I would have never bothered to read an article like this at a time when it would have mattered because, unfortunately, I didn't think about how to get into law school, as early and often as I should have. Indeed, if you're already more than half way through undergraduate school, you may want to look for advice somewhere else.

If, however, you are one of those chosen few youngsters who know what you want to do in life years before you have any business knowing such things, then I've got a few words of advice that will help you get into the law school of your dreams.

Although much of this will seem obvious, please take it to heart and try to understand why following these tips can make your life much easier in the future.

Tip #1 - Your GPA

The premise of this article relies on the assumption that you haven't yet had the opportunity to screw up your college career yet. As such, you must make every effort to maximize your grade point average ("GPA") during your undergraduate years.

Others will lie to you, but the truth is that your GPA, coupled with your LSAT score, are the most important factors in determining your admissibility to whatever law school you choose. Let me put this another way - your GPA is much, much, much more important than where you go to school, what activities you participate in, what classes you take, who your grandpa is, etc.

So if you are going to undergraduate school for the sole or primary reason of going to law school, take classes and pursue majors in which you can excel. Your high GPA will make life much easier when it comes time to apply to law school.

Tip #2 - Start Preparing for the LSAT Now

About 60% of prospective law students will do nothing or next to nothing to prepare for the Law School Admission Test ("LSAT"). Another 39% or more won't do anything to prepare until six months or less before their test date. If you get started now, with literally years to perfect your understanding of the test and the time-proven strategies for maximizing your score, you have an excellent chance of getting a score that will virtually guarantee your admission to any school.

Anyone who has been through the process will tell you that the secret to success on the LSAT is practice. I'm not going to discuss the test and its components in any detail, but it is sufficient for me to say that the LSAT test does not test your knowledge of anything. Instead, it is designed to test your ability to think in certain ways.

Anyone can learn how to excel at thinking in these ways, but it takes lots of time and lots of practice. You shouldn't be surprised to learn that the few months before most people take the LSAT is a hectic time. In addition to preparing for the LSAT, you may be preparing your law school applications, finishing your final college courses, and rejoicing in the prospect of your impending graduation.

The result of all this is that even those who think they are preparing extensively aren't even coming close to practicing as much as you could if you start now. So my advice is that you begin reading all the practice materials you can, completing practice tests and even attending LSAT prep classes now.

Changing the way you think - or training yourself to think in a certain way - is a demanding and (biologically) a lengthy process. If you give yourself years of preparation you will demolish even your smartest competitors who have spent just weeks or months learning how the LSAT works.

Tip #3 - Do Interesting Things

In the event even your best efforts don't result in a 4.0 GPA and 175 of the LSAT, you will find yourself in need of the law school admission advice found in my book, Covert Tactics for Getting Into the Law School of Your Choice.

As you will learn, students without premier numbers are given an opportunity to plead their case for admission via a personal statement, interview and/or personal visit. When it comes time to make that case, you should have something interesting to say.

Thus, much as you should prepare for the LSAT now, you should begin gathering ideas for you personal statement now. Don't "volunteer" just for the sake of volunteering, but seek opportunities to do fascinating things that may - or may not - reinforce your desire to go to law school.

This article may be freely reprinted or distributed in its entirety in any ezine, newsletter, blog or website. The author's name, bio and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

To learn more about the the techniques and strategies you can use to get into the law school of your choice, visit http://www.coverttactics.com.

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tips for non whites that plan on attending law school in the united states. this is just basically some of the steps that i have used to get me to the point where i'm at. and where i'am i ask you ask? i'm finishing up my last few units in my sociology and studying off and on the Lsat. I got a lot more to say but i think 9 mins. is the max although i may have to check that i'm not sure

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sebastian foss

Individuals from all different career and college backgrounds make their way into law schools. The best method for preparing to become a lawyer is to gain a broad range of basic skills. There really is no set major for pre-law undergraduate work. From English to philosophy and science to art, people with all sorts of backgrounds are considered for entrance into law school. So since there is no set degree requirement, what are law school admission counselors looking for?

Law school admissions counselors typically look for individuals with excellent analytical and problem solving skills. For those still getting their undergraduate degrees, it would be wise to seek out a pre-law advisor to help you select your coursework. In addition to analytical skills, law schools also look for individuals with excellent communication skills (both writing and oral communication). Critical reading and researching are also important skills to master and be able to prove.

While there is no specialized path for undergraduates seeking to become lawyers, it is important to maintain a high grade point average. Most graduate programs only accept students with a 3.0 GPA or higher and law school is not exception.

The higher your GPA, the better off you'll be (but rest assured that you can still go to law school without a 4.0 or even a 3.5 GPA). In addition to your GPA, extracurricular activities are also a plus. Any activities that show leadership or problem solving skills will only be a beneficial.

Selecting the right law school

When you decide to seek admittance to law school (which can be during your senior year in college or after you've taken a break from college altogether), you will need to narrow down your options. Typically, the following factors play a large role in deciding where to attend law school; location, cost, areas of specialty, financial aid, and prestige of the institute.

You will also need to take into consideration your strengths and weaknesses. Since there are costs to apply to law school, you also need to factor in your background (i.e. your GPA, LSAT scores and letters of recommendations). Unfortunately, if you barely earned a 3.0, scored poorly on the LSAT, and lack the experiences that a law school admissions counselor would look favorably upon, then you probably don't want to only apply to top tier Ivy League schools. If you do, then you may find that you aren't accepted into any law school come the next school year.

LSAT

The LSAT is the law school admissions test. All law schools approved by the ABA require LSAT scores for admissions. This exam does not cover any legal topics. Instead, it tests you on reading comprehension, analytical reasoning and logical reasoning. Law schools want to make sure you possess excellent analytical and problem solving skills and the LSAT sets out to do just that.

Scores for the LSAT range from 120 to 180 (with 180 being the highest). The average LSAT score falls around 150. The higher you can score on the LSAT; the better off you will be (although if you have strengths in other areas, you can still get into law school with a lower LSAT score).

Admissions

While admissions requirements vary from law school program to law school program, it is common for the requirements to include the following; undergraduate GPA, LSAT scores, letters of recommendation and a personal statement.

You will need to provide official transcripts and LSAT scores to show your qualifications. Usually, you will submit these to the LSDAS (the law school data assembly service). The LSDAS streamlines admissions for most all law schools in the country. You will also need to submit your letters of recommendation and the personal statement to the LSDAS.

When selecting people to write a letter of recommendation for you consider asking those who know your abilities to solve problems and realize your potential to become a lawyer. College professors and employers are excellent choices.

The personal statement should essentially let the law school admissions counselor know why you want to be a lawyer and inform them of your qualifications. You would want to stress any qualifications that relate to becoming a lawyer. For example, work as an intern in a law firm would be important to showcase (as are countless other examples).

Tie in your experiences with your desire to go to law school. Be sure to write your essay concisely, keeping in mind grammatical rules. However, there is no reason to write in legalese. Just write naturally and personably.

Remember that law schools accept people from all sorts of backgrounds. If you have an interest in pursuing a law degree, then you should start pursuing it today.

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What is law school like? Is animal rights law a good field to go into?
I am a college freshman right now and I am trying to decide exactly what I would like to major in! I am very interested in law, especially animal rights and environmental law. Is law school as stressful as I have heard? I was also wondering what kind of lawyer has more of a research based job as opposed to a court room job. And if you are a lawyer, do you enjoy it? Thanks so much for any of your answers!

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