LSAT Blogs

Over the weeks we’ve discussed the various components of the application: the application form itself, the LSAT score, academic history, letters of recommendation and personal statement. This week I’d like to introduce one additional element that some of you may need to submit: the addendum. What is an addendum? Who should write one? What is the objective of an addendum? Keep reading…

While reviewing your application, it is very common for an Admissions Committee member to question something that he/she just read. Most of the time, these questions will center on some aspect of your grades or LSAT. For example, if you’ve taken the LSAT twice, and one score (hopefully your most recent one) is dramatically higher, the Admissions Committee is going to wonder what happened. There is no need to be concerned; you simply need to address the question. And you do so in an addendum. Most likely, you felt that your first score isn’t indicative of your true ability, so in order to make your application more competitive, you retook the test. Maybe the first time you took the test, you weren’t feeling well, or circumstances arose that limited your prep time. Just say so.

The Admissions Committee is going to examine every aspect of your academic transcripts. Perhaps you initially intended to major in mathematics, so a majority of your classes were math related. Then you changed majors to history. The Committee is going to notice the conflicting subject emphasis and wonder what happened. Once again, there is no need to be concerned, but you need to answer the question somewhere in your application. Now here’s the tricky part. Depending on how you frame your personal statement, you may refer to the change in majors there. But if it doesn’t fit in your statement, then you can comment on it in an addendum.

What are your grade trends? Did you start off with a 2.8 your first year, and then earn a 3.5 or higher each subsequent semester? What caused this? Were you homesick? Dealing with a personal issue? Facing an illness? Maybe you drifted your first year and had no direction. It’s ok. Life happens. Know, however, that the Admissions Committee is going to look for an explanation somewhere in your file.

I’ve worked with many clients who transferred schools, and this will be obvious to the Admissions Committee when it comes across multiple transcripts. Why did you transfer? Why did you choose to attend the original school? What attracted you to the school to which you transferred?

If you’ve determined that you need to write an addendum, the next question is how to do so. Whereas the personal statement is just that – personal – the addendum is very straight forward and succinct. You clearly state what issue/problem you wish to address and provide the explanation. If it applies to your situation, emphasize the learning experience and accentuate the positive. Be concise. When you are ready to submit your application, be sure to attach the addendum in addition to your personal statement and resume.

The Admissions Committee offers you the advantageous opportunity to explain any discrepancies in your application by utilizing the option of writing an addendum. If you don’t address the issue, you allow the Admissions Officer to assume, and you want to avoid that at all costs. Take advantage of the addendum. It is definitely worth it.

Ok, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of writing the personal statement.

Two entries ago, I explained that there are two different types of essays: the open topic vs. specific questions. In this entry, I’d like to further delve into what it takes to develop a first-rate "open topic" essay.

You can be successful in business without an MBA, but you cannot be a lawyer without a law degree. Therefore, the Admissions Committee is not able look at your past legal experience as a predictor for law school success. Instead, the Committee wants to see what successes in the past indicate that you will succeed in law school and beyond, hence, the personal statement.

Very few law schools offer official interviews, so the papers in your file need to stand on their own and reflect why a law school should accept you. It is through your personal statement that the Admissions Committee learns who you are, and what makes you special and different from the other thousands of applicants. This is the place to brag about yourself…the key is to not sound like you’re bragging.

I’m going to take a brief break from discussing the personal statement to reiterate an entry I wrote about a month before the June LSAT administration. Only this time I’m addressing those of you taking the September LSAT.

I know you’re eager to submit your application as soon as possible. For the next few weeks, however, I encourage you to concentrate all of your efforts on the LSAT rather than thinking about what to write for your personal essay(s), or what schools you should apply to.

Consider: What if the time you spent working on your statement could have resulted in your scoring one point higher on the LSAT? What difference can one point make? The difference between being accepted…or not. Everyone is on the bubble somewhere. Said differently, everyone is competitive for a certain range of schools. But what’s also true is that the next level of schools can be brought into reach with a more competitive LSAT score or a more polished, introspective and engaging personal statement.

Encouraging you to spend the next few weeks focusing on improving your LSAT score is said not to discount the importance of well written personal statements and addendums (when necessary), rock solid recommendations and the various other components of the law school application. All these are critical pieces of your overall application, but you’ll be best served to devote your post-LSAT time to these aspects. It is much more advantageous for you to use the time now to earn a higher LSAT score than it is to be the first person to apply to a school. Click here to learn more about our LSAT prep options.

If you haven’t already done so, you should submit your transcripts to the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) as well as select your recommenders and ask them to write your letters. It doesn’t take too much time, and you’ll be advancing the application process while preparing for the LSAT.

Good luck!