Law School Early Decision: The Pros and Cons

Considering an early decision law school application? You’ve come to the right place. We’ve summarized the pros and cons to applying early decision below:  

Pros

• Applying early decision will place you in a smaller “yield protection” applicant pool than applying regular decision. This can advantage you if you’re seeking to gain access to a “reach” school, as you have clearly demonstrated a commitment to the program and will definitely attend if admitted. Schools are always interested in protecting their yield. Do note that some schools grant automatic scholarships to all students admitted early decision, which increases the competitiveness of their early decision round (Northwestern and Berkley). 

• If you have a slightly lower than a school’s average GPA or LSAT score, applying early decision may help you to gain admittance to a school you may not have otherwise. 

• You will receive an expedited response—an accept, reject, or move to the regular decision pool. If you are moved into the regular decision pool, your preference for the program, shown through your initial early decision application, may benefit you as schools are looking for applicants who will accept their admission offers. 

Cons

• Early decision deadlines come… early. So you will need to finalize all of your application materials, which includes recommendations and test scores, earlier. For most early decision deadlines, you’ll need to complete the LSAT/GRE by October (confirm the deadlines on the school admissions page). 

• By committing to the law school, you are giving up your ability to negotiate for scholarships. In fact, we recommend that you do not apply early decision if financial assistance is an important factor for you. This is unless you are applying to one of the programs (Northwestern Pritzker or Berkeley) that award assistance to all early decision admittances, and you are comfortable with that financial award. 

• You may not be able to defer your matriculation to the school, if admitted via early decision. If the option to defer is important to you, confirm with the admissions office their policy on early decision deferrals prior to submitting your application. 

• You cannot change your mind. Your admissions decision is binding (you are contractually obligated to withdraw your other applications) and you must matriculate at the school if you receive an early decision acceptance…even if you find out that you’ve been accepted to a more appealing program. 

The bottom line is that applying early decision requires a great deal of commitment on your part. While it can bolster your chances for admission in some cases, you want to be 100 percent sure that you would attend a particular program regardless of financial aid. 

Law School Early Decision: What You Need to Know

Due to the rolling admissions at most law schools, prospective law students should submit their application materials as early as possible in the admissions cycle. But, if early is good, is early decision even better? Well… it’s complicated.

Submitting an early decision application is an appealing choice. Generally, the applicant pool is smaller. Classes are still open and waiting to be filled. Admissions officers provide expedited decisions, which can relieve a lot of stress. And, it provides the applicant a chance to demonstrate commitment and enthusiasm for the program, which can be highly beneficial. However, despite these positives, there are some complexities to consider. 

Early decision applications are (almost always) binding. If you are admitted to a law school early decision, you agree to withdraw all other applications and enroll. There is no leeway. It doesn’t matter if you were also accepted to the dream school that you thought you’d never get into or if your financing falls through and you find yourself in need of merit-based scholarship money. And, for the most part, if an applicant applies early-decision they forego the possibility of receiving any scholarships.  This is because they have already agreed to attend if admitted.  The school doesn’t have to woo them with money. 

Does it still sound like early decision may be right for you? Be sure to check out our tomorrow’s post , where we’ll summarize the pros and cons of submitting an early decision application.

Your Law School Application: Create a Brainstorm Document

Before you can begin work on your personal statement, resume, and school-specific essays, you’ll want to create a brainstorm document where you will explore your formative experiences—what you thought, felt, said, and did. While your brainstorm text does not need to be polished, your unfinished thoughts should be organized for greater ease when writing. Putting meaningful experiences into different "buckets" helps a lot. You might have some crossover with experiences technically fitting into two buckets or more—don't worry about that; put them in one bucket, for now, to keep things grouped. Maybe write: "This is also a leadership experience" or "Integrity/Critical Thinking" in your notes.

Bucket 1: A-ha Moments: What meaningful experiences changed your mind about or expanded your perspective on something? Some could be spectacular successes, others, catastrophic failures. Have you learned from a mistake? What skills of yours did you discover in a challenging time? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel? (Prepare yourself, we're going to ask those last two repeatedly.)

