Law schools judge applicants based on their undergraduate GPA. Rarely do law schools consider a graduate GPA in the decision-making process. The minimum GPA students need to get into a law school depends on the school they are applying to and what their LSAT scores are. The lower their LSAT scores, the higher GPAs they will need. As a general rule, graduate schools expect students to have at least a 3.0 GPA. While some schools will accept students with lower GPAs, law school options will be few. Students who can demonstrate hardship or unique challenges contributing to their low GPAs should explain their situations and include a written explanation with their law school application materials.
The LSAT is a standardized test designed to evaluate students interested in studying law. It is a half-day exam that includes logic games, analytical reasoning and reading comprehension. There is also a written component that is not scored, but provides a writing sample. There are five 35-minute sections made up of multiple choice questions, and only four of these are scored. The fifth one is designed to test future LSAT questions and is not scored, although the test taker does not know which section this is. All U.S. law schools approved by the ABA (American Bar Association) require this test. Students can retake it, but schools will see scores for all attempts. Students should take the test early in case they decide they need to retake it.
Law schools usually require students to submit two to three letters of reference with their applications. Sometimes schools will specify whom these letters of reference should be from. Commonly, they want at least one to be from a professor. Schools requiring applicants to apply through LSAC will need to follow LSAC's guidelines for submitting references to them directly. Undergraduate students interested in graduate or professional school should plan for reference letters. The better the letter writer knows the student, the stronger the letter will likely be. Students often must invest substantial effort into securing strong letters of reference by the time they graduate.
Often students apply to schools where they think they have a good chance of getting accepted because they know that their scores fall into an acceptable range. When schools receive many applicants with the same or similar scores, it is the personal statement that helps schools in the selection process. The personal statement should be written professionally and include information the school values. Law schools often give clues on their websites about what they value, which often includes: diversity, life experience, study abroad experience, leadership roles, graduate degrees, extracurricular activities and talents.