Magical month of March - the wait

[werbz]

Yeah not really... I'm just killing myself over the wait and my girlfriend is tired of me talking about it. So, I turn to you, fellow LSD patrons.

From what I gather the good and bad extreme applicants find out quickly while the rest of us are forced to beat ourselves over the head for 2+ months. I guess it is pretty much standard to hear things in the March-April range.

So, if you are sick of waiting, vent here. I will read it probably not care... But at least you won't be alone.

[linquest]

My question is: why do schools insist on an early April deposit when they know they can't even send out all their decisions until well after that? 

It's like a couple of competing gangs trying to extort money from you at the same time...

[carlsonjd]

Oh... I just had the mental image of adcoms at various schools knife fighting in a dark alley.  A song and dance number may or may not be involved.

[Perversely]

My question is: why do schools insist on an early April deposit when they know they can't even send out all their decisions until well after that? 

It's like a couple of competing gangs trying to extort money from you at the same time...

i may be wrong about this, but i think they do that so that you don't put down a deposit, expecting to go & then later decide to go to your dream school.  the dust usually is settled in april.  for the really great #s or the really worst of #s you typically will know by april 1st where you've been accepted or not...so, my theory is that they want you to make a deposit when you're absolutely sure you're attending, so they can make decisions about pulling people off the deferral and/or wait lists.

my only problem is that, i think most schools give students WAY too much time to decide.  i think there should be a collective cut off time for all schools on a rolling admissions cycle to have all students tell them if they're going there or not by X date.  that way, we're not hanging in the trenches, seemingly forever. And the schools will know much sooner how many more students they'll need to fill a class...

my question is this:  why do they give us so long to decide?

[werbz]

Oh... I just had the mental image of adcoms at various schools knife fighting in a dark alley.  A song and dance number may or may not be involved.

Is there an "Action News Team" involved?

[werbz]

My question is: why do schools insist on an early April deposit when they know they can't even send out all their decisions until well after that? 

It's like a couple of competing gangs trying to extort money from you at the same time...

i may be wrong about this, but i think they do that so that you don't put down a deposit, expecting to go & then later decide to go to your dream school.  the dust usually is settled in april.  for the really great #s or the really worst of #s you typically will know by april 1st where you've been accepted or not...so, my theory is that they want you to make a deposit when you're absolutely sure you're attending, so they can make decisions about pulling people off the deferral and/or wait lists.

my only problem is that, i think most schools give students WAY too much time to decide.  i think there should be a collective cut off time for all schools on a rolling admissions cycle to have all students tell them if they're going there or not by X date.  that way, we're not hanging in the trenches, seemingly forever. And the schools will know much sooner how many more students they'll need to fill a class...

my question is this:  why do they give us so long to decide?

If I would get just one accept I'd feel a whole hell of a lot better. Then I will move on to your question.

[carlsonjd]

It wouldn't be a news event without an action news team.

[Whygohome]

If it was up to me make the deadline for every school the same date and make them earlier. Say 12/31 all applications must be submitted. Then give the adcomms the entire month of Jan for decisions. Then give the applicants the month of Feb to decide where to accept. If an applicant was waitlisted at another school then he should send a notice to his safety that he will attend if he is not accepted at the WL school.

Now I know this may be a bit confusing, but at least everyone is on the same page. Schools would have a list; attendees, WL, and safety attendees. Now if we're all so anal about the USNews rankings then let's really use them. The top 100 schools must give notification of WL acceptess first week of March, second tier the second week and so on. That way decisions will be in the order that they pretty much naturally follow anyway. Most applicants await to hear WL decisions from higher ranked schools while clutching onto lower ranked acceptances.

I'm sure there's holes in this so bash away. But I for one would just like the whole process more uniform. All schools with the same deadlines, same rules (multiple LSAT policies), to me it would just be easier on everyone.

[legalkitty]

My question is: why do schools insist on an early April deposit when they know they can't even send out all their decisions until well after that? 

It's like a couple of competing gangs trying to extort money from you at the same time...

i may be wrong about this, but i think they do that so that you don't put down a deposit, expecting to go & then later decide to go to your dream school.  the dust usually is settled in april.  for the really great #s or the really worst of #s you typically will know by april 1st where you've been accepted or not...so, my theory is that they want you to make a deposit when you're absolutely sure you're attending, so they can make decisions about pulling people off the deferral and/or wait lists.

my only problem is that, i think most schools give students WAY too much time to decide.  i think there should be a collective cut off time for all schools on a rolling admissions cycle to have all students tell them if they're going there or not by X date.  that way, we're not hanging in the trenches, seemingly forever. And the schools will know much sooner how many more students they'll need to fill a class...

my question is this:  why do they give us so long to decide?

If I would get just one accept I'd feel a whole hell of a lot better. Then I will move on to your question.

Ugh, copy that!!!

[littletanuki]

I know I shouldn't be complaining because I've already gotten accepted to 5 schools, but the ones I'm waiting on are of course higher ranked schools.  I'm pretty much resigned to either rejection or WL from the other 4, but don't leave me hanging!  Just let me know so I can move on!