Most law schools operate on a rolling admissions system. That means they start to review (and accept!) applications in the fall and this process continues through the spring of the following year.  Even though deadlines may not be until late in the spring or early in the summer, applying at the end of the cycle puts you at a disadvantage, especially if your credentials don’t make you a shoo-in for the law school you’re applying to.

The rolling admission process should influence when you choose to take the LSAT and whether it is worth taking the LSAT in December or the following February given your goals in the law school application process. Part of your law school application strategy (as if you needed more decisions) is when to apply. By taking the LSAT in February, June or September/October of the year in which you plan to apply, you will be able to apply early in the cycle. The benefit of applying early is that the most amount of spots are open in the upcoming law school class.

Ann helps applicants with The Works package by creating a timeline that helps you submit applications as early as possible in order to take advantage of rolling admissions. Ann also helps law school applicants by keeping them accountable for their timeline by sending email reminders before tasks should be completed. She offers a free 19-step checklist for applying to law school that emphasizes the importance of submitting applications early. The timeline is based on her best-selling law school guidebook, The Law School Admission Game: Play Like an Expert. Read the applying early checklist.

Ann also works with clients who are positioned to apply early and are considering whether to apply to a law school under a binding early decision program. Some schools offer binding early decision and non-binding early notification programs, where you will hear back from schools more quickly if you apply by a certain date. Thinking through these strategic decisions at each step of the process can make or break your acceptance into a particular school by showing sincere interest in attending. However, you may also be giving up scholarship offers to schools so this is a decision that should not be taken lightly.