No prospective law school student wants to play the waitlist game. Alongside anticipating LSAT scores, hoping to gain admission from the waitlist creates the most anxiety among applicants I advise.
What complicates the process is that seat deposit deadlines require you to decide where to enroll while you are still waiting for final wait-list decisions from some programs. You may also be negotiating for financial aid awards from schools where you have already been admitted. It is difficult to make a fully informed decision based on incomplete information.
[Understand law school waitlists.]
Here are three tips to help wait-listed prospective law students evaluate their enrollment options and make the best decision for them.
1. Narrow your options: If you have been wait-listed at multiple programs, it can be overwhelming to wrestle with all that uncertainty. Remember, you don’t have to remain on one or multiple waitlists indefinitely.
To narrow your options, first rank your admissions and pending results. Then compare the schools.
The best way to compare schools is to visit the campus. But if that isn’t feasible, contact the admissions office and see if you can speak with currently enrolled students. They will be in a better position to discuss campus culture from a student’s perspective.
Think also about which school is the better fit in terms of location, postgraduate employment opportunities, programming, reputation and relative expenses, like tuition and cost of living.
If you have already been admitted to a program that you would choose instead of a program where you have been wait-listed, then there’s no reason to stay on the waitlist.
This cycle, I worked with an applicant who was wait-listed at the University of California–Los Angeles, University of Chicago, New York University and Georgetown University.
He also received multiple acceptances from T-14 programs, including the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, which was his top choice.
He decided to withdraw from the waitlist at UCLA and Georgetown before placing seat deposits. When Michigan offered him a generous scholarship he couldn’t refuse, he withdrew all remaining applications.
As you gain more information, remove yourself from waitlists at schools where you are certain you won’t attend. Doing so will help streamline your decision-making process and clarify comparisons between remaining options.
[Consider these key data points when choosing a law school.]
2. Consider cost: While you can potentially place multiple seat deposits, remember that seat deposits may not be refundable. And beginning May 15, the Law School Admission Council will also notify schools when applicants have made multiple seat deposits. Do not overcommit.
As you compare schools where you have been admitted with schools where you have been wait-listed, keep in mind that scholarship offers are not transferable. It is also more difficult to secure funding if admitted off the waitlist.
Which programs are worth paying sticker price for over a program where you could earn your J.D. with less debt? If you are ultimately admitted off a waitlist, it may not be financially prudent to withdraw from a school where you have received generous funding. Be sure to consider postgraduate employment options carefully as well before making such a decision.
Be aware also that scholarship offers may come with conditions that require you to withdraw pending applications, including from waitlists. There is no guarantee that you will gain admission off the waitlist. Passing up on financial awards you know you have received for the mere possibility of admission elsewhere is a significant risk.
[Learn how to negotiate merit-based law school financial aid.]
3. Be proactive: If you want a law school to keep you in consideration, do more than passively wait on the list. Review your application to that school and identify any potential gaps or weaknesses that you could address now.
I am advising several new applicants who are wait-listed. After reviewing their applications, we strategized about information they could include in a letter of continued interest.
One applicant was waitlisted at a school in his hometown, where he wants to live and practice after earning his J.D. I suggested he highlight his community service as one of the significant motivating factors driving his desire to enroll.
Another applicant elected not to include an undergraduate GPA addendum among his application materials. We identified other strengths that demonstrate his academic potential as a way to mitigate concerns the admission committee may have about his application.
Sharing updates since submitting your application is also an important component of a compelling letter of continued interest. What professional, academic and service work have you accomplished recently?
If you can’t think of anything you’ve done, it’s not too late to plan ahead. Think about how to make the most of your spring and summer. Be prepared to update admissions committees on these achievements every 4-6 weeks.
In addition to sending letters of continued interest, review the individuals who submitted letters of recommendation to the school where you have been waitlisted. Think about who else you could potential ask for a supplemental recommendation. If possible, ask the recommender to draft letters to each specific school you are targeting to gain admission from the waitlist.
Having trouble evaluating your law school admissions results? You can reach me at lawadmissionslowdown@usnews.com.
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3 Tips for Choosing a Law School While Wait-Listed originally appeared on usnews.com
