So I’ve applied to law school. Actually, I’ve already applied to a few?more than two, fewer than 50. All I have to do now is wait.
And wait. And wait. The books say that waiting is the easy part. They’re wrong. Do you see people ever throwing, “I’ve been waiting three months for law school acceptance letters, and, man, this wait just keeps getting better!” parties? If it’s so fun, why don’t we switch places? They can wait; I’ll decide who gets in.
Maybe I’ll write my own book on law school admissions. It won’t be called, “What applying to law school is really like” because those just don’t quite capture the process. I’ll call mine, “What applying to law schools is really, really like.” That way, it’ll really resonate with prospective applicants.
I’d definitely change some things from the old books, especially the section describing the LSATs. One so-called “tip” is particularly enlightening: “Study the instructions.” Are you kidding? Is this really why I bought the book? So that’s why I didn’t do that well ? I shouldn’t have made triangle shapes in each bubble using a magenta highlighter. And all that time, I thought I didn’t test well. What a relief.
My change: “If you figured out the SAT when you were 17, you should be able to figure out the LSAT when you’re 21. If not, you shouldn’t be allowed to apply.”
I always love these lines: “Don’t worry, people with perfect LSAT scores get rejection letters.” Ahh, that’s comforting. Good thing I didn’t get a higher LSAT score. Then, if I didn’t get in, I’d feel really bad.
My change: “If person A has a better LSAT than person B, person A is more likely to get in.” I’d probably throw in some charts, too, just to back up this controversial claim.
Even better are the tips on how to write a good personal statement. “Remember, more than anything else,” the books tend to say, “that the personal statements should be just that?about something very personal.” Too bad, I guess stories about winning the Cold War and ending slavery just wouldn’t have that certain, how do you say it, genuine factor about them. Focus on your own life and not someone else’s.
Wow, Santa, thanks for this helpful book. What’s your return address?
My change: “Write about stuff you actually do.” The law school personal statement is so much easier than the undergratuate one, which usually featured such questions as, “You’re eating dinner with Socrates and Bill Clinton. What do you talk about, who pays for the check and, when the building collapses due to a fire, who is more likely to comfort the scared patrons?” Or, another exciting one: “If your life were a book, in which footnote could I find your third-most exciting childhood aventure?”
And then there’s the unecessary cautionary warning about entering law school. “Remember, law school is three years of your life.” Funny, I never thought law school was supposed to be a prison sentence for young adults. You never hear priests tell would-be married couples, “Now, you do realize, you are getting married for the rest of your life. Do you understand? That’s it, there’s no turning back. Once you say “I do,” it’s over.” Frankly, college graduates who’ve seriously considered law school have probably considered the program’s duration at least once or twice.
My change: “Law school?a little more work in a little less time.”
And again, regarding filling out applications, the books tell law wanna-bes this: “It’s crucial to read the directions and follow them.” Well, I’m totally set. As difficult as it seemed at the time, I’m so glad I spent the extra few hours and made sure I wrote the information for Georgetown on the Georgetown application. I’m even more relieved that I was able to track down the right zip code?an even more laborious process that involved looking at the top right-hand corner and finding that five digit number.
My change: “If you can’t even fill out the form correctly, there’s really no hope for you. Spend about $600 and take The Princeton Review’s Secret Tips to Filling Out Your Application in the Way That the Directions Clearly Tell You To Do.”
But don’t take my word for it. Maybe you should just go out and buy a book.
