We interviewed Michael P. Spivey, the coordinator of admissions and recruitment at Vanderbilt University Law School to find out what he had to say about law school admissions in 2001.

TPR: What questions do you suggest that students should ask themselves before they make the decision to attend law school?

Spivey: Certainly the first question any potential law school applicant should ask themselves is "Why?" What are his/her personal reasons for seeking to attend law school? The operative word here is personal. I have found time and time again that students who truly succeed at law school, the ones with both the high GPAs and the high involvement, are the students who are here to fulfill their own dreams and passions. Conversely, the ones that "just get by" or those who don't finish are most often those who have applied without a clear reason or purpose. Perhaps their parents are lawyers, and they just have not given it much thought. Maybe they just want to stay in school awhile longer, and law school amounts to another three years. I firmly believe you will know whether or not you truly desire to do this. Just follow your heart and be honest with yourself.

TPR: What should the major factors be in their decision?

Spivey: One major factor is "Where?" I have seen applicants use a shotgun approach and apply to over 30 law schools! This is crazy and quite honestly costly, both in time and money. Be selective and research schools you are considering thoroughly. I think any number between 4-8 schools makes the most sense. You want to have at least one "safety" and one "stretch" school, but keep in mind that your safety should still be a school you would want to attend.

Applications continue to rise in numbers at a majority of law schools, and I have spoken with many students who have only been admitted to their "safety". That's not atypical, and there is nothing to be ashamed of if this happens. Graduate school admissions is much more competitive than was undergrad. Still, when you are selecting schools to apply to, make sure they are only schools that you will want to attend. Sounds like common sense but I talk to students weekly who have only been admitted to "X" University, and state that they will not attend school there. Then why apply to "X" University in the first place?

Accordingly, make sure you visit the schools you apply to. A campus visit is the absolute best thing you can do to help you make a clear decision, and it most always helps with your admissions status as well. Meet people, see the school, these are the two most important things you can do on the "front-end" of the admissions process.

TPR: You said that the number of applications is continuing to rise. Have you noticed any other trends with the applications to Vanderbilt?

Spivey: Nationally, there has been a steady increase if the number of female law school applicants. In fact, last year's class of admitted students was the first in the history of Vanderbilt University Law School to have more women than men.

TPR: How has your school's curriculum evolved/changed over the past several years? What were the reasons behind these changes?

Spivey: Individual courses are added and withdrawn yearly at a micro-level, however the most systemic change can been seen in the involvement of interdisciplinary education. For example, just this year Vanderbilt University Law School has added a Law and Business Program and a J.D./M.D. degree.

The Law and Business program is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in either Business or Law, but who do not wish to obtain a joint J.D./M.B.A. These students take classes at both the Business School and at the Law School, and are trained in such subject areas as Corporate Finance, Internet Law, interface with e-commerce, etc.

Similarly, the J.D./M.D. degree is a new program designed for those students wishing to add legal expertise to their medical practice.

TPR: What types of applicants apply for joint degree programs? What do you look for in these applicants?

Spivey: If there is one difference I would say that these applicants generally already know exactly what they want for a career. For example, a joint M.D./J.D. student generally comes into the admissions process with an idea in might, such as running his or her own medical clinic. This is not inherently good or bad, and I certainly don't encourage students to force themselves towards a specific career path until they have a general knowledge of their options. For those that do know exactly that they want, however, joint degree programs are often a viable option.

TPR: What is the review process for an application? Is every application reviewed by a panel, or is only a select group reviewed?

Spivey: Absolutely every application is reviewed. I can not stress this enough. Furthermore, we review each application both individually and holistically. In other words, we do not have a matrix or a probability chart or any thing of the sort. Applicants ask me these questions every year and I wonder why any school would ever resort to using arbitrary cut-off percentiles. There is a faculty admissions committee which reviews the application, and spend countless hours doing so.

It is so important that applicants realize that they will be reviewed as individuals. Differentiation is the key to admissions, not just quantitative differentiation but also qualitative. The Admissions Committee is going to key in on what is unique about you, so make sure you highlight these points!

TPR: What types of character traits/personal qualities are held in the most highly regarded by your school's admissions staff?

Spivey: Without a doubt, leadership qualities are the number one trait we look for in applicants. It's one thing to have been a member of 40 societies while an undergraduate, but it is quite another to have been a leader in a few strong ones. Ask yourself, "Does my application portray me as a leader or as a follower?" Do I stand out as a unique individual, or will this application just follow a standard format?

