<p>Ok, I am in a bit of a unique situation, and I figured someone on here might be able to at least direct me to someone else who knows the answer.</p>
<p>I studied abroad in Australia at the University of New South Wales the first semester of my Junior year. I loved it and would not trade the experience for anything in the world. However, it put me a semester behind on a very specific course progression at my home university. I am trying to get permission to double up on the last two classes of the line during the upcoming spring semester, but if I cannot I will have to take the last one during summer school.</p>
<p>What I wanted to know is this: if I graduate at the end of the summer instead of at the beginning of it, can I still enroll in law school in the fall? I realize this has a lot to do with the dates for both programs, so I can say that commencement is August 8th and all grades must be finalized and report by the 10th. I would only be taking the one class, so it wouldn't really change my GPA. Hopefully this will all be a moot point, but I would like to figure this out before I waste money applying this year. Thanks ahead of time.</p>
<p>I am going to, but I figured I would archive my quest here for posterity. That way in the future if anyone needs to know, they can benefit from my pain.</p>
<p>I don't have any real advice addressing the subject, but I would just like to say that you shouldn't look at your situation as some kind of bad predicament (I mean, I understand your impatience to move on to better and bigger things). If you have to put off a year, think of it as an opportunity to get some work experience, broaden your perspective and angle on why you want to go into law, etc.</p>
<p>I don't think it would be a bad thing necessarily to put off applying for a year. If I do have to, so be it. I am sure I can find something worthwhile to do. If nothing else, I would love to go back to New Zealand and work as a sheep herder. :P</p>
<p>I am just trying to figure out if that is what I am going to be doing before I waste my time and money applying now.</p>
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I can say that commencement is August 8th and all grades must be finalized and report by the 10th.
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<p>I also think that you should ask your undergrad institution the same question. If you attend summer school and graduate august 8th, your college will probably need your final grades no later than the 5th or 6th to certify you for graduation. If this is the case the question you need to ask your undergrad institution is what is the earliest date that you can have a final transcript sent to the law school (it goes without saying that you will probably have to pay overnight mailing fees).</p>
<p>Again, check with each school you are interested in for their deadlines because the August 10th date is not set in stone.</p>
<p>For example: Wash U states the following</p>
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All matriculating students must provide an official, final transcript to the law school before first year course registration may take place.
An official, final transcript from your undergraduate degree-granting institution must be recievd in the Admissions office by August 1 preceding the start of classes. The degree earned and date of award must appear on the transcript. WULS:</a> Final Transcripts</p>
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<p>while Columbia Law states</p>
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Transcripts: In order to register at the Law School you must have your undergraduate degree-granting institution send us an original final official transcript showing the conferral of your degree, as instructed by the Office of Admissions. If you have not made arrangements to have your final transcript sent to the Law School, please do so right away. If a final transcript will not be available prior to August 11, 2008, please write to the Admissions Office, with a copy to Registration Services, to explain your circumstances. Columbia</a> Law : Registration Services