---
title: 6 Things You're Overlooking in Your Law School Search
description: How can you make sure the law school you pick is right for you?  Here are 6 tips that will help guide you through the process. Download our free guide to compare scholarships.
---

[Cooley Law School Blog ](https://cooley.edu/blog)

# [6 Things You're Overlooking in Your Law School Search](https://cooley.edu/blog/6-things-you-are-overlooking-in-your-law-school-search)

 Written by [Paul Zelenski](https://cooley.edu/blog/author/paul-zelenski) | Dec 4, 2015 6:38:59 PM

How can you be sure that the law school you pick is the right fit for you? Here are six things to consider before making the decision.

### **1:  ****Not all law school curricula are the same.**  After the first year, course offerings, curriculum requirements, and field experiences can vary significantly.

- Identify your top five or six law schools, get on their websites and find their curriculum offering.  Line up each curriculum against the other and rank order.
- Does the school offer a solid foundation of required courses?
- Does the required curriculum align with the bar exam where you intend to practice? **BTW**: Did you know that the bar exam is not the same in every state?
- Does the school offer law specialties that are of interest to you?
- Is the clinical or internship opportunity required or only suggested?
- Many schools say they will make you "practice ready," does their curriculum offering support that claim? 

### **2:  Compare the faculty at each institution. **Not all faculty are the same.

- Do full-time faculty teach required curriculum?
- What is the experience of the faculty member prior to entering the classroom?  
- Does it matter to you if a law professor has ever practiced law?
- How accessible is the full-time faculty?  **Ask current students.**  Don't rely solely on websites and brochures.
- Do faculty members provide extra assistance outside the confines of the specific class times? **Again, ask current students.**
- Do faculty members regularly participate with students in pro-bono and community service activities?

### **3:  Determine the *full cost* of attendance. **

- Tuition, living expenses, books, and travel costs reflect the true expenditures. Factor in any scholarship or tuition discount, along with the length of attendance.
- For each location, review the cost of living. Housing costs in each community can vary greatly.
- How long will it take for you to finish your degree (typically 2-5 years)?
- Is there a distinction between in-state and out-of-state tuition?
- Review financial aid budgets to make sure they are reasonable for the area you will live in.  
- Pay special attention to what the budget period represents - one semester, two semesters.  Is there a summer session?

### **4:  What strings are attached to your scholarship offer?**

- Make sure you FULLY understand the conditions tied to that scholarship.
- Does the school review the scholarship after a period of time (typically after the first year) to determine if it will be continued?
- Is the scholarship contingent on grade-point average or class rank? Be realistic about your expected academic performance. 
- Try to discern what the total dollar amount will be for the scholarship.
- [Download our Scholarship Research Checklist](https://cooley.edu/hubfs/docs/Scholarship_Checklist.pdf)

### **5:  What about location and lifestyle? **Do you want to live in the heart of a city, or in a more suburban area?

- Are you open to living in a new or unfamiliar location?
- Do you want to be close to local, regional, and federal courts or other government entities?
- Visit each campus if you can.  Meet people and see where you will attend classes.
- How important is diversity? Does it matter that you are in a classroom that reflects the diversity of our society?
- Will the weather play a role in your school choice?

### **6: Will you attend full-time or part-time? **How soon can you start attending law school?

- "Traditional" models start in September, attending two semesters, and then taking the summer off.  
- There are other options at some schools - nights, part-time, weekends.
- What are the specific schedule options at each school?  What days and times are classes offered?
- What works for you?

**[Contact us](https://www.cooley.edu/prospective/admissions.html) if you have any questions. We're happy to help.**

**Cooley Law School  
(517) 371-5140, ext. 2244  
[admissions@cooley.edu](mailto:admissions@cooley.edu)**

[View full post](https://cooley.edu/blog/6-things-you-are-overlooking-in-your-law-school-search)

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