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Admission & Application Survey |
| Full-time Law Program |
Admission to Northwestern Law gets tougher every year. The Admissions
Committee is increasingly putting emphasis on three key factors now:
1) LSAT score, 2) work experience, and 3) GPA. This year, the average
LSAT has climbed up to a 169, and more than 90% of the entering class
had one year or more of work experience. The LSAT ranges are from 3.4
to 3.8. This year's class has the most impressive credentials (at
least in terms of numbers) of any Northwestern class ever.
Having interviewed several applicants this year, I have to say that the
Admissions Committee has made it very clear that LSAT is key. A
winning personality will help you if your LSAT is around a 164 or 165
and you have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.4. It is students who fall into
this category who should really try to shine in the interviews, because
it seems like it is these border-line candidates who can make or break
their candidacy in the interviews.
Students who have LSATs, GPAs, and work experiences (any type of
intelligent full-time work experience usually will do) that fit in the
profile of the "average NU Law student" have little to worry about.
Because the school is obsessed with raising its rankings, it is highly
unwilling to admit students whose numbers will lower its averages.
In terms of essays, focus on being interesting, intelligent, and
different. Easy to say and hard to do, I know, but it is possible.
Consider the fact that Admissions officers read thousands of essays
every season in which applicants basically say these things: 1) what
they have done w/their education and careers so far, 2) what they want
to do in the future, 3) why law school, and particularly NU Law, is
right for them.
While these things are important to get across, it would be very
helpful if you would try to imbue your essay with your personality,
trying to bring across the things that make you unique and
interesting. Twine together your previous experiences with your goals
for the future, highlighting that you have done a lot of thinking about
why you want to go to law school. If you are someone who wants to go
to law school because your undergrad degree was not one where you can
get a job that can support you (in the style you??d like), because the
job market sucks, and because you miss school and want to be back in an
academic environment, don??t be too explicit about those reasons in your
essay or your interview. Even though everyone knows that most people
come to law school because of those three reasons, we all like to think
that we have higher, loftier goals. Bottom line: try to be as
creative as possible in your admissions essay, don??t repeat things that
are already obvious from your transcripts and resume, and do make it
clear that there is some particular reason you are interested in
Northwestern??do the research!
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Northwestern University School of Law Admission & Application Surveys
