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How does it work? I am confused.
JerryClarke242
Alum Member
Hello Everyone,
So I am studying for the December LSAT in addition to trying to get the components of my law school application together. How exactly does the electronic application process work? Because I thought law schools do not get your application until said application is complete, but apparently you can send parts of your law school application in early and have the law schools wait on the score. Which is it?
Comments
To probably your frustration, "both" is the most accurate answer. Until a law school has all the components of your application, it isn't going to be processed and reviewed. When an application is "complete", that means you need to have completed: 1) the online application (a few allow an application directly to that specific law school, but this is rare, nor is it preferred); 2) a completed CAS report (meaning all your transcripts are turned in and accounted for by LSAC); 3) you have the at least the minimum requisite letters of recommendation for a given school; and lastly, a reported LSAT score through LSAC. I assume this is your first time taking the LSAT. If it isn't, and you have a score on file with LSAC, that is a different situation that requires definite caution about when you turn in everything to a law school (they will process your application and review it with a score that you probably don't want them to evaluate your application with!)
However, you can - for example - have everything else finished (application, letters of recommendations, all your transcripts turned into LSAC) and turn in your application to a law school without an LSAT score posted to your LSAC account. But, your application at that law school will be incomplete. Which means, it will not be processed and reviewed. Once you take the LSAT in December, your score will be posted and official sometime at the end of December or early January. At that time, your file will be "complete", meaning, it will be processed by the law school.
So, a law school can receive your "completed" application, but just because they receive it doesn't mean it will be processed. Until all the required materials are in possession of the law school you applied to - despite your "completing" of all the other materials outside of a reported LSAT score with LSAC - your application is not complete in the eyes of the law school. Some applicants just want to have it all finished and submitted so that when their LSAT score is posted by LSAC, there is nothing left for them to do in order to have their application processed and added to the pool of candidates for review.
Thanks for clarifying.
you can send them stuff, but they won't bother with your app if it isn't complete.
it's better to just submit everything at once!
@nevadacity37 Thank you very much for such detailed explanations! : ) May I ask you one quick question? Assuming that you already finished writing essays, collected recommednations and filled everything in the application and about to click the final submission button, how long does the process usually take for the application to be fully submitted and get comfirmed once you ? I know the application is sent electronically, so would it be safe to assume that the school will receive the application the day I sent?(like I send an email and can comfirm it was safely sent in minutes) or can it take another cople days for the school to receive the application?
Thanks so much for your explanation! I was under the impression that even though they don't start reviewing your application without the score, it was still beneficial to send it earlier so that it's earlier in the "stack of apps to review" sort of speak vs. sending it after the holidays/when the score is out & when most apps come in and being stuck behind all of those other applicants. Do you know if this is true? I'm also taking it for the first time in December!
When I sent my apps in last cycle, it would usually take a day or two before LSAC would confirm that the application was both sent from them, and received by the law school. I think in one instance, it took 3 days. So, it isn't immediate, but it is quick. To note, just because you have everything turned into a law school, it doesn't mean it is processed at that law school. So, while LSAC says they have received it, it can - in some instances and for some schools - take a bit for the law school to change your application status to "complete." I had an application sit at Vanderbilt for 3 weeks before the law school changed my status to complete. The law school will send you an email, or change your status on your "status checker". Also to note, the later in the application cycle you submit your application, often, the longer the latency is between when they receive it, and when the law school says it is "complete."
So you are touching on a more nuanced question that is more law school specific. Some schools read apps in the order that they come in, thus, for some schools (which I don't recall at the moment), there is some potential benefit to turning it in prior to an LSAT score being posted. Other schools process applications in the order in which they were "completed" (meaning, the law school's standard of completed). Other just review all the top applicants first regardless of their order. Some might start reviewing your file without an LSAT score, but I don't think that is very common seeing the LSAT is a ridiculously large part of your admissions decision. As you can see, there is a myriad of processes among the law schools. If you want to know if there is a benefit to turning it in earlier without an LSAT score, or some other component that is necessary to render a file complete by a law school, you will need to contact the admissions office at those schools to have any definitive answer.
@nevadacity37 Thanks once again for your helps : ) I'm planning to sit on Dec. exam and was debating whether to submit the rest of the application before the LSAT score comes out or submit all together on the day I receive my score. Thank you!! : ) Now, it seems more smart choice to submit app. before the score comes out.
It really depends on the school. As a word of caution, you may need to modify - or discover that you want to modify - your application. For example, if you don't score as high as you normally do on the LSAT and you want to write an addendum or something like that. Or you have a brilliant idea for a diversity statement that you never thought of before, etc. Once you submit it, that is it. There is no "editing" your app once it is submitted. Just be very, very sure you are confident you application is complete on your end and you are comfortable removing any possibility of making any changes. I wish you the best of luck, and crush that LSAT in December.