Career Center, Career Files, Pre-Law

Budgeting For Your Law School Application Cycle

By now, you’ve heard that law school is a big financial investment, but so is—to a much lesser extent—applying to law school. It’s important to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into as you prepare for the Fall 2016 application cycle.

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Graduate-Holding-Empty-Piggy-BankBy now, you’ve heard that law school is a big financial investment, but so is—to a much lesser extent—applying to law school. It’s important to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into as you prepare for the Fall 2016 application cycle.

1. Budget for applying to law school. Consider these potential costs:

a. LSAT Prep (between $200 for books for self-study, between $700-$1,500 for an online course, $2,000 for an in-person course, or $1,500-$3,000 if you utilize private tutoring). (There are more expensive options, including Kaplan Extreme, but this is not necessary). You can always start with books, such as the Powerscore LogicGames Bible, or Nathan Fox’s Cheating the LSAT and see how you do before you decide to invest in a prep course or tutoring. For some lesser known LSAT Prep options, check out 7sage, LSATMax, Lawschooli, Manhattan LSAT, FoxTestPrep, NextStepTestPrep, Strategy Prep, and BlueprintPrep.

b. LSAC registration, for both the LSAT and the Credential Assembly Service (approximately $300).

c. Application fees may be waived, but it will generally cost $80-$100 to apply to each law school. On top of the application fee, you will need to cover the cost of forwarding your materials from LSAC. You can obtain free applications by attending a forum or law school recruitment fair on your campus, and by signing up for the Credential Referral Service on LSAC (which is free). (See more below on campus visits and attending a forum).

d. Admission Consulting: The industry standard for a qualified admission consultant is $250/hour, but several offer unlimited packages that range from approximately $1,000-$4,000 depending on the consultant’s level of expertise and the thoroughness of the package. Be reasonable about what you can really expect someone to do in an hour or two, and keep in mind whether you’re hiring someone simply to proofread, or someone who has sufficient knowledge to help you meaningfully strategize according to your particular situation. Of course, it’s not necessary to have this kind of help with your applications, but many seek it out to strengthen their applications, maximize their opportunities, and work to overcome any perceived weaknesses in their applications.

e. Visiting law schools and/or attending an LSAC Forum. This is a great way to get a feel for the schools that really interest you and to show that you’re serious about the area. I’ve seen many applicants who were sure they would love a certain school until they saw windowless classrooms, students who seemed unsocial or negative or unengaged in their studies, or even the weather! (Visiting Boston this winter probably lured some toward Stanford and away from Harvard…). These visits can take place before you apply or after, or even while you are awaiting a decision or on a wait list, but it’s important to save some frequent flyer miles and vacation days to be able to make informed decisions through campus visits. This is especially important when you are seriously interested in a law school in a region where you have no evidence of ties. (As someone who graduated from high school in Alabama, I love that the U. of Alabama even asks on the application if you know anyone in the state!)

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Therefore, even if you’re just applying to the one law school in your hometown, plan to spend at least $500, and probably closer to $1,000, just to apply. Remember that more money spent for LSAT prep is not necessarily better – choose the program that best fits your schedule and study style.

Oh, and I should mention that the bestselling law school guidebook, The Law School Admission Game, which will provide insights about the entire application process, will set you back $15 on Amazon.com.

Ann K. Levine is a law school admission consultant and owner of LawSchoolExpert.com. She is the author of The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert (affiliate link) and The Law School Decision Game: A Playbook for Prospective Lawyers (affiliate link).

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