Name: Mitch Mosvick

Major: B.S.B. Management Info. Systems

Law School: University of Virginia

How many schools did you apply to? What criteria did you use in picking these schools? 12.

National placement statistics (in private firms and judicial clerkships) played a large role, as did the regions the schools were in. Generally, desirable areas for me to attend school were in the upper Midwest, west coast, Pacific Northwest, New England, and the mid‑Atlantic.

How did you prepare for the LSAT? Do you have any advice? Prep courses I have heard mixed stories about. But I couldn't afford them, so I didn't buy one.

I would buy the previously used test packets at Barnes & Noble, and simulate the test conditions for a month on Saturday mornings before the test. That helped me tremendously in terms of timing and a feeling for the types of questions.

What strategies did you use in networking with the professors and employers who wrote letters of recommendation for you? I basically chose two professors who I had spent a decent amount of time talking with after class or at office hours ‑‑ people I trusted and who had some respect for my academic ability.

How did you go about writing your personal statement? How much did you change your personal statement to fit each school? I wrote a different personal statement for each of the twelve schools I applied to, and only reused a few good sentences.

Personal statements, I've found, are not terribly important in the process unless you have a really unique experience to share. That being said, it proves you are a competent writer.

If you had a chance to go through the process again, is there anything you would have done differently? I would have spent less time dreaming of going to Harvard, and more time finding out how students actually live and work at the schools they are at. In the end, my decision to attend Virginia Law had as much to do with its atmosphere and collegiality as its high ranking and prestige.

Is law school like you expected it would be? Why or why not? Actually, it is quite different. I cannot speak for my peers at other law schools, but my experience has been far less stressful, far more interesting and more fun than I ever would have imagined.

I have made dozens of friends and lifelong connections, had wonderful professors who treat us with a "tough love" approach, and really enjoyed learning the law. I didn't expect that at all.

Any final advice? (1) Seek out Brian Leiter's rankings and statistics on the web. It is the best free source of information on Law School prestige and future prestige available.

(2) Pester and talk to as many current students as possible. If the school treats them well and they have pride in it, they won't be annoyed and they will answer all your questions.

(3) Apply early, apply early, apply early!