Perseverance Through the Law School Application Process and Beyond
By Reni Biswas
In 2015, I decided to make a change in my life and pursue a career in law. No one in my immediate environment was a lawyer nor had exposure to the process and career. Despite this lack of direction, I was determined to build a path for myself no matter how long it took and collect the data points to understand what I was signing up for.
Before this decision in 2015, I was (and I like to say still am) a scientist, working in a lab as an engineer. I dedicated ten years of my life to my work and loved everything I learned from it and the mentors I have had. Being a scientist shaped me as a person and even helped me navigate this career change and be my own advocate.
Ultimately, what I have learned in the journey is to maintain perseverance. There are going to be ups and downs throughout the process. It’s going to be draining, stressful, emotional, and even scary. You have to balance responsibilities to others including your family, friends, and events that happen in life. You might shift for a few years to pursue another career before really applying to law school. All of these things happened to me, but throughout the process, I continued to be perseverant. Here are a few thoughts I have about what I did for myself:
Self-care – Take time away from working on your law school applications to maintain a clear mind – It’s essential to be clear-minded when working through applications, especially the essays. At least for me, that is when my best ideas come. I try to do things that help me to step away from the application process physically. Find those hobbies and activities that allow you to do the same – cooking, exercising, going for a walk, activities where you can just turn off all stimuli in the world and focus on yourself while taking a break.
Baby steps – I think when it comes to stress management, focus on the baby steps. We want to achieve the big goal, but it is important to focus on the small steps in which each step brings us closer and closer to the big goal. Sometimes if you have to focus on one small thing, focus on that, give yourself the time to do that, and then move on to the next step.
If it doesn’t work out the first time, try again – I applied to law school two times. I was grateful for both opportunities to apply and grateful to have the courage to place myself in the pool of law school applicants. The second time I was much better at strategizing my application and putting together a much better package, and that’s all I wanted was to make sure I was putting my best self forward, that they could see all dimensions of me on paper. And I knew that if it didn’t work out, I would try again. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, and I would simply try again.
Keep an open mind – Keep an open mind throughout the process. I firmly believe there is a place for everyone in this world, and we have passions, skills, and talents to grow, apply, and utilize. There is no one path into a legal career, but you can build your own path by observing and experiencing things in your own way that bring you to law and build your own story.
Self-love – It’s vital to love yourself and everything you have done. Don’t be ashamed even if there were mistakes, a bad grade in school, etc. Own those things about yourself and love yourself and how you have grown, developed, and gained the courage to apply. We are all human.
I hope these points will help you navigate this process and be perseverant.
Reni Biswas is a Brand Associate of S. Montgomery Admissions Consulting and a law school applicant for the Class of 2024. Have questions or comments? Send them to info@smontgomeryconsulting.com or Contact Me Here.