By Mara Freilich, JD — former civil litigator, University of Pennsylvania Law School graduate, and law school admissions consultant. About page · State Bar profile · LinkedIn
Last updated: June 2026
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: your odds of getting off a law school waitlist this cycle are slim. But they’re not zero, and today, I’ll help you improve your chances of getting accepted from a waitlist.
With so many more applicants applying to law school, and with some law schools getting burned by overenrolling too many students, law schools’ calculations about how many students to accept have been entirely thrown off.
Law schools are responding to this confusion cautiously with their response being deep deep waitlists.
But the good news are: a good chunk of what decides whether you’re the one who gets the call is still in your hands. If your numbers land within (or above) a school’s median, or they told you you’re in a “priority” tier, your odds jump right away.
And even if neither of those is true, there’s a whole lane of work that can move you up the list.
I’m Mara Freilich, a former civil litigator and Penn Law grad who has helped 300+ applicants get into their dream law schools as a law school admissions consultant. Waitlist season is one of the most common things I walk clients through every spring and summer, and honestly, one of the most emotionally loaded. So if you’re somewhere between hopeful and “why is this taking SO long,” welcome — you’re in very good company.
Key takeaways
- Waitlist odds are tougher this cycle than in recent memory, but they’re not zero — and they’re much better if your stats sit near the school’s median.
- Saying the right “magic words” to admissions (a real, specific promise to attend) is one of the few levers fully in your control.
- A robust Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) goes out around deposit deadlines, with short follow-ups every 4–6 weeks after.
- Retaking the LSAT can help because schools report your highest score — but only if your current score is below the school’s median.
- Plan your summer and deposit around the school you’re actually enrolled at; treat a waitlist offer as a possible bonus, not the plan.
How likely is it to get off a law school waitlist?
This cycle, the math is working against you. As of LSAC’s early-June 2026 volume summary, nearly 80,000 people had applied to at least one law school — up about 8.5% over the prior year, and 29% over two years ago — while applications topped 569,000, up roughly 11% year over year and about 37% over two years (LSAC volume summary). And that came on top of an already-crowded 2025 cycle, which closed with an 18% jump in applicants, the highest volume in more than a decade. Acceptances didn’t grow anywhere close to as fast.
Translation: after two straight surge years, waitlists are deeper than usual, everywhere.
That said, your odds go up a lot if your LSAT and GPA sit within (or above) the school’s published median, or if the school told you that you’re on a “priority” or top-tier portion of the waitlist.
Even then, it will be tough.
But like any good rom com, a fight for your love could come out in your favor.
There are things you can do to improve your chances of getting off a waitlist. Especially if you’re committed to a school – law schools are looking for applicants who will definitely, certainly accept a spot.
PS: If you want to track this in real time, sites like LSD.Law’s cycle tracker post live decision data across hundreds of schools each cycle.
The step by step: What to do to get off a law school waitlist
1. Accept your spot – and follow the instructions CAREFULLY
Every school has a different process for accepting a position on the waitlist. Some require you to opt in by responding to an email, others require you to write a letter of intent to remain on the waitlist, others will have you fill out a specific form, and others will just put you there automatically.
This also goes for any communication you have about your waitlist (we’ll talk about what that communication looks like shortly); some schools will require you to only submit letters via their online portal, others only via email to a specific waitlist address.
Moral of the story, read the directions and follow them precisely! If you don’t, I can almost guarantee you won’t be taken off the waitlist.
2. Build your shortlist
With waitlists so long this year, you could be sitting on a waitlist for a very long time—all the way until a school’s orientation! The best strategy is to focus all your energy on a few select schools where you really want to go. Are you willing to move, break a lease, etc. if you get a call in late August?
If it’s early in the waitlist season, you can wait to make your shortlist, and keep your name on a longer list of schools. But as the summer progresses, it’s best to narrow your list down to those schools you really would accept an offer from, no matter when.
Why narrow it down? Why not keep your name in everywhere? That brings me to the next step.
3. Say the magic words—promise you’ll come.
Admissions officers want one thing above all from a waitlist candidate: certainty that if they make the offer, you will say yes and you will show up. They don’t want to burn ten calls before someone commits, and they don’t want someone who accepts and then ghosts a month later for a different school.
For them, an empty seat means lost money and that’s a big no no.
So if a school is genuinely your first choice, say so in writing: “X school is my first choice, and if admitted, I would immediately accept, withdraw my existing seat, and withdraw all other pending applications.”
