Podcast Highlight:

This week’s program sheds light on the cost of applying to law school. While most students think only of LSAT and application fees when they consider the expenses involved with the law school application process, there are various other costs involved. In addition to LSAT and application fees, students will also incur Law School Credential Assembly (CAS) fees, the cost to travel and visit different law school programs, and the non-monetary (but still considerable) emotional cost of preparing for three years in a rigorous educational program.

On today’s podcast we will hear from Linda Abraham, President and CEO of Accepted.com; Randall Ryder, an attorney and contributor to Lawyerist.com; and David Pallozzi, Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Maine School of Law.

Everyone on the program discusses the high cost of applying to law school, and each suggests ways to help make that cost more manageable. Linda suggests that, if you decide to get additional outside help completing your applications, you only get assistance for the parts of you file that need it the most (i.e., your personal statement or addendums), and not spend money on sections you have fine-tune yourself. David suggests looking into application and LSAT fee waivers that can help defray the general fees associated with the process, and Randall advises cutting down on travel expenses by narrowing your list of potential law schools before visiting them.

Do you know what some of the most common law school and LSAT fees are? If you choose to apply to law school, make sure to consider the whole financial picture:

LSAT and LSAT Prep
LSAT prep can vary from $50 for a book to over $1,500 for a course.

Test registration: $160
Late registration: $160 + $69 (late fee)
Test date change: $80
Test center change: $35

Visit the LSAC and CAS Fee Services pages on LSAC.org for a complete list of potential LSAT costs and information on how to obtain an LSAT fee waiver.

Law School Applications and Admissions Counseling
Private admissions counseling can range from $100 to $1500.

Application fee: Ranges from $40 to $100 per school
LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS): $155 (base fee for CAS) + $12 per school you apply

Guests:

Linda Abraham – President/CEO of Accepted.com
Randall Ryder – Attorney and Contributor to Lawyerist.com
David Pallozzi – Assistant Dean for Admission at the University of Maine School of Law