Law School Timeline

Before Applying

Be sure that Law School is the Right "Next Step" For You
Many law school applicants and students never take the time to consider whether their interests are aligned with a career in law and end up wasting lots of money as well as three years of their lives on an education they didn't really want or need.

Talk to Cooper alumni and others who are in your network who practice law or who have attained a law degree. Find mentors. Find shadowing opportunities. Research the various law-related positions that may be available to you with a law degree and see what resonates with you. Attain an internship or volunteer in the law field to help you make an educated decision about attending law school.

Submit your Application Early

Being that law school admissions offices review applications on a "rolling basis," reviewing applications as they arrive, top preference is given to those students who submit their applications early, months before schools' deadlines.

Junior Year

Attend the LSAC forum in New York City during mid-late October. Take advantage of their law school admissions workshops and law school fair. Attend the Career Center's Law School Panel in early December.

Obtain the LSAT & LSDAS Registration & Information Book from the Career Center or the LSAC.

Register for the June LSAT.

Register with the LSDAS.

Allow 4-6 weeks to prepare for the LSAT.

Order unofficial transcripts from the Office of Admissions and Records and review for any discrepancies.

Start requesting letters of recommendation, both from faculty and a professional acquaintance or employer. Provide employers with a sample reference. Complete and hand the Letter of Recommendation Request Form (DOC) to faculty who are completing your recommendations to remind them of your background and career goals.

Consider factors that will help you in evaluating law schools, including diversity of the student body, financial and location considerations, career services and placement, facilities, faculty, extracurricular activities, academic programs and of course, admissions requirements.

Start investigating law schools. The Official Guide to ABA Law Schools is a helpful resource in choosing a school. Develop a list of schools under three categories: "reach" or dream schools, core schools where you have a 50/50 chance of being accepted, and safety schools where you have a strong chance of being accepted.

Gain experience in the field. This will not only strengthen your application, but it will also help you decide if attending law school is a good idea.

Understand how law schools make admissions decisions and consider what you can do now to strengthen your application.

Summer after Junior Year

Take the June LSAT.

Receive LSAT score (3-4 weeks after test).

Review law school choices taking LSAT scores into consideration. View different catalogs and directories on Law schools (in print and online), such as The Official Guide to U.S. Law Schools and Law School Lists. Utilize Boston College's Law School Locator as a resource to help choose schools based on their admissions guidelines. Other publications are available in the Career Center.

Request law school admissions materials from those schools where you may apply.

Register for October LSAT if necessary.

Continue requesting letters of recommendation and checking on their status. Complete and hand the Letter of Recommendation Request Form (DOC) to faculty who are completing your recommendations to remind them of your background and career goals.

Begin writing the personal statement.

Fall of Senior Year

Finalize letters of recommendation. Complete and hand the Letter of Recommendation Request Form (DOC) to faculty who are completing your recommendations to remind them of your background and career goals.

Order official transcripts from the Office of Admissions and Records to be sent to LSDAS.

Finalize personal statement; have it reviewed by the Career Center and/or the Center for Writing and Language Arts.

Take October LSAT if necessary.

Request financial aid information from law schools. Obtain applications for financial aid (federal, institutional, private), e.g. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Complete and send admissions applications BEFORE Thanksgiving.

Visit campuses if you can. It will help give you an idea of what you are looking for in a law school and it will also show the admissions committee that you are truly interested in their institution.

Spring of Senior Year

Contact law schools to confirm that applications are complete.

Contact the Office of Admissions and Records to have an updated transcript (which includes your fall term) sent to law schools and LSDAS.

Complete and submit financial aid materials.

Prepare for interviews if necessary.

Evaluate admissions offers.

Evaluate financial aid offers.

Submit an acceptance letter to the Law School of your choice.

Submit rejection letters to the schools that you will not attend.

Thank letter writers and inform them of your plans.