Freshmen & Sophomores
Learn the basics.
Now is the time to start thinking about what you want to do when you finish your undergraduate degree. If you are an underclassman, you certainly don’t need to decide now, but you should start preparing for the possibility that you may want to apply to law school in the future. To learn about the process, check out the UNLV Prelaw Podcast. Here, you’ll learn the basics about applying to law school. The Prelaw Podcast answers questions like, “Should I go to law school?” and “What’s the deal with the LSAT?”
Succeed as an undergraduate. The best thing to do now is to maximize your undergraduate experience. Choose a major that is rigorous but interesting to you. The Prelaw Podcast episode about choosing a major will help. Then, use common sense to keep your grades high and maintain good relationships with your professors. How? Go to class. Be on time. Don’t text or update Facebook during class. Go to your professors’ office hours and make sure that you understand the course material. Do your work early and proofread it before you turn it in. All of these things will help you to get great evaluations and letters of recommendations.
Get involved. Find employment or extra-curricular activities that inspire you. You don’t have to be in student government; choose something that shows that you can handle multiple responsibilities. Better still if it involves helping others. Also, start getting involved with the prelaw activities on campus. The UNLV Prelaw Twitter & Facebook feeds will keep you up to date on the latest events. Contact us for information about Phi Alpha Delta, UNLV’s prelaw fraternity. Finally, be sure to attend the UNLV Law Fair in October.
Juniors
Take the LSAT. Once you finish your first two years of college, it’s go time. Preparation starts in earnest during your junior year. Of course, you’ll need to continue doing all of the things you’ve been doing to succeed in college. You’ll also need to start buckling down for the most dreaded part of the application process: the LSAT. You’ll need to devise a strategy to prepare for the LSAT during your junior year. UNLV Prelaw recommends that you take the June LSAT 14 months before you wish to begin law school. For most students, that is the June directly following their junior year. But you’ll need to begin preparations several months out. It’s wise to begin practice tests as early as the beginning of your junior year. You’ll need to decide whether you will take a commercial preparation course, or if you’ll go it alone. Either way, it generally takes students several months longer than they anticipate to prepare for this test. See the Prelaw Podcast episode about the LSAT for more information. When you sign up for the LSAT, sign up for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), too. You’ll need that to complete your online applications.
Begin preparing the rest of your application. After you take the LSAT, you’ll need to begin preparing your personal statement. In addition, you’ll want to start thinking about who you’ll ask for recommendations. Yes, we have podcast episodes to help with both of these things. Once you have your LSAT score in hand, you’ll have a better idea about which schools you might apply to. Check the LSAC-ABA Official Guide and search using your LSAT score and GPA. Step by step instructions are (you guessed it) in the podcast. Start putting together a list of your dream schools, your safe schools, and a few in the middle. Visit as many of these schools as you can. If your LSAT score is less than your best, prepare to take the October LSAT. Yes, that means studying all over again. Finally, you’ll need to start keeping an eagle eye on your credit score. Unless you get a full ride somewhere (and sometimes even then), you’ll need to take out loans. With bad credit, this will be nearly impossible.
Seniors
Get your materials ready. Now is when all of your preparation pays off. Early in the semester, you’ll need to meet with your professors and request letters of recommendation. The Prelaw Podcast will give you some critical tips. You’ll need to tie up any loose ends, including getting your personal statement locked down and writing any necessary addenda to explain irregularities in your record. You’ll need to get your transcripts sent to CAS, and you’ll need to write any school-specific essays requested or required in the online applications. Update your resume and check that credit report just to be sure.
Ready, set, apply! If you need to retake the LSAT—and you have prepared adequately this time—you’ll need to do that this September. In October, you should have all of your materials ready to go. Also, you’ll need to attend the UNLV Law Fair in late October. You’ll get a chance to talk to the admissions representatives from the schools you will be applying to, and they’ll help you iron out any last details. Now, you’ll need to start filling out the online applications for your schools. To be in the best position to maximize your chances in the rolling admissions process, you should aim to have your applications submitted by Halloween. Be sure to fill out your FAFSA. It’s due in June. Make sure to keep an eye on your credit.
Wait with bated breath. This is one of the hardest parts of the process. In the meantime, you should request financial aid application materials from schools that require them. Submit these. You’ll also want to check on your Master Law School Report from CAS. Request corrections if necessary. In the spring of your senior year, you should start getting answers from your schools.
Decision time. This is probably the second hardest part of the process. Visit as many schools as you can. You’ll want to consider the costs, scholarship offers, location, prestige, and a host of other important factors. Nobody can make this decision for you, and that’s what makes it so difficult. In the end, you’ll have to make the best decision you can given what you know now, and then start preparing to start your new life as a law student.
