Isn't the Advantage/Disadv of Applying Early/Late Overblown? Forum

[MagnumLifeStyle]

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[kalvano]

Too long. I'm not reading a novel.

Applying early is very helpful if you want money.

[thecilent]

Too long. I'm not reading a novel.

Applying early is very helpful if you want money.

[Kswizzie]

If you look at LSN there are many people who's numbers should make them a lock at a particular school getting waitlisted or sometimes even rejected I suspect that applying late is part of the problem

[stratocophic]

If you look at LSN there are many people who's numbers should make them a lock at a particular school getting waitlisted or sometimes even rejected I suspect that applying late is part of the problem

Re: OP's question: No. See my LSN. See green dots near mine on T14 graphs. Where did those come from? Early applicants.

[03121202698008]

First of all, I do acknowledge that if A and B have almost equal stats, then whoever applies earlier (say, in Oct vs. Feb) would probably have more advantage due to the sheer logic of rolling admissions (a lot of the open spots would have been filled by Feb).

But I think in these forums and just in general (off the Internet), people tend to overstate the advantage/disadvantage of applying early/late.

Would the simple merit of applying early really provide substantial advantage that would offset a less-then-stellar LSAT or GPA? I hardly think so.

Again, I think applying really late in the game (say, late January or Feb) might be a disadvantage to those whose stats are on the borderline.

But I think for someone whose stats are relatively strong (relative to the school's 25th/75th percentile GPA/LSAT), there would be really no difference if he were to apply in late September, or late December or even January.

If you see things from the admissions office's perspective, there really isn't much incentive to provide substantial advantage to someone (that would offset his less-than-stellar LSAT/GPA) simply on the basis that he applied early.

I think there's almost a myth built around the idea of applying early/late.

Many unsuccessful applicants attribute their rejection due to their having applied late. But if you look at their profile, they usually have relatively weak numbers (relative to their target schools' 25th/75th LSAT/GPA percentiles).

Thus, I think many wrongfully arrive at the conclusion that their having applied late played a bigger role in why they were rejected more than their weak numbers.

Also, as some posters pointed out here, those who apply early tend to be better prepared (stronger numbers; they're probably satisfied with their numbers to not consider retaking in Dec), and thus more likely to be accepted. And this gives an illusion that applying early somehow gave them a significant edge, when in fact the advantage was probably very marginal.

In other words, someone who applied to Harvard at the earliest possible date (late September, for example) and got in would probably have the same chances of acceptance if he were to apply in December or even January (unless his stats are very borderline case).

My point is this: the golden rule of thumb in TLS seems to be that by default, the earlier you apply, the better it is. But I think the better advice should be -- if you can retake LSAT in December or wait a semester to significantly increase your grade, then it is better to wait and apply in December or early January.

Absolutely not overblown. By Dec this year most schools already has admitted 80% of their people. Your odds of being admitted go down drastically unless you are way over the schools medians. The later you are, the less scholarship money you are likely to receive as well.

[094320]

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[rundoxierun]

Varies strongly by school.. For instance, Columbia doesnt seem to make RD decisions before January so it would probably be useful to wait until fall grades come out, Yale also goes slowly so there it probably wouldnt matter.. A school like UVA, on the other hand starts making decisions almost immediately so there applying early could be imperative.

[kazu]

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/highsplit12/jd

Have you seen this guy?? 177/3.7, he sent in his apps in February, and he got waitlisted/rejected everywhere including Cornell, Duke, Chicago, Michigan etc...

Perhaps the rest of his app wasn't that great, or maybe it was the result of yield protection, but I would've thought his stats made him safe at a lot of places he got waitlisted/rejected at. If you look at LSN, often the yellow/red dots in "surprising" places (all-green areas, or just on the border) are the apps which were handed in early.

[miamiman]

i single handedly credit my admission at UC to be the result of an early app. hth.

[thecilent]

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/highsplit12/jd

Have you seen this guy?? 177/3.7, he sent in his apps in February, and he got waitlisted/rejected everywhere including Cornell, Duke, Chicago, Michigan etc...

Perhaps the rest of his app wasn't that great, or maybe it was the result of yield protection, but I would've thought his stats made him safe at a lot of places he got waitlisted/rejected at. If you look at LSN, often the yellow/red dots in "surprising" places (all-green areas, or just on the border) are the apps which were NOT handed in early.

ftfy

[eandy]

There was a point in january/february where people with the right numbers started getting WLs instead of acceptances at UGA. They just ran out of room.

[bigben]

I need to know how blown it is before I can tell you if it is overblown.

