Law school applications can be both exciting and tense experiences; from September through November, schools begin reviewing applications on an ongoing basis.
Early applications tend to receive responses within weeks if all your supplementary materials (like letters of recommendation from LSAC) arrive with them.
Fall
As most law schools accept applications on a rolling basis in the fall, admissions officers evaluate them immediately upon receipt. Therefore, it’s crucial that applicants submit their applications as early as possible, particularly those targeting more prestigious schools.
Fall is also the season for LSAT preparation and school list creation, and once your LSAT scores and list have been finalized you can begin applying. Fill out online applications for each school on your list as well as send transcripts and letters of recommendation through LSAC to create an official report to send to law schools; most ABA-accredited schools require this.
Most people apply during the fall with plans of starting law school the following fall, so September should be your target submission deadline to ensure you submit the best application possible and maximize its review by admissions staff. Furthermore, now is also an ideal time to pursue scholarships – as many schools still have merit-based funding available!
Application process for law schools can be time consuming and daunting, making it hard to predict when you’ll hear back from those you are considering. But keep this in mind: Law school admissions decisions tend to be made on an ongoing basis so your chances of acceptance increase with each round.
More and more law schools are keeping their admissions doors open past formal deadlines, often well into spring and summer. Although it may still be possible to gain admission at this late date, doing so may prove far more challenging and competitive compared to gaining admission before. Furthermore, schools that extend admissions doors this way may have already used up much or all of their scholarship funds in an attempt to attract students.
If you are uncertain that law school will be your choice this fall, waiting until 2022 to apply may give you the best chance at securing your spot and may also help ensure a fresh set of applicants enters the law school market.
Spring
While law school admissions season typically occurs in the fall, many schools also accept applications during spring admissions season. The process differs slightly in that applicants don’t compete against as many others for available spots; however, taking more time and attention in getting your application complete may take. You should ensure you apply to all schools you are interested in applying to and submit all required forms and answers as well as optional questions to LSAC before editing each application before sending to them officially for review and final submission to LSAC with an official report being generated as soon as possible!
Registering with LSAC (Law School Admission Council) should be your initial step in the application process, for a fee. They’ll compile all of your LSAT scores, transcripts and letters of recommendation into an official report that can then be sent directly to law schools of your choosing. Doing this as early in your application journey as possible allows more time for editing/revising personal statements/application essays before final submission.
Once your application is submitted, schools will begin inviting you for interviews on a rolling basis. Interviews provide an excellent opportunity for both yourself and the school to gauge whether attending their class would be worthwhile; conversely, waiting months to hear back can make sure admissions officers remember you are still interested!
As soon as you’re accepted into law school, scholarship offers should follow suit. While each school will offer you different amounts, it’s a good idea to compare scholarships from multiple institutions before making your choice. When accepting one school over another, be sure to thank them for considering you, let them know you plan to attend regularly and express continued interest for future consideration. If this proves impossible then send a letter of continued interest, provided it will help facilitate finding another institution next semester.
Summer
Though you might miss the boat on starting law school this fall, there is still time for you to do so in either spring or summer of next year if all your ducks are in order. That means gathering all your application materials quickly – including writing personal and diversity statements as well as supplement essays provided by schools (usually taking at least four months of hard work to accomplish this task).
And don’t forget about obtaining letters of recommendation and other necessary supporting documents! Additionally, scheduling or retaking the LSAT may be necessary – for optimal results by summer of your desired law school admission year it is wise to prepare and take it during fall study period prior.
When applying to law schools with rolling admissions processes, ideally applying by early November or December would be ideal as that’s when applications will be most closely examined and merit scholarships available to you may reach their peak. Furthermore, for schools with fixed class size caps taking the LSAT early will guarantee consideration even if enrollment fills before you are accepted into school.
Law schools typically accept applications on a rolling basis until their September class reaches capacity – this typically happens around April or May of each year you would like to start law school, meaning you could submit your application as late as August or September in your year of choice.
Some schools don’t set formal deadlines and evaluate applications until their class limit has been reached. While we recommend applying as early as possible to maximize your chances, submitting an exceptional application late is still acceptable as long as you submit one that stands out.
Note that admissions officers will only review your application once it has been submitted and submitted in its entirety. As part of the application process for law school admissions, submitting all LSAC and law school application materials – transcripts, personal statement, diversity statement, supplemental essays and current LSAT score. In order to be considered for admission. Please remember to file your FAFSA by October 1 in order to be eligible for federal loans. If you miss any deadline, law schools will likely defer your application or place you on a waitlist until all incomplete applications have been reviewed and processed – an act designed to maintain diversity in their classes while keeping everyone fair and equal.
