Top Law Schools

Hi all,

I was planning on waiting another year before applying to schools, but some things happened that are making me reconsider whether I want to apply to at least a few this year.

Practically the only school this is still viable for is YLS, since their deadline is a few weeks later than others and, unlike the other top schools, haven't filled most of their classes already. The only outstanding element of my application is professor recs, but I'm pretty sure I could wrangle some by the 2/15 deadline if I needed to.

My stats are:
uGPA: 3.8ish at top 25
LSAT: 177, one test
2 years work exp
Solid softs
Interesting back story

Yale has said that you get "full consideration" as long as you apply before 2/15, so it sounds like they don't play the same games with rolling admission. Is this actually true? Will applying so late / at the last minute seriously lessen my chances?

Also, they say you can apply the following year and they don't consider the fact that you've applied before or keep any of your documents on file. So, is it worth applying this year if I can get my recs together in the next month? If I don't get in will I still have a decent shot if I apply next year?

Thanks. I know this is a bit of a strange and detailed question, but I would really appreciate your answers. I don't want to throw away my chances at YLS for next year since I think I'm at least competitive, but if there's a chance that I can have the option of going this fall that would be great.

According to their admissions blog, the time of application makes no difference at Yale (referenced peripherally here: http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... tross.aspx).

While there's no such thing as a sure thing at Yale, I'd say you've got about as good a chance as humanly possible -- congratulations! Also, if you're interested in other schools, apply. It's late in the game, someone with your numbers always has a shot...

It probably does lessen your chances to be late, but not much, far less than at most schools. Yes, it is worth applying, and, yes, you'd be "fine" next year (insofar as anyone is "fine" for admission to Yale, as there's no guarantee even for a 4.33/180 with good softs).

However, your recommendations must be done a lot sooner than 2/15. It will take about a week and a half to two weeks from when LSAC has your full documentation (LORs, LSAT score, transcript) for them to process it and for their report to arrive at Yale by snail mail. Fortunately, LSAC accepts LORs submitted via fax, so be sure to have your recommenders fax the recommendations to LSAC. They will process faxed LORs within the day, so just get the LORs faxed by February 1 to be certain Yale gets your LSDAS report by February 15.

For the record, NYU, like Yale, claims to give no preference to early applicants, and you should be solidly in. It may be too late to get recommendations in for Harvard and Stanford, whose deadlines are February 1, but if you can, apply to both: You have a very good shot even this late. Same goes for Columbia and Chicago, who have later deadlines.

Vesper,

Thank you for your reply and encouragement. Quick follow-up, do you think the "it doesn't matter when you apply" thing is BS or genuine? (Let's face it, there's probably some BS in what many schools say about admissions processes.) Have you heard of anyone having experience with this issue of applying super late to YLS?

And for anyone else who joins, advice on other schools to apply to so late would also be welcome .

BenJ wrote:However, your recommendations must be done a lot sooner than 2/15. It will take about a week and a half to two weeks from when LSAC has your full documentation (LORs, LSAT score, transcript) for them to process it and for their report to arrive at Yale by snail mail. Fortunately, LSAC accepts LORs submitted via fax, so be sure to have your recommenders fax the recommendations to LSAC. They will process faxed LORs within the day, so just get the LORs faxed by February 1 to be certain Yale gets your LSDAS report by February 15.

Thank you very much! This is extremely useful information.

Morning bump.

I personally haven't had any experience (since this is my application year), and you're right to be suspicious, but at Yale it really doesn't seem to matter.

http://yale.lawschoolnumbers.com/applicants/0809/ -- seems like a fair amount of people got pretty late in the game.