Please: only send these magic words if you mean them and intend to follow through. While this is not a contractual commitment, you’re entering a profession where your integrity matters a lot. Don’t start your career by breaking a promise; word gets around fast.
You can send this message to a few schools, but you will then have to follow through on the promise with whichever school offers you admission first—though don’t get too anxious about giving up a spot because the likelihood of getting off multiple waitlists these days is low.
How should you convey these magic words to schools? By pigeon carrier? Gentle whisperings in the ears of admissions officers…? On to the next step!
4. Send Letters of Continued Interest (LOCIs)
LOCI, the fond name for Letters of Continued Interest, are how you will stay in touch with your waitlisted schools, and how you’ll keep them aware that they remain your top choice.
I typically have my clients send a more robust LOCI either when they’ve been waitlisted (if the schools specifically asks for a letter to accompany the intent to remain on waitlist), or more typically, right around the school’s deposit deadline – typically mid to late April.
I’ve shared an example of the more robust LOCI at the end of this post, but essentially the formula goes one paragraph for each of the following: (1) thank you and reminder that the school is your top choice + magic words if applicable; (2) any updates that are worth mentioning—think accolades like job promotion/new job, new and significant responsibilities at work, award at school, etc. not things like new hobbies or travel; (3) reminder about why that school is your first choice, pointing to specific opportunities at the school that relate to your specific job goals; (4) closing paragraph reiterating that you would accept if admitted, and relaying any personal ties to the school or the region that make you more compelled to go there.
After this more robust LOCI, you’ll want to send additional letters about every four to six weeks. The remaining letters should be short and straightforward. It is enough to simply state that you’re “writing to reiterate that x school remains your first choice and if admitted you would accept and withdraw your deposit and all other pending applications.” This will get repetitive in content, but that is OK. In fact, admissions officers will appreciate your brevity. Your writing to remind them that even as the summer has progressed you’re still thinking about them and still committed to attending if admitted.
If you do have any noteworthy updates throughout the summer—including a new LSAT score—you can include those in your follow-up letters.
Also, make sure you read your waitlist offer closely. Some schools will explicitly ask you not to contact them more than once.
P.S.: no need to use the LOCI terminology in your update letters.
5. Consider retaking the LSAT – yes, again…
If your LSAT score was on the low end for that school (below their median from the previous year), then you may want to consider taking the LSAT again over the summer. Yes, I hear you, you thought you were DONE with that exam. But let me try to convince you. You have literally nothing to lose—other than maybe some studying hours. Let’s say you don’t do that well, you are in the exact same position you are now. But let’s say you do improve, this can be significant leverage to get you off that waitlist. Why?
Because law schools have to report the highest LSAT score of every applicant and it gets factored into the median reported to US News. I.e., your higher LSAT score could help with their rankings.
This is not just pie in the sky thinking. A friend of mine was waitlisted at a bunch of schools, retook the LSAT in June and scored significantly better. He then went on to get off almost all his waitlists, including T-10 schools, and even had Duke, a school that initially rejected him, reverse its decision and admit him with a scholarship!
And I’ve worked with other clients where this strategy has worked to get them off the waitlist at their dream school.
But if your LSAT is already within the school’s median, sadly a higher LSAT score may not help you that much and may not be worth your time.
6. Keep your contact information updated
If your contact information changes throughout the summer, be sure to update the admissions department at any school you were waitlisted. If a school can’t get a hold of you, I can promise they’re not going to try very hard to track you down. They’ll just go to the next person.
7. Be ready to decide fast
If you do get the golden ticket, you may be given a short deadline of when you have to reply by. They may also just not wait for you if you decide you need to think about it, and instead go to the next person on the waitlist.
Remember, admissions officers are like airlines, they just want to fill their seats!
8. Expect to pay full price
When deciding whether you’re going to stay on a waitlist, you should assume you won’t get any scholarships. Most law schools, (other than Harvard, Yale, Stanford) use scholarship money as a recruiting tool to incentivize their top applicants to accept. So by the time they get to waitlist applicants, most scholarships have been given away. It’s not impossible to get scholarship money off of a waitlist, but unlikely, and you should assume it won’t happen.
9. Be patient
Finally, remember, waitlists are a marathon, not a sprint. Patience will be key here. So will flexibility.
Expect that you won’t hear any news until May at the earliest, all the way until the end of August, even September for schools that start orientation that late.
This means, you will have to submit a seat deposit at another school, one you likely will not get back (some schools kindly offer to reimburse any lost seat).
