in evaluating whether law is a good fit for you.

Once you feel confident that law is your career choice, research the areas of law that interest you. Besides traditional law firm work, there are options in environmental law, national, state, and local governments, labor law, patent law, corporate la w, public interest and self employment and many other possibilities. The library at Career Services contains books and journals about different areas in law, as do our web page "Law as a Career Choice," and the numerous links on "Law-Related Internet Resources".

Talk to lawyers who are practicing law in your area of interest. (Career Services has an alumni network, which includes a listing of attorneys who are happy to talk with students about what they do.) Find out what a typical day is like, their education and work background, what they like and don't like about their job and what skills and abilities they think are important in the practice of law. Getting answers to these questions might give you a better perspective on whether this type of law is a good fit for you.

In the last 10 years, the practice of law has changed dramatically. Learn about both current and future trends by reading newspapers, magazines and journals (ie. New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Student Lawyer, US News and World Report). This will also help to determine whether you have a realistic view of the law field.

The study and practice of law can be stimulating, challenging, and provide some exciting opportunities--just be sure it's right for you.

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