Although most law schools do not require applicants to interview with them as part of the admissions process, many programs – especially top programs – offer them. Interviews are a wonderful opportunity to converse with someone(s) that make the admissions decision, but as you know, an interview can also be a make or break experience. By the time a student arrives for an interview, the admissions committee has seen their LSAT scores and GPA and expressed an interest; now it’s the final leg of the admissions process – the part that the shy or more modest pre-law student (those rare breeds!) may loathe the most. But just as students should look at the LSAT as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, the same can be said about the interview. They should keep in mind that by this stage in the admissions process, applicants’ academic credentials are likely very similar to one another – law schools are confident they can do the work, but want to know if they have what it takes to be a lawyer and be a good fit for the school. That said, here are some pieces of advice and strategies that admissions officers have shared with us over the years that many of your students may find helpful:
Don’t Go In Unprepared
Once granted an interview, their fate is in their own hands. Unfortunately, many students go into their interview woefully unprepared, hoping to just wing it. They figure they are fast on the feet, so why not? Just like running a marathon (or taking the LSAT) untrained is a bad idea, the same principle applies here. Your students should anticipate the questions and formulate the key points of their responses, maximizing their potential for success. Often the interviewer will base his or her questions on their personal statement. As a result, your students should be familiar with their application inside and out, and should be prepared to discuss it in detail.
On occasion, an interviewer may ask students to comment on a law-related current event. It’s not expected that they be an expert on these topics—just that they have thought about them and have something reasonably intelligent to share.
Mock Interviews
Mock interviews are invaluable trial runs. This is a great opportunity for you as a pre-law adviser to step in. Evaluate your students’ speaking style, coherence, the content of their answers, their body language, and their overall presentation. Honest feedback (even if it may hurt their egos) will help them realize if they speak too quickly or softly, if they should enunciate more clearly, tone it down, tone it up, etc.
Act the Part
Whether we like it or not, physical appearance will be the first impression your students make on the interviewers. While it’s important for law school applicants to make a memorable impression during the interview, they want to be remembered as the self-confident candidate with charm, poise, intelligence and wit – not the one with the tongue ring, loud tie or extra short skirt. Ultimately law schools use the interview to evaluate a student’s professionalism, and the way a student presents him or herself is a key indicator here. This goes beyond appropriate attire; students should remember that every interaction they have with a representative of the school, whether it be with a dean, a law school student, or an administrative assistant, is considered part of the interview process and could influence the decision to offer acceptance.
Be Early
At many schools, the sooner a student interviews the sooner they’ll be considered for acceptance, so the earlier they can schedule their interview the better.
When the time comes, it’s best for students to arrive the night before the interview in order to familiarize themselves with the area and the school. In addition to allowing time for any delays that may result from travel or being in an unfamiliar city, this will also give your students the opportunity to unwind and get a good night’s sleep. After all, few things are more underwhelming than an inattentive and dreary-eyed applicant.
Final Thoughts
No student should avoid applying to a law school because he or she is afraid of the interview. But before they apply to the school, they should find out if one is required, just like they should be fully informed about the admissions process in its totality.
This is your students’ time to shine. they should be genuine, compelling, and confident. It’s the closing argument of a high stakes, high drama court case. This is their face-to-face time to show law schools why they are a must-have student and would be a credit to the legal profession.
