When during the cycle should I apply? Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
Post Reply
User avatar
mgoblue11

New
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:02 pm

When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by mgoblue11 » Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:38 am

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?

User avatar
thecilent

Gold
Posts: 2500
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:55 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by thecilent » Fri Jul 09, 2010 10:39 am

mgoblue11 wrote: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

User avatar
kalvano

Diamond
Posts: 11951
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:24 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by kalvano » Fri Jul 09, 2010 11:01 am

mgoblue11 wrote: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?

User avatar
captainculpepper

New
Posts: 32
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:58 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by captainculpepper » Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:36 pm

kalvano wrote:
mgoblue11 wrote: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.

User avatar
vespertiliovir

Bronze
Posts: 327
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 6:52 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by vespertiliovir » Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:38 pm

captainculpepper wrote: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?

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


094320

Gold
Posts: 4086
Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 5:27 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by 094320 » Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:40 pm

..

sumus romani

Silver
Posts: 564
Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 6:04 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by sumus romani » Fri Jul 09, 2010 4:42 pm

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.

User avatar
kalvano

Diamond
Posts: 11951
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:24 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by kalvano » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:14 pm

captainculpepper wrote:
kalvano wrote:
mgoblue11 wrote: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.

User avatar
NU_Jet55

Silver
Posts: 976
Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 6:54 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by NU_Jet55 » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:18 pm

Cilent21 wrote:Early as possible.

/thread
Why was this not respected?

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
thecilent

Gold
Posts: 2500
Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 4:55 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by thecilent » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:31 pm

NU_Jet55 wrote:
Cilent21 wrote:Early as possible.

/thread
Why was this not respected?
No respect from Kalvano

User avatar
kalvano

Diamond
Posts: 11951
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:24 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by kalvano » Fri Jul 09, 2010 7:34 pm

Cilent21 wrote:
NU_Jet55 wrote:
Cilent21 wrote: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.

User avatar
Haribo

Bronze
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:47 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by Haribo » Sat Jul 10, 2010 3:30 am

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.

User avatar
jayn3

Silver
Posts: 664
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:21 pm

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by jayn3 » Sat Jul 10, 2010 3:45 am

kalvano wrote: 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.

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


User avatar
Stanford4Me

Platinum
Posts: 6240
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 1:23 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by Stanford4Me » Sat Jul 10, 2010 3:48 am

Wait...you want to go to LS?

User avatar
capitalacq

Silver
Posts: 639
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 2:42 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by capitalacq » Sat Jul 10, 2010 11:53 am

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

b.j.

Bronze
Posts: 285
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:06 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by b.j. » Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:35 pm

mgoblue11 wrote: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?

User avatar
kalvano

Diamond
Posts: 11951
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 2:24 am

Re: When during the cycle should I apply?

Post by kalvano » Sat Jul 10, 2010 12:38 pm

Not applying early also significantly hurts your chances at money.

Get unlimited access to all forums and topics

Register now!

I'm pretty sure I told you it's FREE...


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”