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When is it too late to apply?

Determined_-1Determined_-1 Member
edited January 2022 in Law School Admissions 924 karma

Hi everyone! I know this question gets thrown around on the forum sometimes, but I'd love some clarity when it comes to bettering one's chances of admission from a timeline perspective as well as receiving adequate aid.

With that being said, what is considered pretty late? If one were to take the October or November LSAT, is applying soon after considered late? Appreciate everyone's thoughts.

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Comments

  • AryanSingh-1AryanSingh-1 Member
    edited January 2022 342 karma

    up until January is still good. Although Oct Nov are better.

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐
    edited January 2022 8491 karma

    Generally, the threshold seems to be the new year for early vs late. Between Jan and feb you'll see some schools starting to finalize their classes and WLs. But people get admitted during orientation week every cycle. Let your score determine your timeline and shoot your shot, worst case you get to try again. I was a February applicant and did fine.

    Financial aid isn't unidirectional. Money is constantly going in and out as aid is awarded and people commit elsewhere. School dependent, your stats will usually be more important (and competing offers dont hurt).

  • lsat2016lsat2016 Free Trial Member
    488 karma

    @canihazJD said:
    Generally, the threshold seems to be the new year for early vs late. Between Jan and feb you'll see some schools starting to finalize their classes and WLs. But people get admitted during orientation week every cycle. Let your score determine your timeline and shoot your shot, worst case you get to try again. I was a February applicant and did fine.

    FInancial aid isn't unidirectional. Money is constantly going in and out as aid is awarded and people commit elsewhere. School dependent, your stats will usually be more important (and competing offers dont hurt).

    would you say someone should apply to hls now than waiting one cycle?
    In the same boat as op. My score expires this cycle, but not sure if applying at this point is already dead-on-arrival.

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐
    8491 karma

    @lsat2016 said:

    @canihazJD said:
    Generally, the threshold seems to be the new year for early vs late. Between Jan and feb you'll see some schools starting to finalize their classes and WLs. But people get admitted during orientation week every cycle. Let your score determine your timeline and shoot your shot, worst case you get to try again. I was a February applicant and did fine.

    FInancial aid isn't unidirectional. Money is constantly going in and out as aid is awarded and people commit elsewhere. School dependent, your stats will usually be more important (and competing offers dont hurt).

    would you say someone should apply to hls now than waiting one cycle?
    In the same boat as op. My score expires this cycle, but not sure if applying at this point is already dead-on-arrival.

    Depends on your stats?

  • HopefullyHLSHopefullyHLS Member
    445 karma

    @lsat2016 said:

    @canihazJD said:
    Generally, the threshold seems to be the new year for early vs late. Between Jan and feb you'll see some schools starting to finalize their classes and WLs. But people get admitted during orientation week every cycle. Let your score determine your timeline and shoot your shot, worst case you get to try again. I was a February applicant and did fine.

    FInancial aid isn't unidirectional. Money is constantly going in and out as aid is awarded and people commit elsewhere. School dependent, your stats will usually be more important (and competing offers dont hurt).

    would you say someone should apply to hls now than waiting one cycle?
    In the same boat as op. My score expires this cycle, but not sure if applying at this point is already dead-on-arrival.

    Not sure what is the downside potential of applying now...

    Worst case, you don‘t get in and will have to try next cycle (which you would have done anyway if you did not apply). Best case, you get in.

    Plus, your LSAT score expires this cycle. In case you apply now and get in, you won‘t have to take the LSAT anymore.

    Especially if your current score is a 170+, frankly, it would be stupid not to apply this cycle, no matter which law school...

  • LegallyLSATLegallyLSAT Live Member
    172 karma

    If you're wanting to be considered for scholarships, I've noticed some schools have a cut off of March to apply. Otherwise, I say if your score is where you want it, apply and don't wait!

  • Determined_-1Determined_-1 Member
    924 karma

    @AryanSingh @LegallyLSAT @canihazJD thanks so much for the clarity! :)

  • lsat2016lsat2016 Free Trial Member
    edited January 2022 488 karma

    @HopefullyHLS said:

    @lsat2016 said:

    @canihazJD said:
    Generally, the threshold seems to be the new year for early vs late. Between Jan and feb you'll see some schools starting to finalize their classes and WLs. But people get admitted during orientation week every cycle. Let your score determine your timeline and shoot your shot, worst case you get to try again. I was a February applicant and did fine.

