How much of a boost is Early Decision?

Graduate School Law School
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<p>According to this blog, the following schools offer this option:</p>

<p>LawSchoolExpert:</a> Early Decision Deadlines for Law Schools</p>

<p>American 11/14
Case Western 11/15
Chicago 12/1
U. Cincinnati 12/1
Columbia 11/15
Georgetown 11/1
Hofstra 12/1
Houston 11/1
Indiana 11/30
Kent (Chicago) 11/1
Michigan 11/15
Missouri 11/15
NYU 11/15
Northwestern 12/1 (interview by 11/15)
Notre Dame 11/1
Ohio State 11/14
Pace 11/3
Texas Tech 11/1</p>

<p>I'm looking for info on the top 14 schools in particular.</p>

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<p>so nobody knows?</p>

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<p>Useless unless you are borderline. If you have the numbers to get in anyway then why ED? It just means you will not have as many choice/ ability to try to get $$$$ from them. I think if you are totally borderline it can help, but otherwise no.</p>

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<p>only anecdotal and from some info I read on lsd.
Some kids with borderline numbers (25 % LSAT or 166/167) and applying ED got acceptances from Penn or Mich this past cycle </p>

<p>my guess is that these particular kids had very good EC’s and recommendations too. But ED MAY have given them an extra boost. Another boost seemed to be a willingness to start Michigan in the summer. Apparently there is a way to designate that on the Mich application. A few kids with “borderline” numbers were offered admittance to Mich if they were willing to start in the summer.</p>

<p>These kids may have just gotten lucky by applying ED or they could have had less common majors in college- or live in a geographic underrepresented area (these factors do come into play too!!)</p>

<p>but IMO, I do think your #'s have to be at least in line with the 25% acceptance range.<br>
With ED you may have to be willing to forgo financial assistance–and be real content with the school as acceptance is binding.</p>

<p>but no one can give you a definitive answer as to how helpful an ED application is-</p>

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<p>I wonder what the adcoms have said about it.</p>

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<p>well sanjen- as there aren’t too many adcoms on these boards, you may not get the answer you want.</p>

<p>there are books that address the issue. check out the montauk book- how to get into top law schools and the Ivey Guide.</p>

<p>do the research.</p>

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<p>Well, thanks for the info you posted. It was helpful.</p>

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<p>What if I have a 3.8 and have a 170 LSAT at the time of application? Should I ED to Columbia (given it’s my top choice among schools that have ED), given their LSAT range is 168-174 (the median and average being 172 and 171 respectively) and middle 50% GPA 3.56-3.81?</p>