rushing with apps or waiting one more year Forum

[owlblood]

hi guys! I've always had a curiosity for studying law but it hasn't been until recently that actually pursuing a JD has become a feasible plan. I'm currently in my senior year in college and I'll hopefully graduate on may 2013.
I haven't taken the LSAT, i just took a practice test though and I scored a 169. I think that if I start studying hard-core starting this week I'll be able to raise that score and probably take the October LSAT which will make me be "just in time" for applications.
I've read about how important it is to apply early so I'm a bit skeptical about doing this. My GPA is a 3.4 so I'm not sure if it'd be a good choice to wait too long in the cycle to apply.

I have the option of not graduating this year and keep taking classes for yet another year and applying then on 2013-2014. It's not my first choice (I really want to get out of undergrad) but it's still something i could consider.

Do you guys think I should take a chance and rush to apply this cycle or wait till the next?

[Dany]

Graduate, get a job, and apply to law school later.

[spleenworship]

Graduate, get a job, and apply to law school later.

+1

Alternatively, apply to law school now if you want, but don't stay in school if it doesn't pan out the way you want this cycle.... instead get a job and try again.

[Nova]

Applying in November fine, and is considered on time. You might as well take the Oct LSAT if you feel ready and apply right when you get your score back.

If you dont like how your cycle shakes out, get a job and reapply next cycle.

[JCFindley]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

[Dany]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Money.

[owlblood]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Money.

hm true. haha. but since this is about my future and something important for me, money isn't my major concern.
i'm more concerned about how i'd look as a 'reapplicant' ... do law schools look at these people's application differently? are there disadvantages?

[alwayssunnyinfl]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Money.

hm true. haha. but since this is about my future and something important for me, money isn't my major concern.
i'm more concerned about how i'd look as a 'reapplicant' ... do law schools look at these people's application differently? are there disadvantages?

There's not enough data really to tell, but you will be required to write a new PS and probably would benefit from different LOR's. Also, a lot of schools state that you need to have a substantial difference in your application to convince them to reevaluate you.

Oh, and a HUGE disadvantage would be not caring about money.

[spleenworship]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Money.

+1. Scholly money goes quick. November app at the latest, IMO.

[JCFindley]

Money DOES matter but it is not dried up in Nov. Secondly the TLS wisdom is just plain not based on statistical data on this subject. Anecdotally there were a LOT of TLS folks that got money offthe waitlist this year. Some got more money than those that applied early. I don't buy that the money is all gone late.

[owlblood]

oh, you guys mean money as in scholarship money! i thought you meant application fees and such.
yeah... it is definitely something to consider. i couldn't possibly afford law school without some scholarship or loan.

[ajax]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Applying early is important in an environment of high application volume. Applications for the 2012-2013 cycle may be the lowest in the past decade. In a low application environment, if you believe more time will lead to an improved LSAT score, then take the time. There were plenty of people who received significant scholarships after taking the June 2012 LSAT for the 2011-2012 application cycle.

[Dany]

I meant application fees. It seems like a waste to throw down money on an October LSAT you might not be ready for plus application fees plus visiting schools next year, when you could just graduate, get a job to see if you really like the legal profession, and apply in a year or two.

Either way, the October LSAT is NOT "late" - so long as you have all the rest of your application ready to go.

[quiver]

Applying in November fine, and is considered on time. You might as well take the Oct LSAT if you feel ready and apply right when you get your score back.

If you dont like how your cycle shakes out, get a job and reapply next cycle.

I agree with this.

[spleenworship]

1. The October LSAT is NOT considered late. Get your apps in before Thanksgiving and you are still considered early.

While the CW on TLS is it is CRITICAL to apply early I sent mine in on March 15th this cycle and was accepted where I wanted to go. You have NOTHING to lose applying this cycle.

Applying early is important in an environment of high application volume. Applications for the 2012-2013 cycle may be the lowest in the past decade. In a low application environment, if you believe more time will lead to an improved LSAT score, then take the time. There were plenty of people who received significant scholarships after taking the June 2012 LSAT for the 2011-2012 application cycle.

I hadn't considered this. My bad. Ignore my scholly money related advice.

[JCFindley]

I wouldn't ignore Speen's advice as it goes along with what the Adcomms state in almost every interview you read on here. It also made sense in the old way of the world.

(The biggest thing is Nov is still early so that is moot anyway.)

I do think that the standards changed this past cycle and are likely to still be skewed in this one. In the past, School Z had so many dollars to buy LSATs/GPAs above X/Y. When said money ran out, you would lose your chance to get $$$. I think what happened this cycle was there were significantly less X/Ys to be had. While the schools might have "run out" of money to offer early, those >X/Y numbers had MANY more choices so a lot of that $$$ didn't get used and suddenly the schools were looking at having lower averages and started offering money to those slightly below X/Y.

I can only speak to the accepted threads I followed, so my data is anecdotal and limited but lets look at Fordham, Bama, and Dozo. What I saw in the Fordham and Bama threads were people that applied in Nov and Dec not having decisions until after the app window closed and sometimes with $$$ then. I didn't follow the Dozo thread but know MANY people got full ride offers when they withdrew to attend Fordham. (I know of one example for Brooklyn as well on that same logic.)

Granted, this is below the T-14 level but I have seen people withdraw from Fordham because they got money late from a T-14.

What does all this mean? I can't say but there were people that got X dollars, deposited then had people with lower numbers get >X dollars late in the game at the same school. I think the declining LSAT #s have had an effect on when and how the money gets distributed.

Pure speculation on my part.

[wtrc]

hi guys! I've always had a curiosity for studying law but it hasn't been until recently that actually pursuing a JD has become a feasible plan. I'm currently in my senior year in college and I'll hopefully graduate on may 2013.
I haven't taken the LSAT, i just took a practice test though and I scored a 169. I think that if I start studying hard-core starting this week I'll be able to raise that score and probably take the October LSAT which will make me be "just in time" for applications.
I've read about how important it is to apply early so I'm a bit skeptical about doing this. My GPA is a 3.4 so I'm not sure if it'd be a good choice to wait too long in the cycle to apply.

I have the option of not graduating this year and keep taking classes for yet another year and applying then on 2013-2014. It's not my first choice (I really want to get out of undergrad) but it's still something i could consider.

Do you guys think I should take a chance and rush to apply this cycle or wait till the next?

Let's say realistically you can raise your score to low 170's by October.... your GPA isn't great and you don't have WE.

Don't take an optional year of classes. Graduate, get a job on the resume, study for LSAT, raise to mid 170's, go to a T-14. Higher LSAT will help a lot with $$$ anyway. I am so glad I took time off, no real rush, especially in this market.