Applying to law school is a challenging task, but your application process began years ago. Top-tier law schools place a significant amount of consideration and weight on your undergraduate grade point average and the rigor of your coursework.
This Article Will Discuss The Following:
- Choose A Major Wisely
- The Fine Points of A Successful Letter
- Personal Statements That Shine
- Best Foot Forward
Choosing a challenging major that cultivates your writing abilities, critical thinking, and your ability to develop and maintain a reasonable and logical argument are key to your law admission process.
Your Major Choice Matters
Choosing a challenging undergraduate major is a decision that should not be taken lightly. You want to study something interesting, but hard. Law school admission officers want to see that each candidate has a broad range of rigorous academic courses from various disciplines. So, you’ll want to take coursework that stretches you and sometimes takes you outside of your comfort zone.
Your undergraduate coursework needs to prepare you to succeed in law school. Academic majors that are reading-heavy and develop your logical thinking are seen as highly favorable by admissions committees.
The primary majors to consider if you want to pursue a legal career would be English, Philosophy, and History. Still, many specialized forms of law also include engineering (patent law), agricultural (fishing and maritime law), business (contract law), and computer science (Intellectual Property law). As a law student, you’ll spend countless nights reading and going over legal textbooks and briefs, analyzing each word’s placement in the sentence.
As a lawyer, you’ll have to present logical, cogent arguments cited by evidence to prove your point and make your case. Choosing the proper rigorous undergraduate major is critical in the law school admissions process. It can pave the way for a specialized type of law that makes you an in-demand commodity in your field once you graduate. Decide wisely.
Utilize Pre-Law Resources
Preparing for law school requires utilizing various resources available both within and beyond the college/university. Getting ready for law school can be a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry, there are plenty of resources to help you out. Your university’s career center is a great place to start. They offer resume workshops, interview prep, and career fairs where you can meet legal professionals. Even after you graduate, you can still use these services to stay connected and get career advice.
The pre-law advising office at your university is another awesome resource. They help with law school applications, organize workshops, and set up networking events with legal pros. They also give you tips on extracurricular activities and leadership roles to boost your application.
Beyond your university, there are other organizations like the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) and its LawHub. LawHub has tons of info on law schools, budgeting, LSAT prep, and career exploration. LSAC Forums are great for networking with admissions reps and getting a feel for different law schools.
So, take advantage of all these resources, stay active, and ask for advice when you need it. They’ll be super helpful as you work towards becoming a lawyer.
The Finer Points Of An Impressive Professional Recommendation Letter
The key difference between a strong letter of recommendation from your faculty and a letter that truly stands out is all in the fine points and the details.
You also want to allow ample time for your faculty members to write the letter and submit an online recommendation, which typically requires extra effort on their part to use the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) website.
In addition to the academic reference, you want to get one additional recommendation from a mentor, community member, or community service partner that you have worked with.
Below is an example of an email you can send to your academic recommender/s:
Dear [Title and Last Name:]
As I work toward gaining admission to law school, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to write a compelling letter of recommendation for me.
I enjoyed [INSERT CONTEXT OF HOW YOU KNOW RECOMMENDER, AND SOMETHING YOU ENJOYED OR LIKED ABOUT THEIR CLASS AND/OR INTERACTION].
In particular, focusing on the following items in your recommendation would greatly help my candidacy:
- Indicating the context under which you know me and my work with clear descriptions and providing specific, personal stories that are indicative of my intellectual curiosity, research and writing ability, analytical skills, motivation, work ethic, and capacity to think critically and challenge myself.
- Qualitative comparisons with my peers and the conveying of characteristics such as maturity, integrity, professionalism, leadership potential, and the ability to work with others, illustrated through personal stories and classroom experiences.
- Conclude with an offering of an unequivocal endorsement of my candidacy.
Thank you once again for your help and for agreeing to submit the recommendation letter online by the deadline of [INSERT DEADLINE]. I can be reached by e-mail at [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS] if you have further questions or run into complications meeting the [INSERT DEADLINE] deadline. I have enclosed a copy of my resume, transcript, and [**MY PAPER FROM YOUR CLASS**]. Thank you once again.
Sincerely,
[INSERT ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE]
[INSERT NAME]
Enclosure: resume, transcript, [**MY PAPER FROM YOUR CLASS**], online submission instructions to submit.
Personal Statements That Shine
Your personal statement is your opportunity to shine. Use your personal statement to highlight abilities and hobbies that a law admission officer will find appealing and aid in your successful completion of law school.
Spend a good amount of time developing your story and writing your personal statement. A well-written essay can be the difference between admission and rejection. You have to start with a “hook” and draw the reader into your personal story.
Remember, law school classes are not interested in a well-rounded student; they are looking to assemble a well-rounded class of interesting thought leaders who can offer something unique that no one else can.
A common mistake candidates make when writing their essays is failing to show how they stand out from the pool of applicants. Instead, applicants will “tell” the reader how they stand out from the crowd, but will not add any animations or life to their story.
Give yourself time to develop your personal statement by crafting an outline of what you want to say, and avoid clichés. Your personal statement essay will likely take you multiple drafts to complete, so go over various drafts with a strong editor before achieving your final draft.
It’s imperative that you give yourself a significant amount of time to develop and write your essay to get the strongest narrative possible. Law school admissions officers have read countless personal statements and can quickly identify and reject a rushed, grammatically incorrect, or poorly written essay.
Don’t be that candidate.
Along with a superb, well-written essay, your undergraduate transcripts need to stand out. Top-tier law schools are notorious for their low acceptance rates. You’re competing against top-tier candidates, who average a 3.91 on a 4.0 scale and an average LSAT score of 173 out of 180.
Your undergraduate transcript will need to be nothing short of spectacular, with very few, if anything, less than A’s on your transcript. It must reflect rigorous and challenging coursework. Keep in mind that even if you decide to pursue a graduate degree prior to applying to law school, law schools only use the undergraduate degree GPA in their academic review of your file.
In contrast, the graduate GPA will demonstrate a strong level of intellectual vitality, which is important, but will not boost your GPA or academic profile.
Best Foot Forward
A great way to prepare to put your best foot forward in preparation for law school admissions is to go with a pro who has helped hundreds of students gain admission to law school.
Solomon Admissions Consultants offer the deepest bench of any admissions consultants out there and have a proven track record of securing admissions at the top law schools in the country.
Our two founders are experts in law school admissions, and that know-how has translated into the recruitment of a top team of law school admissions experts who are ready to get you noticed. Why not contact us today?
Originally published in November 2021, reviewed and edited by an admissions consultant before being republished in January 2026
Former Assistant Director of Admissions at University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Former Associate Director of Admissions at University of Michigan Law School Former Assistant Dean for Admissions at University of Florida College of Law, 18 years (combined) in University of Michigan Ann Arbor Undergraduate and Law School Admissions 2 years in University of Florida College of Law Admissions,
Delphine has reviewed more than 20,000 applications, and has read well over 30,000 personal statements, and essays throughout her professional career. She has held decision-making positions at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, and the University of Florida. Moreover, she received the University of Michigan Distinguished Diversity Leaders Award, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition of Outstanding and Invaluable Service to the Community for her efforts in admissions and recruiting.