Bucket 2: Intellectual Curiosity: What experiences have prompted you to seek out additional learning or research? What ideas or issues are you most passionate about? Why? Do you have related academic or professional experience?

Bucket 3: Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: In what meaningful experiences did you utilize critical thinking and problem-solving skills? How did you determine the best course of action? Did you approach something one way at first and then correct yourself? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel?

Bucket 4: Leadership Abilities: In what meaningful experiences did you show your leadership abilities? Did leadership come naturally to you, or did you work to get to this place? (Both things are great!) How did you support your team? Did you encourage collaboration or independence? Did you feel supported by your team? Did you experience any pushback, and how did you handle that if you did? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel?

Bucket 5: Teamwork and Collaboration: During what meaningful experiences did you work with a team or collaborate with others? Were you working with people unlike yourself? Was there a struggle for balance in the beginning? Any confusion? What did you appreciate about your team members? How did they influence and impact you and your actions? Did one or two team members step up in a way you admired? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel?

Bucket 6: Ethical Behavior: Fill this bucket. In what meaningful experiences did you showcase your ability to stand strong and make the right decision? How have you demonstrated your personal ethical code? What did you think about these things at the time? How did you feel?

Bucket 7: Experiences that Reinforced Your Commitment to the Study of Law: What meaningful experiences reinforced your commitment to studying law? Have you known that you wanted to go to law school for some time? What situations let you know that you were on the right track? Was it meeting a judge or lawyer you admired? Was it accomplishing something academically? While volunteering? What did you think of these things at the time? How did you feel?

Bucket 8: Miscellaneous: What experiences have you had that you can't quite categorize? What else should we know about you? What do you think we don't necessarily have to know? Don’t be afraid to expose some vulnerability and use everything you’ve got. You should even include things about yourself and what you care about that you don't imagine will be a factor in an essay. You might be able to weave aspects of your personality or some fun facts into your Personal Statement or school-specific essays to add some color—or something even better.

Your 2025-2026 Law School Application Timeline: January 2026 Actions

It’s never too early to create your law school application strategy! Apply Point's ideal schedule looks something like this timeline. 

January 2026

• Fill out the school applications and Character & Fitness questionnaires available through LSAC. 

• Submit your applications by mid-January, at the latest. Most law schools offer rolling admissions and submitting your application on the earlier side will benefit you.  

• Prepare for and participate in interviews, even if they are optional. Your brainstorming document will continue to be useful here. Interviews are a great way for the admissions committee to get to know you as a person (beyond your application) and for you to learn more about a program’s student experience, experiential learning opportunities, and/or alumni network.

Your 2025-2026 Law School Application Timeline: October Through December Actions

It’s never too early to create your law school application strategy! Apply Point's ideal schedule looks something like this timeline. 

October-December 2025

• Finalize your Personal Statement and School-Specific Essays. This is going to take a while. If you blast it all out in one week, you haven't done it right. Give yourself time for writing, revisions, and re-writing. 

• Update your resume to showcase the results you’ve achieved and impact you’ve had. 

• Follow up with your recommenders to ensure that they have submitted their Letters of Recommendation through the CAS. 

Your 2025-2026 Law School Application Timeline: August & September Actions

It’s never too early to create your law school application strategy! Apply Point's ideal schedule looks something like this timeline. 

August and September 2025

• Create an LSAC account and register for the Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

• Reach out to your recommenders. We'd like you to get three to four letters of recommendation, with at least two from professors who can speak to your ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment.  

• Take the LSAT. 

• Finalize your school list. You want a hearty list of "I could go here" schools and you’ll ultimately want to apply to between 10 and 15 law schools. 

• Move all of your journaled experiences into a brainstorming document. 

• Request your transcripts—and this includes those from schools abroad. 

Your 2025-2026 Law School Application Timeline: Spring & Summer Actions

It’s never too early to create your law school application strategy! Apply Point's ideal schedule looks something like this timeline. 

