What To Know As An International Law School Applicant

Choosing A Law School

In the coming months, law school applicants will make final decisions on where they will study for their degree.
For many, this can be a stressful decision with a number of factors to consider.
The Deadline
For a majority of law schools, you’ll be given a deadline to respond to your offer. Often, schools will require a money deposit or an email commitment.
According to Law School Numbers, the deadline for responding to an offer is never before April 1, and is generally during the last two weeks of April.
“There may still be several applications in play when you must decide. Accepting a spot requires a non-refundable seat deposit,” Law School Numbers states. “If you can afford the non-refundable deposits, you can accept spots at more than one law school (unless accepting a scholarship offer binds you to the school).”
Considering Cost Of Attendance
Mike Spivey, of Spivey Consulting, recently broke down a few factors that applicants should consider when deciding on a law school to attend.
One of the most important factors? Total cost of attendance.
Applicants can often overlook critical aspects of cost outside of tuition such as living factors associated to location.
Here are the general factors that make up the total cost of attendance, according to Spivey:

  • Tuition
  • Average Room and Board
  • Fees
  • Books
  • Travel cost estimates
  • Health Insurance

The Importance of Fit
Once you’ve boiled down total cost of attendance and have filtered down to a few choices, your decision really comes down how well you fit into a school.
The best way to decide if you fit into a certain law school? Visit and asks lots of questions.
“Here is a secret about law school faculty and law school students you should know: they love giving advice and mentorship,” Spivey writes. “Take advantage of this! Step out of any shell, if possible, and talk to students at the school. Talk to the professor whose class you attend. Ask them what they like and dislike about the school – especially the students. Repeat as much as you can and see where you feel most comfortable.”
When making your decision, Spivey says, it’s important to take a holistic approach. And above all—trust yourself.
“There are many, many factors that go into choosing a law school,” Spivey writes. “Ultimately, you should collect as much and as high-quality information as you can, and use it all to make a well-thought-out determination based on the relative opportunities and costs of your options. But trust your instincts, because they are actually your mind hard at work knowing you (possibly) in a more unclouded way than you know yourself.”
Sources: Spivey Consulting, Law School Numbers, Spivey Consulting