When to apply?

[jredelma]

I am currently in a situation where I am not sure if I should wait until dec after my last semester grades come out or to use the EA option. I have a 3.31 LSDAS GPA and if I get a 4.0 in the fall, which is very likely bc of easy classes, it will bump up to a 3.41. Say I get a 170 on my LSAT, currently PT at 165, should I use the EA option or wait until december? I am worried about missing out on the EA boost and I am worried that being out-of-state will hurt me more if I dont use the EA option.

[Anne Chaconas]

Hi jredelma,

It's hard to say without knowing:

1. Where you're applying via EA.
2. Your actual, official LSAT score.

Where are you applying, and have you already taken an official LSAT (or when are you planning on taking it)?

[jredelma]

I am applying EA to UTexas SMU and University of Houston. I will also be applying to WVU, GW, GMU, and Gerogetown but those will be regular decisions. I might throw an application towards NU but havent decided yet. I havent taken the test but I will be taking it in June and October if a retake is needed.

[Anne Chaconas]

Hi jredelma,

None of the EA programs you're considering are binding; therefore, it is unlikely that you would receive a true EA "boost" from applying via any of them. EA programs only really give you a boost when the program is binding--outside of that, the only real advantage to a non-binding EA program is the fact that you're submitting your apps early (which is always great and does give you somewhat of an edge, but doesn't give you a huge advantage over the other candidates), when there are more seats available and fewer students vying for them.

The primary problem I see with your question is that you're making a lot of assumptions about where your GPA and LSAT score will be; this makes it very hard to give you a concrete idea of your chances. If you're currently PTing at 165, it is a big leap to assume that you'll officially test at 170; students usually drop a few points from their PTs when they take the official test. In addition, you're assuming you will get a 4.0 in the fall, which will boost your GPA to 3.41--again, though, you're projecting results out of potential outcomes.

Working with the numbers you have on hand (GPA - 3.31, LSAT - 165), I would say that your chances of getting into the three Texas schools you are applying to via EA are:

UTexas: 10-15%
SMU: 40-50%
Houston: 70-80%

Were you to increase your GPA to a 3.41 and your LSAT to a 170, it would pretty much seal up your chances at Houston, bump your chances at SMU to 75-80%, and increase your probability at Texas to around a 30%, regardless of EA or not. Texas will be a tough nut to crack, given that they have a limit on the percentage of out-of-state students they can matriculate (35%) and their ranking.

Given that the boost you would receive from a higher GPA and a higher LSAT would, in all likelihood, be greater than the boost you would receive from applying via a non-binding EA program, my suggestion would be to wait until your fall grades have come in to apply. However, if you see that your fall grades are not going to be that 4.0 which you are projecting, go ahead and apply via EA--then you'll get the EA boost, even if not the higher GPA boost.

Hope that helps! Good luck!