I think I am receiving a quality education, however, I do think that people that I know might not be getting as a good as one because it is possible to slack off and still pass. To clarify, I feel like I am learning a lot of important legal doctrines and actively participate in class while others consistently use their computers during class time and briefly read through class materials. As for professors pushing students, almost all (except maybe one or two) are not scary socratic method and take volunteers inside. There will be times when they randomly call on people but usually that person can give some sort of answer, even if its not the correct one. So in conclusion, you can get a quality education but you need to keep yourself motivated and actually care about learning (so if your goal is to just pass then i'd suggest you reconsider what you want to do).
As to applying, definitely apply. I have one friend that was literally accepted a week before school started, albeit, it was for the part-time program so I'm guessing there were slots (He also took the june lsat so applied every where late). If you have the numbers to get it, then I'm pretty sure you'll be accepted. If your numbers are on the lower end, then probably waitlisted. Also, not sure what the scholarship situation will be, but if you have good numbers then you can get a good scholarship (although you have to keep a 3.25, which is a little above curve). But, it never hurts to apply, and if its still the same, I think you can apply online for free.
Best of luck