Waiting for Law School Admissions Decisions: When to Take Next Steps
by Sydney Montgomery, Esq., Executive Director
I hate waiting for things. I know that people say patience is a virtue, but I’m still waiting on developing that virtue. I’ve gotten much better at that as I’ve gotten older, but waiting is still something that causes me a lot of anxiety.
When I don’t hear things, I tend to make up scenarios in my head. “I haven’t heard yet because they’re probably trying to figure out how to say no” or “Maybe my law school application never got there.” It’s hard, and for a lot of you that have been in this process since September, it can seem like forever ago.
Some people have already gotten their admissions decisions, and maybe you’re in that boat, or maybe you haven’t received anything. And at that point, you start wondering why you are the last one to the party.
Today we’re going to talk about what the waiting process looks like. I hope to soothe some of your anxiety around the situation and talk about what the next steps should be.
Would you rather listen to this blog post? Listen to What to Do While Waiting to Hear From Law Schools on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!
When should I send a check in email?
When you apply, you should be given a username and password to an applicant portal. If you don’t have that, make sure to look in your spam. This portal is very important because that is where you will be able to check the status of your application.
Every school has slightly different verbiage, but usually there is some indication that your application is complete or in review. If you applied to a school in September or October and your application has still not gone under review in January, that might be the time for you to email admissions.
Make sure to read the instructions that they give you. (You’re going to be a lawyer — you need to follow the law. Follow the instructions.) They are going to tell you how to contact them, so make sure you’re following those instructions.
A simple email should say your name, your LSAC ID, the date you applied, and a simple check-in to ensure that all of your application materials were received. Remember to thank them for their time and consideration; it should be super friendly and respectful.
Typically, the process takes somewhere between six and ten weeks on average for your file to go under review. If it’s been more than ten to twelve weeks and your file hasn’t gone under review, you should definitely send that email. To be clear, it doesn’t mean that anything is necessarily wrong, but it’s just good to check in.
Should you send an update?
The answer is maybe.
If you are in college and you now have more grades than you did when you applied, please send your new transcript. Usually the school will tell you how to do this, sometimes it’s right through CAS.
If you retook the LSAT, chances are that they already have it, but please send them an update still.
If you got a new job, it’s a little grayer. If you think your new job would substantially help your application, there is nothing wrong with a quick note. Your email should include your name, LSAC ID, and an ask to attach an updated resume to your file (with that resume attached to your email). It’s not the space to tell them about the job, you’re just sending them that updated resume.
Some of you change jobs frequently, so I did want to note that it is not necessary to send a job update email more than once.
If you have started a new volunteer experience, you may want to wait. When you write a letter of continued interest (LOCI), you will include updates. If you give them all of the updates, you’re going to have nothing to write in your LOCI. If you are a strong applicant already and you’re adding in new volunteer experience (or even a new job), you don’t necessarily need to send that in to boost your application. If you are below the medians and it is a reach school, then it may be better to give them that update.
Should you write a LOCI?
A LOCI should be sent when you’ve been waitlisted (and only then).
You don’t write a LOCI if you’re just waiting. They know that you’re still interested if you haven’t heard back from them. The reason why you don’t want to bombard them with things is that it’s annoying. The last thing that you want to do is annoy the admissions committee because it’s really hard for them to not think of that when they read your file.
Usually, the instructions will tell you what to do when you’ve been waitlisted. I suggest that applicants pay attention to how admissions want them to stay connected with them. Some schools may want updates and a LOCI every four to six weeks, and some schools will say to fill out a form and not contact them again.
The schools will usually say how to express your interest in staying on the waitlist and what email to send a LOCI to. If you’re struggling with how to write a LOCI, you can check out a blog on that here.
Why does the process take this long?
In the silence, they could be saying yes. That is because the law school admissions process is holistic and comparative.
That means that they are looking at your entire application (not just your LSAT and your GPA), and they are comparing your application to the other applicants. Sometimes they know right away that they want a student in their class, and sometimes they like an applicant while also liking several other applicants. There are only a finite number of seats they can offer. They wait to see what other applicants they get before they accept one they potentially like.
That is why some students will find out within four weeks and some won’t find out until March. It is incredibly frustrating, I know, but that doesn’t mean that your application isn’t strong or that you aren’t getting in. You never really know what’s going on in an admissions office, and they could be working their way to a yes.
You do want to make sure that all of your application materials are completed if you haven’t heard between ten to twelve weeks since you applied. You don’t want to get to March and find out they never received a letter of recommendation and most of their class is filled. That can happen — it’s very rare — so that’s why you should make sure they have everything if you reach that point in the waiting process.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this blog post helped you think through what you should be doing. You shouldn’t be worried or panicked if you haven’t heard from schools. What you can always do is fill your time with those updates (volunteering, working toward a promotion, etc.) that you can then use in your LOCI, if it comes to that. They’re good things to do anyways, but it can be helpful if you take this time to do things that can make meaningful updates.
Remember: No news isn’t bad news in admissions!
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