Extracurricular Activities as Tools in Getting into Law Schools

Filed under General, November 8th, 2008 by admin

Factors such as LSAT scores, GPAs, personal statements, and letters of recommendations are used as basis of many law schools when admitting students into their institutions. Excellent college grades and high exam scores can open plenty of opportunities when going to law school but these are not the only factors that law school admissions panel look into. Extra-curricular activities could also play a role in you getting admitted into your dream law school. As a matter of fact, involvement in extra-curricular activities can be a springboard for your personal statement. You’ll notice that many sample law school personal statements discuss involvement in different groups, explaining how such experiences have shaped the applicant.

Writing and debate organizations

Being a member of the school paper can be a great plus when applying to law schools. This is because joining such groups will hone your written communication skills, which are very important in legal discourse. Being a staff of your school or community paper means your trained to recognize bad sample law school personal statements from the good ones, as this is very important when reading sample law school personal statements as you write your own. Outstanding writing skills are traits of an excellent lawyer, and law schools would always appreciate an applicant who shows a lot of potential. Joining debate groups can help you hone your speech-making skills, which are also important if you wish to excel in law school. Even as a student, one has to be able to express his or her thoughts coherently. This is why those who join broadcast media organizations can gain an edge over other applicants.

Non-government organizations

Participation in a community or non-government organization is a big plus. When one is championing for a cause as part of his or her extra-curricular activities, this could pave the way to a specialization in law; joining an environmental group can expose you to environmental issues. However, you have to join these groups not because you want to enhance your resume. You have to sincerely believe in the group’s advocacies.

Positions held in organizations

Having a high organizational position typed on one’s resume would already speak volumes. It shows that one has the ability to take the lead and the skills to handle different people. Remember, organizational and leadership skills are always appreciated by law school admissions officers.

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