TIMETABLE FOR LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR

Transcription

1 TIMETABLE FOR LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR BEFORE THE END OF SPRING SEMESTER '14 Verify with the Pre-Professional Office that you are applying to law school this year to start in Register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Start working on obtaining recommendations and evaluations. Nearly all ABA-approved law schools require the use of LSAC s Credential Assembly Service (CAS). CAS can receive letters of recommendation written on your behalf and then forward them to the law schools to which you are applying. You may ask your recommenders to send their letters directly to CAS (if you have your recommenders send hard copies of their letters, you must give your recommenders the LSAC recommendation forms to send with their letters. If online, provide CAS with your recommenders addresses) If your recommenders are sending their signed, hard copy letters to the Dean of Studies Office, we will keep them in your file and send them to CAS for you (in this case, you give the LSAC recommendation forms to us as well as a stamped envelope addressed to CAS). To find out the LOR preferences of each law school, go to: Evaluations, which are entirely online, may take the place of the letters of recommendation. You should discuss with Dean Kuan Tsu the appropriateness of evaluations versus recommendations. Once you have registered for CAS, you will be able to indicate which letters you want sent to each school. Always ask the people you would like to write letters of recommendation or complete an evaluation for you in person do not just leave them a form. It is useful to provide them with any information that would be helpful, i.e., a resume, copies of papers you wrote for their courses, a copy of your personal statement (if available). We provide "Guidelines for Writing Letters of Recommendation for Law School" which you should feel free to give to the people who are writing for you. Even if your recommenders and evaluators are sending their original letters and evaluations directly to LSAC, please ask your recommenders to send a copy of their letters directly to us for inclusion in your pre-law file. Reading your recommendations and evaluations will help us in advising you. These

2 recommendations in your Barnard pre-law file may also be used if you apply for any law-related scholarships. If you are waiving your right to read your recommendations and your dean's letter, sign the Waiver of Access Statement, which we will place in your file and send with your dean's letter. You must be consistent: if you sign the waiver on the CAS recommendation form, you must also waive your right to read the copies of the recommendations that are in your pre-law file. Once you have waived your right to your recommendation/certification, then recommendations should come directly from the recommender(s) to our office. If you plan to take the June 9 LSAT, you must register by May 6 (receipt deadline). You may register by one of three different ways: online, mail, or telephone. When you register, make sure you authorize the release of your scores to Barnard's pre-law advisor. We cannot knowledgeably support your application in our Dean's Certification without an official score report. OVER THE SUMMER Do research on the various law schools to decide where you are interested in applying. One guide to law schools is jointly published by the Law School Admission Council and the American Bar Association, entitled The Official Guide to ABA-Approved Law Schools. It is available online at The LSAC website also provides a link to the websites of each individual law school. The "Law School Locator" (which is included in this packet) has been developed by the Northeast Association of Pre-law Advisors to help applicants quickly assess the LSAT and GPA median ranges of the overall pool of admitted applicants for all the law schools accredited by the American Bar Association. You can also access an interactive version of the locator at: This information can help you decide where you have realistic chances of being accepted, but it should be used as a general guide only. The Pre-Professional Office also maintains some other statistical information on our prior graduates who have applied to law school, called the Action Reports. This data can be reviewed in consultation with the pre-law advisor. All CAS registrants with LSAC online accounts will have access to the electronic applications for all ABA approved law schools. You do not have to have a transcript sent from a foreign institution if the total amount of work you completed at all foreign institutions combined is equal to or less than the equivalent of one year of undergraduate study in the US, its territories, or Canada, OR your work was completed through an overseas study program that was clearly sponsored by a US, US Territory, or Canadian school.

