How To Apply To The Right Number Of Law Schools
Most students don’t just sacrifice all of the time, effort, and resources to take the LSAT without some type of plan. Part of that plan is deciding on which law schools that applicants want to target. But how many schools should you apply to? And how should you decide on which ones to apply to? U.S. News & World Report has some helpful tips this week.
First, it is helpful to decide what type of law applicant you are. Are you swinging for the fences and trying to top out at the highest ranked school? Or are you the applicant who knows specifically what type of law you want to practice and looking to find the best school for that type of law? Or are you looking for a specific geographical area where you want to spend three years at and then potentially many more after law school? Or perhaps you are a combination of these categories.
Regardless, the next step according to U.S. News is to look at your GPA and LSAT scores and categorize your target schools into three categories. Those categories are reach schools, target schools, and safety schools. Reach means it will take a little less than a miracle to get in, but there is a chance. Target schools are the ones you should get into, meaning your GPA and LSAT scores are smack dab at the medians. Safety schools are the home run schools, meaning your GPA and LSAT scores are much higher than the medians.
A good idea is to apply to about five at each level for a total of 15 schools. Cast a wide net if you know that you just want to go to law school and don’t really care where you go. Go big for a few in terms of highly ranked schools. Throw darts at a map for other options. Just make sure those safety net schools are also covered. Happy application season!
Source: U.S. News
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