Although schools vary in their application
requirements, most require the following:
Application form
To expedite the application process,
many schools strongly encourage you to apply electronically using either
their own electronic application, available through their website, or LSACD-on-the-Web, which is available directly through LSAC.
You should carefully consider the schools
you want to apply to, as application fees quickly add up. If you’re
having trouble paying the application fees, contact the schools directly
to apply for a fee waiver. Even if you’re unsure whether you qualify,
apply anyway. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
LSAT
You should take the LSAT no later than
October of the year you are applying to law school. If you must take
the test at a later date, make sure you have all of your application
materials ready (and, preferably, already sent out) so that your LSAT
score is the only thing needed to complete your file at the schools
you are applying to.
As far as preparing for the LSAT, people
do so in a variety of ways. Some take prep courses such as Kaplan or
the Princeton Review, while others study on their own. Whether you take
a course or not, one of the best ways to study is to practice taking
the test—as often as you can. The Official LSAT PrepTests allow you to practice by taking real exams.
In addition to telling you when the exams were administered, the tests
come with an answer key, writing sample, and score conversion table.
Transcripts
You must have transcripts from each
undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended sent directly
to the Law School Admissions Council (LSAC). Please view the LSAC website for more information.
Letters of Recommendation
Most law schools require two letters
of recommendation. The overwhelming preference is for the letters to
be from academic sources, but they can come from employers as well,
particularly if you’ve been out of school for a while. Choose your
recommenders carefully. They should be people who know you well
and who can speak in concrete terms about your accomplishments and abilities.
If you doubt that a potential recommender can write you an excellent
letter, try to find someone else. If you need help finding recommenders,
talk to you pre-law tutor.
It is extremely important that you
obtain your recommendations at the earliest possible opportunity. Late
letters of recommendation are the most common reason for delayed law
school applications. You will need one waiver form
for each letter you request to be sent to your House file. On the waiver
form you have a choice of waiving or not waiving your right of access.
The waiver form should be filled out
and given to your recommender, who should then send the form, along
with the letter, to the Resident Dean’s Office. The recommendation
will be kept in your academic file and copies will be sent to LSDAS
which will send them to as many law schools as you request. Provide
Susan Bourneuf with one large envelope (approx. 9” x 12”) addressed
to LSDAS. You will need to provide an LSDAS recommendation form to the
House for each recommendation to be sent to LSDAS. You should fill out
your recommenders’ information on the LSDAS recommendation forms and
include the forms in the envelope. Some schools require a Dean's Certification
Form. If the school does require one, please fill out your part, and
also put it into the envelope. Susan will send all your supporting letters
of recommendation in the large envelope to LSDAS. While your recommenders'
letters will be sent directly to LSDAS by the House Office, your Harvard
House letter will continue to be sent by mail to the law schools you
specify.
Personal Statement
The personal statement is a limited
length essay about yourself. Its primary purpose is to allow the admissions
committee to get to know you better. There is no standard topic, so
you should choose a theme you’re passionate about. It should be personal,
allowing you to present a side of yourself that is not portrayed in
your other application materials. In essence, it is an opportunity to
explain what distinctive experiences, personality traits, values and
passions you would bring to a law school class. We encourage you to
have others read your personal statement and be critical of it. This
is your opportunity to tell your reasons of wanting to go to law school.
Dean’s/College Certification
At many schools, the college certification
is submitted as a form letter. At Harvard, we write the House letter,
which serves as an additional letter of recommendation for your admissions
file. While your assigned pre-law tutor writes the first draft of the
House letter, the resident pre-law tutors and the Resident Dean edit
it. There will be a several day delay between the time your pre-law
tutor finishes your letter and the time your letter packet is sent out.
In addition, please keep in mind that the letters are processed in the
order in which they are received, resulting in delays if many letters
are received at the same time. To avoid this problem, complete your
application materials as early as possible. NOTE that a waiver form is also required for the Dean's Letter.
Give to Susan Bourneuf addressed business-sized envelopes (approx. 4.25"
x 10") for each law school to which you are applying. Each envelope
should have the full address of the law school. The house letter by
your advisor will be sent to each school. Put one $0.39 stamp on each
envelope. Leave the return address blank. If a Dean’s Certification
form is requested by the law school, please also provide that form to
Cabot in the larger envelope to be sent to LSDAS.
