Law School Admissions Interview

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The Law school admissions interview
An interview is one of many tools accessible to applicants within the admission process. Though not uniformly available, the number of law school programs that offer interviews has increased. Too often, applicants consider interviewing as a viable option only when they believe their chances for admission will improve with a face-to-face meeting. I believe that way of thinking is shortsighted. A successful interview is the result of thorough preparation followed by performance during the interview. The effort is well worth the reward, provided prospective students are willing to take time to prepare.

Preparation
Identify which law school programs offer interviews from the list of schools you are considering.
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An invitation process is one where an interview is offered at the discretion of the law school, typically to applicants whose applications have received at least a cursory review.

Interviews granted by request are initiated by the applicant, though the applicant’s file may not have been reviewed prior to granting the interview. The informal interview is the most common and usually occurs when an applicant meets with an admission counselor, faculty member or alumnus. Though informal, an assessment of the applicant typically occurs and noteworthy observations are forwarded to the committee or added to the applicant’s file. An interview by invitation is the only one that an applicant cannot initiate. However, it never hurts the applicant to communicate to admission staff that if an interview opportunity becomes available, it would be welcomed and appreciated.

An interview, despite its format, is never an opportunity to “wing it.” Outline the points you wish to address.
Identify any perceived weaknesses in your application and be prepared to discuss them if raised. If you request an interview, be prepared to lead the discussion if necessary.
On the other hand, if you receive an invitation to interview, ask for the format of the interview and prepare