Strategy question Forum

[lawapp2014]

Hey everyone. I am applying to law school this cycle and want some feedback on which is the more strategic move. My GPA is a 3.89, but my grades this semester would bump it up to a 3.91. Should I:

A. Delay my applications for a week or two to send in a transcript with my new GPA
B. Send in my applications with my GPA as is and then later on send out an "update" to schools

Thank you.

[ScottRiqui]

What's your LSAT? There are a couple of schools in the T14 where the difference between a 3.89 and a 3.91 might push you over their median, or over their 75th, but in general I don't think the extra .02 is going to dramatically change your attractiveness to the adcomms. But acceptances are already going out, and seats are filling up, so I don't think I'd delay applications for two weeks just to avoid having to send an update later.

[midwest17]

Definitely send your applications now. 0.02 isn't a huge jump, and you're not going to get dinged before you send in the update anyways. But this way you'll be complete by the time your new GPA gets there.

[lawapp2014]

167 and just retook in December. Hoping for something in the low 170s

[wowhio]

Definitely submit now. It would have been even better to apply even earlier, the bonus is way more that .02 on your GPA.

[midwest17]

Definitely submit now. It would have been even better to apply even earlier, the bonus is way more that .02 on your GPA.

I think this is overstating it. The early application bonus isn't huge. The main advantage will be that you'll get decisions earlier.

[malleus discentium]

167 and just retook in December. Hoping for something in the low 170s

If you took the December LSAT, then they won't look at your application until the score is released anyway, which is probably going to be after the new year. So assuming you can get the transcript in within the next week or so it's not going to cost you anything. If you can't get the transcript that fast then don't bother delaying for it (especially because LSAC might take forever to process it, which could make your delay much longer than you planned). It's only going to put you over Chicago and Yale's median anyway. It won't matter at Y so unless Chi is for your first first choice don't bother.

[bp shinners]

167 and just retook in December. Hoping for something in the low 170s

If you took the December LSAT, then they won't look at your application until the score is released anyway, which is probably going to be after the new year. So assuming you can get the transcript in within the next week or so it's not going to cost you anything. If you can't get the transcript that fast then don't bother delaying for it (especially because LSAC might take forever to process it, which could make your delay much longer than you planned). It's only going to put you over Chicago and Yale's median anyway. It won't matter at Y so unless Chi is for your first first choice don't bother.

With the holidays coming up, it's going to take some time to process the transcript. Especially since everyone and their mother (for the helicopter parents) will be sending in their materials around now.

[malleus discentium]

167 and just retook in December. Hoping for something in the low 170s

If you took the December LSAT, then they won't look at your application until the score is released anyway, which is probably going to be after the new year. So assuming you can get the transcript in within the next week or so it's not going to cost you anything. If you can't get the transcript that fast then don't bother delaying for it (especially because LSAC might take forever to process it, which could make your delay much longer than you planned). It's only going to put you over Chicago and Yale's median anyway. It won't matter at Y so unless Chi is for your first first choice don't bother.

With the holidays coming up, it's going to take some time to process the transcript. Especially since everyone and their mother (for the helicopter parents) will be sending in their materials around now.

Fair enough. The real question, then, is whether applications can be sent with the older transcripts already on file even if LSAC is meanwhile processing a new one. Obviously if a new transcript in process would stop applications even with transcripts on file then it's a bad move. I wouldn't suspect that this would be the case but I don't really know. If the OP wants to find that out it would probably make the choice clear but I think, as we've said, it's probably not worth a delay.

[lawapp2014]

Thank you!