Rolling admission policies provide incentives to apply early.
Each law school establishes an application period during which prospective students submit their applications. Though each institution imposes a deadline before which students must apply for the next first-year class, most law schools also employ rolling admission policies. A rolling admission policy may allow some applicants to hear good news more quickly, but may also lengthen the waiting period for other candidates.
Function
Law schools with rolling admission policies begin reviewing materials early in the application period, which generally begins in the fall. The admissions board can choose to review applications as they receive them, rather than wait until the deadline at the end of the application period. The board can decide to accept an individual immediately, or place the candidate back into the pool of pending applications for a decision on a later date.
Benefits for Prospective Students
Some law schools, including Georgetown University Law Center, strongly recommend that students apply as early as possible during the application period to their top choices. Students with strong qualifications for a particular school, such as a higher-range Law School Admission Test score or high grade point average compared to the school's average numbers, may receive offers of admittance immediately upon review. Students who know their acceptances at an earlier date can weigh their options, visit campuses and make final decisions about where to attend law school.
Benefits for Law Schools
Law schools can also benefit from using rolling admission policies. Admissions boards can decide to immediately accept the most qualified applicants. If those candidates accept their places earlier during the application period, the law school can estimate the number of remaining places in the incoming class and adjust its later acceptances accordingly. The admissions board can also decline applications promptly, which eliminates a backlog of applications and allows candidates to consider their other options without waiting unnecessarily.
Additional Steps
Not every candidate who applies at an earlier date will receive a prompt response. A law school admissions board can keep an application pending until it has decided to admit or reject a candidate. Some law schools even place candidates onto wait lists, through which prospective students can only gain admission if unexpected spaces open in the incoming class. Candidates with pending applications may wish to contact the admissions office in writing to express continued interest in the school.
Tags: application period, admission policies, admissions board, rolling admission, apply early, during application