Each month, we give an inside look at the work happening behind the scenes at the College of Law. The Admissions team guides prospective students through the application process and introduces them to the Nebraska Law community. They facilitate many events throughout the year, including workshops, panels, and campus visits, which give a look into life at the College of Law.
Admissions Staff:
Hannah Coldiron, Recruitment Specialist
Chelsea Klein, Assistant Director of Recruitment Programming
Melissa McCoy, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Enrollment Operations
Rachel Smith, Recruitment Coordinator
Q: How does the admissions team support prospective and incoming students?
HC: The admissions team supports prospective and incoming students in SO many unique ways! Prospective students can attend Application Chats and Personal Statement Workshops to help them feel confident as they complete their applications, or they can schedule one-on-one meetings to receive more personalized advice and information and take a tour of the College. Incoming students have also reached out with questions about their scholarships, where they can live, and how to get involved in Lincoln, and the team here has always been quick to reply!
CK: We support prospective and incoming students by making personal connections with the students. By doing this, we are able to tailor each prospective and incoming students experience to their needs.
MM: Our goal is to demonstrate the collaborative nature of our law school community through the helpful actions of the admissions team. We begin by offering educational programs about the application process, including a workshop to help prospective students get started on their personal statements. We offer tips for applying and suggestions for how to select a law school, and we pride ourselves on being quick and thorough with our responses to questions and our ability to offer guidance and transparency throughout the admissions process.
RS: Our team is here to guide students through the entire admissions process. We are available to meet with prospective students to discuss when would be best for them to take the LSAT, how to write an outstanding personal statement, and how to make their application the highest quality possible. After they are admitted, we make sure they have lots of opportunities to visit and get to know the school so they are ready to go in the fall!
Q: What does your day-to-day work entail?
HC: My day-to-day work involves answering emails from prospective and incoming students as well as helping coordinate admission events like Application Chats. I help plan ahead for law school fairs and do data analysis to get a better idea of what our student body and our school looks like on paper (what classes students took in undergrad, how our employment rate compares to other schools, etc.).
CK: My day to day varies throughout the year. In the fall, my schedule consists of traveling to schools/fairs along with processing applications. In the spring, I spend time processing applications, but I also work on Admitted Student Day, the biggest admitted student event we host. During the summer, we spend time brainstorming ideas of what we want the next recruiting cycle to look like.
MM: My work day rarely goes as planned. I typically will have a list of tasks that include looking at data, reviewing applications, planning and scheduling events, writing and reviewing campaigns, proofing marketing materials, and meeting with team members and various administrative colleagues. But questions and issues can arise that will pull me away from my plans. I like that, however. Never a dull moment.
RS: As the Recruitment Coordinator, every day is different! I might be hosting an event at the college, traveling, attending fairs, presenting in classes, hosting panels, or just working away in my office. I am always doing what I need to do to help students and spread the word about all the great things Nebraska Law has to offer. It is a very busy life, but tons of fun!
Q: What is your favorite part of working at Nebraska Law?
HC: So far, my favorite part of working at Nebraska Law has been seeing everyone’s CliftonStrengths! I worked with Strengths before coming here, and it gives me so much joy to see the Law College helping people recognize what makes them uniquely amazing. I have also loved getting to know my coworkers and my staff buddy better. They are all such incredible human beings!
CK: One of my favorite parts of working at Nebraska Law are the people that I am able to work with on a daily basis. Another favorite part is the travel we do as an office. I have been able to visit places I have never visited before and was able to make connections with prospective students who eventually started at Nebraska Law.
MM: I love the summers the most and not for the reasons you might think. I really love that pause, after a year of hard work, when the class is mostly settled in, and we can revel in that success but also can enjoy the freshness of taking what we learned from the previous years and start putting plans together for the coming year. It’s that sense of optimism and excitement for what we might be able to do next year that feels fun and invigorating.
RS: It is hard to choose what I love most about working at Nebraska Law, but it really comes down to all the opportunities it presents. I get to travel to some amazing places to attend fairs, forums, and conferences. I visit close to 30 cities each year! I also love the culture we have at the law school. Everyone is so welcoming and helpful. We have several fun events throughout the year that really contribute to the sense of community we have here that a lot of law schools don’t.
Q: What do the busiest times of year look like for your department?
HC: I haven’t been here long enough to have really experienced all the different seasons. But I know September and October will be BUSY with Law Fairs and LSAC forums. I will have more days on the road visiting different schools than I will have in Lincoln those two months!
CK: The busiest times of the year would be the end of September through the beginning of November. This is the time that we are on the road recruiting for the next class. The months of February through April are also busy with admitted student events and our big Admitted Student Day.
MM: Our office never really has “down” time. We are always busy but there are two really intense times for us. The first is about a 6-week period in the fall, when our recruiters are on the road almost constantly, getting on planes, renting cars, traveling from city to city, event to event. Meanwhile, back here at the office, we’ll be hosting many visitors, both on an individual basis or guests who come to our events. Then, from about mid-February to mid-April, we work hard to get in those final applicants, facilitate events and visits, and plan our annual Admitted Student Day. Then, we continue to work hard up through that first deposit deadline of April 15th. But it doesn’t end there. We still have to seal the deal, making sure we get those second deposits in while already starting to think about recruiting the following year’s class.
RS: It is hard to say, because both the fall and spring semesters are very busy but in different ways. In the fall, we are in travel season. In the spring, we are focusing on getting admitted students to visit and make their final decision. Admitted Student Day is the biggest event of the year for our team, so that is one of the most stressful and busiest times for us.
Q: If you knew someone interested in applying for law school, what advice would you give them?
HC: This is going to sound so simple, but I would tell them to reach out to the admissions office at any schools they are interested in applying to. Those people will have a wealth of knowledge about the application process at their school and will most likely have a great deal of respect for a prospective student that appreciates their expertise. Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions and always thank the person helping you. It goes a long way! And register for the LSAT early!
CK: My advice to those who are applying to law school would be to reach out to the admissions office at the schools you are applying to. We are here to answer your questions and help you through the process.
MM: Take the LSAT seriously and prepare. Start early. Apply early. Connect with us. Get to know the admissions team because that will only help you.
RS: Make an appointment and visit! Each applicant is different. It is best to meet with an admissions representative and talk about what you can do to make your application stand out. Visiting is also important for prospective students to get a feel for what the school is like and decide if it would be the right fit for them. We take individual appointments, but we also host several events throughout the year that anyone can attend to learn more about Nebraska Law.
