Choosing Law Schools: Should You Apply Early Decision?

As you've been researching law schools, you've likely come upon discussions of early decision (ED) programs. An early decision program is a process that some law schools offer to attract top students in an incoming cohort. You submit your application early. The law school quickly reviews your application. In exchange, you promise to withdraw all other law school applications if they accept you. If a law school accepts you in the early decision process, you must enroll or choose not to attend law school at all for that particular application year.

Among the top five law schools, Yale, Stanford, and Harvard do not have ED programs, but Chicago and Columbia do. As you go down in law school rankings, the law schools that offer early decisions vary greatly with about 25 programs out there. In fact, some schools offer two rounds of early decision deadlines and some do not offer any.

The answer to whether you should apply to an early decision program is not definitive. Everyone's situation is different. Your LSAT score, undergraduate record, the schools to which you want to apply, and your personal preferences play a large role in whether an early decision program is right for you. Below, I've provided some of the most crucial advantages and disadvantages of these programs to give you the information you need to make the decision that is right for you.

Advantages of Applying Early Decision

Applying early decision to the law school where you want to attend has several advantages. They include:

• Early Admission Notification

  • Waiting for acceptance letters from the law schools where you applied can be an anxiety-inducing experience. If you have your heart set on one school, you are not too concerned about funding, and you meet most or all of the admissions requirements, an ED program can reduce your stress. If you are accepted, you can begin to make plans for housing and other important aspects of enrollment.

• Less Competition

  • A couple of ED programs are highly competitive because they come with scholarships, but this is not true of most. The vast majority of early decision programs are binding, and they do not come with scholarships. Fewer law school applicants choose to be bound to one school, so you could have better chances of acceptance when you apply ED.

• Better Chances for Your “Reach” School

  • An ED program can be a vehicle to help you get into your reach school. This is especially true if your LSAT score is a little below the median and your undergrad GPA is a little above the median. The same is true if your LSAT score is high and your undergrad GPA is below the median. If you are below the median on both, ED might still help you with acceptance to your reach school as long as you are willing to pay full tuition because it is unlikely merit-based scholarships will come your way.

Disadvantages of Applying Early Decision

Applying early decisions also comes with some potential disadvantages you need to consider before making your decision. They include:

• Early Application Deadline

  • The early application deadlines associated with early decision programs can come as soon as November 1st, with most falling somewhere in late November or early December. Not only do you have to make sure you take your LSAT, but you have to allow time for putting your entire application package together, including letters of recommendation. This can be overwhelming for some while trying to balance work, family obligations, and other responsibilities.

  • PRO TIP: Law schools have rolling admissions, so applying by November 1st isn't really that much of a disadvantage, especially for non-traditional students. It's in your best interest to apply as early as possible, so you should have your applications submitted by this time anyway.

• No Choice

  • As previously mentioned, the vast majority of ED programs are binding. Also, several schools, such as the University of Chicago, do not allow you to apply for more than one ED program. Essentially, applying ED removes all choices for other law schools. If you do get accepted but you change your mind—you're stuck. You need to be certain of the school where you apply ED so you don't change your mind at the last minute. If this does happen, it's not the end of the world. Remember that law schools have rolling admissions, so you can quickly get your application into another program.

• A Potential for Less Financial Aid

  • Law schools know that those who apply ED will likely enroll if accepted without regard to need-based or merit-based financial aid, scholarships, and grants. Except for the few schools that offer scholarships with their ED programs, applicants might receive less financial aid than they otherwise would have received by going through the standard application process, at least in terms of front-end aid.

  • PRO TIP: Don't let this aspect about aid stress you out. Even if you do not get the funding you want upfront, many law schools offer loan repayment assistance programs (LRAP) to help fund law school from the back-end.

A Note About Specific Early Decision Programs

PowerScore, one of the companies that specialize in LSAT test preparation, has done some research on schools' specific responses with regard to ED applications. They found that some law school applicants truly receive a boost when they apply ED, while other law schools have competitive ED programs that make it less likely to get accepted than applying through the traditional process. A large portion of schools lies in between—they hold the same criteria for ED applicants as those who apply during the school's regular admission cycle.

If you're looking for an ED program that truly gives you a boost into one of your potential reach schools, consider these: Chicago, Northwestern, Duke, University of Virginia, or the University of Pennsylvania. ED programs at Emory and George Washington University offer large scholarships with ED acceptance, making their programs highly competitive, so the same potential for a boost is not present.

Choosing the right law schools to apply to can be an overwhelming task, but it doesn't have to be. If you have the resources to make an informed decision, you can more easily narrow down your choices. I'm here to help you understand the early decision process at the schools where you want to apply. Contact me today with additional questions you have about early decisions and any other questions related to law school.