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I plan on applying to law school in the next couple of months, but I want to defer admission for a year. My plan is to go to France on a working holiday visa (I'm Canadian) for a year.

Is that good enough of a reason for admissions office to grant deferral? I'm doing it for mainly cultural reasons, as opposed to getting work experience or something like that.

Do you think I'm better off just applying a year from now? On one hand, I won't have to deal with explaining my desire to defer. On the other hand, admissions could be tougher next year, and whatever scholarship money I may get would have to be forfeited and re-evaluated later.

What do you think?

wait until next cycle. you can add all the worldly experience and knowledged you gained in your PS. also, you could study longer for the lsat.

Apply next year. The differences won't be significant to matter for applications, however asking for a deferral will be a burden schools may not want to deal with and thus lower your acceptance chances.

Personally, I'd shoot some applications to some reach schools or just your dream school, where you aren't a complete deny, but you don't have great odds. If you get in, forgo deferring or ask the school to defer. If you get rejected, just apply near year.

Or apply to some target schools and gauge the relative strength of your application, if your PS/LORs are solid, etc.

Might as well get the LORs now anyways. It'll be easier when your fresh in your LOR writer's minds.

I don't know, if I had an extra year to use, I would think strategically: how could I use it to benefit my end result the most?