When to Apply to Law School

[FrannieVargas]

I'm college senior and am taking the February LSAT after performing very poorly on the October LSAT. I was planning on apply to law school for the Fall 2012 semester but many people (professors, LSAT instructors, currently law school students, etc.) have advised that I do not waste my time and money. What are your suggestions? Advice? What factors should I be considering? What are other possible options to explore?

Loyally,
Frannie Vargas '12

[Anne Chaconas]

Hi Frannie,

I'm a little confused: Are you asking our advice regarding when you should apply to law school, or are you asking our advice regarding applying to law school at all? I couldn't determine which of the two you were inquiring about and, depending on which one it is, my answer would cover very different topics. Would it be possible for you to clarify? I'd be glad to provide you with some guidance once I know I'm responding with the information you're looking for.

Thanks!

[FrannieVargas]

Anne,

I apologize for the confusion. Let me rephrase my questions: I'm a college senior and am preparing to take the February LSAT after performing very poorly on the October LSAT. I was planning on applying to law school for the Fall 2012 semester but many people (professors, LSAT instructors, current law school students, etc.) have advised me not to waste my time and money by applying to law school now. Instead, they advised me to apply for Fall 2013. Applying for the Fall of 2013 admission after taking a year off would be more beneficial than applying now, early February, considering that law schools will not review my files until after the Feb LSAT scores are released in March. They informed me that by then the chances of my getting into a "good" law school will significantly decrease and there will be fewer scholarships opportunities available. As a result, if I wait a year I could attend a better law school at a lower cost .

What are your suggestions? Should I apply now or wait a year? What factors should I be considering? What are other possible options to explore?

Please let me know if I have not made myself clear. Thank you for all your help!

Loyally,
Frannie Vargas '12

[Anne Chaconas]

Hey Frannie!

Thank you so much for clarifying! I'm glad to give you my take on your situation. I would tend to agree with the professors, LSAT instructors, and current law students you've been speaking with: If your aim is to get into a top-flight law school, then taking the February LSAT and applying for this year is really not the best plan, nor is it in your best interest. Because law schools work off rolling admission (where applications are considered as they "roll in," and not in one big lump after the application deadline has passed), if you wait until after your February LSAT scores, you're essentially applying at the very tail end of the cycle, which is bad for a number of reasons:

1. Most of each incoming class has already been admitted. Very few seats are left. You'll be competing with more people for fewer seats.

2. Most top law schools, although they accept the February LSAT, say they prefer students to take an earlier administration.

3. Financial aid coffers are typically running low at this point.

My suggestion would be the same as what you've already been told: Wait a year. Apply this fall for admission in 2013. By doing so, you'll be able to submit your apps at the very start of the cycle, which will give you an edge, and you'll also have months to plan and fine-tune your applications, which will also give you an edge.

As far as what you can do for now if you choose to delay your application, there are many possibilities: Work, take college/grad courses to keep your academic mind alert, volunteer--really, anything goes as long as you have the means and willingness. The one thing I would suggest is that, whatever you do, you make sure that it bolsters your résumé and really underscores what your ultimate goals are in regards to your legal career. You don't necessarily have to get a job as a paralegal, but using this time as a way to get familiar with what a law practitioner really does is a great idea.

Spend some time really working on your personal statement, letters of recommendation, and paper résumé. You now have a significant advantage over other students applying in 2012 for 2013--time. You have time to plan things, work on things, craft drafts, talk to your recommenders, really spend some time working out the kinks. Use it to your advantage. And you also have the time, should you not feel ready to take the LSAT in February, to wait and take it in June.

In summary: Yes, wait. It'll be better for your application, and better for your overall chances.

I hope this helps! Best of luck! Let me know if you have any additional questions.

[matt]

I also recommend you to wait for your LSAT result. Do not apply to law school until you know all of the facts. LSAT scores are the single most important factor that law schools consider when deciding whether or not to admit an applicant. For all intents and purposes, your LSAT score is truly the beginning (or end) of your law school career. The LSAT is graded on a curve with weighted scores ranging from 120 (the lowest) to 180 (the highest). At this point, there is no reason to discuss the subject matter of what is tested on the LSAT. Instead, the only thing that a potential law school applicant really needs to know is that their LSAT score is the single most important factor considered by admissions committees.