Hello, everyone. I currently have a one-year deferral of admission to a T20 (I would enter in fall 2020).
I requested the deferral to teach abroad on a one-year contract. For a multitude of reasons, I would like to extend my contract for one more year.
Is it unheard of to be granted another year on a deferral of admission? I believe I have a strong argument (I will gain further proficiency in the language of the country I'm teaching in, I'll have more work experience, and I'll be financially better off).
Please don't reply with "just reapply next cycle." I'm just curious as to whether deferrals can be extended.
Extending a Deferral of Admissions Forum
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cavalier1138
- Posts: 8007
- Joined: Fri Mar 25, 2016 8:01 pm
Re: Extending a Deferral of Admissions
It's going to be totally specific to the school. I imagine it isn't commonly done (if at all), and it's possible it might make them revoke their offer.
Of course, if you're at a point in your life where you keep deferring law school to do things you're more interested in, why not just focus on the things you're more interested in for the time being? What's the benefit in holding on to admission at one particular school?
Of course, if you're at a point in your life where you keep deferring law school to do things you're more interested in, why not just focus on the things you're more interested in for the time being? What's the benefit in holding on to admission at one particular school?
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LSATWiz.com
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Mon Jun 12, 2017 10:37 pm
Re: Extending a Deferral of Admissions
There's no set rule so it's going to depend on your relationship with the school - both how they handle these things objectively, and your personal relationship with the person making the decision. I can say from personal experience that when an immediate relative got sick, someone from admissions who at the time was not a director offered a deferral without my asking them to so it seems to be the kind of thing that isn't a big deal even if it creates more work for the admissions office. They are human after all.
Now, obviously there's a difference between pressuring someone to come back to the US and leaving a sick relative, but I think many people will be receptive to wanting one more year to experience something you can't experience for the rest of your legal career. What they won't be receptive to is the possibility of being stuck in limbo while there's a strong likelihood you'll never matriculate as well as their job is to fill a class with certain numbers. I would reach out to the person in admissions you have had prior contact with, and ask to speak to them on the phone as things like tone, etc. will come across in an interpersonal conversation but not in e-mail. I'd also recommend speaking to someone you have had prior contact with as people are more likely to grant a favor to someone they've had prior contact with even if that contact was limited to a 2 minute conversation. There is just something psychologically about the "Hi stranger, can you do this thing for me?" that doesn't always play out quite as well.
Now, obviously there's a difference between pressuring someone to come back to the US and leaving a sick relative, but I think many people will be receptive to wanting one more year to experience something you can't experience for the rest of your legal career. What they won't be receptive to is the possibility of being stuck in limbo while there's a strong likelihood you'll never matriculate as well as their job is to fill a class with certain numbers. I would reach out to the person in admissions you have had prior contact with, and ask to speak to them on the phone as things like tone, etc. will come across in an interpersonal conversation but not in e-mail. I'd also recommend speaking to someone you have had prior contact with as people are more likely to grant a favor to someone they've had prior contact with even if that contact was limited to a 2 minute conversation. There is just something psychologically about the "Hi stranger, can you do this thing for me?" that doesn't always play out quite as well.
