How to Approach Law School Seat Deposits
Congratulations, you've been offered a seat in one of the schools to which you've applied. All the hard work has paid off, there's just one problem: This school isn't your top choice, and you're still waiting to hear from schools you'd choose over this one. However, the seat deposit deadline -- typically sometime in April -- is fast approaching, and the wait lists just aren't moving.
[Read: 5 Traits That Help People Get Into Top Law Schools.]
Does putting in a deposit lower your chances of being admitted from a wait list? Should you forego putting in a deposit in your safety and risk being left without a spot? Here are some things to know.
Putting in a deposit for one school has no impact on your chances elsewhere. Simply put, law schools don't know whether -- or where -- you've accepted an offer while reviewing your application. The one exception is if you've applied early decision, but if you applied in the regular cycle, there is no way that putting in a deposit would impact your chances anywhere else.
[Read: How Submitting Your Law School Application Early Could Pay Off.]
If you need some extra time to think, ask for it. Many applicants are apprehensive about approaching law school admission offices for fear that it would reflect poorly on them. In reality, that's what the offices are there for, especially after you've been offered a seat.
As long as you're respectful in your request, and don't bombard the office with daily emails, the school will think no less of you. While extensions generally aren't granted just because an applicant can't make up their mind, a well-reasoned email could go a long way. A proper reason, mind you, isn't limited to extenuating personal circumstances like a family emergency, but also includes more logistical justification like waiting to hear the school's determination on financial aid.
Committing to more than one school might not be in your best interest. In the past, the Law School Admission Council (LSAC) had an explicit policy of disclosing to schools whether students who committed to them have already committed to another school, which could result in revocation of an admission offer or scholarship award, depending on the school's policy. Duke University School of Law, for example, requires you to certify that you have withdrawn from all other schools to which you were admitted.
While LSAC's policy on disclosing the information to schools is not publicly available, it's probably not a good idea to place multiple deposits unless you have a very good reason. While schools aren't likely to withdraw an offer because of multiple deposits, they hate the practice, given that it impacts planning of scholarships, movement of wait lists, etc.
You don't want to start your relationship with the school on that note.
Making a deposit doesn't mean that you won't be getting additional money. Many applicants mistakenly believe that once you put in your deposit, there's no point in approaching the school trying to negotiate a scholarship. The reasoning is valid: The school already has you committed; why would they offer you any money that they can use to woo others?
[Read: How to Go to Law School for Free.]
However, letting the school know that the situation has changed -- for example, if you were offered a seat at another, higher ranked school -- might impact their initial decision. As always, approach them in a polite, tactful way and avoid making the inquiry come off as an ultimatum, and you might be surprised by the outcome.
Finally, a quick piece of advice on deposits in general: Sure, giving up several hundred dollars you had put on a deposit -- and then spending a few hundred more on a second one -- may be frustrating, but look at the big picture: the deposit is just a drop in the bucket compared to the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on your legal education and room and board. The deposit is just a drop in the bucket, so don't let that drop dictate the next three years of your life and beyond.
