Top Law Schools

I was hoping to get people's feedback on exactly which schools will actually review your application even with a pending December LSAT retake. Boalt emphatically says, APPLY ASAP, even if you're retaking. I'm sure other people have asked the same thing of other schools, but all I see via Search is "most schools."

Well, which schools?

1. Berkeley

And the rest?

Reason: while re-prepping for December you have the opportunity to really make your application perfect, editing and editing and editing. But if you're pushed to submit early for a certain school then you're pressured to submit sooner, which may not be the best version of your PS, DS, or Why X. And if you haven't written your Why X's (guilty) then you would clearly prioritize the schools in which it is an advantage to apply ASAP with a pending Dec. retake. In this case, Boalt.

Thoughts?

EDIT:
Based on responses below, it seems that none of the following schools 'encourage' you to submit early without your December retake:

Duke (email to hold)
Georgetown (email to hold, LSAC info)
BU (ambiguous, email to hold)
SMU (ambiguous, will hold)
Illinois-UC (LSAC info hold)
UVA (email to hold)
WashU (email to hold)
USC (LSAC info hold)
Vanderbilt (will hold)
Penn (email to hold)
Michigan (will NOT hold)
Minnesota (email to hold)
UCLA (LSAC info hold)
Cornell (LSAC info hold)

American said they would...I'm interested in this list as well.

I sent out a bunch of emails concerning this (although I was asking if they would hold my application). The responses are below. In general, it looks like that, unless you ask for a school to hold, they will go ahead and review it.

Duke:

If you would like to have the December score considered during the evaluation process, notify my office (after you submit the application) that you are planning to retake the LSAT. We will place a hold on your file so that it will not be evaluated until the new score is received. If you do not notify us to hold your file, a decision could be rendered before the new score becomes available.

Georgetown:

Thank you for your interest in Georgetown Law. Yes, you may submit your application now, but please indicate on your application that you would like your application held for your December LSAT score. We also ask that you send us an email with this request after you submit your application to ensure that your application is held.

Boston University:

Thank you for your interest in Boston University School of Law. You are welcome to submit your application at any time. If you would like us to hold review your application for your December LSAT score, please send a formal email request to bulawadm@bu.edu. Please include your LSAC number in the email.

SMU:

Yes, we will hold until December score comes in.

Illinois-UC:

...thank you for your interest in the University of Illinois College of Law. You may submit your application materials now and we will not review your file until the December score is received. If you have signed up for the December test, it will be reflected in your electronic information we receive from LSAC. Good luck!

Virginia:

Yes, after you apply send us an e-mail letting us know you would like us to hold your application for the December score.

WashU:

(On requesting the hold): That would be fine. Just alert us via email when your December LSAT score comes out.

USC:

As long as you are registered for the December LSAT, when you apply, your file will remain incomplete until the scores post in January. We are a "paperless" office starting this fall, and depend upon the future LSAT box being populated (the result of you registering for the exam) to keep people from being completed prematurely.

Vanderbilt:

Thank you for your email and your interest in Vanderbilt University Law School. Yes, you can have your application held for review until your December score is received.

Penn:

Yes, you can submit your application then send a follow-up e-mail to contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu requesting a hold on your application for the December LSAT.

Michigan:

Thank you for your interest in Michigan Law. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold completed applicant files for a new LSAT score. We can’t guarantee that we won’t reach a decision on your application before the Decembers score report arrives, however I would be happy to place a copy of this email in your file for our reviewers to see if you do choose to apply now, and they may decide to wait for the additional information. Worst case scenario, if we reach a negative decision on your application before the new score report is available, we are always happy to reconsider a decision in light of new information.

If you decide you don’t want to risk having your application reviewed without your December score, I would still advise that you send in your application in advance of receiving your results. It takes a few weeks to process applications for review, and that way your file would already be processed by the time your score arrives.

Minnesota:

Thank you for your inquiry. It is possible for you to submit your application now, and for the admissions committee to wait to review it until the December LSAT scores are released.

If you would like this to be the case, please send an e-mail to that effect to this address, and we will make sure to wait to review your application until we have received your new score.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

UCLA:

There is a question on the application that asks if you have any future LSAT tests, and we wait for that score before we review your file. So you can definitely submit it now and we will not look at it until the December score comes in.

Cornell:

Just be sure to indicate on question #19 of our application that you will be taking the December LSAT exam, and we will not proceed with your file until that score is received.

atresia wrote:I sent out a bunch of emails concerning this (although I was asking if they would hold my application). The responses are below. In general, it looks like that, unless you ask for a school to hold, they will go ahead and review it.

Duke:

If you would like to have the December score considered during the evaluation process, notify my office (after you submit the application) that you are planning to retake the LSAT. We will place a hold on your file so that it will not be evaluated until the new score is received. If you do not notify us to hold your file, a decision could be rendered before the new score becomes available.

Georgetown:

Thank you for your interest in Georgetown Law. Yes, you may submit your application now, but please indicate on your application that you would like your application held for your December LSAT score. We also ask that you send us an email with this request after you submit your application to ensure that your application is held.

Boston University:

Thank you for your interest in Boston University School of Law. You are welcome to submit your application at any time. If you would like us to hold review your application for your December LSAT score, please send a formal email request to bulawadm@bu.edu. Please include your LSAC number in the email.

SMU:

Yes, we will hold until December score comes in.