Spring and Summer 2025

• Be all about LSAT preparation. Take a prep course and/or work with a tutor to prepare for the test. 

• Gain meaningful experiences in both academic, internship/volunteer, and extracurricular settings. 

• Visit law schools of interest, if you’re able, and research law programs to understand their offerings and how they align with your goals. 

• Continue keeping a journal. This is repetitive for a reason—never stop doing this. It is so helpful. 

Your 2025-2026 Law School Application Timeline: "Never Too Early" Actions

It’s never too early to create your law school application strategy! Apply Point's ideal schedule looks something like this timeline. 

Never too early 

• If you haven't connected with us yet, do it as soon as you can. We can guide you on your academic choices and advise you on how to land internships or volunteer experiences that will appeal to admissions committees. 

• Investigate the LSAT. The LSAT is typically offered in January, February, April, June, and then monthly from August to November. Taking it in the summer or early fall of your application year gives you some wiggle room if you must retake it. The latest you should retake this test is November 2025 (for Fall 2026 matriculation). 

• Start a journal. You'll raid your journal for details for your Personal Statement, and School-Specific Essays. Make notes on your current experiences as they happen and past ones whenever you have a moment to ponder them. You can keep a paper or digital diary or even record audio and text notes on your phone as they come to you, and organize them into a document later. (You will eventually want all of your experiences in one place.) 

You’ve Submitted Your Law School Application… Now What?

Congratulations! You’ve submitted your law school application, but your work is not quite complete. You still have the opportunity to make a positive impression on the admissions committee by demonstrating your enthusiasm for the program. 

Consider the following ways to showcase your interest.

• Follow the school on social media and set up Google alerts with key words so you can easily stay informed of current events, research, or news related to the program. Confirm that your social media presence is up to date and represents you well.

• Prepare for and participate in interviews, even if they are optional. Interviews are a great way for the admissions committee to get to know you as a person (beyond your application) and for you to learn more about the program’s student experience, experiential learning opportunities, and/or alumni network. 

• Set up an in-person visit to the school, if possible. Make appointments with professors or current students who share your interests. Prep by creating a brief elevator speech explaining, with specifics, how the school's programming aligns with your interests and why you would be a great addition to the student body.

• Attend any admissions events, webinars, or other programming facilitated by the school or the admissions committee. If appropriate, introduce yourself and ask a thoughtful question(s) on the content.

• Follow-up any interactions with faculty or students with a brief thank you note reiterating your excitement about the program. 

• Send an update letter to the school if you have a significant accomplishment or update, not previously covered in your application, to share. Examples include: a significant positive change to your GPA or LSAT/GRE score, publications, professional development (e.g., you presented at a national/regional conference or received a promotion with additional responsibility at work), awards/honors, and/or extracurricular achievements (you took on a leadership position in a club/organization, significantly expanded the scale or reach of a club/organization, or a club/organization you lead received an honor or award).

• In your update letter, don’t forget to express your continued interest in the program, noting specifics that are particularly compelling to you. If the school is your first choice, make the yield protection statement: If admitted, I will attend. 

• Do not excessively contact the admissions committee, particularly to ask questions with answers readily available online or to ask for feedback on your application or admissions likelihood. If you do reach out – make it strategic. 

Prospective Law School Students: How to Spend Your Gap Year

For prospective law students who wish to take a gap year, there are many jobs and activities that will improve your resume, provide clarity on your future career path, and ultimately bolster your candidacy in the application process. We’ve listed a few ideas below:

• Management consulting/investment banking: For future applicants with a passion for business or an interest in corporate law, spending time at a consulting or investment banking group can increase your baseline knowledge, and understanding of the work.

• Policy analysis/research: If your interests are in constitutional or immigration law, working directly in this space can provide you experience with relevant stakeholders, as well as the ability to speak to your future goals more specifically within your law school application. It may also assist you to more strategically select law school programs that will best position you to do the work you love.

