I was going to take the LSAT in September but will need to push it to October because I do not feel ready yet and nowhere near scoring to where I want which is 170+. But that means I would have to submit my apps in late October/early November, and I still do not know whether that is considered late in being competitive enough for a T-14 spot because everyone is saying the earlier the better. What are your thoughts/comments?
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If you read through this forum, @tchan, you're going to see me recommend that folks try to apply by mid-October if at possible this admissions cycle. That's for reasons I'll go into in a minute, but the number 1 rule is that you have to apply when you believe your app is at its best. If you have to take the October/November LSATs, then that's what you have to do! But if that's the call you make, just be sure:
1) To get rolling on your app docs ASAP. If your closest LSAT is now 2.5 months away, you have time to get your core app docs (resume, personal statement, any addenda or CF docs you have to write) either finished or in a good enough spot that you can finish them immediately after taking the LSAT in October or November. That's important because....
2) To understand that - yes - you have to apply when your app is at its best, but national apps are at a 15-20 year high. It's a tough world out there! Analogy time - yes, you shouldn't go out in Vampire Town if you aren't armed with garlic and holy water; but if it's going to take you until 8PM (ie, night) for you to round up all those items then that's also going to present some problems (ie, the vampires are out...). This is especially true for the T25-30's. There were some schools that hadn't really touched apps submitted in late-December by the time their deposit deadlines rolled around in April. That's how big the numbers are and that's also how understaffed admissions officers are for processing this amount of apps.
Executive recap:
Apply when your app is ready.
But use your time now to accelerate your app submission later.
Just understand that the landscape of law admissions is crazy right now.
@JacobBaska Thank you, Jacob! I'm in a similar spot as @tchan. With what you now know about this cycle, would submitting an application on October 15th versus October 30th make that much of a difference?
@Sagetesting That shouldn't make a radical difference! The real key here is that admissions officers are really busy traveling to law fairs in September and October. That schedule starts to die down in mid-October and basically comes to a halt in early November. So there's no huge difference between October 15th and October 31st.
So then why do I tell folks "October 15"? Because of the same psychology of telling students that the permission slip for the field trip is due on Monday when it's really due on Friday. If you aim earlier and need a few more days to get things finished, that's alright. But if you aim at the actual deadline and then things slip a smidge ... well, I've seen "I'm totally submitting apps by November 1" become "oh yeesh, Thanksgiving is sure coming up fast!" become "gosh, how did December 1st get here so fast?!" many times over.
@JacobBaska I may have my information twisted. If I do my test in September, submit my application in October, but redo the LSAT in November and do better, won't schools still automatically see that my score improved? Will the application suffer because I submitted it before the November LSAT score?
@Gabby101010 - Yes! Schools will see if you’ve registered for a future LSAT. But here’s the rub. Every school has a different policy on how they handle apps that are otherwise complete if not for a future LSAT. Most schools have a policy of not reviewing your app u tint hat future app comes in. As such, although you submitted your app on October 5th, it’s not “completed” until November 30th when your Nov LSAT comes in. And meanwhile, other schools have a policy that your app is fair game for review even with that pending LSAT.
So for the former schools, this doesn’t help you too much versus just applying right after you get your Nov LSAT back. And for the latter schools, you may be setting yourself up for a problem.
@JacobBaska That makes so much sense. Thank you for your help!
I went to an LSAC Forum recently, and I heard a mix of opinions from various deans of admissions. T-14 deans said the earlier you submit, the better, especially for T14 schools since they receive so many applications. Other deans said it's more important to wait until your application is as strong as it can be, as long as you submit by around Christmas or New Year's.
I've also heard this opinion that stuck out to me the most: the best rule of thumb is to aim to submit apps by Thanksgiving if you can.
I totally empathize with you. I'm in the same boat and have had to push back my test date too, given all the interface changes I have to get used to. In the long run, it'll serve us much better to earn a stronger LSAT score. I'd rather submit a little later with the best application I can put together than rush an earlier application with a lower score. :( Either way, good luck to you!!
I am not an admissions expert, but I am in a similar boat! I think generally it's considered 'early'/'on-time' as long as you submit before Thanksgiving (last week of November). If you can secure a 170+ on October, it is much better to submit a little later than to submit earlier with a lower score -- for both admission chances and scholarship money.