Look Before You Leap: Veritas Prep Outlines Key Application Considerations for This Year's Crop of Prospective Law School Applicants

MALIBU, CA--(Marketwire - October 29, 2009) - As students of the class of 2013 begin to compile their applications for the country's top law schools, leading law school admissions consulting firm Veritas Prep encourages applicants to think critically about their professional goals and how they align with the emerging realities of the legal career landscape to help them produce the most compelling applications possible.

Despite an anticipated economic rebound on the horizon, the bleak career outlook that confronted 2009 law school graduates -- characterized by a shifting distribution of job opportunities from conventional positions at large law firms to less traditional fields like non-profit and government -- is projected to continue into the foreseeable future. As a result, says Veritas Prep, admissions offices at leading law schools will maintain a keen eye for candidates that have given extensive thought to both short- and long-term career goals, accepting applicants whose realistic perceptions and aspirations will likely result in job placement upon graduation.

"This is not the year to apply to law school without clearly defined professional goals and a thorough understanding of the career outlook for graduates," explains Adam Hoff, director of admissions consulting at Veritas Prep and former corporate associate with a top global law firm. "Admissions offices will likely look to the personal statement to identify newly important key application themes in order to identify applicants who truly want to pursue careers in law and have the resourcefulness to withstand a job market that may continue to offer fewer traditional 'big law firm' opportunities."

Key to crafting effective personal statements in this year's admissions cycle lie in the following themes:

Goals -- Attractive applicants will use the personal statement to clearly articulate both short- and long-term professional goals, which not only demonstrate that a candidate understands the current hiring landscape, but also give the admissions office confidence that the career services office will be able to assist the candidate in ultimately securing employment in a desired field.

Maturity -- Law schools have shown increasing interest in admitting mature candidates who bring the discipline and focus necessary to succeed in a highly competitive and intellectually demanding law school environment. This year, maturity matters more than ever, because it speaks to an applicant's level of sophistication and ability to bring a nuanced understanding of the law and legal careers. "Readiness" is another word that law schools are looking for: Is the candidate ready to succeed in the classroom and ready to practice law once he or she graduates?

Resilience -- Given how fast things are changing, candidates need to come to the table with a Plan A and a Plan B, as well as a track record for dealing with change and adapting to new realities. The hard truth is that many current graduates find it difficult to land jobs in their desired fields and practice areas. Many successful personal statements for this admissions season will showcase lessons learned and perspective gained from a difficult past experience.

For more information about Veritas Prep's law school admissions consulting offerings or to engage an admissions consultant to assist in the law school application process, visit www.veritasprep.com/law/ or call 1 (800) 925-7737.

About Veritas Prep

Veritas Prep is the world's fastest-growing test preparation and admissions consulting provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world's best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep now offers live GMAT prep instruction in more than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools and medical schools in the world.