When to Apply to Law Schools

banana123

I'm a bit confused as to when US law schools start accepting applications...a lot of websites currently list old dates. Is the earliest usually in Sept or Oct?

emli1000

Most schools will begin their early apps/app in Sept/Oct.

banana123

Thanks @emli1000. I understand that you submit your info to CAS, but in "applying" do you visit the school's website or is there like a checkbox on LSAC to "apply" to a specific school?

emli1000

Correct, you apply through the LSAC. I believe it's on the home page, you search for the school you want to apply to and follow the steps.

Pacifico

You can go on LSAC right now and make a list of schools and then when you go to the apply tab it will show you the options for that school. Right now they are pretty much all closed with very few exceptions, most of which are just errors of certain applications not closing after their deadlines. Once they open up again in the late summer/early fall all of the options will reappear.

banana123

I see - thank you! Also - if I apply with a June score but decide to retake in Oct, can I apply and have the schools "hold" the application until they receive the Oct score? Or do I not apply until I have received the Oct score?

Pacifico

You can go ahead and apply, most (if not all) schools should notice that you're registered and not even look at your application until the score comes back. Also, depending on your GPA and your LSAT, they may not even look at it until much later in the cycle since they front load responses for the 98th/99th percentile folks.

nicole.hopkins

@banana123 said:
Is the earliest usually in Sept or Oct?

Apps aren't even out yet (yes I have been stalking!). So if you want to get in early, prep your apps now and that way you'll be ready to submit when the apps open up.

And yes, for most (almost all?) schools, you go through LSAC.