Being on the Waitlist

First off, a waitlist is NOT a rejection. Many students get in off the waitlist and there has been a recent trend in higher numbers of students being waitlisted (and likewise being pulled from the waitlist). Things to keep in mind if you have been waitlisted:

• Is this a school you really want to go to? If not, don’t waste your time and don’t waste the schools time. If this is a school that you would drop everything else, even if they called you a week into 1L year, to attend, then it’s worth putting in the effort to show continued interest. But if it is not then your spot on the waitlist may take away from another student who would want to go there.
• Consider this a “second bite at the apple.” Admission offices do not want to waste time on an applicant that has not shown that they want to be there; want to offer as few offers as possible in order to fill a seat. Do not worry about why they are on the list but what you can do to get off of it.  The “second bite” is showing the admissions office that you actually want to be there – allow them to determine that there is a high likelihood that you would accept their offer. Therefore, as previously mentioned, if you do not want to accept their offer, DO NOT WASTE THEIR TIME.
• The nature of the school’s waitlist. Does the school have a preferred waitlist or not? Some schools rank their waitlist and may tell candidates where they stand. If this is the case, if is a fair question to ask how deep they went into their waitlist from the previous year. You have a right to know the likelihood of being accepted off the waitlist, but, that being said, every admission cycle is different. Most schools, however, do not rank their waitlist. Look at the school’s yield range, if it is lower they will likely pull from their waitlist.
• What you can do to show continued interest. If a school you are waitlisted to is one of your top choices then make sure to follow the instructions the school gives you exactly. This likely means a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). Tell the school what about their school specifically makes you want to receive a J.D. from there! Now is the time to be as school specific as possible. And if you are having a hard time being school specific then you probably aren’t serious enough about this school anyways. You can send more LOR’s or resume updates but make sure you are giving them something different and/or new than what they already have.
• Stay positive and patient!

If you have any questions feel free to email us at prelaw@usc.edu

Tackling the Personal Statement

A law school personal statement is one of the most open-ended papers you will ever have to write.  The basic instructions are: tell me something about yourself in two pages. Because most schools instructions are so open-ended, many students find this to be the most daunting part of the application. Here are some tips to get you started on your personal statement:

1. You don’t have to tell them why you want to go to law school.  Some of the best personal statements have nothing to do with the law.  A good personal statement is exactly that: personal.  It should be sincere, from the heart, and about a topic you really care about.  That being said, it is a good idea to bring the reader back to the present and mention law school, usually in the final paragraph of your essay.
2. Follow the instructions! While most schools do not have a specific  prompt, some schools do and if they ask you a question, make sure you answer it! Also, pay attention to the number of pages each school allows and what they recommend. While it is usually going to work out that you have a one-size-fits-all personal statement, some schools may want four pages and won’t be happy when they only get two!
3. First impressions matter.  Spend time coming up with a good first sentence that really grabs your reader’s attention.  Admissions officers read upwards of fifty personal statements a day.  They are pressed for time.  Make your statement stand out right away, without sounding gimmicky or scripted.  If you can’t keep a straight face while saying the words out loud, don’t write them.
4. Stay focused.  Two pages is not a lot of space, so don’t cram too many topics into your statement.  Come up with a theme and stick to it.  If the school accepts optional essays, write about another topic there.  Remember that you can also submit a resume with your application, which will contain information on jobs and internships not mentioned in your personal statement. Therefore, make sure that your personal statement is NOT a reiteration of your resume!
5. This is your “interview.”  Law schools don’t do personal interviews, so your personal statement is your only chance to show an admissions officer that you are a person, not Applicant #2367.  Tell them something that they would not otherwise know from reading your application.

And remember the prelaw advising office will read 2 drafts of your personal statement! Send them to prelaw@usc.edu

Life as an Attorney

Wednesday we are having our Life as an Attorney Panel where attorneys from multiple legal disciplines will be coming to discuss what their day-to-day is like in their specific practice area. If you are thinking about law school and want to know more about what being an attorney is really like this is a great event to attend! Keep in mind that the day-to-day varies based on different career paths that you can take with a JD.

• Law Firm. There are small and big firms. As a first year associate you will be doing a lot of research, working on discovery, and doc review. In a smaller firm this might be more specialized work whereas a larger firm will deal with many different areas of the law. Either way, you are going to have the billable hour – which is the hours of work you do that can be billed to the client and most firms have a minimum number of hours you are expected to reach each year. We will have associates from both big and small firms at our event to discuss their experiences.
• Judicial Clerkships. Many people apply to work as a clerk for a judge in Federal or State court. Working for a judge is a valuable skill set because it allows you to see how a courtroom functions and how judges make decisions. This work will include a lot of research and writing. One difference to keep in mind as a clerk is you are taking an objective approach to the work you are doing, whereas when you at a firm, you are advocating on behalf of your client.
• Public Interest and Government Work. Of course there are also many legal careers in public interest and the government (Department of Justice, Legal Aid, Public Defender’s Office, etc.). Many types of government work will allow you to get more hands-on legal experience earlier in your careers. For example, attorneys working in the District Attorneys office often get to try cases their first year out of law school. We will have an attorney working for the DOJ at our event that can answer your questions about life as a prosecutor and government lawyer!

See you all at our event tomorrow night in Leavey Library at 6 o’clock!

Any questions can be directed to prelaw@usc.edu.

 

$165-$295 LSAT Prep Course at USC

Interested in going to law school but can’t afford to pay $1200+ for LSAT prep classes? We’ve got you covered. There will be another low-cost, high quality, LSAT prep course at USC. This course is made so affordable, due to support from OPB at USC and Campus Prep – the national provider of affordable LSAT prep. You can apply for the course (and see testimonials, etc.) at campusprep.org. *Please Note: You cannot currently apply using your smart phone. The course will start in March and prepare you for the June test date. The entire 30 hour course, with 3 practice exams, costs $165-$195, if you qualify for need-based aid, or $295, if you just want to save $1000 on your prep. The course is taught by an instructor who scored in the 99th percentile on the official LSAT. He is an attorney and UCLA Law alum. He has taught hundreds of LSAT students at UCLA and USC. You can try the course for free by having until before the second class session to receive a full refund for any reason. Apply at Campusprep.org Schedule: Wednesdays 6-9pm 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/21 Proctored (practice) exams: Sat. 3/29 11-2pm, Sat. 4/25 11-2pm, Sat. TBA 11-2pm (make-up classes available) Apply ASAP, as there will be more applications than there are spaces available. Email questions to admin@campusprep.org