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So I have decided to abide TLS wisdom by taking a year off to retake the LSAT. I had a question about deferrals though. I got a full tuition scholarship to John Marshall - Chicago, and have been emailing the office about deferring the offer(just as a super safety when applying next year). They simply told me to send in the $400 deposit and there is nothing else I have to do. However, I wanted some input before submitting the deposit, because I don't want to accidentally make a binding commitment. Is a deferral only binding if you sign a form/document that states you will not apply to other schools?

Thanks!

i would not trust anything john marshall tells you. if you got full tuition this year, you'll get it next year.

Deferrals are supposed to indicate your intention of attending that school or no other the following year. I would not defer with either the expectation of retaining your scholarship or the intention of reapplying to other schools.

I also wouldn't attend John Marshall for free.

I would tread carefully here. Chances are, since it's your safety, you can just get that offer again next year. If you get them to explicitly tell you that it's non binding, then you're fine. But don't stop short of that and make sure you get it in writing.


Edit: And yeah, I was under the impression that deferrals were always binding, because no school would simply just keep their offer on the table for multiple admissions cycles without a commitment that you'll actually take it.

don't do it.

Gotcha, withdrawing today.