What's Going On in the Admissions Cycle Right Now?

Admissions offices are still issuing decisions, they’re reviewing admitted students for scholarship consideration, and those that allow negotiation or reconsideration are entertaining those requests. They’re also hosting admitted student events, sending out reminders about commitment deadlines, and facilitating meetings with their committees and deans to ensure that they’re making their goals for the cycle. They may be connecting admitted students with each other online, connecting admitted students with housing offices, or coordinating with other departments for current student, faculty, and/or alumni outreach.

This is also the time that waitlisted candidates often send in LOCIs, so that there is an update to their file just before the first deposit deadline. AOs can run reports to see which applicant files have recent updates—or any updates—since the initial application submission. Most schools will not be running these reports until after their first commitment deadline has passed, but now is a good time to begin sending in these communications.

FAQs from Law School Applicants

What should I include in a letter of continued interest? We have a module for that!

Helpful Link

Sunday, March 27 is the absolute last date that you can change an April 2022 LSAT test administration. The change fee is $200, but it would allow you to push back your test date if you feel like you need additional time to prepare. Click here for more information.

Discussion

This week, our continuing discussion on interactions with the law schools has changed a bit, just because I’ve had a couple of clients experience changes in their commitment deadlines that they did not anticipate—or worse—that they did not notice.

Instead of peer networking, roommate connections, and student housing, I want to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of reading through the terms of all scholarship and admissions offer communications, because some of the terms create new conditions or more strict requirements. I cannot stress enough the importance of reading through all of the fine print here.

In your initial offer of admission, your first commitment deadline might be April 15 or May 1; however, you might have a completely different commitment deadline date when you receive a scholarship offer. This new deadline date might move up your commitment to April 1, and it may further require that you withdraw all outstanding offers to accept the award. Pay close attention, because terms are subject to change. Sometimes those financial offers come with tighter constraints than you would be subjected to if you were simply accepting a seat.

Similarly, at some institutions, a scholarship offer might remain a certain amount until April 15 and then decrease to a lesser amount until May 1. If you miss a commitment opportunity that involves accepting a scholarship offer, and if you later decide that you want to commit to that school, it is up to that office whether they will honor a late commitment. It is possible that those funds will have already been reallocated to another candidate, which means that the school could then expect you to commit while waiting to be considered, potentially for a lesser award.

Once the offer and its terms have been sent to you, law schools may send reminders to alert you that you are getting close to a deadline, but they are not required to do so. The onus is completely on the applicant to track their deadlines and act accordingly—many are of the mindset that you are applying to a professional school and should operate accordingly. A missed deadline frees money up for a school to reach someone else.

Deadline extensions are still a possibility at some of these schools, even if they’ve moved up your commitment deadline—the important thing is to communicate. Some schools post their extension policies, while others simply require an email to the admitted student email address. Make reasonable asks—schools won’t allow indefinite time and most require an explanation for the request. Always look for the instructions/small print to guide you and to possibly adjust your terms.

This small print might require you to withdraw from other schools where you have been admitted or where you have applied. It might allow you to keep in consideration apps where you haven’t received a definitive decision—so if you’re waitlisted, you might be allowed to keep those ones open. You might be required to make an affirmative commitment before you are able to apply for student housing or receive access to specific parts of the admitted student portal.

If things are unclear, don’t be afraid to ask questions. You have a lot riding on your decision, and you want to make sure that you have all of the information possible as you do this. We will cover peer networking, roommate connections, and student housing in the next newsletter. Stay tuned!

7Sage on Clubhouse

Join 7Sage admissions consultants on Clubhouse on Wednesday, April 13 at 8 p.m. ET for a panel discussion on waitlist offers, commitment deadlines, and letters of continued interest (LOCIs). There will be time reserved for Q&A. RSVP for the event and join Club 7Sage here.

7Sage Webinar: Scholarship Negotiation and Reconsideration

On Thursday, March 24 at 9:00 p.m. ET, join co-founder David Busis and 7Sage admissions consultants for a panel discussion on scholarship offers, making scholarship reconsideration/negotiation requests, and preparing for or extending commitment deadlines. There will be time reserved for Q&A. Register here.

Upcoming Recruitment Events

  • Duke Law is offering law student-guided tours on Mondays and Fridays at 2 p.m. ET. Tour size is limited, so registration is advised. Register here.
  • Notre Dame Law is offering in-person visits for prospective and waitlisted applicants on Mondays, which include a class observation, admissions information session, and student-led tour. Visits are limited to 10 people at a time. Register here.
  • UCLA Law is offering online information sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 12:15 p.m. PT. Register here.
  • WashU Law in St. Louis is offering meetings with admissions, virtual open houses, and live-streamed events. For more details and to sign up, click here.