Boy, you never should have asked me to do this. I'm positively swell-headed! There are 57 main pages here, not counting the success stories and commercial announcements. There are 33 charts and graphs linked as secondary pages, showing how I reach my conclusions or giving samples of data I've gathered. That's 90 pages of free advice. And some of those "pages" are five pages long when printed on paper. No wonder you can't find things! No wonder I can't!
There are also over a dozen external links -- to Law Services, essay editing services, even my competitors. I didn't link them for you in the navigation map, since some are to multiple offerings; you'll have to go to my page and jump from there.
Now I need a special favor from you. In constructing this chart, I moved around some things that didn't seem to be where they should. If any of my new links don't work, or if you can't get back from where you get to, please email me.
Note: the list of links does not include internal shortcuts from one page to another.
Sidebar Link |
Navigation Map |
Topics |
Further Links |
| Recent News | Biweekly updates to the information already archived. | as needed | |
| Choosing Law Schools | How should I choose? Loretta's favorite schools |
What makes each school special? Notes from the Road, 2004 Law as a Profession, not a Job |
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| Choosing | Location | What should I look for? | Climate, Population, and Politics |
| Choosing | Curriculum | What should I look for? | Summer abroad programs Schools with litigation programs |
| Choosing | Financial Aid | Which schools can I afford? | Minority aid Public interest funds How long will I be in debt? external financial aid sources |
| Choosing | Facilities | Are they important? | Multiple links to all law schools |
| Choosing | Reputation | How do I find it? | NALP recruiters Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator Brian Leiter's Rankings How many recruiters? |
| Choosing | Students and Faculty | What should I look for? | Attrition rate Percent of Women at all law schools |
| USNews Rankings | Analysis of USNews rankings -- what they tell you, what they don't, how they're fudged, how you misuse them, and how I use them. | ||
| USNews Rankings | Useful Information
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The USNews reputation and bar passage data allows you to compare the factors that are important to you | Reputation Bar Passage Rate |
| USNews Rankings | Misleading Info
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Fall 2000 Forum results showing how local reputation varies from USNews ranking. | Skewed
Data Bad Selectivity Data 7 year comparison Varying the Weights |
| USNews Rankings | Reader Misunderstanding
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The two main consequences of misusing the USNWR rankings -- destroying affirmative action and making it harder for you to get into law school. | Destroying Diversity |
| USNews Rankings | How I interpret USNWR rankings
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An understanding of how USNWR works shows the limited value of a composite ranking and the dangers of annual differences. | Placement
Rates My Ranking Local Reputation Correlation Studies |
| Admissions Process | How they choose students | ||
| Admissions Process | The Party Model | non-numerical qualities | |
| Admissions Process | Defining Diversity | Notes on race & racism | |
| Admissions Process | The Numbers Game | Index numbers Presumptive admit & deny What numbers do you need? |
Index Numbers My law school locator Boston College's law school locator # of top applicants What are they looking for? |
| Admissions Process | Minimizing Risks | unexplained problems | |
| Admissions Process | Maximizing Rewards | "Connections" | |
| Application Trends | Increases in applications 2001-2004, decline from 2005-???? | ||
| Application Trends | The Long View | Applications and test-takers, 1950-present. What causes the changes. | |
| Application Trends | How Can You Use This Data? |
Examples of how fluctuations change who is admitted. | Shall I wait a year? How Many Overenrolled? Effects of Overenrolling |
| Application Trends | Trends 2002-2007 | Actual changes in application volumes, 2002-2007. Explanation of why medians have not declined. | Fewer seats at the top! |
| Application Trends | Anecdotes from Law Forums |
Forum notes about changes in applicant volume and concurrent changes in | 2003 Forum notes 2004 Forum Notes |
| Academic Factors | Grade and LSAT evaluations for discretionary applicants | ||
| Academic | Which Grades? | Grad. vs. undergrad, poor semesters, illnesses, etc. | |
| Academic | In which courses? | Strong and weak majors | |
| Academic | At which college? | Evaluating your college | |
| Academic | How long ago? | Recent grade inflation | |
| Academic | Which LSAT score? | multiple scores; explaining bad scores |
Who averages, who doesn't Commercial LSAT classes |
| Diversity Factors | Diversity is not Race | ||
| Diversity Factors | "Jelly Donut" Model | Explaining Diversity, showing data | |
