It’s application review time at Vermont Law and Graduate School. This is the time of year when preparation and strategy can make all the difference in your application. The admissions committee is hard at work evaluating your education, work history, stories, goals, and experiences.
We have reviewed thousands of law school applications over the years. While each applicant is distinct, certain trends can help applicants stand out in the competitive admissions process. Our goal here is to summarize these adages into a cohesive set of tips for applying to VLGS. While we can’t guarantee these tips apply to all other law schools, some of this guidance is likely universal—we wish we could talk to every applicant to give them this advice!
Top Law School Application Tips:
Preparation and Planning: The Foundation of Success
Early and thorough preparation is crucial. We encourage prospective students to:
- Research schools extensively: Understand each institution’s mission and culture and what makes it unique. An application geared toward corporate law looks and will be received differently than one geared toward public interest law.
- Track deadlines and application requirements: Use a spreadsheet or similar tool to stay organized to ensure you don’t overlook any details/deadlines/requirements. Following application instructions to the letter is critical; attention to detail will set you apart.
- Allow sufficient time for test preparation: Adequate preparation is key to a competitive score, whether taking the LSAT or GRE. Make sure you give yourself enough time to prepare for the test, as a competitive score will help you stand out! Remind yourself LSAT prep can be fun.
- Create a timeline: Break the application process into manageable steps, from requesting letters of recommendation to preparing for standardized tests to drafting essays.
Ultimately, getting things in early is a plus. Submitting a polished and well-prepared application, however, is always better than rushing to submit with subpar materials. Need help to strategize your application? Call and set an appointment with an admissions counselor. We enjoy helping you navigate the process.
Organization and Collaboration: Keys to a Cohesive Application
Organization and collaboration are vital in crafting a strong application. We recommend seeking support from partners, family members, or advisors who can offer guidance and advice. Gather their feedback to help create a well-rounded, cohesive application. Key components of an application include your personal statement, optional essays, letters of recommendation, and resume.
Personal Statement: Authentic and Real
The personal statement is pivotal to any law school application and the admissions committee. We suggest applicants:
- Find your authentic voice: You can speak directly to the admissions committee. Share the stories and experiences that have shaped your desire to pursue law. Don’t feel pressured to craft a dramatic or overly creative story—what matters most is the sincerity of your voice. Think about moments in your life that sparked a passion for justice or change, and let that authenticity shine through.
- Align with the school’s mission: At VLGS, we are deeply committed to positively impacting the world through environmental law and public interest law. Think about how your journey and values match with our mission. Have you worked on a cause that embodies justice or advocacy? Share that story! This is where you can show us your genuine desire to make a difference through your passion for justice, empathy, and resilience.
- Avoid repetition: Your personal statement should highlight who you are and why law school is the next step in your journey, not just restate what’s already on your resume. Look at your resume—there’s likely a pivotal experience that led you to consider law school. Use your personal statement to explore that moment more deeply, showing how it shaped your goals and motivations.
- Proofread: Your essay should reflect your best self, so take the time to polish it. Ask a trusted friend, mentor, or family member to read through it. Can they see your passion and dedication to law? Also, don’t hesitate to ask someone outside of your circle, someone who doesn’t know your story as well. After reading, how would they describe you? Their feedback can give you a fresh perspective on how your message comes across.
While creativity in personal statements can be engaging, professionalism and clarity should always take precedence.
Optional Essays: Mission Alignment
Just as an optional essay topic can provide the admissions committee with additional insight into your skills and background, the topics schools choose for these essays can provide you with insight into the ethos of the school. Be sure to review and answer these questions carefully; in many cases, your response weighs heavily with the admissions committee.
At VLGS, we value community. Our progressive yet rural culture provides an environment where students can have a meaningful impact on campus and beyond. Our optional question relates to our motto, Law for the Community and the World. Your response offers an opportunity to highlight your background and perspective in relation to your community and what you may bring to our community and the world. Sharing personal experiences that have shaped your worldview and prepared you for the challenges of law school can make a meaningful impact.
Law School Resume: Showcase your Experience
The admissions committee at VLGS likes to see a resume that is a simple, organized, and easy-to-digest overview of your professional life so far. Include relevant jobs with a brief description of your duties in each role. Also include internships, volunteer work, extracurricular leadership positions, association memberships, and hobbies/interests.
It is also helpful to see how you weave an experience listed on your resume into your essay. Rather than repeating your work experience, use this as an opportunity to expand on one experience that may have been a catalyst for why you wanted to attend law school. For example, if you worked for an environmental nonprofit to ensure vulnerable populations have a voice in shaping environmental policies, you can explain what impact that internship had on you and your decision to attend law school. You can build on your application’s cohesiveness by adding a letter from your internship supervisor.
Letters of Recommendation: Insightful and Impactful
When selecting recommenders, it is essential to choose individuals who can speak to your work ethic, academic abilities, and potential for success in law school.
- Academic recommendations: Letters from faculty, academic advisors, lab supervisors, teaching assistants, etc., can speak directly to your ability to succeed in the classroom.
- Professional recommendations: Letters from attorneys, judges, or supervisors can provide valuable insights, but only if they have a meaningful connection to your work.
Be strategic. Research law schools to determine how many letters they accept and which recommenders will impact their decision. VLGS requires two letters of recommendation but will accept up to four. We prefer at least two letters geared toward your academic skills, but the other two can address any area you want to highlight in your application, such as a letter from your college coach or a volunteer coordinator from your favorite philanthropy.
Overall, have fun. Schedule time and reconnect with people who made an impact on you. Chances are you made the same or an even bigger impact on them!
Seeing the forest for the trees.
Don’t get so focused on minor aspects of the application process (the trees) that you lose sight of the bigger picture. Remember, your goal (the forest) is to be accepted into law school. Use the application components to build the story of who you are and why you want to go to law school. Demonstrate to the admissions committee how you will become an integral part of their law community.
The admissions committee at VLGS doesn’t just evaluate your test scores or GPA. We consider your life experience, who or what shaped you, your identity, community involvement, and dedication to our mission.
Navigating the law school application process can feel overwhelming, but with these expert tips from our admissions team, you can confidently approach each step. Remember to stay organized, be authentic, and give yourself the time and space to create a thoughtful and polished application.
We wish we could tell everyone who applies to VLGS to be their authentic self. We see the potential in you.