Quick Questions Forum

[funstuff]

Hey guys I have two questions

1) I'm planning on taking a year or two off between UG and LS. What are your guys' experience when it comes to the best time to apply if I'm taking time off? Apply in the fall and defer for a year or two or apply after taking 3-15 months off?

2) If I apply in the fall, I'll be taking the LSAT in October. Do people often study hard for the LSAT, apply, and then pick up studying a year or two later and still improve?

Thanks.

[krasivaya]

1) It's not that easy to defer and you get an applications advantage if you have real-world work experience. Take time off before applying and work/relax.

2) I have no idea what you're asking. Study for the LSAT, take the LSAT, apply.

[duster]

why is it so difficult to defer?

[rinkrat19]

why is it so difficult to defer?

Deferring at most schools for one year isn't that hard if you can come up with some sort of reasonable explanation for why you'd like to defer.
Some schools are very strict and need a pretty earth-shattering reason to grant a deferral. (Also, applying for a deferral early in the cycle, like Feb/March, is better than waiting until the school year gets closer.)

Deferring for two years is pretty rare from what I gather, and you'd probably need a really good excuse: a once-in-a-lifetime internship overseas that will definitely last two years, for example.

Schools would prefer you just apply for the year you're planning on attending because it makes everything more complicated to accept you, and then find out you'll actually be in next year's class, and find another person to fill your original class seat, keep track of your file until next year, etc.

Plus you need to convince them you really do want to attend, not that you're just keeping a law school option open for next year in case you decide you don't like your job as much as you thought. You risk seeming irresolute and noncommittal. Schools would prefer to fill their classes with people who actually want to be there.

Not having work experience isn't a huge minus at most schools, but having work experience can be good life experience and can be a plus on your application. At the very least, it's a line on the resume and something to mention in your essay.

tl;dr
Excellent reason that pretty much any school would accept: I just found out that I need a kidney transplant!
Decent reason that most schools should accept if you request a deferral in a timely manner: I want to work for a year at [X] to accomplish [Y], because [Z].
Crap reason: um...like...I want to, like, work for a year? Or two? And then maybe go to law school...or something.

[duster]

so i'll be taking some time off before applying. did anyone find it difficult to study for the lsat several years removed from college vs. during the summer in between semesters?

[krasivaya]

Why don't you study the summer after you graduate and take it that October?

[funstuff]

besides supposedly being better prepared from more coursework, what are the benefits of taking it later rather than sooner?