Because the law school admissions process is rolling, you should apply during the fall for your best odds of acceptance. However, timing doesn’t make much difference unless you apply late.
In contrast, applying either early decision or early action can give you a real advantage — but not without a few downsides.
[How Many Law Schools Should You Apply To?]
What Do Early Decision and Early Action Mean?
Early decision and early action applicants submit their complete applications months before the general application deadline. In turn, law schools often try to evaluate their applications promptly and render expedited decisions of acceptance, rejection or placement in the general application pool.
Early decision is typically a binding commitment. Applicants accepted early decision must commit to attend the law school that accepts them, withdraw any outstanding applications and not apply elsewhere.
In contrast, early action is nonbinding, generally intended to incentivize earlier applications. Applicants accepted early action can still apply elsewhere, secure in the knowledge that they have one certain option.
While dozens of law schools offer early decision, early action is rarer. Only a few law schools offer both options.
There is no drawback to applying early action, if you meet the deadline.
Early decision programs are more common and more limiting for law school applicants. Applying early decision is a real commitment, with benefits and drawbacks.
The Pros of Applying Early Decision to Law School
Applying early decision does not require any extra work besides meeting the deadline, which is typically in November. A few law schools have a later deadline or even a second round.
Applying early decision signals to admissions officers that an applicant is so interested in attending their school that he or she is willing to forgo all other applications if accepted. Law schools prefer such highly motivated applicants who don’t need to be wooed and make it easier to lock in a balanced and enthusiastic incoming class.
Admissions officers are therefore a bit more lenient toward early decision applicants whose grades or LSAT score are lower than the school median. This gives their chances of admission a little nudge.
[READ: 7 Deciding Factors in Law School Admissions]
Furthermore, the early applicant pool is smaller than the general pool. Applying early means less competition from other applicants with similar profiles.
It can be a relief, moreover, to receive an early notification of admission. Many law schools will give their early decision applicants a decision by the end of December and some aim for a turnaround of a month or less. Meanwhile, general applicants might need to wait until March or April to hear back, which can feel stressful and uncertain.
Most commonly, though, early decision applicants are held for consideration in the general admission pool. This releases them from the binding commitment and leaves them no better or worse off than if they had applied later.
Being considered in the general admissions pool is not the same thing as being waitlisted.
The Cons of Applying Early Decision to Law School
The commitment that early decision applicants make to attend a school if accepted is enforced, except in the few cases where a school has made its early decision nonbinding.
Admissions offices notify other schools about which applicants have accepted early decision. Breaching a binding contract is not a promising start to a legal career. It could cause your offer of admission to be revoked.
Of course, an applicant accepted early decision could still choose to forego law school entirely, or to apply in a later cycle. If you wish to withdraw from the process without burning bridges — perhaps due to a change in life circumstances — communicate with the admissions office about your situation.
Because of their commitment, early decision applicants have little leverage to negotiate for higher merit-based scholarships or to defer admission by one or two years. Once you’ve bought a car, it’s a lot harder to ask for a discount.
[Read: How Law School Financial Aid Works]
However, note a couple of caveats here. First, applicants tend to apply early decision to law schools that are just within reach, where they are least likely to receive merit-based scholarships. Second, some law schools automatically provide additional funding to early decision applicants, like the University of California–Berkeley School of Law and Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law in Illinois.
Making the Decision
Applicants often try to game out where they can apply early decision to maximize their odds of admission to a highly competitive law school. This can be a tricky balance. Applying early decision to a school where your odds are slim is unlikely to make a difference, while applying early decision to a school where your odds are more solid will bar you from taking a shot at higher-ranked schools.
[READ: How to Identify Midrange Law Schools to Target.]
Applying early decision thus makes the most sense for applicants who have a clear top-choice law school where their chances of admission are fair but not great.
Ultimately, applying early decision should be a personal choice rather than a strategic gamble. If you are going to commit to a law school in advance, it should be one you would be overjoyed to attend. Indecision about where to apply early decision may be a sign that you should apply to a range of schools through the general process and hopefully end up with multiple options to consider.
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Pros, Cons of Applying Early Decision to Law School originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 08/26/24: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