• Non-profit work: If you have identified an interest in public interest law or just in gaining professional skills quickly, working for a non-profit organization could be a sound next step. Typically, nonprofits have lean workforces and, as a result, even recent college graduates are asked to work outside their comfort zone to acquire new skills. Further, it is important to note that some organizations like Teach for America have relationships and scholarship programs with select law schools.

• Paralegal/legal assistant/legal administrator: For applicants interested in learning more about working within a law firm, this type of experience will broaden your understanding of the day-to-day life of a lawyer and will also likely show meaningful commitment to both law schools and future legal recruiters.

While it isn’t necessary to take a gap-year between undergraduate and law school, if you do, it is of vital importance to spend your time thoughtfully and productively.  It may seem appealing, in those months after college, to solely focus on LSAT and application preparations.  But remember, admissions committees will be looking very closely. Meaningful and productive work will help you to construct a narrative that will bolster your story as an applicant and positively contribute to your law school class and experience.  

Prospective Law School Students: When to Consider a Gap Year

Prospective law students often wonder if they should take time off between finishing their undergraduate work and applying to law school. While there is no one size fits all answer, the trend shows that many law schools are expecting and even rewarding students who take at least a brief interlude prior to starting school. 

According to ABA data, the majority of 2024 matriculants did report a gap prior to starting law school (65 percent). Among four of the top five ranked law schools by U.S. News and World Report in 2024, the incoming classes showed that between 70 and 90 percent of incoming students took at least one year off before matriculation. At Yale, 89 percent of the Class of 2027 was at least one year out from undergraduate and 46 percent were at least three years out.

While, it isn’t necessary for all students to take a gap year, it can be a beneficial use of time for the following types of applicants:

• Those with a general interest in the study of law, but without experience in the day-to-day operations of a law firm and/or those who do not yet feel comfortable selecting a career path within the legal industry

• Those who have a passion they would like to pursue, who can spend some time in the field to confirm law school is the right next step to help them achieve their goals

• Those who need to enhance the competitiveness of their application with additional experiences and insight into their future goals

• Those who may benefit from a year of earnings prior to taking on the financial burden of law school

• Those interested in working at a firm post- law school, as prior work experience can be looked upon quite favorably by hiring managers

Check back tomorrow as we discuss productive ways to spend your gap year. 

The Law School Interview: Apply Point’s Tips for Success

Today concludes our deep-dive into the law school interview. We’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation. Be sure to review our posts from throughout the week, if you missed them!

Apply Point’s Tips for Success

• Outline the key points and experiences you would like to discuss within the behavioral interview and take responsibility for bringing up these points. It is most helpful to review all of your application materials again, and highlight those stories that will showcase your abilities and strengths in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, problem solving, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your commitment to the study of law. 

• Nearly every response in a behavioral interview should include a story, even those that don’t ask you to recall a specific situation. This will not only make your interview more compelling and specific, but it will be much more memorable to the interviewer. 

• Speak about any recent accomplishments or events not included in your application. Continue to improve your candidacy even after you’ve submitted your application.

• Be proactive about bringing up red flags or weaknesses in your application. Address these head-on during the interview because they will inevitably come up within the admissions committee’s discussions. Rather than make excuses, talk about what you’ve learned and how you will continue to improve moving forward.

• Practice delivering your responses to interview questions aloud, and be sure to limit most responses (to behavioral interview questions) to between 1.5 and three minutes. Ask us for a list of behavioral interview questions so you can practice and prepare. 

• Prepare two to three school-specific questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your interest in and enthusiasm for the program.  

• At the end of the interview, thank your interviewer, reiterate to them if their program is your first choice, and send a hand-written thank you note.

The Law School Interview: Share Stories

We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation. 

Share stories. Use stories from your life to show your interviewer who you are, how you’ve grown, and what you will bring to the incoming class. Spend some time brainstorming and reviewing anecdotes that can be tailored to different behavioral questions and demonstrate the qualities law school admissions committees are looking for. 

• Tell me about a time when you challenged the group consensus. Tell me about a time when you came up with an innovative solution to a problem.

