Pre-Law Advising

First-Year and Sophomore Years

• Subscribe to the Haverford College Pre-Law Listserv.
• Explore the liberal arts curriculum at Haverford and begin to consider possible major(s)/minor(s) in fields that interest you and will allow you to excel academically.
• Join extracurricular activities on campus that interest you, law-related and otherwise.
• Begin to form meaningful relationships with professors both in and outside of class, especially with those from whom you may take more than one course during your undergraduate career.
• Utilize your summers to explore your academic and professional interests through work experience, internships, research, and/or community service activities.
• Meet with the Director of Pre-Professional Advising to better understand the law school admissions process overall and ways to become a strong candidate over the next several years.

Junior Year

• Attend Bi-Co-sponsored law school admissions information sessions -- on-campus and virtually -- and law-related panel discussions to begin to research individual law schools and the legal field more broadly.
• Delve more deeply into your declared major(s)/minor(s) with a focus on academically rigorous, advanced coursework.
• Continue your involvement in extracurricular activities on campus that are important to you, including seeking out leadership positions.
• Maintain substantive relationships with professors both in and outside of class, especially with those in your declared major(s)/minor(s).
• Continue to utilize your summers to build on your prior experiences with a more strategic focus towards your interest in law school.
• Begin learning about the LSAT exam and different ways to prepare.
• Meet with the Director of Pre-Professional Advising to discuss your candidacy for law school, including your academic picture, co-curricular and extracurricular involvements, and professional experiences, and the components of the application process.

Application Year: Senior Year or Gap Year(s)

• Continue to attend Bi-Co-sponsored law school admissions information sessions -- on-campus and virtually -- and law-related panel discussions.
• Meet with the Director of Pre-Professional Advising to assess the strength of your candidacy and how to think strategically about your application materials and personal narrative.
• Register for the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
• Subscribe to the LSAC Candidate Referral Service (CRS) for law school information and possible application fee waivers.
• Request official transcript(s) from Haverford's Office of the Registrar, as well as all other undergraduate institutions, to be sent to your LSAC CAS.
• Identify and approach professors and supervisors to write letters of recommendation on your behalf.
• Complete LSAT preparation and finalize test-taking schedule, allowing time for possible LSAT retake(s).
• Create and revise your law school resume, which can often be longer than one page.
• Draft your law school personal statement and other application essays, including school-specific optional essays, academic addenda, and statements of lived experience.

After Application Submission:

• Complete FAFSA and school-specific institutional financial aid applications, beginning on January 1.
• Continue to meet with the Director of Pre-Professional Advising to assess acceptances, monitor waitlist statuses, scholarship offers, and other questions in the decision-making process.
• Attend Admitted Student Programs -- either in-person or virtually -- to gather firsthand information and direct conversations about law schools.
• Manage seat deposit deadlines, most of which are May 1.
• Request final official transcript(s) from Haverford's Office of the Registrar (for seniors) to be sent directly to the law school in which you plan to enroll.