As the year winds to a close, many law school applicants are finishing up their application essays, filling out remaining forms and gathering all the other elements of their application for final submission. For those of you who aren’t quite ready to submit your applications, don’t worry. You still have plenty of time.
But even if you have uploaded your transcripts and recommendations and completed all your applications, essays and other written responses, you are not done yet. Below are four important steps you should take before submitting your applications.
Take these [five essential steps before applying to law school.]
1. Conform essays to length requirements: Since law school applications are generally similar, most students will use the same essay for each school’s personal statement and may use the same essay for other written responses as well.
Although this is the approach I recommend to our counseling clients, it is important to keep in mind that schools often differ greatly in the length requirements for their personal statements and other essays. If you are applying to several schools with different personal statement length requirements, make sure that the personal statements you submit to each school conform to that school’s length requirements.
To do so, start with a base personal statement that is approximately three pages long, or perhaps a little longer. This three-page essay will be usable for most schools as this is generally a good length unless schools specify otherwise. After determining the length requirements for other schools, modify this base personal statement to conform to the other length requirements, usually by removing parts of paragraphs and tightening language where possible.
Here’s [what not to do in a law school personal statement.]
2. Be school-specific: Many schools require applicants to submit a statement of interest. This can be either a short answer in the application itself or a separate essay. In this statement of interest, be sure to include specific programs, journals, clinics and other academic and extracurricular opportunities the school provides that you think you would want to participate in and are in a good position to contribute to.
For example, I worked with a student who had a strong interest in international human rights law. After some research into all the schools she was applying to, she was able to identify journals and clinics within each school that were pertinent to international human rights.
But even if a school does not provide a space for school-specific information, it’s important that you demonstrate your interest in each specific school as described above. If there is no room in the application for such a statement, I recommend adding a school-specific paragraph to each personal statement. This is generally best done after the other parts of the personal statement are in final form.
3. Submit the correct recommendations: Just as you should be sure to be school-specific in your applications, there may also be opportunities to be school-specific in your letters of recommendation. Recommenders who are alumni of schools to which the applicant is applying will often be willing to write a modified version of their recommendation letter to present a more personal case to their alma mater’s admissions committee.
If any of your recommenders have done that, make sure to double-check that you have uploaded the appropriate version of the personal statement for each school you apply to. While it will not ruin your candidacy to submit a letter that was meant for another school, it will leave a bad taste in the mouth of the admissions officer reading the letter.
Find out [ways to use winter break to complete law school applications.]
4. Proofread, proofread and proofread again: Proofreading everything that you have written should be the last thing you do before submitting any application. Remember that you are applying to enter a profession that very highly values precise language and attention to detail.
Admissions officers will notice if any of your written materials contain misspellings or seemingly trivial typographical errors, not to mention any grammatical mistakes. Although such errors will not significantly affect your candidacy, they are completely avoidable and error-free applications and essays will be noticed and will reflect well on your commitment to the application process, your commitment to your legal education and career and your attention to detail.
It’s important to remember that many people have difficulty proofreading their own writing. This is especially true of application essays, which applicants may work on for a long time and through many different drafts, creating a familiarity with the language that can make it more difficult to see typographical and other errors.
I therefore recommend that applicants enlist at least one friend, family member or a professional to proofread all aspects of the application. After an outside proofread, I recommend that applicants do one final, careful read of all application materials before sending them out. Remember that these applications have your name on them, so you should read and be comfortable with the finished product.
Are you ready to hit submit with confidence? Let me know in an email or tweet me.
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4 Final Steps Before Submitting Law School Applications originally appeared on usnews.com