Illinois-UC:

...thank you for your interest in the University of Illinois College of Law. You may submit your application materials now and we will not review your file until the December score is received. If you have signed up for the December test, it will be reflected in your electronic information we receive from LSAC. Good luck!

Virginia:

Yes, after you apply send us an e-mail letting us know you would like us to hold your application for the December score.

WashU:

(On requesting the hold): That would be fine. Just alert us via email when your December LSAT score comes out.

USC:

As long as you are registered for the December LSAT, when you apply, your file will remain incomplete until the scores post in January. We are a "paperless" office starting this fall, and depend upon the future LSAT box being populated (the result of you registering for the exam) to keep people from being completed prematurely.

Vanderbilt:

Thank you for your email and your interest in Vanderbilt University Law School. Yes, you can have your application held for review until your December score is received.

Penn:

Yes, you can submit your application then send a follow-up e-mail to contactadmissions@law.upenn.edu requesting a hold on your application for the December LSAT.

Michigan:

Thank you for your interest in Michigan Law. Unfortunately, we are unable to hold completed applicant files for a new LSAT score. We can’t guarantee that we won’t reach a decision on your application before the Decembers score report arrives, however I would be happy to place a copy of this email in your file for our reviewers to see if you do choose to apply now, and they may decide to wait for the additional information. Worst case scenario, if we reach a negative decision on your application before the new score report is available, we are always happy to reconsider a decision in light of new information.

If you decide you don’t want to risk having your application reviewed without your December score, I would still advise that you send in your application in advance of receiving your results. It takes a few weeks to process applications for review, and that way your file would already be processed by the time your score arrives.

Minnesota:

Thank you for your inquiry. It is possible for you to submit your application now, and for the admissions committee to wait to review it until the December LSAT scores are released.

If you would like this to be the case, please send an e-mail to that effect to this address, and we will make sure to wait to review your application until we have received your new score.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again.

UCLA:

There is a question on the application that asks if you have any future LSAT tests, and we wait for that score before we review your file. So you can definitely submit it now and we will not look at it until the December score comes in.

Cornell:

Just be sure to indicate on question #19 of our application that you will be taking the December LSAT exam, and we will not proceed with your file until that score is received.

I think OP wants to know which schools WILL review your app early w/out the score.

URMdan wrote:I think OP wants to know which schools WILL review your app early w/out the score.

I understand, but you can infer which ones will go ahead and do so if you don't request a hold from my list.

atresia wrote:

URMdan wrote:I think OP wants to know which schools WILL review your app early w/out the score.

I understand, but you can infer which ones will go ahead and do so if you don't request a hold from my list.

Thanks for that extensive list. It's informative in the sense of knowing whether a school WILL review your app without you explicitly saying, HOLD ON. The bit on Michigan is particularly illuminating.

Based on those responses then, it seems that none of the following schools 'encourage' you to submit early without your December retake:

Duke (email to hold)
Georgetown (email to hold, LSAC info)
BU (ambiguous, email to hold)
SMU (ambiguous, will hold)
Illinois-UC (LSAC info hold)
UVA (email to hold)
WashU (email to hold)
USC (LSAC info hold)
Vanderbilt (will hold)
Penn (email to hold)
Michigan (will NOT hold)
Minnesota (email to hold)
UCLA (LSAC info hold)
Cornell (LSAC info hold)

Now... for which schools is it ADVANTAGEOUS to submit without your Dec retake?

Bump. Anyone?

bump!
i'm also doing dec retake but hoping the lower schools will take my app with just my previous lsat score... hopefully with an admit

So what exactly is the advantage of a school reviewing your app and then holding it?

Stupid question but humor me...the way I see it is that since they're holding for your LSAT anyway, it ends up being essentially the same as if you would have waited until you got your score and then submitted that very day.

I'm probably wrong but where am I wrong?

The schools receive your LSAT score directly from LSAC and before you even get yours. Direct info from a T14 Director of Admissions.

aesis wrote:The schools receive your LSAT score directly from LSAC and before you even get yours. Direct info from a T14 Director of Admissions.

+1

Thank you.

Any new information on this? It would also be nice to know which schools you must email in order to hold your app for you until the new score comes out ...

An email from NYU said:

"Thank you for your e-mail. All applicants who submit an application by the deadline will receive full consideration. Applicants must take the LSAT no later than December 2010 in order to apply to enter in the Fall 2011 semester."

Well that didn't really help. I sent it to the general email contact, though.

I realize that this is an old discussion, so I'm not sure if there is a more recent conversation on this topic elsewhere. What about if I am taking the December LSAT for the first time? Which schools besides Berkeley would it be advantageous to apply early without my score?

This is talking about retakes. I'm pretty sure no school will evaluator your application without any LSAT score at all - you have to have a complete application.

.

limeo wrote:A Berkeley admissions officer told me I can and should submit before I have my LSAT score. Duke and Vanderbilt also said that I could submit my application without it, but it wouldn't make a tremendous difference over waiting.

Like Nony said, you won't be evaluated without it.
As for the Berkeley admissions officer, sure you can. I'm not so sure about the should part. Personally, I think it's advantageous to wait until you get your score before you apply. If your score falls short of your goals, it could potentially save you hundreds of dollars if you decide that certain schools are completely out of reach. If you do well on the LSAT, your app fees might be waived.
So really, there are more negatives than positives to applying without a score at all. You won't get a decision any faster either way.