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Early Decision May Not Be Right for Strong Law School Applicants

By U.S. News & World Report

Welcome to the latest installment of Law Admissions Q-and-A, a monthly feature of Law Admissions Lowdown that provides admissions advice to readers who send in questions and admissions profiles.

If you have a question about law school, please email me for a chance to be featured next month.

[Follow this law school application timeline.]

Dear Shawn: I took the June 2015 exam, and although I spent several months preparing, I scored about 10 points lower than I had been scoring on my recent practice tests. I am going to retake the October exam, but I need some advice on how to prepare for the exam.

In my preparation for the June exam, I took all of the available tests from June 2007 on. Should I prepare using older exams or should I retake the exams I used to prepare for the June exam? -Retake Prepper
Dear Retake Prepper: Since your June score clearly does not reflect your LSAT ability, I think that you are making the right decision in taking the test again. The situation you describe is common among retakers, and it is good that you are thinking so thoroughly about your preparation for October. The advantage to taking the most recent tests is that they are the most similar to future tests. This is especially true when comparing tests from the 1990s and early 2000s with the most recent tests. First, none of those tests has a comparative reading passage, which is a set of questions in the reading comprehension section based on two passages, as opposed to the usual single passage.

Second, and equally important, the logic games from those tests are significantly different from the games on more recent tests, which tend to allow for fewer deductions in the setup phase of the games.

The disadvantage to retaking tests is that you will have some level of familiarity with those tests, making them less accurate diagnostic tools. On balance, though, I recommend retaking recent tests as you prepare for October. If you have taken at least 25 practice tests already, it is unlikely that you will remember specific questions, and the benefit of taking tests that are most similar to what you will encounter in October outweighs the disadvantage of retaking tests. -Shawn

[Get tips on studying effectively when retaking the LSAT.]

Dear Shawn: I am in the process of putting together my applications for fall 2016 admission. I have my LSAT score (171), and my undergraduate GPA is 3.65. I am torn on whether to apply early decision to Columbia, the University of Chicago or New York University, or not apply early decision and submit applications to all top-14 schools.

I worry that if I apply early decision, I will give up the chance of being admitted to Harvard, Stanford or Yale, but if I don’t apply early decision I am lowering my chances of getting in at Columbia, UChicago or NYU. Should I apply early decision or not? -Questioning Early Decision

[Lean the pros and cons of applying early decision to law school.]

Dear Questioning Early Decision: First of all, congratulations on all your success so far! Your undergraduate GPA and LSAT score make you a strong candidate at almost any school in the country.

You are correct that applying early decision to law school at Columbia University, the University of Chicago or New York University would increase your chances of admission at those schools, and that if you were admitted you would give up the opportunity of attending Harvard, Stanford or Yale.

In general, I advise my clients to apply early decision only if they would be completely content attending that school and there is no other school that they would rather apply to where they have a reasonable chance of being admitted. Your numbers make you a viable candidate for law school at Harvard University, Stanford University and Yale University, although admission at those schools would still be a bit of an uphill battle since your GPA is slightly below the range for students attending those schools.

If you would prefer to go to any of those schools over Columbia, NYU, or UChicago, I would recommend strongly considering not applying early decision and trying your chances at one of the top three.

Another way to approach this question is as a question of risk management. By not applying early, you are taking the risk that applying regular decision would change your admissions result at Columbia, NYU or UChicago.

Although your numbers make you a strong candidate as a regular decision candidate, your chances of gaining admission are a bit lower. If you feel that you would be very happy at one of those three schools and you would rather have a bit more certainty about getting into a top-six program, then applying early decision might be the better course of action. -Shawn

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Early Decision May Not Be Right for Strong Law School Applicants originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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