  To respond to a situation-based question, use the SAR (Situation, Action, Response) model. Spend about 20 percent of your response on the situation, and the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took and what resulted/what you learned. The SAR model also applies to a question like: What is your greatest weakness?  You will want to spend 20 percent of your response on the weakness, and 80 percent discussing the actions you took/are taking to improve, and what the results have been/what you’ve learned since beginning your improvement plan.

• What is your greatest strength? How would you sum up your leadership style?

  For questions where a simple claim would seem to suffice for a response, always take it a step further. Make a claim, THEN back it up with a specific example to illustrate that claim—in a group project, professional/intern experience, or extracurricular role.

The Law School Interview: Understand Your Fit

We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation. 

Understand your fit with the school. You must prove to the interviewer that their law program is the perfect intersection between where you’ve been and where you want to go. Do your homework and be prepared to discuss how your past experiences and future goals have inspired your interest in their offerings. 

• Why [specific school]?

  Look at the mission of the school, student organizations, courses, faculty, research and experiential learning opportunities, and come to the interview prepared to explain how you would engage. Keep in mind also that law schools are integrated in their local communities, so consider your fit here too. Do you have a particular interest in working within the state, or in a rural/urban environment? Did the location of the school impact your decision to apply to this program? Why?

  Prepare also for related questions such as: What do you hope to gain from our law school? What hesitations do you have with our program? 

The Law School Interview: Know Thyself

We’re deep-diving into the law school interview this week. Check back daily as we’ve compiled a list of common interview questions, by type, that we will publish to help you with your preparation. 

Know yourself. This interview is about giving the admissions committee a view into who you are. Think about your interests, passions, and underlying motivations. Here are some questions that you might receive.

• Tell me about yourself.

  You’ll want to prepare an elevator pitch (consider a one-minute version, as well as a three-minute version) that provides an overview of your background and interest in law school. What have been some of your most meaningful experiences, that reinforced your commitment to the study of law?  Why? Are there specific experiences that prompted an evolution in your perspective so notable you want to include them here too? What led you to make certain academic and professional decisions? 

• Why Law School?

  Your response to this question should demonstrate your interest in the study of law. You’ll want to highlight key experiences in the areas of critical thinking, ideally in an academic or legal setting, that reinforced your desire to attend law school. Prepare also for related questions such as: Why now? What is your legal dream job? Where do you see yourself in ten years?

• What has been your most meaningful academic or professional accomplishment to date? Why?

  Prepare to speak confidently on any of the experiences you have listed in your application materials. What did the experience teach you about yourself? How did it challenge you? How did the experience reinforce your interest in pursuing law school? How did it change or reinforce your views of the legal system—and your desired role within it—in the U.S.?

• Would you change anything about your undergraduate education? Why? 

  If there is a red flag pertaining to your undergraduate education (for example, a semester with a low GPA or a transfer between schools), this may present a good opportunity to address it. Without making excuses, emphasize what you learned from the experience and/or point to other areas of your academic record that are much more indicative of your ability to compete in a rigorous academic environment. 

  If you do not have a red flag to address, you may want to talk about that missed opportunity to study abroad or take a class in philosophy. Did an early disappointment ultimately inspire you to change your path to pursue law school after graduation? Be sure to link your chosen topic to qualities related to your law school candidacy.

  Prepare also for related questions such as: Why did you choose your undergraduate institution? What did you enjoy most about your undergraduate education? 

The Law School Interview: An Overview

Most law schools don’t interview their applicants. But among those who do, an admissions director or alum will typically conduct a 20 to 30-minute behavioral interview where they will assess your interpersonal traits, commitment to and aptitude for the study of law, and your interest in and potential to contribute to the school/community. They will also want to ensure that your interview is consistent with your application.

