Ranked fourth in the nation for best law schools by the 2010 U.S. News and World Report rankings, gain admission to the Columbia Law School is not easy. In fact, the school reports that it receives around 8000 applications to the 370 seats available. Understanding some of the basic entry requirement is a necessary first step in evaluating your chances of admission at one of America’s finest law schools.
Personal Statement/Essay
Columbia Law School, applicants must submit a personal statement or essay describes an essential factor that can help the Committee evaluate applicants ‘ backgrounds recording. The personal statement or essay should not exceed two pages. Typical recording Committee positively see applicants who have overcome some type of adversity.
Similarly, if a life experience motivated you to consider a legal career, you also can write on such a topic. Given that strong writing skills are essential for success in law school applicants who demonstrate, through their personal testimonials or essays, that they are good writers stands a better chance to set himself apart from other applicants.
Resume
You must provide a professional resume demonstrating both your academic and professional credentials. Your resume must be up-to-date. Although there is no specific background is required to participate in law school, sees the admission Committee applicants with a stable professional experience positively, since it can be a sign of your work ethic.
Bachelor’s Degree
You must have an accredited 4-year degree, before you can participate in the Columbia Law. You do not need to specialize in a particular major. Recording Committee believes, however, both the rigour and quality of your bachelor’s degree/grad. In view of the number of candidates vying for a seat in Columbia Law, completion of the bachelor’s degree is not enough. You must have a high GPA. In fact, the average GPA of students admitted into Columbia Law is 3.7.
LSAT
As is the case with all schools accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), you must take and pass the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). LSAT measures the probability of a student’s success in the law by assessing skills, law schools believe is crucial. Some of these skills include analytical reasoning, logical reasoning and reading comprehension.
The test consists of five 35-minute sections in these areas. Law School Admission Council (LSAC) administers the LSAT four times a year, typically around the months of June, September, November and February.
In order to increase your chances of admission at Columbia Law, you need to score high on the LSAT. The score range 120-180. The median LSAT score for students enrolled in Columbia Law is 172. Therefore, if you want to compete vigorously with other applicants, your LSAT score must be around 172 or higher.
Application Fee
Columbia Law, applicants must submit a fee with their applications. This fee tends to vary from year to year. Per may 2010, the fee is $ 80.
Letters of Recommendation
Another requirement is applied by Admission Committee of Columbia Law’s letters of recommendation. The school requires that you submit two letters of recommendation from people who know you well. In fact, the school would prefer letters of recommendation from your former professors who can attest to your academic performance. If you are currently employed, you also have the option to have your advisers write recommendation letters.
Other requirements
Columbia Law requires that you complete both a biographical information sheet and a personal profile sheet. These forms provide admission Committee with adequate information about your background, as well as the skills you possess. Therefore, fill these forms as thoroughly and as carefully as possible is crucial for the application process. You can download these forms by visiting “/Writable Downloadable PDF files” page of the Columbia Law School website.
