What should I do now? Forum

[Surprised]

Hi!
I took the October LSAT and now trying to figure out how the application process work.
I have studied ouside the US for many years and there is almost none whom I can discuss this.
So... I ask for your help here!

I heard that the score won't be released until the end of this month...
which means I will have no idea which school to apply until the day.

What should I do while waiting for the score?
Writing personal statements? Approaching professors for LOR? What else are you guys doing?

Please share some infos with me! Thnx!!

[rinkrat19]

You're way behind where you should be if you want your apps in nice and early.

You should have already approached professors for LORs, because they can take MONTHS to write them. Now you'll have to pressure them to write the LORs in a week or two, and you should probably have them fax the letters instead of mail them, to save time. (Especially if you'd be mailing from overseas.)

Basically, you should have all of your applications done and all the parts (essays, addenda, LORs, etc.) submitted to LSAC.com's CAS service by the time you get your LSAT score around Halloween, so when you get your score, you can just click "submit" and be done.

Speaking of which, have you paid for CAS? I can't remember if you would have had to do that already to sign up for an LSAT.

You can guess at your score and start applications for an appropriate list of schools, including some extras at both the high and low ends of your range. That doesn't mean you need to submit all of them/pay for all of them in the end. Just be ready to.

[ajax]

If applications continue to decline don't worry about getting your application in early. In fact, if you have good numbers late in the game there is a good chance you will receive money (more money) while those with similar numbers to you who applied early received nothing (some money). This is because in a climate of declining applications schools find themselves scrambling late to fill their classes.

It's f'd up I know, but remember law school is a business. Schools don't care about being fair, even if you did get everything together to apply early.

Of course this all assumes applications continue to decline, if they start an upward trend then you should apply early. Point is, if you can't see the future, you can't tell someone to apply early or late.

[rinkrat19]

If applications continue to decline don't worry about getting your application in early. In fact, if you have good numbers late in the game there is a good chance you will receive money (more money) while those with similar numbers to you who applied early received nothing (some money). This is because in a climate of declining applications schools find themselves scrambling late to fill their classes.

It's f'd up I know, but remember law school is a business. Schools don't care about being fair, even if you did get everything together to apply early.

Of course this all assumes applications continue to decline, if they start an upward trend then you should apply early. Point is, if you can't see the future, you can't tell someone to apply early or late.

I haven't seen ANY evidence that people are getting MORE money for applying later. They may be getting more money over the year before's cycle because of applications being down, but schools (especially top schools) are still filling their classes. Applying earlier is still the best bet. You may be able to negotiate more money down the line.

Plus a lot of schools don't even start offering money until spring, when most admissions have already gone out. If you're on the waitlist instead of the admits list at that point because your app was late, you're not getting money.

[ajax]

If applications continue to decline don't worry about getting your application in early. In fact, if you have good numbers late in the game there is a good chance you will receive money (more money) while those with similar numbers to you who applied early received nothing (some money). This is because in a climate of declining applications schools find themselves scrambling late to fill their classes.

It's f'd up I know, but remember law school is a business. Schools don't care about being fair, even if you did get everything together to apply early.

Of course this all assumes applications continue to decline, if they start an upward trend then you should apply early. Point is, if you can't see the future, you can't tell someone to apply early or late.

I haven't seen ANY evidence that people are getting MORE money for applying later. They may be getting more money over the year before's cycle because of applications being down, but schools (especially top schools) are still filling their classes. Applying earlier is still the best bet. You may be able to negotiate more money down the line.

Plus a lot of schools don't even start offering money until spring, when most admissions have already gone out. If you're on the waitlist instead of the admits list at that point because your app was late, you're not getting money.

Schools will admit a lot at first, but there is no reason to give any of those admits money until the deposit deadline nears and negotiations pick up. Believe it or not, schools at this point are offering money to people with mediocre stats late in the game because the marginal cost of an additional student to them is quite low, as long as said student doesn't mess up any medians. Why on earth would they give any of this money to someone with better stats that has already deposited? This is capitalism, brah. If applications continue to decline, apply late and get preyed upon by every school with insane offers. This did indeed happen last cycle, and will happen again as long as the downward trend continues.

[rinkrat19]

If applications continue to decline don't worry about getting your application in early. In fact, if you have good numbers late in the game there is a good chance you will receive money (more money) while those with similar numbers to you who applied early received nothing (some money). This is because in a climate of declining applications schools find themselves scrambling late to fill their classes.

It's f'd up I know, but remember law school is a business. Schools don't care about being fair, even if you did get everything together to apply early.

Of course this all assumes applications continue to decline, if they start an upward trend then you should apply early. Point is, if you can't see the future, you can't tell someone to apply early or late.

I haven't seen ANY evidence that people are getting MORE money for applying later. They may be getting more money over the year before's cycle because of applications being down, but schools (especially top schools) are still filling their classes. Applying earlier is still the best bet. You may be able to negotiate more money down the line.

Plus a lot of schools don't even start offering money until spring, when most admissions have already gone out. If you're on the waitlist instead of the admits list at that point because your app was late, you're not getting money.

Schools will admit a lot at first, but there is no reason to give any of those admits money until the deposit deadline nears and negotiations pick up. Believe it or not, schools at this point are offering money to people with mediocre stats late in the game because the marginal cost of an additional student to them is quite low, as long as said student doesn't mess up any medians. Why on earth would they give any of this money to someone with better stats that has already deposited? This is capitalism, brah. If applications continue to decline, apply late and get preyed upon by every school with insane offers. This did indeed happen last cycle, and will happen again as long as the downward trend continues.

I don't think last year's applicants' threads back you up. NU's certainly doesn't. Neither does Lewis & Clark's (the only other app thread I was monitoring last cycle.)

NU school gave me money after I'd not only committed, but deferred a year and paid not one but THREE deposits. Aside from my odd case, NU wasn't giving money to late admits; they were giving money to applicants who'd already been accepted but had multiple offers to choose from. To BE one of those "already accepted" admits, you needed to have applied on time.

[maggielizer]

You should have already approached professors for LORs, because they can take MONTHS to write them. Now you'll have to pressure them to write the LORs in a week or two, and you should probably have them fax the letters instead of mail them, to save time. (Especially if you'd be mailing from overseas.)

Actually, this cycle LSAC gives recommenders the option of submitting LORs online, which should expedite things for OP. Although he/she still needs to get on it ASAP.

[dip_spLitter]

You should have already approached professors for LORs, because they can take MONTHS to write them. Now you'll have to pressure them to write the LORs in a week or two, and you should probably have them fax the letters instead of mail them, to save time. (Especially if you'd be mailing from overseas.)

Actually, this cycle LSAC gives recommenders the option of submitting LORs online, which should expedite things for OP. Although he/she still needs to get on it ASAP.

Agreed. Just as a heads up to the OP, I approached two professors in late April about writing LOR's for me. I gave them a packet with all the applicable information and told them that there was no rush because I wouldn't be applying until October/November (now). One professor finished a letter in the summer and mailed it in. I am STILL waiting for the other professor to finish and send his letter. All that to say, it can take quite a while for professors to get around to writing your letter. You need to let them know that it needs to be done ASAP so you can turn in your applications as soon as October LSAT scores are released.