準備申請Law School事實上是一個很大的挑戰,但是如果能抓到一些技巧,對於申請可說是非常有幫助唷。
1. Choose your college major carefully.
2. Aim for a high college GPA.
3. Be strategic about your extracurricular and work experiences.
4. Study hard for the LSAT or GRE.
5. Submit a solid resume.
6. Discuss your career goals.
7. Demonstrate strong writing skills.
8. Share experiences that shaped your character.
9. Find recommenders who know you well.
10. Make sure recommendations are positive.
11. Don't apply too late.
12. Prepare for the interview.
13. Present and support your sales pitch.
【 Choose your college major carefully. 】
Law schools prefer students with academically challenging college majors, so deliberately choosing an easy major is unwise, experts warn. Whatever major you choose, it's important that it be a field that truly intrigues you, since it can be difficult to get good grades in courses you find dull.
首先,Law School 並不喜歡學生選擇一個簡單的專業就讀,他們反而更喜歡選擇具有挑戰性專業背景的學生。所以如果您未來是想就讀法學院,記得慎選您的大學科系。
【 Aim for a high college GPA. 】
Law schools prefer students with a strong track record of academic achievement and good undergraduate grades, and that is particularly true of prestigious law schools. It's rare for top law schools to enroll students who did not perform exceptionally well in college, according to experts.
當然像是競爭激烈的法學院,對於大學在校成績是非常要求的,通常低的GPA是很難被錄取喔。
【 Be strategic about your extracurricular and work experiences. 】
Experts say law school admissions officers are more intrigued by J.D. applicants who have accomplished a lot within a specific extracurricular activity or a particular career field than by someone who is a jack-of-all-trades but a master of none, as the saying goes. So when choosing what school clubs to join or what kind of work experience to get, remember that depth is more valuable than breadth.
如果只是單純會讀書還不足夠,讀書之餘也需要參加一些課外活動和增加工作經驗。
【 Study hard for the LSAT or GRE. 】
At some law schools, it is possible to choose what type of entrance exam results you submit, since those institutions will consider scores on both the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT, and the Graduate Record Examinations General Test, or GRE. Other schools will accept only LSAT scores. Regardless of which standardized test you take, it's essential to prepare. Performing well on the LSAT typically requires several months of studying. Similarly, excelling on the GRE usually requires at least two to three months of intensive study or three to four months with a less demanding study schedule.
通常申請Law School是需要參加LSAT 考試的,有些學校可以接受用GRE作替代,但是不論是哪種考試,考試成績都相當重要。
【 Submit a solid resume. 】
The goal of a law school resume is to show you'll thrive in law school if admitted, experts say. But you shouldn't limit yourself to mentioning only law-related activities; instead, try to paint a comprehensive picture of who you are.
再來提交一份強而有力的履歷表,在履歷表中不只是提到您任何”法律”有關的訊息,而是需要全面性的介紹您自己。
【 Discuss your career goals. 】
Law school admissions officers say they appreciate when applicants convey a strong interest in and commitment to the legal profession, particularly if their entire law school application presents a consistent and compelling argument about why law school is the logical next step. If you are invited to a law school interview, go prepared to give a clear explanation of why you want to attend the school and what unique perspective you would bring.
如果您有機會被邀請到面試,大部分的人其實都會表達自己對法學院的強烈興趣,但是說明您為什麼要去這個學校以及您有什麼獨特的見解也很重要唷。
【 Demonstrate strong writing skills. 】
Strong writing skills are a key to success in law school, and emphasizing writing-related work experience on a resume might impress admissions officers, experts say. Plus, if you're applying to a reach law school, where your academic credentials are below the norm, submitting an eloquent personal statement is a must. You should also remove fluff and jargon from written application materials. Keep resume job descriptions and application essays concise, using strong verbs and colorful wording, experts suggest.
當您的GPA沒有達到入學標準時,繳交一份讓人印象深刻的personal statement就更重要了! 專家建議不論是您的履歷表或是寫作文章都應該使用強而有力的詞彙以吸引招生員的注意,在履歷表上如果有寫作相關的工作經驗也可能更讓招生員留下深刻印象。。
【 Share experiences that shaped your character. 】
Communicate your personal drive in your admissions materials. Any anecdote you include should help explain why you want to enter the field, experts suggest. An unconvincing personal statement that fails to convey passion for the legal profession can prevent you from getting into your target law school even if you have otherwise strong credentials. Life-changing and impressive personal experiences such as military service, outstanding extracurricular accomplishments, meaningful employment, significant leadership and success coping with adversity are definite pluses to highlight in your applications.
您在申請資料中提及的任何事都應該能幫助您解釋為什麼想要進入這個領域。任何缺乏說服力或是無法表達您對法學院的熱情都有可能讓無法被錄取。過去的課外經驗或是工作經驗等等都有可能替您的申請加分。
【 Find recommenders who know you well. 】
Experts suggest seeking out letters of recommendation from faculty who know you well and can offer detailed insight into your strongest qualities. The content of a recommendation letter matters much more than the job title of its author, experts say, so you should not choose your recommenders based on how important you think they are.
選擇推薦人其實更重要的並不是這位推薦人有多高的職位,而是這位推薦人對您有多少的了解。因此應該選擇熟悉您且可以對於您的特質提出見解的推薦人。當然任何否定您的內容是不應該出現在推薦信中的。
【 Don't apply too late. 】
Many law schools make admissions decisions on a rolling basis, which means there are more seats available at the beginning of the admissions process than at the end. Consider applying to law school as early as possible because the admissions process may become more competitive if you wait, experts say.
很多Law School 可能沒有申請的期限,這也意味著越到後期申請可能越來越競爭,所以建議盡早提出申請。
【 Present and support your sales pitch. 】
Because top law schools receive applications from more students than they could possibly enroll, your challenge – if you're applying to selective law schools – is to convince them to choose you instead of someone else, according to experts. So your goal should be to ensure that every piece of your law school application provides evidence of both your ability to excel in law school and your long-term career potential.
由於法學院的申請是相當競爭的,銷售包裝自己是非常重要的。您必須讓招生員知道他們應該選擇錄取您而不是其他人,所以您的目標在於提供強而有力的證明,證明您是很出色且是具有淺力的申請人。