Best Practices for BIPOC Law School Applicants with Penn Carey Law
Photo via Penn Carey Law
By Sydney Montgomery, Executive Director
When I started my own law school journey, I remember how alone I felt in the process. I didn't have any lawyers to look up to, let alone first-generation Black women in the legal profession.
Once I became an admissions consultant, I made it my mission to put BIPOC, first-generation, and other marginalized students at the forefront of my practice. A lot of the content that we make here revolves around these identities because I know how important it is to make resources for marginalized groups free and accessible.
I recently had Yolanda Ingram, the Director of Access to Law School Programs at Penn Carey Law and member of the Barrier Breakers® board, join me in a Break Into Law School® episode to discuss differences for BIPOC applicants and her own journey through law school.
You can find some excerpts from the interview below! For the whole episode, listen on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Sydney: I want to start at the very beginning. You talked about being first-gen and how being first-gen is a badge. So I wanted to ask you: What is one thing you wish you had known before you started law school?
Yolanda: That probably could fill up a book. Probably the first thing would be to actually seek help from others. I was very, “I can do it all myself; I can figure it out on my own.” I think people who are first-generation students tend to be that way. A lot of us come from working-class, blue-collar families. We’re taught work ethic. But asking for help sooner is probably what my first piece of advice would be
I don’t even think I knew there were resources at my undergraduate institution, like pre-law advising offices where someone could’ve given me some guidance about steps to take…. Seek out the people who are actually in a role and are trained and being paid to be there to support and help you.
Sydney: I love that. I think asking for help is really how I’ve ended up this far. No one gets somewhere on their own, despite this whole “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” situation. There are a lot of people pulling you up by your bootstraps; it’s like a whole team.
Yolanda: And sometimes we need people to give us some boots. That’s not the worst thing. If you really go back and dig deeply into history, you’ll see that everyone who has been successful has had some help. If you want to take the version of Columbus “discovering” America, the Queen gave him ships to get on and go explore. It wasn’t like he just woke up and went over there. At any point in history, you can see that we all need help somewhere.
Sydney: Here at Barrier Breakers® we love a good personal statement. I believe that your writing, your diversity statement, your personal statement, can absolutely make a big difference in your applications. You are someone who has read thousands of applications over the course of your career. What are some of the most common mistakes that you see, especially from first-gen or underrepresented applicants? What tips or advice would you give?
Yolanda: I always tell people that it’s really going to depend on you. Each personal statement is as unique as you are. But there are some things that you should definitely avoid, so it’s easier to tell you what not to do versus exactly what you should write.
The really bad mistake that I see a lot of people make and that really shows carelessness is writing the wrong law school name. You’re applying to Law School A but you write that you really want to attend Law School B in your personal statement. That’s an easy one.
Applicants also have to realize that the application for law school is like a packet. We’re reading everything on our end simultaneously. You really want to tell a story, not just in your personal statement but with everything that you’re submitting. If you’re submitting optional essays, addenda, resumes, and letters of recommendation, you want to talk about something in that personal statement that you’re not sharing anywhere else in your application. I see a lot of people make the mistake of summarizing their resumes, and that typically is not what we’re looking for.
We are using the personal statement as a way to get to know you. This is your interview on paper. You’re selling yourself. This is your opportunity to put your best foot forward in your personal statement. The worst thing I see is when someone starts of their personal statement talking about their worst semester — that belongs in an addendum or something like that. Make sure you’re putting forth all the positives about yourself and why you would be a great fit for that law school community in your personal statement.
The English major in me will not let me not say this part: Answer the question that is being asked. A lot of people use a cookie-cutter personal statement, but different law schools have different prompts. Make sure if someone is asking you to write about apples, you’re not writing about oranges.
The last point is grammar. We are not only looking at the substance, we are also looking at how well you write. It’s not just what you say, it’s how well-written it is. You should never turn in a personal statement without having at least three people give you some feedback on what you’re turning in.
Sydney: Penn Carey is a T14 law school. For those listening who may not know, law schools traditionally have been ranked and the T14 is some of the most prestigious law schools in the country and definitely sought after but applicants. There are some students who think, “I don’t have the best LSAT score. I don’t have the best GPA. Maybe a school like Penn is just completely out of reach for someone like me, for someone from my background, for someone who went to a state school.” What do you say to someone who’s looking at Penn and thinking that it could never happen for someone like them?
Yolanda: One, never count yourself out. It sounds so cheesy but I say to my kids all the time, “You have to be in it to win it.” If you don’t apply, we can’t accept or reject you.
More concretely, I would say if you’ve put together a great application packet, you’ve done preparation for the LSAT, and even if your score is not at our median, you should still apply because we do a holistic review. It’s not just about your numbers.
I’m not going to sit here and pretend that you can get any LSAT score and go to Penn — that’s not the case. If you want to go to a prestigious law school, you’re definitely going to have to have some strong credentials because we want you to be successful when you get here. We want you to be competitive and not struggle.
We do take all of the factors, including LSAT and GPA, but we look at everything else in your file as well. Definitely keep in mind when you’re looking at any data on law schools that you’re going to see a median, 75th, and 25th quartile. 25% of the class is below that median. It’s not just if you didn’t hit this number or that number it’s done. There’s a range.
The harsh reality is that if you’re really close to the lower end of the scores, that’s going to decrease your chances of being able to get in. That’s why I really emphasize getting the information early and allowing yourself enough time to adequately prepare for the LSAT.
If you’re interested in hearing more of Yolanda’s advice, listen to our full Break Into Law School® podcast episode! She is also a panelist at our upcoming free, virtual 2nd Annual Break Into Law Conference, along with 30+ other BIPOC panelists.