Here’s what you’ll want to demonstrate:

Overall:

• Consistency between application and interview

Interpersonal:

• Professional manner/maturity

• Clear communication style

• Leadership/influence

• Confidence

• Intellectual curiosity

• Collaborative

Commitment and Aptitude:

• Clear understanding of what a legal career entails

• Goal orientation/motivation

• Time management

• Perseverance

• Integrity/ethics

Community

• Interest in school/excitement about offerings

• Willingness/ability to contribute to the school community

• Fit with student body/diverse elements you will add to the community

Begin preparing for your interview by thinking through your most meaningful experiences that will help demonstrate your skills and abilities in the areas of critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork, as well as those that reinforced your commitment to the study of law. As with your personal statement, you’ll want to show the interviewer your strengths and potential through specific examples, rather than limiting your content to claims.  

Check back throughout the week, we’ll share a list of common interview questions, by type, to help you with your preparation. 

Your Law School Application Resume: Don’t Forget the Basics

Yesterday we posted about the importance of focusing on results in your resume. Here are a few more important elements to keep top of mind while you’re crafting your resume.

Don’t forget to…

Keep it relevant. Your resume should only include experiences from the start of college onward, and should showcase your abilities in critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and/or teamwork.

Review the Guidance. Some law schools instruct you to “submit a resume,” while others such as Yale Law School, provide unique specifications for your “activities section” submission. Review the school’s admissions page to confirm any instructions including format and/or page limits. If the school does not provide formatting guidance, you should keep it simple. Opt for left-justified text in an easy-to-read font—we prefer Garamond—sized between 10 and 12. 

Use proper grammar. Even the best writers can get worked up about creating resume text. Don’t overthink it. Make use of active verbs to showcase your contributions. Use proper punctuation and the appropriate tense (present for current activities, past for past activities). And do not lean on corporate jargon, rather you will want to ensure that you explain what you did and your results in a way that a classmate would understand.

Your Law School Application Resume: Focus on the Results

In contrast to your personal statement, which should be a deep-dive into a few pivotal stories from your life, your resume should showcase the breadth of your experiences and accomplishments. But remember, it should not merely communicate what you did in each role and extracurricular endeavor; each entry should explore WHY what you did and accomplished was so significant to you and/or your team and/or the organization as a whole. What results did you achieve? What impact did you have? What did you learn?

Law school resumes should include the following components and be no longer than one page:

1. Education. List all the universities you attended (including study abroad experiences) and the degrees you obtained. Include a bulleted list in the Education section of internships and extracurricular involvements you participated in while in college. And be sure to note any scholarships, awards, or honors you received. If you published a thesis, you can include that here too.

2. Work Experience. If you’re applying to law school directly out of your undergraduate studies, you may not have a lot of work experience and this is to be expected. Your work experiences should include summer jobs, internships, fellowships, and/or TA positions that you held during college, as well as any post-graduate employment. Use results-oriented bullets to describe your responsibilities and outcomes, and highlight any progression in responsibility. Elaborate on the impact you’ve had and/or the lessons you’ve learned. Also note any awards and/or honors you received.

3. Additional Information. This section can include significant extracurricular and charitable involvements, languages you speak, as well as any noteworthy skills, certifications, and/or memberships.

Check back tomorrow for additional guidance on crafting your resume.

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Keep it Tight

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Keep it tight. Focus only on the experiences, sentences, and words that you absolutely need to support your argument and demonstrate your growth in the piece. You want to go deep, not broad. Adding in additional stories can distract the reader, and potentially lose them. Once you have demonstrated growth and made your argument, your personal statement is complete. Fight the urge to turn it into an autobiography or a resume.

Crafting Your Law School Personal Statement: Keep the Audience in Mind

Over the next four days, we’ll highlight one takeaway daily from Marion Roach Smith’s approach to memoir that will help you craft a strong personal statement. Also, be sure to check out her memoir manifesto.

Don’t forget your audience. Your memoir should hit on universal themes that are relatable to the reader. When you’re writing, and more importantly editing and rewriting, keep in mind how your audience will take in what you’re saying. Did you provide enough detail of the experiences to show growth and to make your argument? Did you provide too much or extraneous detail? Were you vulnerable and honest in your writing?