Pre-Law Guide - Acceptance or Non-Acceptance

If you are successful in gaining admission to law school, you may be faced with having to choose among several schools that admit you. Gather as much relevant data as you can. Visit the schools, consult alumni, read "First Impressions" accounts in the OCC resource library, and review your own criteria. Avoid decisions based solely on financial concerns and do pay attention to your gut feelings.

Once you are admitted, the school will request a deposit. Avoid accepting places at multiple schools, and withdraw promptly from any school that no longer interests you.

If you are not admitted to the school(s) of your choice, consider reapplying at a later date. It is easier to write a convincing application after a few years of work. One year of further study, travel, or work in a law-related field can lead to success upon reapplication by demonstrating that you have put the intervening period to serious use.

Some students who were unsuccessful at admission to law school may be so impatient to begin the study of law that instead of waiting for reapplication, they turn to less competitive, non-accredited law schools in the United States, or to foreign law schools. This can be very unwise. Transfer credit and graduate study at a school approved by the American Bar Association may be denied if the applicant has not been trained at an accredited institution. Furthermore, one must not assume that these schools will actually provide proper training for the practice of law or for the profession's licensing bar examination.