So you have decided to go to law school? Congratulations! With application deadlines around the corner, choosing your desired law schools is most likely next on your agenda. In order to maximize the outcome of your applications, we recommend you take some time to choose wisely. The right strategy will help you make the most of your effort. The possibilities are endless, but so are the opportunities.
It is common among law school applicants to use the terms “reach, target and safety schools”. Those terms are representative of the most fundamental application strategy. Such strategy acknowledges that an applicant is likely to have varying prospects of success for different law schools. It is paramount that you take a realistic look at your own prospects and come up with a list of law schools that mirrors the unique attributes of your application.
“Reach schools” are those where – relatively speaking – you will have the lowest prospects of success. The reasons may be manifold. Often times, however, they are quantitative. Your LSAT score and LSAC GPA may not meet the schools’ medians. Or, other factors of your profile may make you a less promising candidate relative to others. When making such assessment, it is crucial to remain objective and fair. Different law schools seek different candidates and they do so because they may follow a certain purpose or strategy. In the end, meeting their requirements aims at ensuring that you will be a good fit and feel comfortable as well. We recommend that you select no less than three reach schools. Be ambitious, but be realistic.
“Target schools” on the other hand are those that offer higher prospects of success. Here, your quantitative profile may fit in perfectly, within close proximity to the schools’ medians. At the same time, your profile may be of particular interest to the school. Maybe you have a desired academic focus, align perfectly with a school’s mission statement or spark interest because of past achievements or language skills. Here too, we recommend that you select no less than three target schools. As these schools will typically offer higher prospects of success and you may be excited about joining the ranks of their alumni one day, it is advisable to spend the most time and critical thinking in your selection here. After all, chances are high that one of them will be your new home for the next three years. Be thorough and think carefully.
“Safety schools”, lastly, are those that offer the highest prospects of success. Once again, your LSAT score and LSAC GPA may be above the school’s median and/or your profile is just generally one that stands out compared to your competitors. You may feel less motivated to do your homework on these schools, but act wisely. Not only will these schools function as a safety net and ensure you can follow through on your initial decision to go to law school. They may also offer significant financial aid. This will either provide you with a more comfortable starting point for your legal career or help you negotiate similar “deals” with target and reach schools. Be humble and be smart.
We hope this was helpful. Contact us for a free consultation to learn how our services can support you in the upcoming application process. We will gladly support you in selecting the right schools to make sure you find the best fit for your future career. At Mantik Consulting, we offer highly specialized expertise in helping our clients navigate and optimize their chances of getting admitted to their desired programs. As trained lawyers, we add our advocacy skills to polish your application documents and are passionate about making them a winning case.
So you have decided to go to law school? Congratulations! With application deadlines around the corner, choosing your desired law schools is most likely next on your agenda. In order to maximize the outcome of your applications, we recommend you take some time to choose wisely. The right strategy will help you make the most of your effort. The possibilities are endless, but so are the opportunities.
It is common among law school applicants to use the terms “reach, target and safety schools”. Those terms are representative of the most fundamental application strategy. Such strategy acknowledges that an applicant is likely to have varying prospects of success for different law schools. It is paramount that you take a realistic look at your own prospects and come up with a list of law schools that mirrors the unique attributes of your application.
“Reach schools” are those where – relatively speaking – you will have the lowest prospects of success. The reasons may be manifold. Often times, however, they are quantitative. Your LSAT score and LSAC GPA may not meet the schools’ medians. Or, other factors of your profile may make you a less promising candidate relative to others. When making such assessment, it is crucial to remain objective and fair. Different law schools seek different candidates and they do so because they may follow a certain purpose or strategy. In the end, meeting their requirements aims at ensuring that you will be a good fit and feel comfortable as well. We recommend that you select no less than three reach schools. Be ambitious, but be realistic.
“Target schools” on the other hand are those that offer higher prospects of success. Here, your quantitative profile may fit in perfectly, within close proximity to the schools’ medians. At the same time, your profile may be of particular interest to the school. Maybe you have a desired academic focus, align perfectly with a school’s mission statement or spark interest because of past achievements or language skills. Here too, we recommend that you select no less than three target schools. As these schools will typically offer higher prospects of success and you may be excited about joining the ranks of their alumni one day, it is advisable to spend the most time and critical thinking in your selection here. After all, chances are high that one of them will be your new home for the next three years. Be thorough and think carefully.
“Safety schools”, lastly, are those that offer the highest prospects of success. Once again, your LSAT score and LSAC GPA may be above the school’s median and/or your profile is just generally one that stands out compared to your competitors. You may feel less motivated to do your homework on these schools, but act wisely. Not only will these schools function as a safety net and ensure you can follow through on your initial decision to go to law school. They may also offer significant financial aid. This will either provide you with a more comfortable starting point for your legal career or help you negotiate similar “deals” with target and reach schools. Be humble and be smart.
We hope this was helpful. Contact us for a free consultation to learn how our services can support you in the upcoming application process. We will gladly support you in selecting the right schools to make sure you find the best fit for your future career. At Mantik Consulting, we offer highly specialized expertise in helping our clients navigate and optimize their chances of getting admitted to their desired programs. As trained lawyers, we add our advocacy skills to polish your application documents and are passionate about making them a winning case.