Applying to law schools in America is a uniquely stressful process for a first-generation international applicant. Especially at ICU, there are so few students that follow this path that the university offers no resources to students who are curious about it at all. Law school was on my mind ever since high school, so I did everything in my power to apply despite the fact that I basically had no idea what I was doing. For other ICU students who are hoping to go to law school in the United States, here are just a few of the things I wish I knew before going through the process.
- You don’t have to be a law major
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There’s no required major for law school. You can literally study anything! Law schools in America don’t expect you to know anything about the law when you begin classes. Instead of being a law major, I decided to follow my passion and become a literature major. Studying what you love is both a pleasure and a privilege. Whatever you decide to study, make sure you maintain a high GPA!
- Start studying for the LSAT early
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The Law School Admission Test (LSAT) is an absolute nightmare. It’s not the kind of test you can totally wing or cram for the night before; you actually need to prepare for it. You can find data on the median scores of accepted students at every law school and you should study to get the score you need to get into your goal schools. The reason you should start studying early is because getting to a high score can take a lot of time and work. I took a whole year to study for the LSAT!
- Get friendly with your professors
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When it comes time to get your application materials together, you’re going to need two letters of recommendation (LOR) from your professors. These letters are going to tell the law school admissions committees what kind of a student you are from the perspective of the professors who have taught you. So, it’s super important to take your classes seriously and attend office hours so that your professors know you well and can write you an amazing LOR!
- LSAT matters more than GPA for international applicants
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Unfortunately, when you attend a university outside of the USA, your GPA is not as heavily considered as that of a US applicant. This is because admissions boards don’t know how to evaluate foreign GPAs. While you should do everything in your power to keep your GPA as high as possible, you should know that your LSAT is going to matter more. Because of this, you might need to score higher than the average score at your target schools in order to have a chance at getting in.
- You need ICU to send your paper transcript by mail
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This can be super annoying. You won’t be able to tell how long it will take for your transcript to be sent. In my case, applying in 2020 meant that the COVID-19 pandemic delayed everything. Make sure you have ICU send your transcripts around a month before you submit your applications for law schools. The Law School Admissions Council (LSAC) needs time to evaluate your grades, which might make it take some extra time.
- You can do this
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Just because you don’t see anyone else around you at ICU applying to US law schools doesn’t mean it’s impossible. I’m proof that you can do it too! Your experiences at ICU are going to give you a unique perspective that could interest law schools. As long as you let your passion for justice guide you, you’ll find your way to law school.
Applying to law school is a long, exhausting, and expensive process, but I found it to be incredibly worth it. I’m exited to start my next chapter at law school in the fall of 2021. For those of you considering this path, believe in yourself and study hard! You’ve got this!