🥚 Potato
Transcript relatively bare (2 years): Apply now or wait for third-year fall courses to be published?
My bachelor's degree will be a 3-year one, and I am currently in my third year's first semester. My courses for this semester will be on my transcript in January 26. All else held equal (grades, work experience, LSAT score, etc.) except for the application timing and transcript, would applying in January 26 be better than applying now (given that my transcript is relatively bare right now)?
I know that even if I apply now, I can update LSAC about my transcript later on. However, I'm concerned that an AO would reject my application based on my shorter transcript before the new grades come in.
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My honest advice is that if the literal only thing you're waiting on is one semester of transcripts AND if that transcript won't be available until late January, you shouldn't wait for that transcript to be available before applying.
One piece of context is that apps to law school are likely to be at a 15-20 year high this cycle. I'm all over this message board saying "apply when your app is at it's best, but ideally submit your apps before late-October when admissions officers wrap up their travel to law fairs." If you can be in that first group of apps that admissions officers can review, that's ideal.
And then there's that "apply when your app is at your best" note. I acknowledge that you could argue "but my app will be better with one more semester of grades and I don't want to risk being denied without those updated grades." My counter is to reverse the premise around. The admissions office knows that you're a graduating senior. If their decision will literally come down to your first semester of grades, they know that they can either waitlist you or just hold off making a decision on your app until your new grades come in. If they're reading your app in December and denying it, then you can assume that one more semester of good grades wasn't going to be the matter that moved the needle for you.
I hope that helps!
How would you recommend applying for this cycle if you are scheduled to take the October LSAT and possibly the Nov. LSAT, depending? Everything is ready to go except for a second and possibly third lsat score. The LSAT I took originally in 2022, so I have an okay score on file, but wanted a more recent and better score to show to admissions.
If everything is good to go other than the LSATs, I'd suggest just focusing on that. Wait to get your October LSAT back. If it's what you were hoping for, submit your apps. If it's not what you were hoping for and you need to retake in November, then focus on the November LSAT and submit your apps afterwards.
Good luck!