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Is it too early to start emailing school admissions about merit based fee waivers?

Anybody have any general advice besides including your information?

Thank you.

I think a lot of schools are going to tell you to wait for CRS but it probably doesn't hurt to try.

What I am including in my requests:

• LSAT
• GPA (if it's >median)
• LSAC ID #
• URM Status
• Filler about my background/experiences and interest in the school

I successfully solicited Chicago already, and Michigan told me that they were in the process of sending them out through CRS, but if I was ready to apply before I received one, then I could contact them and they would make the necessary arrangements.

I would not try soliciting fee waivers for apps that are not open yet.

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Can someone explain the CRS?

if we're retaking should we wait until we get our September scores before we solicit schools? I got a 165 last year but I don't know if that's good enough to get fee waivers

Cradle6 wrote:Can someone explain the CRS?

Are you signed up for the "Candidate Referral Service" on LSAC? This basically allows schools to market to you, and they will typically send unsolicited fee waivers to your email through this service (depending on the LSAT score on file with LSAC). Schools will probably send a ton of waivers after the September LSAT based on those scores (or whatever score is on file for you - mine is from Feb and I have received waivers recently), so some schools will ask you to wait until those go out before soliciting them for a fee waiver directly.

walterwhite wrote:if we're retaking should we wait until we get our September scores before we solicit schools? I got a 165 last year but I don't know if that's good enough to get fee waivers

If it was me, I would wait because I'd be waiting to submit apps until I get that score back anyway. But it's up to you, I think many schools would send you a waiver with that score.

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lc39 wrote:

Cradle6 wrote:Can someone explain the CRS?

Are you signed up for the "Candidate Referral Service" on LSAC? This basically allows schools to market to you, and they will typically send unsolicited fee waivers to your email through this service (depending on the LSAT score on file with LSAC). Schools will probably send a ton of waivers after the September LSAT based on those scores (or whatever score is on file for you - mine is from Feb and I have received waivers recently), so some schools will ask you to wait until those go out before soliciting them for a fee waiver directly.

So, for example, I took the June LSAT, will I need to wait until after the September LSAT to be solicited through CRS?

I've only received one or two waivers unsolicited, though my score should be high enough to receive more (unsolicited) according you the other thread.

Of the waivers listed in OP of the 2014-2015 thread, I have received: Michigan hidden, Vandy, WUSTL, and Emory. I am a Feb taker and I think June takers received them as well. I'm not sure what the cutoff LSAT score was for these waivers though (mine is 174).

If people in the other thread start receiving waivers through CRS that you don't get, I would go ahead and email the school directly and ask for one.

what is a "hidden" waiver?

Hidden waiver is one that you find out about when you go to submit apps - the school has waived your fee without emailing you beforehand or anything.

This thread is a great resource on that.

lc39 wrote:

walterwhite wrote:if we're retaking should we wait until we get our September scores before we solicit schools? I got a 165 last year but I don't know if that's good enough to get fee waivers

If it was me, I would wait because I'd be waiting to submit apps until I get that score back anyway. But it's up to you, I think many schools would send you a waiver with that score.

hypothetically, if i emailed schools as soon as i got my score back, would waiting for their response delay my applications in a meaningful way? I want to get my apps in "early." If i give schools a week to respond to fee waiver requests, could I still be early?

The schools I've e-mailed have had a <24 hour turnaround, FWIW.