    FInancial aid isn't unidirectional. Money is constantly going in and out as aid is awarded and people commit elsewhere. School dependent, your stats will usually be more important (and competing offers dont hurt).

    would you say someone should apply to hls now than waiting one cycle?
    In the same boat as op. My score expires this cycle, but not sure if applying at this point is already dead-on-arrival.

    Not sure what is the downside potential of applying now...

    Worst case, you don‘t get in and will have to try next cycle (which you would have done anyway if you did not apply). Best case, you get in.

    Plus, your LSAT score expires this cycle. In case you apply now and get in, you won‘t have to take the LSAT anymore.

    Especially if your current score is a 170+, frankly, it would be stupid not to apply this cycle, no matter which law school...

    I noticed that HLS particularly has a late deadline of Mar 1st compared to other law schools.
    Did they make this change recently in the last couple of years from Feb 1st or has it always been this way?

  • lsat2016lsat2016 Free Trial Member
    edited January 2022 488 karma

    what GRE score q/v scores would be considered equivalent to median-LSAT of 174 at HLS?

    Is taking GRE and using it at hls less valuable than using LSAT?

    GRE was a much easier test, and scored 164v/168q long time ago with no study, but I don't think HLS adcomms would consider it equivalent to even anywhere near high 160s let alone 170x score on lsat.

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐
    8491 karma

    @lsat2016 said:
    what GRE score q/v scores would be considered equivalent to median-LSAT of 174 at HLS?

    Is taking GRE and using it at hls less valuable than using LSAT?

    GRE was a much easier test, and scored 164v/168q long time ago with no study, but I don't think HLS adcomms would consider it equivalent to even anywhere near high 160s let alone 170x score on lsat.

    https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2019/03/Standard-509-Information-Report.pdf

  • DoeyDooleyDoeyDooley Core Member
    2 karma

    oct best time, but it is never too late

  • lsat2016lsat2016 Free Trial Member
    488 karma

    @canihazJD said:

    @lsat2016 said:
    what GRE score q/v scores would be considered equivalent to median-LSAT of 174 at HLS?

    Is taking GRE and using it at hls less valuable than using LSAT?

    GRE was a much easier test, and scored 164v/168q long time ago with no study, but I don't think HLS adcomms would consider it equivalent to even anywhere near high 160s let alone 170x score on lsat.

    https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2019/03/Standard-509-Information-Report.pdf

    Interesting that there median gre is just 167v/165q. i can't seem to understand how adcomm can consider it to be equivalent to their 174 lsat median.
    Yale and Columbia also aren't much different.

    https://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/Std509InfoReport-101-101-12-18-2020.pdf

    https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/std509inforeport_2021.pdf

  • canihazJDcanihazJD Alum Member Sage ⭐
    edited January 2022 8491 karma

    @lsat2016 said:

    @canihazJD said:

    @lsat2016 said:
    what GRE score q/v scores would be considered equivalent to median-LSAT of 174 at HLS?

    Is taking GRE and using it at hls less valuable than using LSAT?

    GRE was a much easier test, and scored 164v/168q long time ago with no study, but I don't think HLS adcomms would consider it equivalent to even anywhere near high 160s let alone 170x score on lsat.

    https://hls.harvard.edu/content/uploads/2019/03/Standard-509-Information-Report.pdf

    Interesting that there median gre is just 167v/165q. i can't seem to understand how adcomm can consider it to be equivalent to their 174 lsat median.
    Yale and Columbia also aren't much different.

    https://www.law.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/2020-12/Std509InfoReport-101-101-12-18-2020.pdf

    https://law.yale.edu/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/std509inforeport_2021.pdf

    Its not a direct translation. You're looking at 3 scores instead of one, unless something changed this year schools aren't required to report GRE scores, if you have both scores they have to report the LSAT no matter what (so for instance someone with a higher GRE but a low LSAT may be rejected because they'll affect LSAT medians), and its just a different subset of applicants that tend to apply with a GRE... lots more career changers, advanced degrees, etc. And generally, it's not a matter of what is a "high" score for a given test, but what a school's medians are in relation to its peers.

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