Law school admissions consultants

As you think about whether law school is right for you—or even if you already know it is—what can you be doing now, in college or beyond, to improve your chances of getting in? In this series, “The Short on Long-Term Planning,” jdMission Senior Consultant Mary Adkins offers tips on how to make smart moves in the pre-application stage.

It is now July, and that means summer internships are in full swing. As you continue to adjust to wearing collars rather than flip-flops and jeans, here are a few tips to make the most of your internship, setting yourself up for a stellar letter of recommendation or reference down the line.

1. Attack boring projects head on. So you arrive at the office on day one and are given a stack of hand-scribbled numbers. “Put these into an Excel spreadsheet,” you are told. Great, you think, a summer of data entry. Rather than dragging the mindless project out miserably, though, do the opposite—finish it quickly, report in and politely ask for something more substantive as your next project. But do not actually say “something more substantive.” See tip number 2…

2. Ask for more responsibility in a proactive way. I do not know how many times I have heard over the years, “My internship was boring. I didn’t get to do anything.” If these phrases sound familiar, I hate to tell you, but you could probably benefit from a kick in the butt. The interns who get the good work tend to be those who ask for it.

Look around for what needs to be done that you think you could do well, and offer to start there. Many bosses of interns complain that these workers actually create more work for them, because they have difficulty thinking of tasks to give the interns. Solve this problem on your own, and your boss will love you.

3. Be enthusiastic. If you are unhappy or bored, this will likely be apparent. Enthusiasm will get you far, whereas a lack of it will leave a bitter aftertaste once you have returned to school.

And have fun!

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