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If your a K-JD and you apply early in the cycle, like September or October, do admissions make a decision before January? or do they normally require a updated transcript for that fall semester before they make a decision?

I applied in December this past year, just before fall finals/grades. I was never asked for updated transcripts for that semester.

Columbia asked me for mine- nobody else did.

The lower ranked schools I applied to admitted me before fall grades. I didn't hear anything from the highest ranked ones until I submitted my fall grades and then was admitted the first wave after they received my updated transcript. Just one data point and you shouldn't extrapolate too much from it, but my guess is that it wasn't coincidence.

No one asked me for grades...i was admitted to Columbia before my fall grades came in. I didn't get into HYS though so they might be different.

I was admitted to a number of T14s (including at least one of HYS) without any senior year grades. You can't slack off though because the school you choose to attend will ask for your final transcript at the end of the year.

RZ5646 wrote:(including at least one of HYS)

Translation: Harvard.

To echo those above - I applied in Sept/Oct at most of my schools. Accepted to the lower ranked ones by december and then many of the top schools held off until the new year. I volunteered my grades as soon as I received them and only received one actual request for them. My LSAC calculated gpa went up a little with my fall grades and I saw several admissions offers and scholarships immediately after submitting grades.

tldr: grades matter. if you apply early enough, some schools might not care, but otherwise just work hard!

I applied on September 1 to many schools. I had 2 T14 acceptances during September, 5 T14 acceptances (some with scholarships) before any senior grades were in (before January). I had 5 non-T14 acceptances as well. Full scholarship to a T14. No one ever asked me for my senior year grades before making a decision, even on scholarships. I just need to send them this summer to enroll.

I think if your gpa is high enough, they know your senior year won't make or break it.

I applied early September/early October to all schools except Yale (was waiting on some paper submissions, etc.). Didn't notice any particular difference from the usual rolling cycle.

Getting fall grades also provides a nice context for adding some additional application details if anything changed over the semester/quarter/term (if targeted LS allows/encourages such things). Keep in mind, that late-December/early-January can be considered peak application time, so the updated transcripts you submit won't be processed as fast as the one you submitted earlier.