Advice

06 Apr 2017

Creating an LSAT Prep Study Calendar

Thanks to LSATMax LSAT Prep [https://testmaxprep.com/lsat] for this guest blog! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All right, so you've decided to take the LSAT and go to law school. How can you optimize your LSAT prep [https://testmaxprep.com/lsat] experience to ensure you do as well as possible on this all-important exam? As we've written, top LSAT scorers [https://testmaxprep.com/lsat/blog/how-the-top-scorers-prepare-for-the-lsat] are consist

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06 Apr 2017

How the Top Scorers Prepare for the LSAT

Thanks to LSATMax LSAT Prep [https://testmaxprep.com/lsat] for this guest blog! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So, you know that your LSAT score is incredibly important for your law school admissions prospects and future success as a lawyer. But how, you may wonder, can you optimally prepare for this über-important exam? To get the most out of your LSAT prep [https://testmaxprep.com/lsat], strive to achieve (1) consistent, (2) engaged, and (3

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21 Mar 2017

5 Scholarship Negotiation Necessities

As deposit deadlines are nearing, scholarship negotiation season is in full swing. While some law schools are playing hardball (do check back with them after their first deposit deadline), others are playing quite nicely if you have something they want (particularly if it’s an LSAT above last year’s median). We are getting many questions about the most effective means of negotiating — namely, “what else can I do besides present them with another school’s scholarship offer?” We are also hearing h

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09 Feb 2017

Spivey Consulting in USNWR on a successful Harvard Law resume

Hi Mr. Spivey, I wanted to thank your for your review of my resume in yesterday’s U.S. News & World Report article on law school resumes [http://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/2017-02-02/a-law-school-resume-that-made-the-cut] . Surely, my success is due in-part to your willingness to support prospective applicants via your guidance on the Top Law Schools forums. I do not believe I would have applied to Harvard without the encouragement I felt from readin

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23 Dec 2016

Show up every day

Twelve years ago, a student at Harvard invited 5 people over to his dorm room to discuss a business opportunity. Only 2 of the 5 people showed up. Today those two people are billionaires: Dustin Moskovitz ($9.9 billion) and Eduardo Saverin ($5.8 billion). And the guy they met that night? None other than Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, whose current net worth is $35.7 billion. Now, during the holidays, it would be easier than ever to jump off the grid. But if you have applications you haven

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24 Sep 2016

Choosing a Personal Statement Topic

“But I don’t have a WOW factor.” It is that time of year when applicants realize the LSAT may not be the hardest part of the law school admissions process after all. For many, it will be writing the personal statement. This difficulty often stems from one of two sentiments: the perceived lack of a “wow factor” altogether or the perceived lack of a “wow factor” that is unique. Two of the most common questions we hear from law school applicants are: “But there’s nothing unique about me; I grew up

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08 Sep 2016

Podcast: "When is it early/When is it late?" in the admissions cycle

Danielle Early and Mike Spivey speak for 30 minutes on application submission timing. And a bit more below from Michigan Law Dean of Admissions Sarah Zearfoss. Here is Dean Z.: "Totally agree that before Thanksgiving is “early” in any school’s universe. All law school admissions officers are hitting the bricks from mid-September to mid-November; some offices are structured in a way that allows them to make some decisions despite the travel schedule, but the number of offers are a mere pittance

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15 Jul 2016

Danielle Early's Top 5 Blog Posts

I’m going to share a secret with you all… while I was the working in the Harvard Law School Admissions Office, I read this blog. I thought it was great – Mike was providing good advice to applicants, and it often reminded me to think more about what the application process is like for you as applicants. When Mike asked me what my favorite blog posts were, I found it hard to narrow down because there are many. Today, I am sharing with you the top 5 posts that resonated most with me. I encourage

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29 Jun 2016

Welcome to My World: Panel Discussion with Law School Admission Deans

Join us for this informative discussion featuring comments from highly experienced current and former law school admission deans who will reveal the human side of admissions, how and why some applicants "come alive" in the review process, and the inner dynamics of how law school admission decisions are made. Following panelists' remarks will be a Q&A segment during time webinar participants will be able to ask questions of the admission professionals. Panelists and bios: Mike Spivey is the fou

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01 Jun 2016

Urbach-Wiethe Disease [and the LSAT]

A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN known as SM blithely reaches for poisonous snakes, giggles in haunted houses and once, upon escaping the clutches of a knife-wielding man, didn’t run but calmly walked away. A rare kind of brain damage precludes her from experiencing fear of any sort. (Source: Wired [http://www.wired.com/2010/12/fear-brain-amygdala/].) Urbach-Wiethe disease is the name for the rare disorder, so rare that there have only been about 400 reported cases in history. I learned about this disease t

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