3 Scenarios Where You Should Withdraw Your Applications

After choosing a law school, you’ll need to reach out to other schools to withdraw your applications. Gabriel Kuris, founder of Top Law Coach and contributor at US News, recently discussed which situations applicants will need to withdraw their application and how they should go about it.

EARLY DECISION

One of the most obvious situations that requires application withdrawal is early decision, a binding commitment that requires an applicant to attend a law school if accepted.

“Failing to withdraw from other schools can jeopardize your acceptance,” Kuris says. “The Law School Admission Council, or LSAC, regularly informs law schools about where each applicant has made a seat deposit or accepted a binding commitment, and breaking agreements is not a great start to your legal career.”

Experts warn against breaking early decision commitments, as the consequences generally outweigh the benefits.

“While a law school won’t send the police to cuff you, bring you to their campus, and make you pay the tuition, a law school very well might say ‘Nevermind’ to your admission offer, as could the other school where you’ve submitted a deposit,” Ann Levine, of Law School Expert, says. “Then where would you be? And would all of this trouble have been worth it?”

BINDING SCHOLARSHIPS

Another scenario that may require you to withdraw applications is the binding scholarship.

“In some cases, schools attach conditions to specific scholarships that require recipients to withdraw from other law schools by a specified deadline,” Kuris says. “Such restrictions would be stated in the scholarship offer letter.”

CHANGE OF PLANS

If for some reason you’ve decided to put off law school, you’ll want to consider requesting a deferral. Sometimes, it may even make more sense to withdraw and reapply rather than defer.

“In such cases, write a letter to the admissions committee that leaves the door open,” Kuris says. “While law schools are unlikely to hold a place open for you without a binding commitment, explaining your situation and intent to reapply may mitigate any negative impact of your withdrawal.”

Sources: US News, Law School Expert

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