What is the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship?
The BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship is designed to introduce law school success strategies to at-risk students early on in their law school careers, giving them a boost that could have critical consequences for their futures . The goal of the scholarship is to open doors that really matter, facilitate the successful transition from high school to law school, and point students on a path to a bright future. Helping students develop skills that are customarily not shared until after 1L year could be the difference in landing a coveted summer associate position or passing the bar exam.
Eligibility Requirements for Scholarship Applicants
To be eligible for the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship, applicants must be entering 1st year students at an ABA-accredited law school. Applicants may not have taken the LSAT more than once in the past five years. Eligible schools include the two or three-year J.D. program, LL.M., J.D. / MBA or J.D. / MSW program. Students who are currently enrolled in law school are not eligible for this award.
How to Apply for the Scholarship
The application process begins with completion of an online application form, available through the BARBRI website during the application window period. This information allows BARBRI to determine scholarship eligibility in concurrence with the winner’s application for admission to law school. Next, applicants will be asked to submit a letter of recommendation from a college or high school professor, employer, and/or mentor. The letter writer must submit this document directly to BARBRI through email or the BARBRI website upload portal. Following submission of the online form and recommendation letter, applicants will then need to submit a short essay (250-500 words) describing the impact of the scholarship on their plans to attend law school. Specific essay writing instructions will be posted on the BARBRI website during the application window period. After review of all applications, BARBRI will then select and notify the winner(s) of their award via email.
Advantages of the Scholarship
The primary benefit of the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship is that it awards incoming 1L students with financial support for their first-year law studies. With an average full-time law school tuition at $50,000 or more (bar review courses not included), any scholarship can prove monumental in easing student debt for future lawyers. The BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship provides $5,000 to all qualified scholarship applicants. In addition to monetary awards, qualifying BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship applicants are also granted free access to the BARBRI Law Preview® course. This course aims to provide a head start to incoming law school students by teaching them fundamental elements of legal education and study habits, as well as a preview of the subjects on the first-year curriculum. Students may take the course over the summer or early in their first semester, and it is available in both a live and online format. This benefit is particularly useful as first-year material will be covered on the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam (MPRE) and students may be asked to recall facts and rules during exams in other classes. The Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C. Scholarship additionally offers 10 students the chance to obtain a full-tuition scholarship to attend the BARBRI Law Preview course. The above-mentioned perks are just a few of the tangible incentives for students pursuing the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship.
How to Prepare a Winning Scholarship Application
Our selection committee is most impressed by applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to law school and have a clear vision of how a BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. It’s not enough to tell us you want a law degree. Tell us why you need one you aspire to obtain one from the school of your dreams and how success in law preview will help get you there.
We know that you are considering several different law schools — that you would love to attend all of them — but what is it about the school you hope to attend that set it apart from the rest? Please be specific! Also , remember that it never hurts to mention if you will be a first-generation law student. This makes a strong positive impression on our selection committee!
Take the time to write your essays and responses carefully; these are important to the selection process and we will notice spelling and grammatical errors. We also take note of late applications. Applications are open now and will close on June 2, 2019.
Scholarship Success Stories
Over the last few years of the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship, we’ve highlighted the success of a number of students who went on to attend many of the nations leading law schools and gone on to enjoy stellar success during law school, upon graduation and in their subsequent careers.
For example:
Kristen Gray Harvard
Kimberly Klimek Notre Dame
Christine Chang Columbia
Panama Sharps Duke
Justin Crump Miami of Ohio
Brittany Davis Oklahoma State
Amanda Harris Notre Dame
Codie Downey Turner University
Jordan Aichel Cincinnati
Josh Taylor Chicago
This is a very small sample of the students that have won the BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship in the past many years. Check out our recent press release for more scholarship winner success stories.
Commonly Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship Applicants
How does this $2,500 scholarship fit into my financial aid package?
Students who earn a BARBRI Law Preview Scholarship receive $5,000 directly from BARBRI, in cash. This does not reduce any federal or private loans students may be eligible to receive, nor would it directly affect your financial aid package from your law school.
If I attend summer classes , can I still renew my scholarship?
Students who are awarded a BARBRI Law Preview scholarship and who complete the program are eligible for an additional $2,500 scholarship every year they attend law school. To be eligible for renewal, students must attend at least 1 summer law school program per year for 4 consecutive years. Summer programs do not need to be completed through BARBRI to qualify.