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Apparently, years ago the LSAC posted a blurb on its website warning/discouraging students against submitting seat deposits at two different schools.

But more recently, this seems to have become more common by prospective students.

My question is fairly straightforward: does LSAC notify a school when a student has double deposited? Is there any way for the school to find out that you've deposited elsewhere? Do the schools even care, especially if you're submitting a nonrefundable check?

(please spare me the sentimental, "you're an evil person for asking this" responses.)

Thanks.

YES. ON May 15th, LSAC notifies the schools by names and that includes those students that have double deposited. I would check with the schools you are interested and inquire about their policy on this.

I've deposited at three schools because I haven't had the chance to visit and truly commit to one school and area of the country. Before May 15th, I'm going to let each school know my plans and intentions and ask if what I'm doing is OK. I'll tell them I've decided between school X, Y, and Z and will let them know by a certain date if I will attend their school or not. Worst thing that can happen is they say they'll rescind my offer if I don't make an immediate decision, which is good to know ASAP anyways. Best thing that can happen is they say it's fine and who knows, maybe even offer more $$$$.

Spartan_Alum_12 wrote:I've deposited at three schools

LOL srsly?

curious66 wrote:YES. ON May 15th, LSAC notifies the schools by names and that includes those students that have double deposited.

TITCR

And you better believe that almost every school is running that list daily. The reason we care is because we're trying to hit our goals for class size, LSAT/GPA, etc., and the longer people take to commit the longer it takes for us to know if we need the waitlist, etc.

Personally, I have no problem with students who honestly haven't had time to visit before making a decision. (Especially this year where it seems schools are taking longer to get decisions back.) The vast majority of admits don't want to take forever to make a decision.

What most of us admissions-types get annoyed by is students who are just procrastinating and don't want to make a decision. I talk to students every year to tell me in like July that they truly haven't been able to decide between 3 schools, despite having visited and having their financial aid packages, etc. In those cases, there's no real additional information that student is going to get. At some point you have to decide. I'm always surprised by students who seem to have put zero thought into their choice until summer. Like they haven't been thinking at all what they would do if different scenarios played out. In fact, it's this sort of student that caused schools to push for LSAC to reveal the names of multi-depositors.

In my opinion I think "that guy" is a small percentage of the overall pool. Most people have a ranked list, i.e. If I get in at X and Y with $$, I'm going to Y, but if I get in to Z off the WL I'm going there. The way I look at it is that it's really none of my business where else you have deposited unless you want to tell me. Sure, it makes my job harder, but those are the breaks. It's one of the reasons I have a second deposit due for most admits on June 1. It's another "off-ramp" decision point.

Unless a school states such explicitly in their acceptance letter as a term of deposit, I don't see how a school could rescind their offer JUST for double-depositing. I tell our admits the deal is straightforward - You give us a seat deposit; we hold your seat. You don't, you lose your seat. What I DO do, however, is communicate more and more often with people who still have multiple deposits out in July. (Or try to communicate, as I've found students who are waiting that long know they are shafting schools and the folks on the waitlist so they ignore calls/emails.)

What Spartan describes sounds like a good approach to me. It's hard for a school to get too mad if you keep them updated. Then they know that even if you're on their "Overlap Report", they know they lower or raise the probability of your attending based on what you told them. Heck, every year I have people that NEVER withdraw officially. They don't respond to multiple calls, emails, etc. But after the first few, I've been blown off by enough girls to take the hint and I assume they aren't coming. (Usually I will leave a message and send an email that says "If you don't respond to me by X, you will lose your place in our class.")

Dean Perez
Texas Tech University School of Law

SPerez wrote:

curious66 wrote:YES. ON May 15th, LSAC notifies the schools by names and that includes those students that have double deposited.

TITCR

And you better believe that almost every school is running that list daily. The reason we care is because we're trying to hit our goals for class size, LSAT/GPA, etc., and the longer people take to commit the longer it takes for us to know if we need the waitlist, etc.

Personally, I have no problem with students who honestly haven't had time to visit before making a decision. (Especially this year where it seems schools are taking longer to get decisions back.) The vast majority of admits don't want to take forever to make a decision.

What most of us admissions-types get annoyed by is students who are just procrastinating and don't want to make a decision. I talk to students every year to tell me in like July that they truly haven't been able to decide between 3 schools, despite having visited and having their financial aid packages, etc. In those cases, there's no real additional information that student is going to get. At some point you have to decide. I'm always surprised by students who seem to have put zero thought into their choice until summer. Like they haven't been thinking at all what they would do if different scenarios played out. In fact, it's this sort of student that caused schools to push for LSAC to reveal the names of multi-depositors.

In my opinion I think "that guy" is a small percentage of the overall pool. Most people have a ranked list, i.e. If I get in at X and Y with $$, I'm going to Y, but if I get in to Z off the WL I'm going there. The way I look at it is that it's really none of my business where else you have deposited unless you want to tell me. Sure, it makes my job harder, but those are the breaks. It's one of the reasons I have a second deposit due for most admits on June 1. It's another "off-ramp" decision point.

Unless a school states such explicitly in their acceptance letter as a term of deposit, I don't see how a school could rescind their offer JUST for double-depositing. I tell our admits the deal is straightforward - You give us a seat deposit; we hold your seat. You don't, you lose your seat. What I DO do, however, is communicate more and more often with people who still have multiple deposits out in July. (Or try to communicate, as I've found students who are waiting that long know they are shafting schools and the folks on the waitlist so they ignore calls/emails.)

What Spartan describes sounds like a good approach to me. It's hard for a school to get too mad if you keep them updated. Then they know that even if you're on their "Overlap Report", they know they lower or raise the probability of your attending based on what you told them. Heck, every year I have people that NEVER withdraw officially. They don't respond to multiple calls, emails, etc. But after the first few, I've been blown off by enough girls to take the hint and I assume they aren't coming. (Usually I will leave a message and send an email that says "If you don't respond to me by X, you will lose your place in our class.")

Dean Perez
Texas Tech University School of Law

This sounds legit and fair to me. I will make a final decision by June 1st and let the other schools know I'm withdrawing by that date, which seems reasonable enough. Wish I would have made a final decision by now and not wasted seat deposit money, but I really couldn't visit the schools until this month of May.