Reapplying??? Forum

[JamMasterJ]

So, I'm in at OSU and still waiting on IU-B and Notre Dame, but the situation is looking bleaker by the day and I don't know if I fancy myself as a Buckeye. I did much worse on the LSAT than I was expecting to (pt 171-173 average, actual test 166). This - combined with the fact that I didn't apply until Febrary 7th and asked schools to hold my app until February scores came in - makes me feel that I have a shot at better schools with a slightly higher GPA, a year of full-time WE and most importantly, a better LSAT score. So I am contemplating taking a year off and have a few questions regarding reapplication. Please refrain from telling me whether I should reapply, the decision has almost everything to do with whether I get in/decent $ at IU and ND.

1) If you reapply the cycle after you applied the first time, and are pretty sure that you have solid LORs, do you need to get new letters? new reccomenders?
2) How much do you need to change your P.S. if you're applying to the same school as the first time? Completely redo? minor tweaks?
3) Are fee waivers easy to ask for at IU, NU, UChi, Michigan, ND, and Illinois (assuming it's not free for everyone again)?

For 1 and 2, I am virtually positive that I didn't get dinged because of either of these factors. While my PS wasn't out of this world, it was well written and pretty solid, and my recommenders really liked me, so I'm positive that neither wrote anything disparaging.

Any help would be great, and any anecdotes about getting in the second time around would ease my qualms about the whole putting my life on hold thing
Thanks

[coldshoulder]

What's your GPA?

[anthropologieaddict]

.

[bp shinners]

When reapplying, there should be something appreciably new about your application. Run of the mill work experience won't be it, and it seems that you're banking on a high LSAT score (which is the best thing you can do for your application, so a good thing to be banking on).

A new PS would also be great; if you wrote a solid one once, why not aim for a better one next time? You just want to make sure that the school's see some growth and improvement between the years.

Good luck!

[094320]

..

[bdubs]

It's fine to re-use the rec letters, but I'd write a new PS. Overall I think you're better off re-doing your cycle, esp. if you can get a better LSAT score with a retake. Good luck!

Certain schools won't accept (or highly discourage) the same rec letters if you reapply. I reused some of my letters and had no problems at some schools, but UPenn specifically contacted me to get new or updated letters (I had the same recommenders update my letters).

[JamMasterJ]

What's your GPA?

3.5 at graduation.

It's fine to re-use the rec letters, but I'd write a new PS. Overall I think you're better off re-doing your cycle, esp. if you can get a better LSAT score with a retake. Good luck!

Certain schools won't accept (or highly discourage) the same rec letters if you reapply. I reused some of my letters and had no problems at some schools, but UPenn specifically contacted me to get new or updated letters (I had the same recommenders update my letters).

The only schools that I will have applied to previously are Northwestern, Illinois, IUB, and Notre Dame. Any idea if those schools have this type of policy?

When reapplying, there should be something appreciably new about your application. Run of the mill work experience won't be it, and it seems that you're banking on a high LSAT score (which is the best thing you can do for your application, so a good thing to be banking on).

A new PS would also be great; if you wrote a solid one once, why not aim for a better one next time? You just want to make sure that the school's see some growth and improvement between the years.

Good luck!

What exactly do you mean? I know there's a difference between Teach for America and working at McDonalds, but I assumed that run-of-the-mill 40K jobs were ok and that schools only cared that you were doing something worthwhile

[sanjola]

Reapply, no question. You will get into way more schools with those numbers if you apply next September and you can definitely use the same essays. Unless you have done something miraculous since last year, keep those essays.

[JamMasterJ]

It's fine to re-use the rec letters, but I'd write a new PS. Overall I think you're better off re-doing your cycle, esp. if you can get a better LSAT score with a retake. Good luck!

atl, do you know how long LSAC keeps LORs on file?

[094320]

..

[JamMasterJ]

Oh, I'm still in UG. It would only be a year off and I have a good relationship with both recommenders from this cycle, so I think that the letters they wrote this time will suffice next year

[bp shinners]

When reapplying, there should be something appreciably new about your application. Run of the mill work experience won't be it, and it seems that you're banking on a high LSAT score (which is the best thing you can do for your application, so a good thing to be banking on).

A new PS would also be great; if you wrote a solid one once, why not aim for a better one next time? You just want to make sure that the school's see some growth and improvement between the years.

Good luck!

What exactly do you mean? I know there's a difference between Teach for America and working at McDonalds, but I assumed that run-of-the-mill 40K jobs were ok and that schools only cared that you were doing something worthwhile

I was mostly talking about reapplying to the same schools, not new ones. After a school's already made a decision on you once (and, presumably, one you weren't happy with since you're reapplying), they want to see something appreciably different when they reconsider you. A higher LSAT score would be something that would help. Run of the mill work experience, however, won't. It's a baseline - what you should be doing after graduating but before going to law school. With very few exceptions, an application that is exactly the same between two years but with the addition of run of the mill work experience won't result in different outcomes the same way that other changes to your application package (i.e. +3 on the LSAT) will.