By Mara Freilich, JD — former civil litigator, University of Pennsylvania Law School graduate, and law school admissions consultant. About page · State Bar profile · LinkedIn
Updated: June 2026
April and May are notoriously the most stressful months of the law school admissions cycle. You’ve finally received your offers and financial aid packets, but now you’re staring down a ticking clock. Having multiple acceptances is a great problem to have, but the pressure of putting down hundreds—sometimes thousands—of dollars in non-refundable deposits can feel paralyzing.
Wouldn’t it be nice if they just pulled the band-aid off already?
In today’s post, I share what the deposit deadlines are and how to understand everything around them. And if you’re one of the many applicants riding out a waitlist this cycle, knowing these deposit dates is also your secret weapon for timing your Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) perfectly.
Whether you are trying to secure a scholarship or buy yourself more time to hear back from your dream school, let’s break down exactly how to handle your seat deposits.
2026 top 50 law school deposit deadlines
The list of dates below are approximate deposit deadline dates for the top 50 schools this year. A good number of schools this cycle gave different seat deposit deadlines to different applicants, depending on the date of acceptance. Additionally, some of the dates below only reflect a first deposit deadline, so there may be a second deposit deadline that is not noted.
Please, if you were accepted to a school, look at your own acceptance letter to determine when you have to deposit by, don’t rely on this list!
Schools are ordered based on the most recently released U.S. News Top 50 Law School rankings.
| Law school | First deposit deadline | Second deposit deadline | Third deposit deadline |
| Stanford University | May 1 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Chicago | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Yale University | May 1 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Pennsylvania | April 29 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Virginia | April 24 | N/A | N/A |
| Harvard University | May 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Duke University | April 25 | N/A | N/A |
| New York University | May 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Columbia University | May 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Northwestern University | April 30 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Michigan | April 30 | June 15 | N/A |
| Vanderbilt University | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Cornell University | April 15 | May 15 | N/A |
| University of California-Los Angeles | April 15 | June 15 | N/A |
| Washington University in St. Louis | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| University of California, Berkeley | April 15 | May 15 | N/A |
| University of Texas-Austin | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Georgetown University | May 1 | June 3 | N/A |
| University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | April 15 | May 1 | N/A |
| University of Notre Dame | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Texas A&M University | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Minnesota | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Boston University | April 15 | June 1 | N/A |
| Brigham Young University | March 30 | June 1 | N/A |
| George Washington University | April 15 | May 15 | June 15 |
| University of Georgia | April 15 | June 1 | N/A |
| University of Southern California | May 1 | June 15 | N/A |
| Ohio State University | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Wake Forest University | April 1 | May 1 | N/A |
| George Mason University | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Iowa | April 1 | June 1 | N/A |
| Baylor University | April 15 | June 1 | N/A |
| Florida State University | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| University of California—Irvine | April 15 | June 1 | N/A |
| University of Florida | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Washington and Lee University | April 15 | May 15 | N/A |
| William & Mary Law School | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Emory University | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| University of Alabama | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Fordham University | April 15 | June 2 | N/A |
| Arizona State University | April 15 | May 1 | N/A |
| University of Utah | April 1 | N/A | N/A |
| Pepperdine University | April 15 | June 15 | N/A |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | April 17 | May 22 | N/A |
| University of Kansas | April 7 | June 15 | N/A |
| Indiana University – Bloomington | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Temple University | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
| Villanova University | April 14 | June 9 | N/A |
| University of California—Davis | April 15 | N/A | N/A |
How to navigate law school deposit deadlines (extensions, refunds, and scholarships)
Seat deposits typically range from $200 to over $1,000. What should you do if you are waiting on a financial aid package from your dream school but facing a deadline at your safety school?
Here is how to handle the deposit process.
Can I get an extension on a law school seat deposit deadline?
You can always ask, but extensions are granted on a case-by-case basis. You have the best chance of approval if you are still waiting on a financial aid package from that specific school to make your final decision.
Call them directly, explain your exact situation, reiterate your strong interest, and ask for a brief extension. If they say no, which is common, you will need to either withdraw or pay the deposit to secure your seat.
Can I negotiate law school scholarships after the deposit deadline?
It’s much more difficult. You lose almost all of your leverage once the deadline passes because the school has already secured the bulk of its incoming class and allocated its budget. So initiate negotiations before the deposit deadline.
Are law school seat deposits refundable?
Rarely. Most law school seat deposits are strictly non-refundable. That money is usually credited towards your first semester’s tuition – but if you withdraw, you forfeit the deposit. Think about the deposit as a way to buy time to make your decision.
Can I put down multiple seat deposits at different law schools?
Yes, usually, but it depends entirely on the wording of the school’s offer.
Most first deposits are non-binding, so you can place a deposit to secure your seat without legally withdrawing from other schools. However, second deposits (and offers tied to substantial scholarships) often come with strict stipulations requiring you to immediately withdraw from all other accepted schools. Violating these terms can result in your offer—and your scholarship—being completely rescinded.
Will law schools know if I double deposit?
Yes and no. Schools only receive the number of overlapping deposits, not the specific names of the applicants. However, if your admission offer includes a binding stipulation against double depositing, don’t risk it. Schools can and do communicate with each other, and getting caught violating an ethical agreement is a terrible way to start your legal career.
How to use law school deposit deadlines for your waitlist strategy
One of the main strategies for getting off the waitlist: making it as easy as possible for an admissions officer by being at the right place at the right time. I.e., submitting your persuasive letter of continued interest (LOCI) at the time when the school is looking to take people off the waitlist.
So when will law schools start taking applicants off the waitlists?
Typically, a week or two after the law school’s deposit deadlines, giving stragglers some time to smooth out any wrinkles, law schools will start examining their commitment numbers and whether they need to go to the waitlist.
So sending a LOCI around deposit deadlines is a good idea.
What do I do if my backup school’s deadline is before I hear back from my waitlist school?
If you want to secure your seat at your backup school, pay the deposit. Don’t let a guaranteed seat expire while hoping for a waitlist miracle. If you get off the waitlist later, you will lose that initial deposit money, but you’ll have the absolute freedom to accept the waitlist offer.
Does paying a seat deposit mean I have to withdraw from my waitlists?
Generally, no. Most schools fully expect and allow you to remain on other waitlists even after submitting a deposit. It is a completely standard part of the process. Again, the only exception is if your specific admission or scholarship offer includes language expressly forbidding you from remaining on waitlists.
Should I tell the waitlist school about my upcoming deposit deadline?
Yes, but strategically. Don’t use it as an ultimatum. Instead, use your impending deadline as a hook for a Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI). Reach out to admissions and say something like: “I have an upcoming deposit deadline at another institution, but [Waitlist School] remains my absolute top choice. If admitted, I will immediately commit and withdraw all other applications.” Admissions officers want to admit students who will definitively say yes, and this shows them you are a sure thing.
Next steps: Finalizing your admissions strategy
Sometimes the deposit deadlines arrive, and you realize you aren’t truly excited about any of your current options. If you didn’t get into your dream school—or if the financial aid offers simply don’t make sense for your future—it is perfectly okay to walk away.
Considering reapplying next year? Reapplying can be a highly effective strategy, but only if you fundamentally improve your application. If you want to dramatically increase your chances in the next cycle, the best time to start planning is right now. Whether you need to overhaul your narrative, rethink your school list, or rewrite your essays, let’s build a stronger application from the ground up. Learn more about my law school admissions consulting services here.
