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i've applied this cycle and had success (see LSN page), but recently made a decision that's going to require me to skip law school for the next two years, probably entering in fall 2012. do i withdraw from all my schools now intending to reapply later, or wait it out, evaluate results, and possibly try to swing a 2-year deferral?

and a followup question to that: i'm in at CLS but really want HLS badly (on hold after a JR1). if i decide to stick it out this cycle and don't get into H, should i play it safe and commit to CLS (providing they'll grant me a 2-year deferral) or withdraw from there and roll the dice again in a couple years?

thanks

I don't think you can defer a WL acceptance so if you are on the waitlist you should just withdraw. I am in the same boat as I may reapply next year to pursue a couple of really wonderful things that may happen for a year, as well as tending to some family matters. I plan to wait for a decision. I will withdraw from WL's, but I face the same dillema should I get accepted by my #2 and blow schools. If #1 happens of course I will try to defer, if anything else that's tough. If I explain my inability to attend they will surely ask me to defer, but if I don't want to commit would that hurt my future chances, especially my delay will only be a few months...

Good luck either way, I want to hear what others have to say as well.

With your numbers, I don't see why you wouldn't get into Columbia in 2 years. I'm deferring Columbia for 2 years because it's definitely my top choice in the city that I want to be in and places well in the sector law I want to be in. That and the fact that my 3.65iish GPA won't get me into any higher school clinches my deferral decision.

As long as you don't mind paying the application fees, changing up the personal statement a little bit, and telling Columbia what you did for two years, you should certainly withdraw from everywhere. The chance that you can get into Harvard in 2 years coupled with the fact that Columbia has no good reason to not accept you again seems to make this a no brainer.

I guess you just need to make sure you withdraw from Columbia in an amicable way. Clearly explain that you intend to apply again in 2 years when you will be definitely be going to law school and Columbia will be a top choice for you once again during that cycle.

I don't think you can defer off the WL, and even if you could, 2-year deferrals are rarer than 1-year deferrals. I think you're just going to have to withdraw and reapply if you want a shot at HLS.

If you want to stay with Columbia, you can request a 2-year deferral from them, but they'll probably accept you again so that may not be wise. You'd be taking away your chance to apply for HLS again by doing so.

vanwinkle wrote:I don't think you can defer off the WL, and even if you could, 2-year deferrals are rarer than 1-year deferrals. I think you're just going to have to withdraw and reapply if you want a shot at HLS.

If you want to stay with Columbia, you can request a 2-year deferral from them, but they'll probably accept you again so that may not be wise. You'd be taking away your chance to apply for HLS again by doing so.

Certain schools allow you to defer off WL (Michigan comes to mind), but I doubt they'd allow a 2-year deferral.

I know for certain yale and stanford don't allow waitlist deferrals, i think all top schools HYS and maybe CCN will not allow it