Re-taking LSAT and re-applying for next year's cycle? Forum

[wokeemilo]

This is probably a bit premature since my cycle isn't completely over but...

Does anyone have any experience with re-applying? My LSAT could improve a lot (took it once in June and got a 161, have a 3.65 GPA) which could put me in a much better position for some better schools. I'm just worried about how they view reapplicants, if I'll have to get completely different recs, etc.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

[northwood]

I am a re applicant. IF you re take the lsat and get a better score you will be fine. You will have to re write your PS, and update your resume as necessary. You can re-use your LOR's. If you applied to a school and were rejected this year, contact their admission department in may or june. Ask them to go over your application with you ( I did this over the phone). They will tell you where your weak areas are, and tell them that you will be applying again next cycle. ( They may make a note in your file that you contacted them, and will be re applying) When its done, write a quick thank you email. I did this, and got accepted quickly.

It wont negatively affect your cycle if you applied and got rejected, or waitlisted. You will have to answer yes if they ask if you applied before, and write the month and year, and decision.
If you were accepted and chose to defer, im sure it wont hurt either ( you will hve to explain why you are deferring).

best of luck. hope this helps.

[wokeemilo]

thanks so much, northwood. this makes me feel better and i'm definitely considering it. hope your cycle this time around is going well!

[northwood]

it is. Re take and reapply is thrown around a lot of here. but its really the best advice given. It may seem harsh, but really, most people are looking out for your own best interests, even though you will have to suck it up and wait another year. The earlier you get your application in, the better the outlook will be. The year flys by fast though.

I sent my applications in really late last cycle. Sending them in October this year made a huge difference. While people who are just submitting them now are starting to go under review and hear decisions, im able to start narrowing down schools, planning visits, seeing the schools, and doing everything on a relaxed schedule. its really nice, especialy trying to figure out housing areas, and start doing financial planning for each school thats in your top 5.

[wokeemilo]

yeah, i feel like i've learned so much this cycle from making mistakes that i could put toward next year. and it's probably worth it to wait one year to have better job prospects for the future.

do the LORs and transcripts stay in the LSAC system or do you have to resubmit?

[northwood]

they stay for a few years.

[Flustercluck]

Just adding my two cents.

Redoing your personal statement may not be absolutely necessary. I reapplied this year as well, was waitlisted at a Illinois last year and got 30k from them this year with pretty much the same exact PS. I actually PMd Dean Pless before applying and he said to be sure to update my resume, but if i felt the PS captured who I was as an applicant, I didn't need to write a new one. I would recommend contacting the admission offices for each school and asking what they recommend.

*I applied with an Dec 09 LSAT and a Feb 10 LSAT that was a 4 point improvement, so my app was considered very late in the cycle. I reapplied in this past fall with the Feb score, retook in October but scored in between my two previous scores.

[wokeemilo]

so you didn't bother have your recommenders resubmit? that's the main thing i'm worried about. my LORs are from professors, and the more i'm out of undergrad, the more it's a strain for me to ask them.

[northwood]

you have them send them to LSAC's headquarters in Newtown PA. once they are in the system, you dont have to have them re submit. Thats the nice thing about LSAC. you dont have to bother your letter writers for more than 1 letter, and you can use them to as many schools as you want.

[wokeemilo]

Just adding my two cents.

Redoing your personal statement may not be absolutely necessary. I reapplied this year as well, was waitlisted at a Illinois last year and got 30k from them this year with pretty much the same exact PS. I actually PMd Dean Pless before applying and he said to be sure to update my resume, but if i felt the PS captured who I was as an applicant, I didn't need to write a new one. I would recommend contacting the admission offices for each school and asking what they recommend.

WOW! congrats. this is really giving me hope.

[wokeemilo]

you have them send them to LSAC's headquarters in Newtown PA. once they are in the system, you dont have to have them re submit. Thats the nice thing about LSAC. you dont have to bother your letter writers for more than 1 letter, and you can use them to as many schools as you want.

right. but then law schools aren't bothered by the fact that the letters would be dated 1 yr back?

[Flustercluck]

I used the same exact letters I had used last year, but I've been out of undergrad since '06. Had one academic recommendation from an undergrad professor and one from my current employer.

Adding a more recent letter couldn't hurt, but it doesn't seem that reusing last years hurt me either. But I only have a limited sample size. I got accepted ED and withdrew all my other re-apps before getting feedback, so Illinois is the only school with which I have any experience.

[northwood]

nope.

I dont know if the letters are dated. depends on the letter writer. However, you will have to upload them from your account to the new application ( the one that matches the correct cycle), and it will state when you had them uploaded from the LSAC server to the application

you are good to go. A lot of law schools will understand that you took another year ( or a year) from the time you got your letters to the time you applied. Its nota big deal