We want differentiation; we want students who will bring a cornucopia of ideas to the classroom. Therefore traits such as creativity, individuality, and passion should shine in the application.

TPR: And how does your application attempt to discover what candidates possess them?

Spivey: The personal statement best displays individuality, it is the one place in the application where students can make themselves stand out. If we ask what organizations you have participated in, let us know your role! The key here is to let us know what others do not, to differentiate. This should be the central theme throughout the application and admissions process. Stand out from the masses!

TPR: How important is it that an applicant know what specialty he/she wants to go into when applying?

Spivey: It's not important. In fact, sometimes I think it can be counter-productive. Applicants often come here thinking a legal career will be like L.A. Law or Ally McBeal. I've yet to have seen a law firm with unisex bathrooms. There is a lot more to law than these shows portray, and there is a lot more to each specific field of law than meets the naked eye. This is exactly why we, and almost all law schools, have "lock-step" first year classes. We are going to give you a very broad, well-rounded array of legal course and concepts your first year. Come in with an open mind and get embedded in the framework of the law. Once this happens, you will find yourself gravitating towards a particular area, and will be much more informed in doing so.

TPR: Law school is notorious for its extremely difficult first year. How do you suggest students prepare themselves to deal with this pressure and stress?

Spivey: I think the adage in law school is: "The first year they scare you to death, the second year they work you to death, and the third year they bore you to death." I've heard it often from applicants, to the point where I think it can be self-fulfilling. Law school is hard work, but everyone here is capable of doing it. These are students who have excelled scholastically, who already have the self-discipline and student habits down cold. Therefore, they should come in confident. There is no reason to expect that law school will blow them away. It is rigorous, and the Socratic method of teaching can be intimidating. I have yet to meet an admitted student here, however, who could not excel if they set their mind to it. I should add also that we do not let our first year students work part time. There is a transition period and we'd rather they not take on too many responsibilities.

TPR: How do you think the recent downturn in the economy will affect the next round of admissions?

Spivey: It seems as if it will help. Historically this is the case, when the economy is down more people apply to graduate schools. It is important to note that this will actually make the admissions process more competitive. We like the fact that we see an increase in applications, though I'm not entirely sure the applicants themselves like this.

TPR: Do you think that the recent economic downturn is having an effect on the type of applicant you are seeing?

Spivey: It probably has had an impact on both the quantity and quality of applicants we see. I joke that graduate schools are like liquor stores, when the economy is down we see more people. That's just the nature of the beast for us, not just in law school but in graduate programs as a whole. I will say that our career services department here does an excellent job, and we have not had any problems placing people despite the downturn in the economy.

TPR: When is the best time for candidates to apply to school? Does applying early mean a student has a better chance of getting in?

Spivey: Early, early, early! Along with visiting the school and interviewing/meeting people, I would say that applying at the earliest possible time is the single most important thing you can do. First off, there is an empty slate, (i.e. no spots are filled yet). I have seen very strong applicants apply towards the end and struggle, simply because there is no space left. Similarly, as far as scholarship money is concerned, that pot is full at the beginning of the cycle. It is not replenished until next year and when we run out, that money is gone. This is an easy question. Apply as early as you can. The one caveat I would add is that if one scored poorly on the LSAT and is to retake it, then wait for the scores even if it is during the admissions cycle.

TPR: Over the years, what have been the most egregious flaws in an application?

Spivey: Well, without giving away confidentiality of applicants, I have seen applications in which they address another school rather than ours. In others words "All my life I have wanted to attend X University Law School" rather than "Vanderbilt" University Law School. That was rather egregious. Also if you handwriting is horrible, type the application. I would conjecture that 98% of applications are typed anyway, and some applicants go as far as laser copying the application on resume paper and then typing them. Finally, don't ask people for letters of recommendation without asking first if they feel comfortable writing you one. I have seen some pretty bad letters of recommendation, such as "I don't even know who this person is."

TPR: What advice would you give to a student asking for a letter of recommendation?

Spivey: Ask the recommender if they feel comfortable writing the letter. This will preclude any possibility of having a "bad letter" sent in. Also keep in mind that what is said about you is important than who says it. If there is a TA you know very well, don't shy away from having him/her write you a letter. Two pages of praise from this person will look much better than one paragraph from the head of the department.

TPR: What is the one most important thing you would tell a potential student?

Spivey: Just relax about the process and be yourself. I have yet to meet someone at a law school with the title "Director of Rejection". We all want to help applicants and want to admit them. Get to know us, come visit the schools. Friendliness and being yourself can go along way.