Prerequisites to Get Into Law School
If you are bent to pursue your studies and take up law, knowing the common prerequisites in law schools can be one of the best ways to prepare yourself. For those who knew from the start that they want take up law after their undergraduate studies, they should know that GPAs are crucial. In most law schools, GPAs are used as basis to screen out applicants. These means that you have to give your best shot in every course.
It can be deduced that law school will be more challenging than your present major in college. As a preparation, you should hone you study habits as early as now. To avoid massive adjustments when you are in law school make it a daily habit to study your lessons. This will surely be of great help when you are admitted in a law school.
So, to prepare yourself, here are the most important prerequisites for law school.
Undergraduate Study
Before you can enter law school, you need to be a graduate of a 4-year bachelor’s degree. There is no determined pre-law course. So whether you are a graduate of engineering, math or science majors, you can get law afterward. Some may think that these majors may not be related to study of law but the rigors you went through to finish these courses are good preparations for law school. They must also have honed your analytical reasoning which is important in the study of law.
In many cases though, students, who are bent to take up law after their bachelor’s degree, choose sociology, philosophy, economics, accountancy, history, criminology and other undergraduate courses as each can provide a good foundation for law school.
Admission Tests
Along with your GPA, the LSAT or law school admission test were the usual basis of law schools in screening out applicants. LSAT is administered 4x a year consisting of 175 multiple choice questions which will gauge your reading comprehension, analytical skills and reasoning. However, more law schools require applicants to take the GRE to weigh applicants to their law program.
Recommendation Letters
This may not be as important as the GPA, LSAT, or GRE scores. Nonetheless, having them can increase your chances of being accepted in a law school of your choice. It is best to get you letter of recommendation from your professors who personally know you.
Personal Statement
Another prerequisite that most law schools require applicants is writing a personal statement. You may have to answer some questions in an essay form. This tests your writing skills, so it should be written perfectly. The essay should be an opportunity for you to convince the school to consider as you as one of their freshmen law students.
