Applicant should take this time to ensure they have met all enrollment requirements, such as paying their seat deposit and attending admitted student open houses or orientation. Furthermore, applicants can finalize housing arrangements if necessary.
School applications typically open around September of the year they want you to enroll; this date may differ depending on whether or not a particular institution offers early decision admissions.
Fall
Fall is often seen as the ideal time for law school applicants, as many start law school during this season and take advantage of an additional year before graduating to build their legal careers.
Assuming you want to start law school this fall, application deadlines typically fall in November or December – giving you three to six months before beginning 1L classes to get organized: study for and take/retake LSAT as necessary, update resume/CV/bio, work on personal statements/essays and request recommendation letters.
Applying to law school should not be seen as a race against time; rather, consider approaching it like an academic marathon instead of sprinting through it. By beginning early and gradually progressing through the admissions process, your chances of acceptance increase significantly.
Spring
Law school classes typically begin in the fall; however, some institutions offer spring- and summer-semester programs as an alternative. Although starting 1L classes during either spring semester can leave you feeling separated from your peers who started during fall semester, each option should be carefully considered in terms of its pros and cons before making a decision.
Most law schools utilize a rolling admissions process, meaning that applications will begin being reviewed as soon as they’re received (usually in late fall of the year preceding when you intend to enroll). Applying early increases your odds of admission over waiting until late in the application season to submit one.
Take or retake the LSAT, if necessary. Submit polished applications to each remaining law school on your list, request transcripts from all undergraduate and grad schools you attended, and have them sent directly to LSAC’s CAS system, then file your FAFSA, if applicable.
Check your CAS account regularly for status updates. Once accepted to or admitted off of the waitlist to a school, verify they’ve received all required documents as well as submit any financial aid forms (if needed). Thank everyone involved with your application including recommendation writers; defer existing loans (if applicable); and get ready to embark on your legal adventure!
Summer
Many applicants start their applications during the summer, focusing on collecting academic reports and taking the LSAT. Summer also presents an ideal time for adding schools to one’s list and researching various options – using LSAC’s law school search tool can be very helpful when entering undergraduate GPA and potential LSAT score information to narrow down options and narrow your choices down further.
Now is an ideal time to attend law school admissions fairs, forums and related events hosted by your undergraduate institution or LSAC. Engaging early with admissions officers can help clarify due date expectations as well as gain insight into their culture at each law school.
At this stage, it’s also wise to start work on your personal statement, which may require extensive ruminations and revision. Furthermore, it would be prudent to have someone with critical eyes read it over. Furthermore, now is also the ideal time to explore employment or volunteer opportunities that might bolster both your profile and application – ultimately you want to be as ready as possible for fall semester enrollment if considering spring or summer start options; otherwise you risk restricting academic and career options post graduation.
