When Is the Best Time to Submit A Law School Application?
When Is the Best Time to Submit A Law School Application?
A law school application has multiple components: LSAT or GRE score(s), undergraduate transcript, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and more. However, there’s more to your law school application than your application materials. For many potential applicants, the timing of their application can mean the difference between acceptance and rejection. To help you find out the best time to submit a law school application, we’ve put together this list of tips.
When Is the Best Time to Submit A Law School Application?
1. Decide Whether You’ll Apply Early Decision
The first decision you’ll need to make when submitting your law school application is whether you’ll apply anywhere early decision. If you have your heart set on your dream school and your numbers are at or below their median, then an early decision application may be a great option. However, if you’re not ready to commit and hoping to get a financial aid offer, you may be better off avoiding early decision.
One of the biggest things to understand about early decision applications as it relates to your submission timing is that the deadlines are early and strict. If you’re a day late, you won’t be considered. Most early decision deadlines are in the fall, with only a few extending into the winter. For that reason, you need to likely submit a law school application in the fall and before the deadline set by the school.
Run through this Law School Application Checklist to ensure you’re on track with all of your necessary documents.
2. In General, Earlier is Better
If you’re not planning to apply early decision, the general window within which you can submit a law school application runs from September until spring or summer. Some schools have their final deadline in February while others extend it out until July. In general, it’s better to submit an application early. Most schools process applications on a rolling basis, so if you submit earlier when more seats (and more financial aid) is available, you may have a better chance of admission. In most cases, you should aim to submit your application before Christmas.
Check out this Law School Application Timeline to make sure that your planning ahead pays off.
3. Ultimately, The Decision is Personal
Here’s the real answer: the best time to submit your law school application is when it’s complete. If you can put together a complete, quality application by early September, great. If you decide that you need to sign up for the December LSAT in order to hit your goal score, you may decide that waiting to submit your application is the right move. No matter what, the decision should depend on your goals for law school and your future.
In addition to your application materials, the timing of your law school application can have a major impact on your chances of acceptance. If you’re strategic with your application timing, you can increase your odds of gaining admission to your dream school.
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