Look Before You Leap: Veritas Prep Outlines Key Application Considerations for This Year's Crop of Prospective Law School Applicants
Leading Law School Admissions Consultancy Encourages Law School Hopefuls to Consider the Current Career Landscape, Decipher Professional Goals to Craft Effective Applications
| Source: Veritas Prep
MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - October 29, 2009) - As students of the class of 2013 begin to
compile their applications for the country's top law schools, leading
law school admissions
consulting firm Veritas Prep
encourages applicants to think critically about their professional goals
and how they align with the emerging realities of the legal career
landscape to help them produce the most compelling applications possible.
Despite an anticipated economic rebound on the horizon, the bleak career
outlook that confronted 2009 law school graduates -- characterized by a
shifting distribution of job opportunities from conventional positions at
large law firms to less traditional fields like non-profit and government
-- is projected to continue into the foreseeable future. As a result, says
Veritas Prep, admissions offices at leading law schools will maintain a
keen eye for candidates that have given extensive thought to both short-
and long-term career goals, accepting applicants whose realistic
perceptions and aspirations will likely result in job placement upon
graduation.
"This is not the year to apply to law school without clearly defined
professional goals and a thorough understanding of the career outlook for
graduates," explains Adam Hoff, director of admissions consulting at Veritas Prep and former corporate
associate with a top global law firm. "Admissions offices will likely look
to the personal statement to identify newly important key application
themes in order to identify applicants who truly want to pursue careers in
law and have the resourcefulness to withstand a job market that may
continue to offer fewer traditional 'big law firm' opportunities."
Key to crafting effective personal statements in this year's admissions
cycle lie in the following themes:
Goals -- Attractive applicants will use the personal statement to clearly
articulate both short- and long-term professional goals, which not only
demonstrate that a candidate understands the current hiring landscape, but
also give the admissions office confidence that the career services office
will be able to assist the candidate in ultimately securing employment in a
desired field.
Maturity -- Law schools have shown increasing interest in admitting mature
candidates who bring the discipline and focus necessary to succeed in a
highly competitive and intellectually demanding law school environment.
This year, maturity matters more than ever, because it speaks to an
applicant's level of sophistication and ability to bring a nuanced
understanding of the law and legal careers. "Readiness" is another word
that law schools are looking for: Is the candidate ready to succeed in the
classroom and ready to practice law once he or she graduates?
Resilience -- Given how fast things are changing, candidates need to come
to the table with a Plan A and a Plan B, as well as a track record for
dealing with change and adapting to new realities. The hard truth is that
many current graduates find it difficult to land jobs in their desired
fields and practice areas. Many successful personal statements for this
admissions season will showcase lessons learned and perspective gained from
a difficult past experience.
For more information about Veritas Prep's law school admissions consulting
offerings or to engage an admissions consultant to assist in the law school
application process, visit www.veritasprep.com/law/ or call 1 (800)
925-7737.
About Veritas Prep
Veritas Prep is the world's fastest-growing test preparation and admissions
consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants
improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate
schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management,
Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more
than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available
everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions
consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most
competitive business schools, law schools and medical schools in the world.