All law schools require that applicants have a four-year undergraduate degree, with no specific requirement concerning which majors students should possess. A good rule of thumb for choosing an undergraduate major for students interested in attending law school is to pick a major that interests you. If you are interested in chemistry, major in that. If you are interested in Russian literature, major in that. Chances are you will earn better grades in a major that interests you, putting you in a stronger position to be accepted by the law school of your choice.
Undergraduate grades are critical for law school admission. The better the applicant's grades, the better the law school she will likely be admitted. There are almost 200 law schools in the United States broken into a tiered system based on U.S. News and World Report rankings. Students with average or below average grades cannot expect to get into first or second tier law schools, which are typically the top 100 schools. However, lower grades do not preclude students from attending law school because third and fourth tier institutions will accept students based on less rigorous criteria. Graduates from lower tiered institutions; however, can expect more limited job opportunities.
Along with grades, the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) is the most important component of the law school application. All law schools require that applicants take this test. The LSAT is a standardized, multiple choice test with three question types: Reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning. Reading comprehension tests the ability to read a passage, assess the main idea and structure and draw textual inferences. The analytical reasoning section requires the applicant to group, order and match elements based on a given set of rules and deduce conclusions based on the fact patterns. Finally, the logical reasoning section includes a paragraph and short statement of facts and asks the applicant to draw conclusions about the logic used in each question. The exam is scored on a 120 to 180 range. Typically, law schools consider scores in the mid-160's and up as high scores.
Virtually all law schools require a personal statement submitted with the application. The personal statement is an essay describing why the applicant wants to go to law school. Personal statements usually have no formal requirements other than word count, giving the applicant a creative range to write something that separates himself from other applicants. While excellent grades and a high LSAT score are important, a creative, well written personal statement can separate similarly situated, competitive applicants.
Most, if not all, law schools require two or three letters of recommendation as part of the application. Usually, professors, current or past employers or family friends make the best people to ask for recommendation letters.
While not as important as grades and the LSAT score, law schools look to the applicant's community service, extracurricular activities and work experience. Having interesting work experience or demonstrated leadership skills may help compensate for other areas of weakness in the application. Some schools may place great weight on community and public service. For example, the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clark School of Law has a reputation for preparing its graduates for careers working in public interest fields. As a result, community activities and other experiences may compensate for below average grades and LSAT scores.
Finally, to attend law school, applicants must have the ability to pay. Law school is one of the most expensive types of graduate schools to attend. But, resources do exist to help prospective students pay for school. Need based grants and scholarships from a variety of a institutions and educational foundations, and merit based grants and scholarships exist to help a student pay. Prospective students should check with the schools they wish to attend to find out what assistance is available. Student loans are relatively accessible for students with a college degree provided they fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Department of Education. However, completely financing a law school education on student loans can put students in debt in excess of $100,000. According to the American Bar Association, the average cost of public school tuition, as of 2008, was $28,442 per year with private school tuition averaging $34,298. Those figures do not inlcude books and cost of living expenses per year.