Utilizing the summer months to strategize for fall is important. Taking simple steps during these months can make the active portion of the application cycle significantly more manageable and can help build confidence as you enter this process. Below are insights to help you prioritize your time and energies.
Summer Priorities – Application “To Dos”
Summer is about planning and preparing. Done right – the summer months allow you to begin readying aspects of your application that will lighten your application workload in the fall. The key is to prioritize the right things in summer. Although every applicant journey is unique, the list below will assist you in prioritizing some essential application components to focus on in the summer months.
- LSAT – If you have not yet obtained your LSAT score for fall, this should be the highest application priority for summer. Be sure to sit for your first LSAT no later than August or September. View upcoming LSAT dates and registration information here.
- PLAS Appointment – If you have not met with PLAS to discuss law school goal setting and your overall timeline/plan, summer is the time to meet. Make your appointment here. Utilize this appointment to get expert guidance on your law school goals and plan – two of the most fundamental parts of your application process.
- Resume Review – Summer is a fantastic time to review and refine your resume for the unique law school application process. It is a required part of your application that can be fundamentally completed now without drawing significant time away from other priorities. Check out the Resume Workshop (in Canvas!) for drafting tips. Once you have a draft, set up a Document Review appointment with PLAS here.
- Register for CAS and Send Transcripts – CAS (Credential Assembly Service) is the portal through which you will prepare and submit applications to law school and is administered by LSAC (separate from LSAT or Law Hub registration). Applications for most schools open on or around September 1. Purchasing CAS by early August provides time to familiarize yourself with the system and begin populating information, including your transcripts. Transcripts can be sent directly to CAS electronically from most institutions, including Illinois!
- Identify Potential Recommenders – Applicants should plan to secure 2-4 letters of recommendation to meet the minimum requirements for each school (min/max varies between schools). Generally, 2 academic and 1-2 professional recommendations are ideal.
Building a Holistic Timeline & Plan
Making a concrete plan, setting admission goals, and developing an application timeline are critical steps to ensuring you allocate the time needed to successfully manage and execute all aspects of your application – while also balancing personal, professional, and academic obligations. Summer should be spent mapping out your fall, winter, and early spring months.
Step 1: Start building your timeline and plan by first considering your goals for application submission (late October – early December ideal) and what is required to complete your application. Be sure to include important admissions-related events like the Illinois Law School Fair on September 23.
Step 2: As best as possible, review your upcoming course requirements, work obligations, personal commitments, and other major events or activities you anticipate for fall, winter, and spring. Incorporate those into your calendar.
Step 3: Assess – examine how your full scope of obligations and commitments connect and stack against each other. Make adjustments to your application timeline to accommodate major activities in other areas and insert additional time (1 week +) to complete significant items.
Step 4: Consider your overall law school goals and determine factors that are important to you. Once you have identified your goals and factors, begin researching schools that align. Whether it is affordability, location, community, specific curricular strengths, or defined post-graduation outcomes – determining what is most important to you and what represents “success” for your individual outcomes will help you select the right law schools to apply to and to attend.
Step 5: Meet with PLAS to review your plan!
Build Financial Awareness
The financial aid landscape for higher ed and law school has changed with the passage of the OBBBA, which will go into effect on July 1, 2026, for the Fall 2026 term. One significant impact for future law students is caps on the amount of federal student loan money available each year for law school, creating more reliance on private loans. Private loans require different eligibility standards from federal aid and will potentially have varying conditions based on the individual borrower, such as interest rates. The summer is a good time to learn about OBBBA and its implications, begin researching law school costs, assess financing options, identify potential scholarship opportunities adn practices, and research the private loan landscape.
Researching now will aid in setting good goals, asking better questions of law schools in the fall, selecting the most optimal list of schools to apply to, and making the ultimate decision in spring. AccessLex is an excellent place to start researching these topics and more!
Be sure to build your application budget early to prepare for expenses throughout the admissions cycle. You can view the Application Budget & Cost webinar (in Canvas!) for insights!
Create a Calendar & System
Once you have articulated and settled on your application cycle plan, you need to establish the administrative tools to keep you on track. Establish a calendar to memorialize all obligations, events, deadlines, and goals. Organize your online files and spaces. Determine the forms of communication for all application-related items (email/phone/address) and develop systems now for monitoring on a daily basis. Join listservs and other free platforms to receive important news and information as it becomes available – including the Application Bulletin listserv!
Relax, Restore, and Get Ready
The application process is a marathon, not a sprint. Be sure to take time this summer to restore and relax. Prioritize establishing good wellness habits to carry into the fall (sleep – exercise – nutrition – water).
It can also be very helpful to connect with family and friends this summer and set expectations for your time during a very busy fall. Consider how you are best supported during challenging times. Your friends, family, professors, mentors, advisors, and more are all waiting to support you in your law admissions journey. Be sure to touch base with those closest in your life and preemptively let them know how they can best support you.
Great Resources
Finally, there are many resources available to support your law admissions journey. Below are two great PLAS resources to support you in organizing yourself for law school applications! Check them out in Canvas under the Law Admissions Resource tab and be sure to schedule an advising appointment this summer to discuss your individual goals and plans!
