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I've received a higher score on my December exam that would qualify me for better schools/scholly money than the school I bound myself to ED a few months ago. My question: can I sit out this cycle from the school I am now bound to and reapply next cycle to any schools I choose, free from the original ED contract? I have heard the answer is yes, but on the ED contract I signed, no particular time limit (e.g. 1 year) is specified. Can someone explain (outside of a hunch) how this is possible, if at all? Yes, it may seem I was foolish to ED in the first place, but with the limited information I had it was truly the best decision at the time. TIA.

ED only applies to one admissions cycle. You're good if you sit out the year.

Which you absolutely should do, and re-apply to get money next cycle.

kalvano wrote:ED only applies to one admissions cycle. You're good if you sit out the year.

Which you absolutely should do, and re-apply to get money next cycle.

I have heard this from a generous amount of people but no one has been able to explain where the explanation comes from. I don't want to email the adcomms, saying "well ED only applies for a cycle" and have them and their peer schools blackball me. Could you point me somewhere substantive so I won't be jumping off a cliff? Thanks!! I really want to be able to do this right. 'Preeesh the help

Call and ask the registrar. That's what I did. I was told its a one-cycle only thing.

Curious - what are your numbers?

Dany wrote:Curious - what are your numbers?

Pre-December <168, post-December >168. Always >3.8x. PM for specifics. Please no quoting. Thanks again!

ABSOLUTELY reapply. Depending on how far above, you could be looking at half- to full- rides at some T14s. Congrats on the new score!

Dany wrote:ABSOLUTELY reapply. Depending on how far above, you could be looking at half- to full- rides at some T14s. Congrats on the new score!

Thanks Dany!

I suppose the burning question here is the particular strategy (if one is needed at all?) that should be used in communicating to the adcomms that I will be sitting out the cycle.

Send in all your acceptance letters for other schools, and make them form a collage that spells out the message.

bump - thanks

Sit out the cycle if you can, but determine if that is actually possible at your school and/or won't be frowned upon

Dude- they aren't as worried about this as you are. If you have to just tell them that your circumstances have changed and you are sitting out this year. They aren't going to prevent you from going to another school and they wouldn't want to.

The only thing to make sure you let them know is that you're withdrawing totally and not trying to defer your ED acceptance until next year.

One thing to point out is that I've read that some schools don't like it if you turn down their ED and then reapply, so you should know that you may be kissing this school goodbye. Not that it probably matters if you have outperformed your previous numbers. Sounds like you're looking at at least the lower T14, maybe better.

While the ED contract might only apply for one cycle, I don't see how you're going to just notify the adcomms that you're just walking out. GL.

cooley4lyfe wrote:While the ED contract might only apply for one cycle, I don't see how you're going to just notify the adcomms that you're just walking out. GL.

You just withdraw. It's not that hard.

Dany wrote:

cooley4lyfe wrote:While the ED contract might only apply for one cycle, I don't see how you're going to just notify the adcomms that you're just walking out. GL.

You just withdraw. It's not that hard.

"Dear xxx, I'm no longer interested in attending your school because I can now get into a better school. Thanks"

This happens quite often. just send an email explaining that you would like to withdraw because you need to sit out law school a year and will not be attending this cycle. Make it very clear that you want to withdraw, not defer. Case closed.

If you haven't been accepted to the school you EDed to, wouldn't withdrawing before a decision is made null the ED contract? Wouldn't that allow you to attend whatever schools still accept you on the basis of your new score for the remainder of the current cycle? Unless you've already been accepted, in which case +1 to what everyone else already said, i.e., sit out and wait till next cycle.

cooley4lyfe wrote:

Dany wrote:

cooley4lyfe wrote:While the ED contract might only apply for one cycle, I don't see how you're going to just notify the adcomms that you're just walking out. GL.

You just withdraw. It's not that hard.

"Dear xxx, I'm no longer interested in attending your school because I can now get into a better school. Thanks"

You wouldn't phrase it like that, you moron.

Law schools are not emotional teenagers that are going to cry at the first sign they aren't the popular kid. They're a business. If you write them and say you cannot attend and will be withdrawing your application and sitting out this cycle, they will process the request and forget about in approximately 46 seconds.

sunynp wrote:Dude- they aren't as worried about this as you are. If you have to just tell them that your circumstances have changed and you are sitting out this year. They aren't going to prevent you from going to another school and they wouldn't want to.

I just think they will see this as disingenuous and share that with peer schools. Am I looking way too into this? The old adage that one in the hand is better than two in the bush seems to keep me worried. I don't know how to convey that "things have changed" without banging a hornets nest. But nevertheless, I don't want to throw away $$ or better employment.

emkay625 wrote:This happens quite often. just send an email explaining that you would like to withdraw because you need to sit out law school a year and will not be attending this cycle. Make it very clear that you want to withdraw, not defer. Case closed.

Have you heard of this happening? I feel like it's talked about on the boards but I can't seem to actually pinpoint it.

kalvano wrote:Law schools are not emotional teenagers that are going to cry at the first sign they aren't the popular kid. They're a business. If you write them and say you cannot attend and will be withdrawing your application and sitting out this cycle, they will process the request and forget about in approximately 46 seconds.

So you don't think they see this as a contractual violation whatsoever and will let it slide? I too share the same sentiment at times but don't know if sentiment makes the risk worth it

It's not disingenuous. You agreed that if accepted THIS YEAR, you would go that school in the Class of 2015. If you try to weasel out and go to another school this year, you'll have problems. Choosing not to attend at all this year isn't going to be an issue.

An ED contract says you agree to go to that school if accepted, and it only applies for that admissions cycle.

You're not breaking any contract by sitting out the cycle. That's a perfectly acceptable alternative. The choice under the ED contract is go to that school or no school.

Stop worrying so much about this. Send the email and go outside and play. No one at the school will care.