Top 5 Mistakes Made When Re-Applying to Law School

Each year, I work with people who were either unsuccessful in their attempts to apply to law school previously or were unhappy with their options at the end of the admission cycle. There are absolutely things you can to to bolster your applications, but here are some common mistakes people make when reapplying to law school:

1. Sending the same personal statement and letters of rec to the same law school that rejected you last year.

2. Thinking that simply getting an internship/paralegal position in a law firm will make all the difference in the world, even when you have a letter of rec from an attorney.

3. Attempting to "go back to undergrad" to improve your UGPA. It doesn't work. And getting a paralegal certification isn't going to impress anyone. But do take care to update your transcripts (see this post about reapplying to law school).

4. Not Retaking the LSAT when you didn't prepare adequately the first time. (See this previous post for more about how the LSAT factors in when you are reapplying to law school)

5. Failing to evaluate your schools list with a candid view of your credentials.

Re-applicants get into law school all the time, but the trick is overcoming any weaknesses you may have (inadvertently) shown the school in the previous admission cycle. Here's more about reapplying to law school.