credential assembly service question Forum

[pacifica]

This may be an extremely naive question, but I'd rather sound stupid here than to the LSAC. If I'm applying NEXT cycle (sending in apps in 2012), can I register and start getting my stuff together for the Credential Assembly Service now? Or is the Credential Assembly Service only for the current application year?

The reason I ask is because I've been out of undergrad for many years now, so things like undergrad transcripts won't change from now until when I apply, and I need some extra time to hunt down former undergrad professors as letter writers (whose knowledge/opinion of me won't change much either between now and next September). The obvious advantage is that I get more time to get things done more thoroughly. Are there any disadvantages? If the letters themselves are dated a couple of months before the apps open, do law schools mind?

Any other information about the credential assembly service would be greatly appreciated as well!

Thanks.

[hoosierball]

yes you can submit everything immediately

[bmp]

Yes you can definitely open an account now. Also, if you try to get a fee waiver and they deny you try to appeal it. They grant the waiver to 40% of those who appeal it.

[pacifica]

thanks a lot!

related question: so for letters of recommendation that i can directly upload onto the credential assembly service, how do those get sent to the schools? For example, can I upload say 4 and pick and choose which (if not all) of the 4 to send to different schools for each school's app? I ask because it seems like some schools say they prefer "school-targeted" letters, so I'm wondering how to handle those in the context of CAS.

[franklyscarlet]

thanks a lot!

related question: so for letters of recommendation that i can directly upload onto the credential assembly service, how do those get sent to the schools? For example, can I upload say 4 and pick and choose which (if not all) of the 4 to send to different schools for each school's app? I ask because it seems like some schools say they prefer "school-targeted" letters, so I'm wondering how to handle those in the context of CAS.

They all go to LSAC, and you can "assign" letters to each school individually.

[top30man]

They all go to LSAC, and you can "assign" letters to each school individually.

This. When you are doing the letters, you get to write a description, like "For All Schools" or "For UVA" or something else.

[swilson215]

They all go to LSAC, and you can "assign" letters to each school individually.

This. When you are doing the letters, you get to write a description, like "For All Schools" or "For UVA" or something else.

+1. Also, when they school specific, they don't just mean a sentence about "why XX" at the bottom of the letter. In my experience I only used "school specific" letters for one or two schools, when one of my recommenders was an alumnus or when there was a recommender who knew someone at the school. 85% of my applications had non-specific LORs.