Visit Law Schools: How and When

Visiting law schools and getting a tour can be helpful at many stages of your journey into law school. Consider visiting one or more law schools if:

• you're not sure if law school is a good fit for you
• you're choosing which law schools to apply to
• you've been accepted but haven't seen the campus

How do I set up a law school visit?

Admissions offices at the individual school will be able to help you set up a visit. Schools often allow you to have a formal tour and will connect you with a current student and sit in on a law class.

What should I ask when visiting law schools?

Questions to ask when visiting law schools: The best way to figure out if a particular law school is right for you would be to visit. Below you will find a list of potential questions that you could ask during your visit. Remember, this list is not exhaustive.

• Questions concerning a law school's admissions process:
1. Please describe your review process for applicants' folders. have an advantage over new college graduates in your admissions process?
2. How did your applicant pool change last year and what projections are you making for this year?
3. With my grades and LSAT- (tell them specifically), what would be my chances of gaining admissions to your law school?
4. How do you evaluate the more subjective factors of an application and how important are they?
5. What advantages exist for applicants who apply early? What do you consider "early"?
6. When do you typically let applicants know your admission decisions?
7. (If state-supported school) How do you treat residency status in the admissions process?
8. Do applicants with post-college work experience?
9. What do you look for in the personal statement or essay to accompany the application?
10. Can you give me examples of the kinds of recommendations that can make a difference?
11. What should I anticipate the cost to be in attending three years of your law school?
12. How do most of your students pay for law school?
13. How does your office handle financial aid awards? Can I expect to know my aid award before I'm required to pay a deposit?
14. What merit scholarships do you offer to incoming students?
    
    
• Questions about the character/ambiance of the law school:
1. What are the curricular strengths of your faculty?
2. How are first-year classes organized and taught?
3. How many students are typically enrolled in each entering class?
4. How much (or what kinds) of contact with faculty would the typical law student have outside of class?
5. How many graduates practice law in your state (or region) after graduation?
6. What factors shape the career interests and options available to your graduates?
7. What complaints do your students have about your law school?
8. What is the atmosphere within your student body concerning competition?
9. How are students selected for your law school journals/reviews?
10. Can students leave their class books and notes in a study carrel without fear of theft?
11. When your students say what they like about your law school, what things are frequently mentioned?
12. When students turn down your school in favor of another, what reasons do they cite for doing so?
13. What features do you believe set your school apart from "comparable" schools?
    
    
• Questions concerning career outcomes:
1. What is the job search experience like for your law school's graduates who want to work here in [Minnesota] (or any other specific place)?
2. How many (what percentage) of your graduates have their jobs lined up before [Winter Break] of their final year?
3. To what extent do your students get their summer jobs through your on-campus recruiting program?
4. What kinds of jobs do your first year students line up for their first summer job?
5. To what extent does class rank affect your students' job search success?