[kalvano]

Varies strongly by school.. For instance, Columbia doesnt seem to make RD decisions before January so it would probably be useful to wait until fall grades come out,

Do they go in the order the apps were received? If so, I'd want mine in as early as possible.

[angiej]

At what point does "early" turn in to "late?" Say for instance, a school starts accepting apps Sept 15th, and my file isn't complete until November (b/c I've decided to retake the LSAT in Oct). Is this "late?" Or is December "late?" I'm still trying to talk myself out of a retake, and am wondering if its worth it just to submit my score and have a complete file in Sept as opposed to November. My #'s are within the ranges of schools I want to go to.

[eandy]

At what point does "early" turn in to "late?" Say for instance, a school starts accepting apps Sept 15th, and my file isn't complete until November (b/c I've decided to retake the LSAT in Oct). Is this "late?" Or is December "late?" I'm still trying to talk myself out of a retake, and am wondering if its worth it just to submit my score and have a complete file in Sept as opposed to November. My #'s are within the ranges of schools I want to go to.

January is the beginning of late season.

[DoubleChecks]

i dont get it...why wouldnt someone apply early? this smells like a lazy person's self-deluding justification...

ill say ive never heard of anyone's chances get HURT by applying early lol

at best, it helps your chances at schools because they do start accepting and running out of seats -- later on, you have to measure up to a higher standard; i even think i remember HLS adcomms telling me this

at worst, you miss out on more scholly $$$

personally, i believe that it does vary from school to school in how much it matters for non-borderline applicants, but the amount of time you'd waste figuring out which schools are better for x scenario w/ y result would prob be better spent preparing your apps

[DoubleChecks]

At what point does "early" turn in to "late?" Say for instance, a school starts accepting apps Sept 15th, and my file isn't complete until November (b/c I've decided to retake the LSAT in Oct). Is this "late?" Or is December "late?" I'm still trying to talk myself out of a retake, and am wondering if its worth it just to submit my score and have a complete file in Sept as opposed to November. My #'s are within the ranges of schools I want to go to.

ive always heard november and before is considered 'early'

january and later is considered 'late'

december is iffy haha

[eandy]

i dont get it...why wouldnt someone apply early? this smells like a lazy person's self-deluding justification...

personally, i believe that it does vary from school to school in how much it matters for non-borderline applicants, but the amount of time you'd waste figuring out which schools are better for x scenario w/ y result would prob be better spent preparing your apps

I waited because the funds I had available to apply to schools were extremely limited. I did not want to waste any money applying to schools I had no shot at. I had to wait until I got my December LSAT retake score back.

[DanInALionsDen]

Look at my LSN profile and decide for yourself. I got lucky with GULC, but other than that...

Also, my personal statement was well crafted, though not earth shatteringly brilliant or original and my recommendations came from my honors thesis advisor, the vice president of my school, and my honors faculty mentor who was also the chair of the history department.

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/daninalionsden

[03121202698008]

At what point does "early" turn in to "late?" Say for instance, a school starts accepting apps Sept 15th, and my file isn't complete until November (b/c I've decided to retake the LSAT in Oct). Is this "late?" Or is December "late?" I'm still trying to talk myself out of a retake, and am wondering if its worth it just to submit my score and have a complete file in Sept as opposed to November. My #'s are within the ranges of schools I want to go to.

I didn't submit until Nov/Dec'ish. I'd have everything else complete while waiting on your score to come back. That part took way longer than I thought it would have. As it was, I had everything submitted and paid for...when my LSAT score dropped my apps were sent out.

[thecilent]

Look at my LSN profile and decide for yourself. I got lucky with GULC, but other than that...

Also, my personal statement was well crafted, though not earth shatteringly brilliant or original and my recommendations came from my honors thesis advisor, the vice president of my school, and my honors faculty mentor who was also the chair of the history department.

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/daninalionsden

Brutal. Congrats on GT though

[rundoxierun]

People on TLS often use LSN in a completely wrong way.. you dont look at LSN for individual applicants, there is too much variability in app quality and other factors at the individual level. Instead, you should look at LSN only for overall trends.

[03121202698008]

People on TLS often use LSN in a completely wrong way.. you dont look at LSN for individual applicants, there is too much variability in app quality and other factors at the individual level. Instead, you should look at LSN only for overall trends.

That's correct..but there are enough first-hand accounts on TLS to prove that the earlier the better. A few select schools such as Yale being the exception.

[kalvano]

There were a bunch of people in the Wake / SMU threads that I followed that had numbers that were guaranteed in with money if they had applied in October / November. Since they applied in late January / February, they were on the WL.