Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q&A, a monthly feature that provides law school admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles.
If you have a question, email us for a chance to be featured in the next edition.
I’ve started compiling the materials for my law school application, but when I was doing some research on the application timeline, I noticed the option of “early action” — which I did not know about — alongside that of early decision. How do the two differ, which schools offer them and which one is right for me? –Early Bird
Dear Early Bird:
Good job on starting work on your law school application early — it will save you a lot of stress later on.
The main thing early action and early decision have in common is a significantly earlier deadline to submit the application, often as early as November, followed by an earlier response from the school.
Therein lies one of the major obstacles in applying using one of these options: The applicant needs to look far in advance — often while still handling college responsibilities like papers and exams — to assemble materials that can take months to gather, such as letters of recommendation.
[Read: An Overview of the Law School Application.]
Additionally, a November deadline precludes the applicant from taking or retaking the LSAT in December or later; in contrast, applicants applying via regular admissions have a few more LSAT dates to improve their score.
The main way in which the options diverge is the fact that early decision is binding. Once an early decision applicant has been offered admission, he or she is obligated to withdraw all applications to other law schools and enroll in the school offering a seat.
Early action, in contrast, is nonbinding, and allows students to submit applications to other schools, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they have an admissions offer from another school to fall back on. The implication is that admitted applicants can save time and money otherwise spent on applying to safety schools.
Most top schools in the U.S. News Best Law Schools rankings offer early decision programs, but you’ll have to check farther down the list to find schools that offer early action. Some schools offer both; for example, Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law has both a binding early decision option and a nonbinding priority decision option.
It’s possible that both early decision and early action are right for you. Early decision applicants have been demonstrably more successful than their regular cycle counterparts, so that’s usually a good route to choose when applying to a reach school. Conversely, given that early action may be offered by schools that are lower ranked but still within the top 50, this may be a good option to use when applying to a safety school.
The right choice for any applicant varies depending on factors such as LSAT score, GPA, location and career goals, so make sure to do your research before applying.
[Read: Strategize Law School Early Decision Applications.]
I intend to apply to law school in the upcoming cycle, and one of the main factors for me in deciding which school to attend is the cost. From what I’ve seen, many schools offer lower in-state tuition. Is the discounted cost of attendance worth establishing residence in another state? –Penny Pincher
Dear Penny Pincher:
First, don’t confuse tuition with cost of attendance. While tuition typically accounts for most of your cost of attendance, the two are not interchangeable; at some schools, room and board, books and personal expenses may even exceed tuition.
Take, for example, Texas A&M University School of Law: In-state tuition for 2018-2019 accounts for about 51 percent of the total cost of attendance for a full-time student.
Tuition is only one of the financial factors to consider: ancillary expenses are naturally going to be much higher in Manhattan than in Portland, Maine, or Lubbock, Texas.
Whether or not the discount is worth the time and effort varies not only by state, but also by school.
Some schools’ in-state discounts are marginal; for example, the University of Virginia School of Law offers a $3,000 discount on its $63,700 tuition and fees for 2018-2019 — less than 5 percent. Others offer a significant discount; for instance, Florida State University College of Law provides a discount of almost 50 percent, with in-state tuition for 2018-2019 around $20,000 cheaper than the $40,656 charged for out-of-state tuition.
[Read: Law Schools Shell Out Deep Tuition Discounts to Students.]
Also, keep in mind that some states make it much easier to become a resident for tuition purposes than others.
In Florida, for example, you only have to show that you have been living in the state for 12 months to establish residency. This can help an incoming law school student pay discounted tuition starting in the 2L year — or earlier if you choose to move ahead of time.
Other states, such as Texas, require a 12-month residency period prior to the first day of classes, while some, like Washington, explicitly forbid establishing residency primarily for educational purposes.
Of course, there are additional factors to consider. Moving may not be cheap, and going to school close to home may also save you money on rent.
There is no easy answer to your question. There are many moving parts that can determine the cost of attendance and what sort of impact becoming a resident will make on that cost — if that’s at all possible.
As always, it’s important to do your research to ensure you pick the law school that’s right for you. Make sure you’re fully informed before deciding to move across the country.
More from U.S. News
What to Know About the Legal Market Before Applying to Law School
Some Law Schools Now Offer Scholarships to Early Applicants
Decode Priority Track, Early Decision in Law School Applications
What to Know About Applying to Law School Early, Paying In-State Tuition originally appeared on usnews.com
