What do you do in this situation (very important, please)? Forum

[GermX]

Trying to plan ahead. So I got accepted into a great law school(yay!) but the response date has to be by April 15. Thing is, I'm only recently going complete at some of my target schools (Chicago was 02/12, Cornell isn't even listed as complete yet, Georgetown 02/05).

They keep saying they need "8-12" weeks, so, let's say I don't hear back yet from a target school, what should I do? Send that great law school (don't want to say the name, but it's in the top 30) a deposit then withdraw and lose the deposit if I suddenly get the acceptance I want?

Personally, I'm waiting on UCLA and USC to answer, and I have no idea how long they take (I went complete there in January for both of them).

[cavebat2000]

I fear I am going to have the same problem as you. I'd be interested in some advice as well.

[Zapatero]

It sucks, but if you haven't heard by the deposit deadline, you just have to eat that money.

[bitlrc]

everything i've seen has indicated that a lot of people do end up putting down seat deposits only to withdraw when they get taken off a waitlist or get accepted into a better school. obviously it's at your discretion, but in the end, you have to think about which is more important: $300 or being 100% sure you went to the right school.

[Mr. Matlock]

It sucks, but if you haven't heard by the deposit deadline, you just have to eat that money.

This. Dean Pless from Illinois says he's perplexed to find the number of students that double, triple, etc.... deposit for law schools. To me, it's just this simple. If you're worried about losing your place, but still holding out hope for something better, it's the price of playing law school admissions poker. Have fun!

[cavebat2000]

It sucks, but if you haven't heard by the deposit deadline, you just have to eat that money.

This. Dean Pless from Illinois says he's perplexed to find the number of students that double, triple, etc.... deposit for law schools. To me, it's just this simple. If you're worried about losing your place, but still holding out hope for something better, it's the price of playing law school admissions poker. Have fun!

Dean Pless said that? Sounds a little out of touch with students and the application process, IMO.

All while law schools are extending their application deadlines for more applications that will inevitably not be decided on until after deposit deadlines.

[starstruck393]

It sucks, but if you haven't heard by the deposit deadline, you just have to eat that money.

This. Dean Pless from Illinois says he's perplexed to find the number of students that double, triple, etc.... deposit for law schools. To me, it's just this simple. If you're worried about losing your place, but still holding out hope for something better, it's the price of playing law school admissions poker. Have fun!

To be fair, Dean Pless was talking about people putting down deposits to two or three schools at once, essentially to delay their decision, not about people who deposit to one school while waiting on others...

[starstruck393]

It sucks, but if you haven't heard by the deposit deadline, you just have to eat that money.

This. Dean Pless from Illinois says he's perplexed to find the number of students that double, triple, etc.... deposit for law schools. To me, it's just this simple. If you're worried about losing your place, but still holding out hope for something better, it's the price of playing law school admissions poker. Have fun!

Dean Pless said that? Sounds a little out of touch with students and the application process, IMO.

All while law schools are extending their application deadlines for more applications that will inevitably not be decided on until after deposit deadlines.

His rationale is fairly sound. I mean, you can only attend one school, so unless you got late acceptances, or just really can't make up your mind, why would you deposit at multiple schools at the same time?

[englawyer]

obvious solution: put down deposit on April 14th if you haven't heard back from anywhere. lose it if you get into a better school

[BaiAilian2013]

obvious solution: put down deposit on April 14th if you haven't heard back from anywhere. lose it if you get into a better school

lol +1, this is the only answer.

I have to say, though, setting a deposit deadline of April 15th when they know full well that many other schools will not have made decisions by then is very discourteous to the applicant. That's why every other school's first deposit deadline is IN MAY. Do they really, really need those extra two weeks for administrative purposes - although apparently no one else does - or are they trying to steal you away from reach schools by forcing an early commitment?

[Sauer Grapes]

....

[iamtaw]

what's a couple of hundred in the grand scheme of hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt?

[starstruck393]

Even worse are the schools that require a deposit by April 1. I can understand where they are coming from though.

The April 1 deadlines suck. It's like schools know they can't get you, so they at least try to get a few hundred out of you...

[JazzOne]

Trying to plan ahead. So I got accepted into a great law school(yay!) but the response date has to be by April 15. Thing is, I'm only recently going complete at some of my target schools (Chicago was 02/12, Cornell isn't even listed as complete yet, Georgetown 02/05).

They keep saying they need "8-12" weeks, so, let's say I don't hear back yet from a target school, what should I do? Send that great law school (don't want to say the name, but it's in the top 30) a deposit then withdraw and lose the deposit if I suddenly get the acceptance I want?

Personally, I'm waiting on UCLA and USC to answer, and I have no idea how long they take (I went complete there in January for both of them).

I sympathize with your situation because I think the schools are playing games with these early deposit deadlines. However, you brought this on yourself by applying so late. Just wait until the last day to pay the deposit. You have no alternatives.

[xcountryjunkie]

While it sucks to lose the deposit, just remember that it's a only a VERY small fraction of the overall expense of law school.