People make mistakes. That’s only natural. But you can’t afford to make mistakes on your law school application.
It takes time to fill out law school applications, and fatigue can lead to errors. Factor in multiple applications with different requirements for each, and you’re even more likely to make an error. While a misspelling won’t make or break your admission decision, when the stakes are high you don’t want anything keeping you from that acceptance letter.
Take time to to carefully proofread your entire application. Here are six expert tips to follow when proofreading your law school application.
Make Sure You Use the Right School Name
This might sound like an obvious tip, but in the mass of multiple applications and copying and pasting, it’s an easy mistake to make. Go over your applications one-by-one to make sure you used the correct school name in your essays and other materials.
Check Length Requirements
Your applications won’t all have the same material length requirements, so before you send off the same personal statement with each of your applications, make sure it’s the correct length. If your application specifically asks for a one page resume, don’t send two pages.
Submit the Right Materials
Just as schools have different length requirements, they may have different material requirements, too. Review the instructions for each application and make sure you’ve included everything it requires, in the right quantity and the right length.
Have Someone Else Proofread
After looking at applications for so long, your eyes may glance over misspellings or specific instructions. Pay close attention to proper nouns, even in addresses. Attention to detail is crucial in your chosen career path, and admissions teams will look for consistency and adherence to standards.
Enlist a second pair of eyes to go over your application to pick up on anything you might have missed.
Distance Yourself and Read it Again
Give yourself a few hours or a few days away from the filling out and sending of applications. The distance will give you enough space to look over your application with fresh eyes and pick out anything that you want to change.
Read Your Personal Statement Backwards
When you’re reading your own words, your brain will fill in missing words and double words in favor of what you meant to say. Interrupt the flow by reading the entire personal statement backwards -- one sentence at a time.
Don’t Nitpick
Proofreading your application doesn’t mean spending 10 minutes trying to figure out if you should use the word “thinking” or “deliberating.” It’s just not that important. Spend your time editing for ease of reading, but don’t get hung up on minor things.