3 In the latter instance, however, LSAC has in the past required that a transcript be sent from the US sponsoring school. So, if you studied abroad with a program that is sponsored by an American University, it is advisable to still request an official transcript from that U.S. school. If you plan to take the October 4 LSAT, you must register by September 2. It is strongly advised that you take the LSAT no later than this date. EARLY FALL '14 A number of law schools have early action, early notification, or early decision programs. The applications may be due as early as the second week of October. As long as your application materials arrive at the law schools by the early action/decision deadlines, your application will be given full consideration by the admissions committees. Fill out and return to the Pre-Professional Office the profile sheet that is included in the pre-law packet along with an updated copy of your resume. Prepare your personal statement and supplemental essays. (One should be submitted to every law school to which you are applying, even if it is not required.) If you would like advice on your essays, submit a draft to Dean Christina Kuan Tsu for review and comments. You may the essays as an attachment prior to meeting with Dean Kuan Tsu. We strongly urge you to show us your statement before you send them to the law schools. If you have not yet obtained the necessary number of recommendations or evaluations, you should do so now. You should complete your pre-law file in the Pre-Professional Office. Submit a copy of your personal statement and essays to our office for your pre-law file. If you did not have your LSAT score released to Barnard, you should do so now. You should make an appointment to speak with Dean Kuan Tsu to discuss a reasonable range of law schools to which you should apply. Watch for campus visits from law admissions officers and other informational meetings or panels. These sessions are jointly sponsored by Barnard and the three other undergraduate divisions of Columbia. If we have a current address for you, you will receive notices about our pre-law programs through the prelaw listserv. In addition, the Law School Admission Council sponsors several Law School Forums around the country. The New York Forum is scheduled to be at the Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, on October 17 and 18, These forums provide a good opportunity to meet representatives from many law schools in one place. Furthermore, we will hold our own on-campus law fair on October 16, at which there will be at least 70 law schools in attendance.

4 MID-FALL THROUGH EARLY WINTER If you have not done so already, this is when you should finish your applications. Make sure you know the deadlines for each of the schools to which you apply. Most deadlines fall between mid-january and March 1. If you are taking the December 6 LSAT, you must register by November 3. It is inadvisable for you to be taking the LSAT for the first time now. Schedule a personal or phone appointment with the pre-law advisor if you have not already done so. Attend the Financing Law School Workshop and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are applying for financial aid (this includes loans). Wait for responses from law schools. SPRING '15 If you have been placed on hold (or in a pending category), on a wait list, or in a reserve group at a law school, consult with the pre-law advisor about your strategies. You may consider sending an updated transcript with the most recent grades (if applicable) and a letter of continued interest. When you have been accepted to a school you wish to attend, you should write to the other schools that have accepted you to notify them that you will not be attending. Attend open houses for admitted students at the law schools. Pay the deposit to the school you choose to attend. Before you leave campus after graduation, order a final official transcript from the Barnard registrar (showing graduation date) to be sent to the law school you will attend. FINALLY Please inform the pre-law advising office about your acceptances, denials, and wait-lists as the application process progresses. We would also like to know which law school you decide to attend, and we hope you keep in touch with us in the future. It is important for us all to build a solid Barnard network in the legal profession. GOOD LUCK!

5 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION 1. When you fill out the LSAT application, remember to authorize the release of your scores to Barnard's pre-law advisor. We need an official report of your scores in order to evaluate your candidacy and advise you knowledgeably. 2. If you take the LSAT in June, October, or December 2014 at the regularly scheduled sessions (which do not include the special sessions for Sabbath observers), you will receive with your score a copy of the test, your answers, and the correct answers. If you take the test in February 2015, or a special session, you will only receive your score report. 3. LSAC will automatically report the result of all your LSAT scores and registrations, including cancellations and absences. 4. If you need to apply for a waiver of the LSAT fee, or any law school application fees, you may download a fee waiver packet from the LSAC website 5. Most law schools have application deadlines between mid-january and early March; however, it is advantageous to complete your application by mid-november because many schools have rolling admissions. Completing your application early will also allow you time to remedy any clerical problems that may occur, such as lost or misplaced recommendations. 6. If at any point you decide not to apply to law school this year, please let us know so that we will be able to maintain your file in the appropriate location.