PROFILES & ESSAYS OF BLACK LAW SCHOOL APPLICANTS
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Posted By: Evangeline M. Mitchell on August 24, 2005 IF YOU ARE BLACK AND LAW SCHOOL BOUND, HELP HAS FINALLY ARRIVED!: NEW BOOK SHOWCASES 75 MODELS OF EXCELLENCE FOR ASPIRING AFRICAN AMERICAN LAW STUDENTS Profiles & Essays of Successful African American Law School Applicants HOUSTON, Texas – During the Christmas holiday break of her senior year in college, author Evangeline M. Mitchell, a young African American woman aspiring to go to law school, received some invaluable information. A high school friend with the same educational goals shared copies of resumes, profiles and personal statements she received from Black law students at a prestigious Ivy League law school she visited. Evangeline reviewed the coveted materials with amazement. She now had a more educated perspective of what law school admissions officers were truly looking for. She went from becoming the first college graduate in her family to eventually gaining acceptance into a top-ranked law school - despite receiving her fair share of rejection letters. Reflecting on her experience with the fiercely competitive law school admissions process and how earlier exposure to this information regarding her competition could have positively impacted her and resulted in more acceptances, Evangeline was inspired to inform and educate other minority law school hopefuls with models of “real life” successful African American law school applicants. The idea for her new book was born. Given the fact that less than half of all African American law school applicants get into any law school that they apply to, her new book is timely and greatly needed. Here’s more … “During the application process, I mistakenly thought it was primarily about good grades and strong Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores. One of the biggest hurdles for African Americans is understanding what is necessary to properly prepare for such a high stakes exam. I was among those people who didn’t have a realistic sense of what it took to ace this test. Besides the numbers, which are definitely a large part of the admissions process, being viewed as a competitive candidate goes much deeper than that. Reviewing actual application materials from top Black law students gave me a much better and more accurate picture of the very high level of competition that exists,” states the author. “It was eye-opening. I had no clue about the realities of what I was up against. At the same time, I was proud to see that these accomplished individuals were African American. It was stimulating to learn about all of the impressive study abroad experiences they had, summer internships they completed, the awards they received and community service they performed. It was affirming to read their personal essays and relate to our common experiences and their engaging, diverse and complex perspectives as Black Americans. Even more compelling was the adversity some of those applicants had to conquer to achieve their dreams. They were strong in every area and also had that “X” or “wow” factor that would make admissions officers look twice. By the time I got my hands on this, it was December of my senior year – really too late to change anything I had done since I was already in the process of getting my applications ready. Having this type of information early on could have really empowered me.” To assist prospective Black lawyers, Mitchell has compiled and edited Profiles & Essays of Successful African American Law School Applicants. This dynamic and empowering resource book includes: Seventy-five (75) profiles and over 60 essays from a diversity of outstanding African Americans who were successfully admitted to well over 100 different law schools from every tier-level across the nation Advice from African American law students and graduates specifically for future applicants Checklists to assist applicants in essay preparation Expert insight on the admissions process and the importance of the personal statement, resume and profile from experienced law school admissions professionals An advice book/workbook including numerous detailed tips on writing the personal statement, resume, profile, addendum and recommendations A listing of useful writing resources, pre-law organizations and websites The text of the landmark Grutter v. Bollinger University of Michigan Law School Supreme Court decision upholding affirmative action in law school admissions Self-assessment, strategic planning and law school admissions committee exercises Affirmations for law school admissions success, and Personal statement/essay instructions from the majority of American Bar Association-approved law schools. “The whole concept behind this book is that we learn to be successful by emulating successful people and this book is full of them. If I would have had this book as a high school student or at the beginning of my college years it would have meant the world to me. I had an idea of what I thought I was supposed to do. However, I didn’t have any concrete models to emulate. It would have helped me to take on a more competitive mindset and then strategize, plan and step up my game a few more levels in every area,” shares the author. “Although I was a focused ‘straight A’ college student with the strong desire to break the cycle and ‘make it’ in the academic realm and in the professional world, there is so much more I had the potential to achieve if I had been armed with this knowledge. I will readily admit that I was woefully ignorant about the true nature of the law school admissions process. I was under the false impression that if you were a hardworking honors student that you were somehow entitled to law school acceptance. Law school admissions, like life, doesn’t quite work this way. I learned the hard way that there are no guarantees. Knowing what I now know I would have been willing to fight even harder against people and circumstances that tried to stifle me. I would have been much more proactive and willing to create opportunities that weren’t readily available to me. Unfortunately, for the most part, I navigated the law school admissions process alone. I had the basic information regarding the forms that had to be filled out and the requirements. But I did not have advisement or mentors to fully explain the high level of expectation to be considered a truly competitive candidate.” “Knowing what I learned too late in the application process, I would have made a concerted effort in those years of pre-law school preparation to really stand out from the literally thousands of other very bright prospective law students I was competing against by highlighting my unique background, personal characteristics, leadership qualities and accomplishments, especially in light of the obstacles and negativity I overcame. In addition, I would have emphasized, appreciated and better understood what I brought to the table in terms of diversity to the law school classroom and community. I possessed interesting perspectives based on the various aspects of my multiple social identities and experiences which would contribute to this diversity, including and beyond race, that should have been pointed out and clearly explained.” “I was uneducated about the realities and took the admission process at face value. These days, applicants don’t have to. For me, I can’t change the past. However, I can impact the future by assisting others through this groundbreaking and practical publication. This book will help people with law school aspirations, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds like me, or those who attend schools that lack strong pre-law advisement, who have the ambition to become lawyers but badly need solid guidance on how to create a strategic plan or blueprint for their law school admissions success.” If you or someone you know is interested in attending law school, this book is a worthy investment. Profiles & Essays of Successful African American Law School Applicants (ISBN: 0-9679303-1-6, 420 pages, 8 ½” x 11”, $29.95) is now available direct from the publisher. For more information, call them at 713-867-5923, or visit their website at http://www.hopespromisepublishing.com. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Evangeline M. Mitchell
From Houston, TX Prairie View A&M University class of 1994 Member Since May 2001 |
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