Visiting Law Schools during R&R Forum

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MichiganHoosier

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Visiting Law Schools during R&R

Post by MichiganHoosier » Sat Nov 04, 2017 10:57 am

Quick question for the forum...I am currently deployed overseas and am having to submit my R&R (Rest and Recuperation). I am shooting for May '18 since my wife has a one week break in optometry school between her spring and summer term. I will have 21 days total back in the states.

I am planning on applying to law schools right when applications open in fall of 2018. Unfortunately, this is a long deployment and I will be applying from overseas. Would it be beneficial for me to visit my top choice law schools during my R&R window? Due to my LSDAS GPA being a 3.4, no matter what my LSAT is, I'll be a splitter for the schools I'm highly interested in (particularly UVA and UMich). I would be happy at either school, but I didn't know if visiting would give any sort of impression (good or bad) when I submit my application in the fall. Also for consideration, my LSAT score just expired and I am scheduled to fly into Kuwait in June '18 to sit for it. So, keep in mind I will be visiting these schools without a valid score, and may not even be competitive for them pending my LSAT. But if my LSAT is competitive, could a visit shift the pendulum and make me more competitive, especially in regards to "Why" essays?

I don't have anything pressing that I'd like to do in these 21 days other than drink beer and spend time with my wife and dog. My wife I'm sure would love to visit these schools with me, so I won't really have to choose one over the other. I'd just have to choose this over another type of vacation. Thank you in advance for any and all help!

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UVA2B

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Re: Visiting Law Schools during R&R

Post by UVA2B » Sat Nov 04, 2017 2:42 pm

Don't visit schools when classes aren't in session. You can do visits during the application cycle and be much better off. Use your R&R for R&R.

mcmand

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Re: Visiting Law Schools during R&R

Post by mcmand » Mon Nov 06, 2017 6:12 pm

UVA2B wrote:Don't visit schools when classes aren't in session. You can do visits during the application cycle and be much better off. Use your R&R for R&R.
Seconded. Not worth your time until there are live students there to talk to and sit in on classes with.

Whether visiting makes an impression to affect an application decision, who knows, maybe? LSAT and GPA are always primary, but it can't hurt (unless you're totally awkward and weird). Do it anyway, when class is in session, and get face time with the admissions dean/director and anyone else that piques your interest (professors who do research in something you're interested in).
Last edited by mcmand on Fri Jan 26, 2018 6:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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MichiganHoosier

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Re: Visiting Law Schools during R&R

Post by MichiganHoosier » Thu Nov 09, 2017 5:50 am

Thank you the insight! I definitely agree that with schools like Michigan I could get away with applying in September and visiting in October (when I get back) since they hold onto apps for a bit longer than most. But I'll be heading back to Michigan during R&R regardless to see family so it wouldn't be a huge hassle to drive to Ann Arbor for a day. My only concern is the fast turnaround at Virginia and how I'd hate to pass up an opportunity to put a face to my application. If I moved up my R&R a few weeks (assuming I can), what is the latest in the semester you'd advise one to visit a school? Thanks again for the help!

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