Virtually everything we do in life turns out better if we spend some time planning it. And when the venture is as unfamiliar to us as applying to law school, most of that planning involves doing research. Where and how can you do all this research? There are a number of different resources available to you in published form, on the Internet, and in opportunities to speak to admissions officers. The Official Guide to Law Schools published by Law Services is one excellent source of information and provides the contact information for all law schools. It offers a brief description of the programs and facilities at each law school, and often gives admissions profiles that will help you decide your likelihood of admission at that school. Approved Law Schools, published by the American Bar Association, gives important data about the students, faculty, and facilities, as well as financial aid, attrition, bar passage, and placement success. In addition to these comprehensive books, every law school publishes catalogs and brochures that will tell you of the school’s strengths and the special opportunities it can offer you. If you own a computer with Internet capabilities or have access to one, a new world of law school information will be open to you. Most law schools and their related undergraduate institutions have web sites, offering views of the schools as well as admissions information. You can find a list of law schools web sites at http:www.lsac.org/schools.htm. And if your computer has a CD-ROM drive, you should seriously consider getting the LSACD, Law Services computerized application disk. Along with the applications, it has data enabling you to predict your chance of success at every law school. Your best source of information about a law school can be the school’s admissions officers. They make themselves available to you throughout the fall, at Law Forums in six different cities (listed in the front of the LSAT Registration Bulletin), as well as at local law days and symposia. Ask your pre-law advisor or career services office about events scheduled at your school. Law Schools Selecting a law school is somewhat like finding your perfect mate. You will be spending an exorbitant amount of time in the school over the next three years. Consequently the selection process should involve more than simply referring to a law school’s overall ranking in the U.S. News and World Report. For example, did the law school send you an application and invite you to apply? In addition to the topics discussed below, you may also want to research the joint degree programs and academic/enrichment support programs available at a particular institution. Career Options Becoming a lawyer can and generally does open many new and rewarding career options. And while becoming a lawyer often means a career where one’s earning power is increased substantially, this is not guaranteed. Discovering what being a lawyer entails is an important aspect of the research you should perform before you apply to law school. Location If location is a major factor, especially if you’re married and have family responsibilities, then you may be more limited in terms of finding your perfect match. Many minorities only apply to law schools in major urban areas, often ignoring schools in less populated areas such as Missouri, Idaho, Vermont, Nebraska, Indiana, and Utah. However, schools in these areas generally receive a smaller pool of minority applicants, offer exceptional programs, and would welcome the opportunity to review more files from minority applicants. Begin your research on law schools with an open mind. You may well be surprised at where the best opportunities for you may appear. Tuition Tuition is a major consideration when it comes to selecting a law school. If you live in a state that has a law school where the tuition is substantially less for residents, you should give that school serious attention. Your law school education can easily cost as much as $60,000. It is often easier to manage your debt on the front end of law school rather than after you graduate Don’t exclude private schools from your search just because of higher tuition costs. Many schools offer generous grants to financially disadvantaged applicants. If a school seems perfect for you in other ways, it might also have the financial aid you need. Send the application, and see if you are accepted and awarded grant money instead of ruling it out from the start Commitment to Diversity The American Bar Association's accreditation standards require law schools to demonstrate their commitment to diversity. However, some schools demonstrate more of a commitment than others. The CLEO Member Schools and Supporting Institutions (MSSIs) listed on pages 34 and 39, have continued to support CLEO's commitment to diversity and rank extremely high on our list. You may also want to review The Official Guide to Law Schools, published by the Law Schools Admission Council, which contains statistical data on the minority student and faculty population at each law school. Be sure to look at the “Key Facts for Minority Law School Applicants” at the front of the book. The information printed there is often not repeated in the individual school listings. Likelihood of Acceptance Generally law students should apply to about eight law schools: two law schools from your “dream” list, two or three from your “hope” list, and two or three from your “I know my chances are good” list. In determining your likelihood of acceptance at a particular law school, you must ascertain the 25th and 75th percentile GPA and LSAT of the institution's most recent entering class (published in The Official Guide to Law Schools) and perform a comparative analysis. If both your GPA and LSAT are at or near the 25th percentile, you should count this as a “dream” school; if one indicator is near the 25th percentile and the other closer to the 75th, this is a “good hope” school; and if both your GPA and LSAT are around the 75th percentile for that school, you can count this as a “know” school. Some people obviously get admitted with a GPA or LSAT score below the 25th percentile, but you shouldn’t expect that person to be you unless you’ve spoken to an admissions officer at that school who knows your GPA and LSAT score and has encouraged you to apply. Otherwise you may be wasting money better spent applying to a school where you have a more realistic chance of admission. Conditional Acceptance Program If your LSAT and GPA scores don't realistically allow you to “dream,” “hope,” and “know,” then you may be a good candidate for a conditional acceptance program. Many law schools offer programs, similar to the CLEO Summer Institute, to provide students whose scores don't suggest a strong likelihood of success, an opportunity to demonstrate their potential to excel in law school. The cost of these programs varies from free to expensive. Many of these programs are worth investigating as an alternative to the law school’s regular admissions process. Financial Aid One of the surest ways to succeed in law school, and in life for that matter, is not to have to worry about money. Unfortunately, most minorities and economically disadvantaged students are not in a financial position to be footloose and financially free when starting law school. The costs associated with attending law school generally are very high. Tuition, fees, and living expenses can exceed $35,000 per year at some private schools. Law schools have different sources of financial aid and the only way to find what financial aid is available at a particular law school is to ask. The different types of financial aid are: Grants or scholarships which do not have to be repaid. The use of grant money varies with a school’s resources and its interest in the student. Most schools will use grant money selectively, to pursue students they would like to have. The bulk of this money is awarded for merit; grades and LSAT scores above the school’s medians. At many schools, another portion is set aside for diversity. A school can seek geographic, ethnic, or socioeconomic diversity in its student body. At a very small number of schools, grant awards are based solely on need. Loans which must be repaid. Government-sponsored loans are given by private institutions, such as banks. They are offered at a lower interest rate than a regular loan, and your family must exhibit a certain level of need to obtain them. There is a maximum amount you can borrow, both in a year and for your entire education. These maximums are higher for a graduate student than for an undergrad. There is also a maximum based on the price of the school, scholarships, grants, and your personal resources. In order to be eligible for loans, you must have a good credit rating. Before applying for law school loans, make sure your credit report is accurate and take time to clear up any mistakes in the report. Otherwise, you may not be able to get loans when the time comes. In some instances, your own bad credit (or lack of credit) can be compensated for by having a person with a better credit rating co-sign for the loan. If you anticipate credit problems, look for a co-signer early. In addition to subsidized loans, your parents may be eligible for additional loans from private sources such as banks. These are usually “guaranteed” by the more traditional method of collateral, and the limit would be determined by your family’s ability to repay. Work-study opportunities. Many schools offer federally funded work-study grants to their students. However, you should not count on work-study as a source of funds in your first year of school. The American Bar Association recommends that students not work in their first year of full-time law study, so schools may not make this source of funding available to you until later in your education. Most students borrow money to finance their law education. Repayment of this debt usually does not begin until after graduation. And graduation will come more quickly than you can imagine. So here are a few practical suggestions to help ease the transition into debt: Choose a law school that offers the best education for the lowest cost. Don't borrow more than you absolutely need. Prepare a realistic budget and stick to it. Learn the ancient art of bartering.