If you are nearing the end of your undergraduate education and are thinking about law school, the summer is the time during which you prepare your law school applications. Law school application deadlines generally are not until the early spring, but schools will generally start accepting applications in August or September. Starting your law school application timeline in the summer will give you a lot of extra time to prepare your application materials, like your personal statement, which can be critical to your success.

The law school application process can seem relatively straightforward and short, but getting an early start can help you in more ways than one. Many schools have rolling application reviews, meaning that they review applications in several rounds rather than all at once after the final law school application deadlines have passed. Because of this, getting your application in well ahead of law school application deadlines can increase your chances of success. The longer you wait, more spots in the class year will have been awarded to other applicants.

Whatever your stage in the law school application process, there are websites, undergraduate counselors, and other professionals that can give you law school application advice. Each stage, from the LSAT to choosing your schools to writing your personal statement, has its unique challenges and getting help from people who have already guided many students through the process can help you avoid common pitfalls that hold a lot of applicants back. Like any deadline, law school application deadlines can sneak up on you when you are busy during the fall semester with your undergraduate or other studies, so taking the extra time to find advice and work on your main application materials can go a long way to helping you get into the school of your dreams.