| Diversity Factors | "mainstream" | "mainstream" defined | |
| Diversity Factors | Sexual Orientation | Out of the closet? | Law Services G&L info |
| Diversity Factors | Race & Ethnicity | Info for Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American applicants | The New McCarthyism Minority Qualifications Minority head-start programs |
| Diversity Factors | Socioeconomic | Income vs. Occupation | CLEO: Opportunities for
disadvantaged applicants LSAC Fee Waivers |
| Diversity Factors | Demographic | Regional attitudes, State vs. private Schools |
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| Diversity Factors | Age & Experience | Maturity, experience, and success | |
| Diversity Factors | Overcoming Obstacles | Physical and emotional problems, family or personal | LSAT accommodations for disabled applicants |
| How & When to Apply | Is early really an advantage? | Atlantic Monthly discusses early decision programs Simulated applicant pool by index # Application review timeline Skewed LSAT curve |
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| How & When | The LSAT | When to take, whether to cancel |
LSAC.org links, Princeton Review, Kaplan Improving your score |
| How & When | LSDAS | What it does | LSAC.org links New LSDAS Rec. System Apply for free |
| How & When | Starting early | What you can do now | Working on Grammar Skills |
| How & When | Completing Apps | Common stupid mistakes in apps, attachments, and addresses | Top-Down
Admissions LSACD tips |
| How & When | Tracking apps | not getting lost | Contact Us For Our tracking worksheet |
| Recs, Resumes and Essays | What attachments to send | ||
| Recs, Resumes | Recommendations | What a good rec says; work vs. academic recs | |
| Recs, Resumes | Resumes | How much detail, how long | Sample Resumes |
| Recs, Resumes | Personal Statement | Choosing your topic; getting help |
Links to Accepted.com and other editing services Samples of Bad Essays |
| Recs, Resumes | Diversity Statement | Who needs them? | |
| Recs, Resumes | Supplemental Essays | Personal statement or addendum? Other essays | |
| Essay Packages | What makes a bad essay? | ||
| Essay Packages | Showing the Diversity in your Surroundings |
Some people thrive in a diverse environment; if that's yoiu, make sure your essays shoi it. |
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| Essay Packages | Expanding and Contracting Essay Length | Can you cut a four-page essay down to two pages without losing anything important? Here's how we did it. |
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| Essay Packages | Rearranging Essays to Meet the School's Guidelines | When you have more than one essay, you can move content to meet the school's page and word limits. |
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| Essay Packages | Putting an Arrest Record into a Context |
When problems in your past are a result of personal, familial or cultural obstacles, make sure to show the connection. |
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| Essay Packages | Lightening Up the Tone | Serious problems must be treated seriously; the rest of you can use a bit of humor. |
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| Essay Packages | A Well-Told Story | A good writing style can make any tale attractive; look at three very well-written essays. |
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| Hearing from Law Schools | Gracious waiting; "the envelope please" |
Fat or Skinny? Personal Enrichment while you wait |
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| Hearing | Acceptances | Letting go of seats; requesting deferrals |
Deferral policies |
| Hearing | Alternate programs | Part-time, conditional, or early start programs |
List of Conditional Programs |
| Hearing | Hold and Wait | "Hold" or "Wait"? What to respond |
The Waitlist Food Chain Ancient Waitlist data Overlap Reports When Will They Call Me? Where responses won't help |
| Hearing | Rejections | Appealing, Re-applying, Transferring | Sample Transfer info |
| Hearing | Your Final Choice | "Choosing" Revisited | |
| About Our Services | Why we're the best (if this web page hasn't already proved it) | Can We Help You? | |
| Our Services | Admissions Program | The many steps to a perfect file. | |
| Our Services | The People | Who is this crazy lady who gives away all this stuff for free? | |
| Our Services | The Contract | How much money, how many apps, for whom? | |
| Our Services | The Timetable | When will the work be done? | |
| Our Services | Intro to Law School | Preparation for law school and exams | |
| Our Services | Medical School Admissions |
Our Successful Medical School Admissions Program | |
| Success Stories | More than fifty happy applicants, plus group dinners, graduation notes, etc. | multiple links to photos and quotes | |
| Recent News | About 20 addenda per year; law forums, inside news |
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| Copyright Information | Conditions for reproducing portions of this web page | ||
| Contact us | Name address and phone #; survey | email me |