Preparing for Law School
Senior Year
The final year of college, for the pre-law student, is characterized by the receipt of Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, a realistic evaluation of acceptance possibilities based on LSAT and grade point average, and the submission of applications to selected law schools. By the end of the fall semester of the senior year, the preparation period has essentially ended, and it is time to reap the benefits of that preparation.
Regardless of whether the LSAT is taken in June, September/October, or December of the year prior to desired law school entry, applications should be submitted in the November-December time frame and should be complete in every respect (with the exception of December LSAT scores) by New Year's Day of the year of desired admission. While most law schools have a deadline date around the first of March, every effort should be made to beat that deadline by approximately 60 days. With New Year's Day as the target date, adequate time remains before the deadline to react successfully to unexpected complications.
Having spent three years building up a competitive GPA, the pre-law student will want to continue that habit during the final year of college. If ASU transcripts have been provided to the Law School Data Assembly Service (LSDAS) during the fall semester, they will not reflect fall grades. Currently, once LSDAS receives a transcript that includes fall semester grades, an updated report is submitted to the student's prospective law schools that have indicated they will accept such updates. In addition to providing LSDAS with a new official transcript, make sure to send unofficial transcripts containing the fall semester grades to every law school to which you apply. The grades from the first semester of your senior year will verify your continued high-caliber academic performance. For the pre-law student who has followed this advice, the final semester of the senior year should be one of relative relaxation, involving, in addition to the now-routine studies, only graduation preparation and tentative decision-making as law school acceptances arrive.