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Students in the Department of Political Science at ÃÛÌÒÉçÇø Michigan University applying for law school will need to purchase reports from the Law School Data Assembly Service, which assembles data derived from candidates’ transcripts and LSATs.

The LSDAS places grades from institutions with varying grade point systems on the same scale to allow the law schools to evaluate all students on a more equivalent basis. The service combines information from all transcripts you send, so credits that may not be computed in your current undergraduate GPA will be calculated in the LSDAS report of your GPA. LSAT scores earned in the last five years will be reported, as well as the averages of those reported. At the request of a law school the LSDAS analysis may also include an index score derived from the GPA, the LSAT scores and the undergraduate schools attended.

Almost all ABA-accredited law schools require you to register with LSDAS using the application forms in the Information Book, and to send in official transcripts from any colleges or universities you have attended, including graduate schools (except graduates of foreign post-secondary schools).

You get one law school report with your LSDAS subscription. If you plan to apply to more than one law school, you need to estimate the number and pay for that number of reports when you register with LSDAS. You do not need to tell LSDAS where you expect to apply. When you apply to a law school, they will contact the LSDAS to obtain a copy of your report directly from them. This process eliminates the problem of law schools receiving your report and establishing a file even if you decide later not to apply there. To apply to more schools than you originally estimated, you must submit an Additional LSDAS Law School Report Order Form from the book. Fee waivers do not apply to the additional reports.

An LSDAS subscription lasts for one year. Therefore, subscribe only within the year you plan to apply to law school. Allow LSDAS enough time to process your transcripts before your applications arrive at the law schools. For most this means subscribing and sending in your transcripts approximately one year prior to the time you hope to start law school. If you are a senior and are counting on your senior year grades to improve your GPA and increase your competitiveness, you may choose to send a transcript to LSDAS after your fall grades are recorded. You should also send an official transcript with those grades directly to the law schools so that they will be aware of your progress without waiting for an update to be processed by LSDAS. A few schools will not accept LSDAS updates. With these schools, you must weigh the advantages of applying early against your potentially improved GPA.