What to Send Law Schools After You Apply, From Updates to Letters of Continued Interest

After you submit your applications, applicants find themselves in an uncomfortable position: waiting for the results. 

Law schools want dynamic, energetic students who are constantly improving and achieving. After you submit your application, don’t waste time reading internet forums or second-guessing yourself. Put your efforts into continuing to strengthen your candidacy. If you’re in college, keep your grades high. If you’re in the workforce, take on new responsibilities. Wherever you are in life, keep your eyes open for new challenges and opportunities.

After all, if you end up on one or more waitlists, you want to have good news to report.

Your life doesn't end after you hit submit. There are many cases where it makes sense to update law school admission officers to keep your candidacy top of mind, let them know of your continued interest, or affirm that you would attend if admitted.

Read on to learn more about when it makes sense to submit an update, what to write, and how to handle a Letter of Continued Interest if you are waitlisted. 

Changes and Corrections

If you go through a significant change in your life after submitting your law school application, like a job change or promotion, it may make sense to submit an update to the admissions office, by email or through the LSAC Credential Assembly Service (CAS).

The same is true if you are accepted by a school that you no longer wish to attend, or if you can no longer attend law school due to a change in your life circumstances.

If you've made a mistake in your initial application, it is rarely worth writing to a law school to correct the oversight. However, suppose the error is so glaring that it could cause embarrassment or call your integrity into question, like neglecting to disclose a disciplinary issue or sending an essay addressed to the wrong school. In that case, I encourage you to write an update to the admissions office. It won’t look good, but you have little to lose at that point.

Checking In After a Long Wait

What if it's been months since you submitted, and you haven't heard anything back? Settle in for the long haul; this is not necessarily a speedy process.

You can check your LSAC CAS account to confirm that the law school did indeed receive your application. If nothing looks awry, you should assume that the law school did receive your application and that admissions officers are sorting through and evaluating applications.

Admissions officers review thousands of applications per year. You don't want to put more work on their plate or risk annoying them. Law schools seek professionals, and sending multiple redundant messages can be a red flag of immaturity.

After a few months, you may consider sending law schools a brief update on your application. If you followed my earlier advice about continuing to strengthen your application, you would likely have at least something noteworthy to report. 

Some law schools allow updates directly through the LSAC CAS. If not, email the law school to reaffirm your interest and provide a life update. Keep your email to one or two short paragraphs. Demonstrate your communication skills and show respect for the reader’s time by writing efficiently and graciously.

Try not to email the admissions office more than every month or two. Group updates together for a more accessible review. You want to create the impression that you are organized and staying busy.

[Next Read: How to Show Commitment to Law School (Even If You Took the Long Path to Get There)]

Letters of Continued Interest

Law schools request "letters of continued interest," or LOCIs, from applicants placed on the waitlist who wish to remain under consideration for admission. More than just an expression of interest, a LOCI is your chance to influence admissions officers as they select waitlisted applicants to fill spots that open up. A suitable LOCI makes a personal, substantive, and concise case for admission.

Law schools vary in the instructions they give waitlisted applicants about submitting LOCIs. Some offer specific guidance, while others are more vague. If you receive a notice that you are waitlisted, carefully review the email and follow all instructions and deadlines provided.

What Should a Letter of Continued Interest Say?

Generally, a good LOCI should start by briefly thanking the admissions office for taking the time to consider your application. Express gratitude for being placed on the waitlist. There is no need to scrape your forehead on the floor; use a tone of professional collegiality, not deference.

Indeed, nothing is worse than an unprofessional or impatient LOCI. Do not beg to be admitted from the waitlist, do not ask when final decisions will be made, and do not make ultimatums or dictate terms. Being waitlisted is common, hardly the end of the world, so keep your emotions in check.

Aim for one page. Proofread your letter carefully to cut out fluff, cliches, and pesky typos. Tailor your letter to the school you are sending it to, and address it correctly.

Clearly articulate your interest in the school. If it’s your first choice and you would attend if admitted, be sure to say so. If not, express your interest graciously without embellishment. And if you are no longer interested in the school, a LOCI is unnecessary, but you should promptly send a polite email response.

Lay out one to three specific reasons you are interested in the school. These can include any personal connections, programs, and activities you hope to pursue or your desire to build your practice in the community.

Tell the admissions committee why you are a good fit for the school and how you could have an impact if admitted. If you visited campus, spoke with a professor, or met with a current student, mention how those interactions affected your desire to attend.

As stated above, include an update on any changes in your candidacy since you applied. Consider sending the additional school information like a supplemental essay or letter of recommendation. Often, schools will tell you how to submit extra materials through LSAC CAS or email. In any case, offer to provide any information that may help make a decision.

Don’t expect the admissions office to reply to your LOCI, but you may receive an acknowledgment. Follow up only if you have further updates on your candidacy.

Taking the Long Perspective

Ultimately, remember that admissions officers have thousands of applications to review. The time that they devote to this review shows that admissions is not simply a mechanical process of sorting applicants by grades and LSAT scores.

You may not receive a decision until summer. Some waitlisted applicants are even admitted after law school classes begin. Until then, settle in for the long haul. As hard as it may be to imagine, once you are in law school, all the stress and uncertainty of the admissions process will fade into a blur.

[Next Read: Advice For The Summer Before You Start Law School]