What are some of the chief reasons why some candidates make it and other dont reach the expectations of the admissions committee at US universities is that - those candidates that do get in - have started preparing early and so there is always time to correct mistakes if any. This is what Awantika Manohar talks about. Awantika has been accepted to many graduate programs in Law (LLM) in the US and she has chosen to accept Cornell. She shares with kaaledge.com what she feels are important aspects of applying to US universities in general and to law schools in specific….

Awantika: Good grades, Work Experience, Presentations, Moot Courts and Publications are the essentials of getting through a good Law School in the U.S. But mind it!! Though important this is not enough for every fellow applicant may have similar distinctions on their Resume and now when you are all set to apply you really can’t worry about what you have already achieved during your LL.B.

So its time for you to focus on a story. What you need to show to the admissions committee is that you have a vision in mind and to achieve that you have set on this mission where everything you do has a purpose. In short you need to tell them a story which is about YOU and this is what we call the Personal Statement. WARNING!! A personal statement should not be thought of as an elaboration on the Resume. This is an opportunity for you to make the admissions committee get interested in you to extent that their desire to meet you and have you amongst them may compel them to give you an admission.

Years of hard work and labour never go waste. And those who witnessed it for you catch hold of them to write your recommendations. But this doesn’t mean your parents or any of your blood relations. People who know you in a professional capacity should be approached for the said purpose. It makes no sense to have recommendations from people who are renowned but have little to write about you. Instead approach someone who can write something which will add value to your application.

People often worry about TOEFL, IELTS test dates, scores but trust me its not a big deal. All that the college wants to see is that you will be able to understand and communicate well once you are with them. If your medium of education has been English you can ask for a waiver (though some schools insist on taking the test).

Keep a track of the deadlines and its better if you can send in your applications by the Early Application Deadline which is usually almost a month before the normal deadline. It increases a chance of hearing a decision on your application earlier that the rest in the normal pool, lessens your anxiety and gives you more time for planning.

As I am gearing up for Cornell Law School my only advice to those who are reading my perspective of the application process formed over the years is: Plan Early, Have a Strategy, and do everything you can (I mean intellectually) to CONVINCE the admissions committee that you are the most deserving candidate for if you can’t convince someone about yourself now how will you later on convince the Court about your client’s case.

ALL THE BEST!!!