I know this question may have been repeated to ad nauseam but indulge me.
Took the October LSAT and felt terrible about it. I know this is normal but I am planning on a retake until I know for sure what the score is. That being said and assuming I’m not happy with the Oct score, is it better to go ahead and apply early regardless of the October score and merely inform the schools that I will be retaking in December? Will that allow me the benefit of having my application technically in under the ED timeline as apposed to submitting everything in December or does it even matter since the application will be held for review anyhow until the December scores come in?
Why are you freaking out before you have a score in your hands? No one can give you advice until it comes back. Also, FWIW, I don’t think you will qualify for ED if you take the December LSAT. Most have specific clauses that list the October LSAT as the cut off. It makes sense, considering most law schools offer ED candidates a decision in the first week of December. So you need to pop a few Xanax pills, calm down, and wait it out. If your score is acceptable, apply under ED. If its atrocious, forget ED and start studying your ass for December.
You cannot qualify for ED at almost any school with the December LSAT (the only exception I can imagine is Duke, which has a later second round of ED, but I’m not sure if the December LSAT would qualify).
Not to mention ED does not help improve your chances enough to make up for a bad score. ED is typically useful if you are right on a competitive school’s medians for GPA and LSAT. Then ED comes into play as a potentially decisive advantage to you. Otherwise, ED should not be used.
You (or any of us) can’t adequately assess your situation without your score. So, wait it out-- in about 3 days or so, you’ll be in a better position to decide.
For school like UVA it helps if you really want to go because they don’t just admit anyone. For others, if you meet both medians, just apply regular decision if you are not committed to the school. Chances are you won’t get much aid if you are at both medians, so if you really want to go to the school, it doesn’t really hurt to do it, if it’s the #1 school.
Yeah, I didn’t even bother with UVA. At the medians you virtually always want to RD so you can get scholarship offers from other schools as potential leverage. That’s an imperfect science of course, but I’m thinking you’re generally safe (although CLS seemed like the perfect shitstorm last year for people with 4.4 indices).