quite certain, two or three schools to which the chances are good, and two or three schools to which the
chances of admission may not be very high, but which the applicant would be delighted to attend, if
admitted.
Even if a student's chances of admission to a particular law school are good, they are never
perfect, and it is definitely wise to apply to at least two or three schools. A student who takes the LSAT
in June or October will know his or her score in time to make a judgment about the most appropriate law
schools to which to apply. You do not need to decide before you take the LSAT which law schools will
receive your scores. Your scores will only be sent to the law schools to which you actually decide to
apply after you have taken the test.
If you are admitted to several law schools, choosing the one you wish to attend may be a genuine
dilemma. On the one hand, attending a law school with a particularly strong reputation may enhance the
quality of your education and the diversity of your job opportunities. On the other hand, the better the
law school, the more competitive it will be, and the unavoidable fact is that class rank is extremely
important in getting job offers at the end of law school. Thus, it may not be wise to attend a law school
where your chances of doing well are unpromising. There is no single source of information about what a
particular law school is "really like"--not even the students who attend the law school may be able to
supply very helpful advice. For this reason, a student who is able to choose from among two or more law
schools should at that point speak to as many people as possible--and if possible pay a visit to the schools
themselves--in an effort to make a wise decision.
Students also need to carefully consider whether it makes sense to go to law school at all. In the
past three or four years, increasing attention is being paid to the fact that law school tuition is very high---
often $45,000-$50,000 per year---and that jobs in the legal profession, and especially high-paying jobs in
the legal profession, have become more scarce. Thus, it is entirely possible to graduate from law school
with over $100,000 of debt and be unable able to find a job in the field of law at all. The decision to
attend law school involves a substantial element of risk and students should be aware of the fact that a law
degree is very far from being a sure-fire ticket to financial security.
FINANCIAL AID, ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE, and MINORITY STUDENTS
While law school is expensive, there are sources of need-based and merit-based financial aid for
prospective law students. Broadly speaking, financial aid is available from three sources: (1) Individual
law schools offer grants and scholarship designed to attract students in whom they are particularly
interested. Information about such grants or scholarships is obtained from the law school itself. (2)
Grants and scholarships may be available from organizations such as local bar associations, veterans’
groups, business organizations, individual companies, and fraternities, sororities, and other social groups
and ethnic associations. Information about these sources of financial aid may be obtained by consulting
books available in college and other bookstores and by searching the World Wide Web. (3) Federal loans
are available through banks or financial institutions or through individual law schools. Information about
federal loans is available on the LSAC website or the federal government’s FAFSA website
(www.fafsa.ed.gov).
The Law School Admission Council and member law schools are committed to ensuring that
racial and ethnic minorities are fairly represented in U.S. law schools and in the legal profession. In
addition, the fee waiver program is designed to insure that no student is denied access to law school due
to financial hardship. Minority students and those who may require economic assistance in applying to or
attending law school should visit the LSAC website and seek advice from pre-law students who are active
in campus organizations and from advisors and counselors available throughout the University.