Top Law Schools

First off, out of an abundance of caution, this is a throwaway account. I know at least one of the schools I refer to below keeps tabs on these forums. Hopefully they don't track our IP addresses. Let me apologize in advance if this post comes across as coy. I'm witholding details that would make me identifiable. I hope you'll trust me that, after being an active member and beneficiary of TLS, I understand how to factor these details into the calculus. I just need help navigating some of the unknown variables.

So, background:

Law School A is my top choice. I'm waitlisted there. I've already sent a LOCI in which I confirm that I would accept an offer at any point this summer.

In the meantime, I accepted an offer from Law School B. That offer includes a very nice scholarship.

I was all set to spend the summer preparing for Law School B while hoping to get into Law School A. Then, last week, my boss made me an offer that has me rethinking things. Essentially, the offer would make deferment worthwhile.

But here's where it gets tricky. I can ask Law School B for a deferment of matriculation and scholarship -- that's straightforward enough -- but how should I approach Law School A? It's still my top choice. I sent them a letter a couple of weeks ago telling them that I'd accept an offer if they extended one. Even if Law School B allows me to defer, I still want to go to Law School A -- meaning I'd reapply in the upcoming cycle, despite the fact that I have a spot secured at another school.

I don't want to make any ethical missteps here, and I don't want to harm my chances at Law School A. For what it's worth, I have reason to believe that working for my current employer for another year would make me a marginally stronger candidate at Law School A. Perhaps just enough to bump me off the waitlist if I were to be put on it again. I also have good reason to believe that spending another year working for my employer would help with post-law school job prospects.

So, with that, I welcome any thoughts/advice/criticism/jokes/dirty words.

Thanks TLS. You're a bro.

blue rebel wrote:I know at least one of the schools I refer to below keeps tabs on these forums. Hopefully they don't track our IP addresses.

don't have any advice on your situation but, yeah- the above isn't something you need to worry about...

Check the fine print on your deferral. If it allows you to apply elsewhere while deferred, I'd say you've hit the lotto (i.e. seat secure, but able to cast out another fishing line while making $).

If the deferral language doesn't allow you to keep applications open, withdraw and reapply to both schools. You'll presumably have a better shot at 'A' with more work experience and, from what I'm told, if you can get into a school once, you can do it again, so don't worry about 'B'.

Why not send a letter to school A and explain the situation? That way if you were going to be pulled off the waitlist you won't look like a douche. Oh, and retake.

Couldn't you just sit the cycle out and reapply come September? You could use the time to retake and improve your chances at School A, which is where you want to be anyway.

That wouldn't prevent you from riding the waitlisted at School A all summer, either.

To add another perspective, obviously only you know the relationship you have with your boss, but it is worthwhile to think things through before taking him/her up on the offer to stay. At least with employees looking to leave for another job, sometimes companies will present a counteroffer to have that employee stay a bit longer only to let go that employee a few months later once they find a cheaper replacement.

Thank to all who have chimed in.

One of my primary concerns is maintaining a good relationship with Law School A. I sent them a LOCI a couple of weeks ago confirming that I would attend their school if offered a spot. If I retract that offer, explain the situation, and reapply next cycle, am I harming my chances? I.e., will it make me seem somewhat frivolous?

Just to be clear, I would only retract my LOCI "offer" if I hadn't been offered a spot in the C/O 2016. In other words, if they came at me with an offer of admission before I was able to make a decision on my employer's offer, I'd leave work and go to school. That's not likely to happen, though, because I need to tell my boss what I'm going to do by the end of the week.

Lastly, in case anyone is wondering: I cannot accept the offer from my employer and maintain my spot on the waitlist. That would be very poor form.

Thanks all.