When during the cycle should I apply? Forum

[mgoblue11]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

[thecilent]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

Early as possible.

/thread

[kalvano]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

Why would it annoy them? I seriously don't understand that thought process.

Would it annoy you if you ran a business, opened at 10:00, and had customers at 10:10?

[captainculpepper]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

Why would it annoy them? I seriously don't understand that thought process.

Would it annoy you if you ran a business, opened at 10:00, and had customers at 10:10?

It wouldn't annoy in this case, but I know that many undergrad admission offices dislike people who send in everything way before the deadline as most people send in apps right before hand.

[vespertiliovir]

I know that many undergrad admission offices dislike people who send in everything way before the deadline as most people send in apps right before hand.

How is it more annoying to deal with a handful of people early in the cycle than a million near the deadline?

[094320]

..

[sumus romani]

In tons of law admissions books, admissions officers universally recommend that applicants submit as early as possible. Their advice is in our mutual self-interest (theirs and ours). You can confirm this with lawschoolnumbers.com at every school.

[kalvano]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

Why would it annoy them? I seriously don't understand that thought process.

Would it annoy you if you ran a business, opened at 10:00, and had customers at 10:10?

It wouldn't annoy in this case, but I know that many undergrad admission offices dislike people who send in everything way before the deadline as most people send in apps right before hand.

You're right. Definitely wait until it's closer to the deadline for their convenience.

[NU_Jet55]

Early as possible.

/thread

Why was this not respected?

[thecilent]

Early as possible.

/thread

Why was this not respected?

No respect from Kalvano

[kalvano]

Early as possible.

/thread

Why was this not respected?

No respect from Kalvano

I try and take every chance to understand the workings of the insane mind.

[Haribo]

There's no detriment to applying the day applications are open (your idea that it might "annoy" adcomms is a little wacky) but at most schools there's a buffer period of several weeks to a month where applications are gathered and then reviewed in a batch, so all applications submitted within that time frame have an identical boost.

It's generally better to wait a few weeks and make sure your personal statement/resume/etc are 100% polished rather than sending out an application with mistakes. For me, I had doubts that my first application out the door would have a perfect PS, no matter how much proof-reading I did, so I sent it to a safety school. Sure enough, a few days later I was glancing at it for the millionth time and discovered a stray "s." I sent in the rest of my applications shortly thereafter.

[jayn3]

Would it annoy you if you ran a business, opened at 10:00, and had customers at 10:10?

yes, people need to leave me the hell alone until i've had at least a few hours to prepare for idiocy.

in other news, your old tar was cuter, sexier, and overall better. please rectify this situation.

[Stanford4Me]

Wait...you want to go to LS?

[capitalacq]

it doesn't matter since most schools wont even touch your application for another month or two

[b.j.]

Since almost all law schools operate on rolling admissions, the conventional wisdom is to apply as early as you can get your LSAT, transcripts, PS, and LORs together. But, while it's obviously advantageous to apply earlier in the cycle rather than, say, in February, is there any risk to sending your application on September 16 for a school whose admissions cycle opens on the 15th? Would that annoy the admissions committee? Would you be competing against a more qualified applicant pool (obviously all hypercaffeinated go-getters) than if you waited until early to mid-October, for example? Or am I just reading way too much into the timing of the application?

I've argued with people here about the need to apply early. Yes, earlier is better, but there's a point when it becomes almost absurd.

Think of this way. Your application is in, to what I imagine is a fairly if not very competitive school, in the middle of September. Unless it's a relatively easy school to get into, and you are applying with a fantastic record, like a 3.9 and a 179, you probably won't be accepted right away. They probably won't even look at your application until, what, November or even December? And then, even after that, you might not hear a response for a few more weeks. I imagine this is even more true as the school becomes harder to gain admission to. I don't think it's going to hurt you at all, but you probably aren't going to get a decision any faster by submitting so incredibly early, even if your application is perfect. In the mean time, you are driving yourself crazy because you haven't heard anything, and chances are, you could have done something, even something small, to improve your application if you had waited a little longer.

I applied way too late last year, and if I had to guess, I'd say it probably hurt me. Applying really early, once again, almost certainly won't hurt you, but if everything is ready to go at a moment's notice, why not take the extra time and do whatever you can to make sure everything is perfect? Spend a week away from your personal statement before coming back to it and seeing if it can be improved, for instance. Time is a luxury that isn't available to everyone, so why not use it if you can?

[kalvano]

Not applying early also significantly hurts your chances at money.