Declining Early Decision Forum

[superpippo]

Interesting. I suppose it's possible, but I don't know how your ED school could bind you in future years if you simply declared that you no longer had any interest in attending the school and wished to permanently withdraw your app.

The ED contract doesn't typically say "X agrees to attend Y Law School for the Class of 2016." It says "X agrees to attend Y Law School." It's not the ED school binding you in future years, you bound yourself when you agreed to those terms.

If you wish to permanently withdraw your app, that's fine, they can't compel you to attend their school. But they can keep you from attending other schools.

Ah, that makes sense. I wasn't aware that ED apps aren't usually year-specific.

I would say that they are year-specific, from my experience. I just got an ED acceptance and the letter concluded with the school saying that they hope I will be attending their school for the next year (more flowery language than that). I take this to mean that I am being given the option to pay the deposit and matriculate or withdraw my app entirely for the year. You are applying ED for the class of 2016 only, I don't see how a contract could bind you to the next cycle when your application only applies to one specific year.

[wtrc]

They can rescind acceptances right?

I mean, schools are allowed to share certain information but they can't share specific opinions on your character to other schools. If you want a way out, be an applicant with terrible character.

You may have to make a visit to the school and crack some racist jokes. Good luck.

Depending on the school, anything short of taking the dean hostage might not get them to give up a paying student

There's your way out, OP.

[vanwinkle]

You are applying ED for the class of 2016 only, I don't see how a contract could bind you to the next cycle when your application only applies to one specific year.

You are applying for the 2016 year, yes, but the ED contract is a separate document. How long that contract binds you depends on that contract, and you can easily bind yourself for more than one cycle by signing a contract that isn't limited to one cycle. Like I said, many ED contracts aren't limited in this way, and if you sign them, you bind yourself to its terms. If a school tries to enforce such an ED contract (such as the example I gave, where they gave the ED applicant deferred admission instead of permitting them to withdraw) then you're screwed. They have the right to tell other schools if you break the contract, and other schools won't buy "but I didn't read it and I thought it just applied to one cycle" as a response.

Whether you see it or not, I'm explaining that it is something that actually happens.

[superpippo]

You are applying ED for the class of 2016 only, I don't see how a contract could bind you to the next cycle when your application only applies to one specific year.

You are applying for the 2016 year, yes, but the ED contract is a separate document. How long that contract binds you depends on that contract, and you can easily bind yourself for more than one cycle by signing a contract that isn't limited to one cycle. Like I said, many ED contracts aren't limited in this way, and if you sign them, you bind yourself to its terms. If a school tries to enforce such an ED contract (such as the example I gave, where they gave the ED applicant deferred admission instead of permitting them to withdraw) then you're screwed. They have the right to tell other schools if you break the contract, and other schools won't buy "but I didn't read it and I thought it just applied to one cycle" as a response.

Whether you see it or not, I'm explaining that it is something that actually happens.

That makes sense. I guess it is just different for each school.

[vanwinkle]

That makes sense. I guess it is just different for each school.

It really does depend on what you're signing.

Here's some examples that aren't dated:

If accepted under Early Decision, I will matriculate at the New York University School of Law. I agree to immediately withdraw all my applications to other schools and to initiate no new ones if and when accepted to the New York University School of Law as an Early Decision candidate.

If admitted under Early Decision provisions, I will enroll at the University of Virginia School of Law. I further agree to withdraw all applications for admission to other law schools, and to initiate no new applications to other law schools if admitted under this program.

I will enroll at the Law Center if admitted under this process. In addition, if admitted under Early Decision, I agree to withdraw all of my applications pending at other law schools and will not initiate any new applications.

U of Michigan, on the other hand, is date-specific:

If I receive an offer from the University of Michigan Law School under this plan, I agree to commit to attend the School beginning May 28, 2013, as well as to withdraw all applications pending at other law schools and not to initiate any new applications.

[asaxon]

You want to be a lawyer, right? So start your career by advocating for yourself! Non-enforceable ethics standards should not, all else being equal, stop you from backing out from a school you really don't want to attend. If you've offered them a reasonable excuse for backing out of the ED contract--financial being one consideration--and your ED school were to "share" your decision to back out, that would give rise to a claim of defamation. (And yes that claim could be proven.) How hilarious would that be to begin your legal career by suing your ED school for intentionally damaging career potential? What other motivation could there be for "sharing"? You could do it pro-se and add it as an accomplishment to your future law school applications!

As an aside, don't go to law school. Most of us regret it and wish we'd spent that $100,000 elsewhere.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Don't necro old threads for no reason, especially not to offer weird advice.