Application Timeline - Center for Pre-Law Advising

For whatever fall semester that you intend to enter law school, applications for that cycle become available in, or around, September one year prior. Although application deadlines vary and may not occur until spring, it is in your best interest to apply early. Rolling admissions means that law schools start evaluating and deciding on applications in fall, almost a year before classes start and well before the application deadline. Applying early in the admissions process may increase your likelihood of admission because at the beginning of the process you are competing against a smaller pool of applicants for a larger number of available spots than you would later in the process.

A good rule of thumb is to plan to apply to law school one year before you wish to start. Applicants who apply right away in September have a higher chance of admission, and also an increased likelihood of receiving merit based scholarship aid (which all applicants are considered for, and are often awarded in large part based on GPA and LSAT scores). We recommend that applicants apply sometime between September and the end of November one year before they wish to start law school for best results. For more information on scholarships, see our Financing Law School page.

Create your free LSAC account
Consult the Financing Your Legal Education guide from nonprofit resource AccessLex to plan your application budget, including the costs to prepare for and register for the LSAT or GRE, the costs to sign up for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), the cost of application fees, the cost of sending your CAS Reports to schools, and potential costs of traveling to visit law schools.
If you have financial need, make a plan ASAP to apply for the LSAC Fee Waiver which could cover a good portion of these costs. ALWAYS appeal if you are denied.
Meet with a pre-law advisor to discuss your LSAT (or other testing) timeline. (When will you first take it? What is your retake option?)
Decide on a test date to aim for. The last good time to take your first LSAT is in early summer the year before starting law school if possible. Make sure to research the deadline to register for the LSAT as it may be more than a month before the test date. Accommodation requests are also very early.
Check out our Law School Admission Tests page and decide how you plan to prepare. Commercial Course? University Course? Self-Study? How many hours can you devote to your study per week? Remember that studying 10-15 hours per week for 3-6 months is optimal.
Research Law Schools
Review the Center for Pre-Law Advising advice on requesting letters of recommendation

Select and meet with your recommenders.
Prepare for the August LSAT if necessary, either as a postponed first test or as a retake option following a summer LSAT (save October or November as a retest date if needed). Make sure to research the deadline to register for the test as it may be more than a month before the test date.
Register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS) at lsac.org and pay the fee.
Register for the Candidate Referral Service (free) at lsac.org if you are interested in the possibility of receiving application fee waivers and invitations to apply from law schools.
Select the law schools you intend to apply to (taking into account these factors). It is generally a good idea to include ~2-3 reach schools, ~2 safety schools, and ~2-3 target schools.
Access law school applications on or around September 1 via the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).
Review the Center for Pre-Law Advising resources for Personal Statements, Resumé, Transcripts, and Optional Essays and Addenda.
Meet with a pre-law advisor to discuss your law school applications.

Attend a Law School Fair if possible.
If you will be taking a fall LSAT, focus on LSAT preparation through the exam date then turn immediately to your applications after the exam; otherwise begin to work on applications as soon as they become available.
Meet with a pre-law advisor as needed to discuss your law school applications or to review drafts of documents you plan to submit.
Formally request your Letters of Recommendation through LSAC.
Draft your Personal Statement.
Draft/revise your Resumé.
Draft any applicable Optional Essays.
Draft any necessary Addenda.
Request your Transcript(s).
Plan to submit your applications by the end of November if possible (though earlier is better especially in more competitive years). If applying Early Decision, the deadlines are generally around mid/late November.
If you are not satisfied with your fall LSAT score, consult with a pre-law advisor to determine whether you should retake the exam this cycle.

Track your submitted applications through Status Check websites for each school.
Take/retake the LSAT if necessary and plan to submit your completed applications as soon as the score is ready.
Research FAFSA deadlines and other financial aid documentation requirements for each school to which you applied.
Review the Center for Pre-Law Advising’s After You Apply Handout.
Watch the Center for Pre-Law Advising video The Law School Admissions Process: What Happens After You Apply?
Take steps to advocate for your admission at any school at which you are waitlisted by submitting a Letter of Continuing Interest and scheduling a formal visit. Also consider submitting an additional letter of recommendation if they will allow you to do so. Emai ll the admissions office every month or so to reiterate your interest.
If you are still a student and applied in December or earlier, submit an updated transcript reflecting your fall semester’s grades (assuming your grades were strong).

Continue to track your submitted applications through Status Check websites for each school.
Try to attend the Admitted Students Day/Weekend at any school that has admitted you and that you are considering attending.
Plan to submit a seat deposit at a law school by the seat deposit deadline, often in early/mid April (depending on the school), even if you are currently waitlisted at another school. You can always enroll in the school at which you were waitlisted if admitted, even if you already placed a seat deposit at another school.
Be sure to meet any financial aid deadlines.
Continue to maintain contact through letters of continued interest every month or so. Check in with the office just after the seat deposit deadline—spots often open up at that point.

Continue to maintain contact through letters of continued interest every month or so for schools at which you are still waitlisted.