Sample letters of continued interest
Robust LOCI — send around the school’s deposit deadline:
Dear Admissions Committee,
I hope this letter finds you and the rest of the NYU community healthy and well. Thank you for your review of my application and continued consideration. I write to update my application and to reiterate that NYU continues to be my first-choice law school and that if admitted I would immediately accept and withdraw my current seat deposit and all other pending applications.
Last month, I received a promotion from Business Immigration Analyst to Senior Business Immigration Analyst. This promotion came after my commitment and willingness to take on greater responsibility during the extreme surge of adjustment of status applications (the final step in a green card application) that our firm had to file in the recent months. Not only did I have to learn for the first time how to prepare an adjustment of status application, but I also had to prepare them quickly, working nights and weekends to keep up with the demand. Even after our team completed all our applications, I continued to work late nights in the office helping other teams review and prepare applications.
I want to reiterate that NYU is my first-choice law school. My aim as a lawyer is to empower immigrants and other marginalized groups fleeing persecution, particularly my own community of Egyptian Coptic Christians. NYU Law’s dedication to pro bono work and its commitment to helping marginalized communities all over the world—evident from the experiential learning opportunities—assure me that it is the school that will most support my aspirations as a lawyer. I am particularly excited about the Immigration Rights clinic—which will provide me a unique opportunity to learn about the many facets of immigration in and out of the classroom—and the International Refugee Assistance Project—which will allow me to understand the root of immigration, using my own background, and the specific needs of those fleeing their homeland.
Additionally, New York is where I call home and where I intend to begin my legal career. To have the opportunities and network within the City that NYU offers would be invaluable to my future career opportunities, while also allowing me a personal support system while in law school. For me, practicing law is a way to empower a group of people to contribute to society. To that end, I am confident that NYU Law is the school where I will best achieve my goals as a lawyer, and I am extremely enthusiastic about the opportunity to join such a globally-minded legal community.
Sincerely, Name L#xxxxxx
[SAMPLE] Follow-Up LOCI
Send roughly every 4–6 weeks after the robust letter:
Dear Admissions Committee,
I hope this letter finds you and the rest of the NYU community well. I write to reiterate my interest in remaining on the waitlist and my commitment to attending NYU. As I previously indicated, if admitted I would immediately accept and withdraw my current seat deposit and all other pending applications.
Sincerely, Name L#xxxxx
FAQ
What’s the difference between being “waitlisted” and put on “hold”?
They’re often used interchangeably, but some schools mean something specific by “hold” — usually that they want to see one more piece of information (a final transcript, a new LSAT score) before deciding whether to waitlist or admit you outright. If your letter says “hold” instead of “waitlist,” read it closely or call the admissions office to ask exactly what they’re waiting on.
Will a school tell me where I rank on the waitlist?
Almost never, and don’t ask directly — it puts the admissions officer in an awkward spot and won’t get you a real answer. The closest you’ll get is language like “priority” or “top tier” in your waitlist letter, which schools do sometimes volunteer without being asked.
Should I call the admissions office instead of just sending letters?
A phone call once, early on, to ask about the waitlist process and timeline is fine. But don’t make it a habit — repeated calls read as pressure, not enthusiasm, and your LOCIs are the channel built for ongoing contact.
If I get off a waitlist, do I lose the deposit I already paid at another school?
Yes, in almost every case. Seat deposits are non-refundable once you’ve enrolled elsewhere, and you should budget for losing it the moment you put it down. A small number of schools will refund a deposit if you withdraw early enough, but never count on it.
Is it rude to withdraw from a waitlist once you’ve decided you’re not interested anymore?
No — it’s the opposite. Withdrawing the moment you know frees up your spot for someone else and is genuinely appreciated by admissions offices. A short email saying you’d like to withdraw your name is all it takes.
A final note
Waitlists can be frustrating, and candidly, I wish schools wouldn’t keep such long lists—it feels like they’re leading applicants on and dragging it out. So plan as if you’re going to the school you put down a deposit on, but be ready for a fun last minute adventure if you get off the waitlist.
And one last word: if you do get off a law school waitlist, don’t you dare think you’re any less deserving to be there than the other students. I don’t want you walking into class day one thinking you somehow conned the system and everyone else is going to be smarter, more prepared, etc. Law school is an incredible equalizer and everyone there is starting from the same place. You deserve to be there!
If you want personalized help with your waitlist strategy, LOCIs, or late-cycle decisions, work with me here.
Sources:
ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures — LSAT score reporting policy (highest-score rule)
LSAC, Current Volume Summary (2026 cycle applicant and application volume data)
