One of my students — I’ll call her “Elena” — is an ambitious first-gen undergraduate at the end of their first year who recently wrote to me seeking advice about preparing for law school. Elena wanted to know which classes to take and what minor to declare to improve her odds of getting accepted. Here is my response, edited somewhat to exclude personal details and to speak to a wider audience than just this student:

Dear “Elena,”

I’m so glad you’re asking for advice at this stage in the game. Law school is one of the most demanding and rewarding paths you can take after college, and the decisions you make as an undergraduate matter more than most students realize. I’ve watched a number of Goshen students make this journey successfully — and a few stumble because they didn’t prepare well. Here’s my honest advice.

First: Ask Yourself Why

Before diving into strategy, pause on a question many pre-law students skip: “Why do I want to go to law school, and what kind of law do I actually want to practice?”

Law is a huge field. Immigration law, criminal defense, corporate law, public interest work, civil rights litigation — these careers look very different from each other in terms of daily work, income, and impact. A corporate attorney at a large Chicago firm and a public defender in Elkhart County both went to law school, but they inhabit entirely different worlds.

Your answer to the “why” question will shape every other decision on this list. It will also shape your personal statement — admissions committees want students with genuine direction, not just ambition. “I want to go to law school” is a starting point. “I want to practice immigration law because I believe in access to justice for people who have been pushed to the margins” is a story. Stories get people admitted.

1. Do your best work in every single class

Don’t settle for passing — try to get the most you can out of every course. Students who genuinely engage with their coursework tend to earn strong grades, but grades aren’t the only point. Professors write letters of recommendation, and the professors who write the most compelling letters are the ones who have seen you show up prepared, meet deadlines without reminders, and take intellectual risks. That portrait — committed, capable, detail-oriented — is exactly what law schools look for.

2. Develop your writing skills — seriously

You can major in anything before law school. There is no required pre-law major, and what matters more is whether you graduate with the ability to read complex material quickly, construct a clear argument, and write with precision under pressure.

Pre-law minors can be good, especially if they include a variety of courses in the social sciences and humanities, but consider a minor in English as well. Many of the skills law schools are looking for — close reading, careful argumentation, attention to how language works — are cultivated in English courses. The current Legal Director of the National Immigrant Justice Center majored in English as an undergraduate at Goshen College. That kind of path is more common than students assume.

If you are bilingual, a minor in English will also push you to keep developing your reading and writing fluency — the ability to read and write quickly and efficiently without translation aids is a genuine asset in legal work and in LSAT preparation. Also, lean into the fact that you are bilingual — it’s a huge asset. Take upper level courses in English and Spanish that develop your communication skills in both.

3. Pursue internships that connect to real legal work

Law schools want to see that you have tested your interest in the real world. The National Immigrant Justice Center — a national organization headquartered in Chicago with a branch office right here in Goshen — has hosted multiple CJRJ interns who have described it as one of the best experiences of their undergraduate years. NIJC requires bilingual interns with strong grades and a high tolerance for challenge. It’s competitive, but it’s the kind of experience that transforms a law school application. I have also placed seniors at the St. Joseph Legal Aid clinic and Elkhart County Courthouse.

If criminal justice is your focus, consider interning with a public defender’s office, a reentry organization, or a legal aid society. The point is direct exposure to how the law operates on the ground — and something concrete to write about in your personal statement.

4. Build a life outside the classroom

Law schools admit people who have actually lived. A diverse range of experiences signals resilience and the kind of interpersonal intelligence that legal practice demands. Waiting tables at a good restaurant, working as a camp counselor, or volunteering with an organization like CAPS (Children and Parent Services here in Goshen) all build skills that no seminar fully teaches — patience, adaptability, the ability to communicate clearly with people whose lives look very different from your own. Goshen College offers a very special study abroad program called SST — Study-Service Term — that provides alumni with amazing life skills living and serving in the Global South. Take that opportunity!

Summer jobs that push you to use your English as much as possible are especially valuable if you are a bilingual student. The LSAT rewards exactly the habits of mind that wide reading and varied human experience develop.

5. Look into programs for first-generation students

If you are a first-generation college student, several law schools have created programs specifically to help you navigate this path. The Roadmap Scholars Initiative at the University of Virginia School of Law, for example, offers mentorship, LSAT preparation, and summer internships to first-generation college sophomores. It is competitive — but Goshen College students have been accepted recently — and applying is itself valuable preparation. It forces you to articulate your goals, gather recommendations early, and present yourself to a professional audience. I have “struck out” on most of the fellowships I’ve applied for over the years. But the three or four I got were amazing. So apply anyway — you won’t get any opportunities that you don’t try for.

A Final Word

None of this is easy. Law school itself is not easy, and a career in public interest law involves hard work and real discouragement alongside the moments of meaning. But the students who make it are rarely the ones with the smoothest path — they are the ones who took their development seriously, kept going when things got hard, and never confused “difficult” with “impossible.”

If you genuinely want to help people navigate one of the most consequential systems in American life, law is a remarkable vehicle for that. The preparation starts now. ¡Animo!