We cannot stress the paramountcy of planning ahead in every aspect of your applications.  While it is crucial that you execute and draft strong sketches and personal statements, such submissions can only ever be as compelling as the substance at their core. You cannot wish you had taken the role of editor-in-chief of the school newspaper in third year (when all you did was write one film review in second year) as you sit down to draft your statements. Even the most skilled writer cannot complete a compelling application for these schools without years of meaningful extracurricular experiences.

Starting in year one of university, it is important to pursue hobbies as well as volunteer and work experiences in order to prepare for you for the application processes.  Such commitments must be treated with dedication, as strategic objectives, rather than passing fancies, and you should aim to make yourself seem as impressive as possible to as wide a band of potential evaluators as you can.

Campus organizations and teams are a great venue to pursue these opportunities as they typically consist of an executive council that oversees the organization’s members and activities.  Most universities host a club fair during the first month of the academic year where you can learn about possible organizations that interest you.  Pursue activities that you are passionate about, rather than focusing on how good you believe they would look on a law school application.  There are a wide variety of activities offered at most universities, including student councils, cultural groups, sports teams, and charity organizations.  Be selective when joining activities and clubs.  There are numerous organizations that offer membership with very little commitment; however, this does not mean that you should join.  An admissions committee will look favourably at applicants who have taken on leadership positions setting themselves apart from, and often directing, others. While executive positions are difficult to obtain in your first year, put yourself in a position to attain some leadership roles by the end of your undergraduate career.  This is accomplished by taking on progressively more responsibility in the organization each year.

While you should aim for as many impressive extracurricular activities as possible, it is often more important to have a smaller number of substantive entries than to include material of lesser quality.  A common misconception is that law admission committees favour particular activities.  The key, instead, is to enroll and then dedicate yourself to any project that best showcases your strengths and passions. Understand that early involvement in extracurricular activities sets the stage for meaningful, long-term commitments that can then be highlighted in your personal statement/autobiographical sketch and reference letters.