The Girl's Guide to Law School®
Get In, Get Through, Stay You
This week we welcome 1L Justine Huang to talk about the process of writing her personal statement.
If you are applying to law school for the next cycle, chances are you’re working through or putting the finishing touches on your personal statement. For me, the personal statement was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I can now appreciate the process as a continuous lifelong journey of growth and self-reflection. Here are three things I learned from the writing process.
This week we welcome back guest writer Tiffany Lo to talk about how to go about preparing the best transfer application you can.
Are you a 1L thinking about transferring law schools? If so, this post is for you! As a transfer student myself, I remember putting together my application as a worldwide pandemic raged on and interpersonal relations were developed and maintained through a computer screen.
Current 1Ls are in a similar predicament – many of them have not been able to go on campus or form close relationships with their professors and classmates. Under these constraints, campus culture has become difficult to discern. With travel restrictions, they cannot go visit other schools or sit in on classes. All of this has compounded the stress of the transfer application process.
I recently spoke to a 1L who is considering transferring. His questions spoke to the challenges with the process itself and concerns about being a transfer student, especially given the state of the world. Here are my tips for preparing a strong transfer application: [Read more…]
Please welcome back Jaclyn Wishnia, 2L guest writer from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. She discusses some counter points to transferring law schools.
Before starting the transfer process, the very first thing you should do is ask yourself, why do I want to transfer? The reasons you provide to that question will help you determine whether transferring law schools is the best solution. Sometimes external factors, such as being closer to a sick family member or a spouse’s job location transfer, will affect your decision. In those cases, transferring law schools may be completely appropriate. Other times, however, law students will base their decision to transfer on arbitrary reasons, such as 1L fall semester grades or to switch to a slightly higher ranked law school. If your reasons fall under the latter category, then consider the following arguments prior to submitting any finalized transfer applications. [Read more…]
Today we welcome Jaclyn Wishnia, rising 2L at Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and aspiring entertainment law attorney. Jaclyn tackles the question of how to choose the right law school to attend and personalization in the admissions process.
Choosing the right law school to attend can sometimes seem overwhelming. Often, decisions are based on future factors you may not even realize until your 3L year, such as the type of law you want to specialize in or where you intend to practice law. Alternatively, other issues may arise that are out of your control. For instance, maybe you were rejected from your top choice, or perhaps, you were accepted to two vastly different law schools that you favored equally. Although many decisions can be resolved by focusing on fundamental criteria like, which school is offering a better scholarship, there is one minor item you should consider when evaluating your choices: Personalization. [Read more…]
Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel. Today, Eileen is advising us on why it’s OK to write a terrible first draft.
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
Beginning work on a new and high-pressure essay like the law school personal statement can be daunting. Even if you are used to seeing yourself as a strong writer, you may feel apprehensive about whether you can write your story well enough to be admitted to your schools of choice. This intimidation factor can make it difficult to get started. [Read more…]
Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel. Today, Eileen is exploring an important question — why is the law school personal statement so difficult to execute well?
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
Writing a convincing personal statement can be one of the biggest challenges when it comes to creating a top-notch law school application.
This may come as a surprise to accomplished academic writers. After all, most law school applicants have finely honed their writing skills over their years of schooling. Why should writing a simple application essay present any major problems?
Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel, who has some excellent advice on handling the costs of applying to law school.
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
If you’re planning to apply to law school this coming fall, you’re probably already thinking about how to fund your legal education. But that’s not the only financial aspect to keep in mind! The application process also requires some monetary outlay.
Right now — well before application season — is the best time to plan out your law school application expenses. If you take the time to understand these costs now, you’ll be able to begin budgeting and saving for your application expenses well in advance.
[Read more…]
Having trouble with word limits on your law school application? Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel, who has some excellent advice on concise writing to share.
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
Law school application essays raise many challenges, and one of the most common is how to fit a strong argument into such a small space. How can you convince the admissions committee to admit you to their program in only two to three pages? The answer lies in concise, efficient writing.
[Read more…]
Is it ever too early to think about applying to law school? Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel, who has some timely advice on getting a head start on your law school application.
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
Planning to apply to law school next fall? It may seem like it’s far too early to get going with the application process. But even though your deadlines are currently nothing but a far-off glimmer in the distance, you can get a head start on your law school applications right now. How? Research.
Now is the perfect time to start researching the schools you think you would like to attend.
Early stage research can set you up for success when it comes time to fill out your various forms and send in your law school applications.
[Read more…]
Finalizing your law school applications? Please welcome back law school admissions essay expert Eileen Conner, founder of Pen and Chisel, who has some timely advice on making your applications as perfect as possible!
If you missed any of her other admissions Q&As, check them out here.
To polish your application to its highest sheen, you’ll need to go over it in minute detail and fix every error you can find. This means proofreading.
In short, proofreading is carefully checking over all the information in your application to catch and correct any mistakes. It’s the final step you should take to make your entire application exactly as you want it.
Proofreading is a great way to ensure that you create the best application possible. Although it may seem like a minor task in comparison to making your larger argument for admission, a solid round of proofreading can actually help you make the best possible impression on your readers. Delivering an immaculately proofread application showcases your attention to detail and your follow-through.
In contrast, overlooking small flaws in your application can make you look careless. In an occupation that is all about examining and communicating complex issues in detail, this can be a real problem. Avoid this by carefully proofreading all the different parts of your application before you submit them.
