Your law school application timeline runs on two calendars at once. The Law School Admission Council (LSAC) sets the LSAT test dates and score releases, and it runs the Credential Assembly Service (CAS), which sends your file to schools. Each law school, in LSAC’s words, “has specific application requirements and timelines.”
The dates below are for fall 2027 entry, the application cycle now underway. They come from LSAC’s 2026-2027 testing year and from the pages of five schools: Harvard, NYU, Columbia, UVA and WashU. The schools do not all say the same thing, so each date below carries the name of whoever set it.
The Law School Application Timeline at a Glance
| Stage | Timing in the 2026-27 cycle (fall 2027 entry) | Whose calendar |
|---|---|---|
| LSAT | U.S. and Canada administrations listed from September 2026 to June 2027; scores 19 to 21 days after each administration's first test date | LSAC |
| LSAT Argumentative Writing | Opens eight days before each administration's first test date; a first-time test taker's score is released only after it is complete | LSAC |
| CAS sign-up | Before your first deadline: six to eight weeks on LSAC's steps page, at least four to six weeks on its CAS page | LSAC |
| Applications open | September 2026 at the four schools here that print an opening date | Each school |
| Early Decision | November 15 at NYU and Columbia; WashU sets no Early Decision deadline; UVA runs a Binding Expedited Decision option | Each school |
| Regular deadlines | From February 5, 2027 (Harvard) to July 1, 2027 (WashU) among the five schools here | Each school |
When to Take the LSAT
LSAC’s steps to apply say “Most law schools require the LSAT,” and that “many will require you to take the test by November/December for admission the following fall.” LSAC adds that testing earlier, in June or September/October, “is advisable.” Its general rule is to schedule your test date “with sufficient time to get your score before your first law school application is due.”
Here are the U.S. and Canada administrations on LSAC’s LSAT dates and score release page for the 2026-2027 testing year, as read on October 13, 2026. LSAC notes that “These dates are subject to change.”
| Administration | Primary test dates | Registration deadline | Score release |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | September 9 to 12, 2026 | July 28, 2026 | September 30, 2026 |
| October 2026 | October 7 to 10, 2026 | August 27, 2026 | October 28, 2026 |
| November 2026 | November 11 to 14, 2026 | October 1, 2026 | December 2, 2026 |
| January 2027 | January 13 to 16, 2027 | December 1, 2026 | February 3, 2027 |
| February 2027 | February 12 and 13, 2027 | December 29, 2026 | March 3, 2027 |
| April 2027 | April 8 to 10, 2027 | February 25, 2027 | April 28, 2027 |
| June 2027 | June 9 to 12, 2027 | April 29, 2027 | June 30, 2027 |
LSAC also lists a separate February 2027 administration for Puerto Rico (February 18 to 20; registration deadline January 5, 2027; scores March 10, 2027), not shown here.
Registration for the September, October and November 2026 administrations closed between July 28 and October 1, 2026. For a fall 2027 applicant who has not tested yet, January 2027 is the last administration before Harvard’s February 1 cutoff and Columbia’s regular round. LSAC’s registration deadline for it is December 1, 2026. When LSAC releases a score, the schools you have applied to receive it at the same time you do, unless you bought Score Preview.
LSAT Argumentative Writing
The writing section runs on its own clock. In the 2026-2027 testing year, LSAT Argumentative Writing opens eight days before each administration’s first test date. For the January 2027 LSAT, that is January 5, 2027.
LSAC’s January 2027 LSAT page is direct about the stakes: “If you are a first-time test taker, you must complete LSAT Argumentative Writing before your score can be released.”
What the Schools' Own Test Cutoffs Say
LSAC’s “November/December” is general guidance, and its word is “many,” not “all.” Harvard, Columbia and NYU each tie the regular round to a test date, and all three point to January:
- Harvard (fall 2027 entry): “Applicants must take either the LSAT or GRE no later than February 1.” On LSAC’s 2026-27 calendar, the last LSAT before that date is the January 2027 administration.
- Columbia (2026-2027 admissions calendar): January is the last LSAT administration period that meets its regular deadline. For its Early Decision Plan, the calendar lists October as the “Last LSAT administration period that meets the Early Decision Plan deadline.”
- NYU (page read October 13, 2026): candidates who “take the LSAT or GRE by January and meet the February 15 deadline” are, in NYU’s words, “at no competitive disadvantage in the admissions process.”
For Harvard and Columbia, a February 2027 LSAT misses the regular round; both take a GRE through February 1. NYU ties its promise to a January test. For any other school, read its own page before you count on a February or later score.
When Applications Open and When to Apply
Four of the five schools print an opening date, and all four open in September 2026. UVA Law accepts applications from September 1, 2026. WashU Law says of its own website application, “We begin accepting applications on September 1,” and adds, “LSAC application opens mid-September.” Harvard Law School’s fall 2027 application became available through LSAC on September 15, 2026, and Columbia’s 2026-2027 admissions calendar lists September 15 for its opening.
Deadlines spread much further apart. Harvard’s deadline for fall 2027 entry is February 5, 2027. NYU School of Law (as its page read on October 13, 2026) and Columbia (2026-2027 calendar) both list February 15 for regular decision. UVA’s deadline is March 1, 2027, and WashU’s page lists July 1, 2027.
Early options add a November date. NYU’s binding Early Decision deadline is November 15, and Columbia’s Early Decision Plan deadline is also November 15 on its 2026-2027 calendar. WashU takes a different line: “There is no deadline to apply Early Decision.” UVA offers a Binding Expedited Decision option.
Early or On Time? Each School Answers Differently
Each school also describes how it reads files, and the four descriptions do not match:
- Harvard: “Applications are reviewed approximately in the order in which they are completed.” It also says, “We encourage you to submit your application and all supporting materials well before the deadline.”
- UVA: “Admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis.”
- NYU: its policy is headed “Rolling Notification, Not Rolling Admission.” Files reach the committee in the order they are completed, “but decisions are not necessarily made in the order in which applications are first reviewed.”
- WashU: apply as early as possible, “ideally by December,” though “many admission offers are still made after that point.”
So there is no single rule on applying early. Harvard and WashU both encourage early submission, UVA decides on a rolling basis, and NYU promises no disadvantage to regular applicants who meet its terms. When decisions arrive is a separate question; Harvard, for example, says it will begin releasing them “no sooner than January 2027.”
Fitting CAS Into the Timeline
Most ABA-approved schools require CAS, so its report sits on your timeline too. The Credential Assembly Service combines your transcripts and letters with your LSAT score into one report per school. LSAC states, “You must complete all steps before we can send your CAS Law School Reports to law schools.”
LSAC’s two pages give different lead times for signing up. The steps page says to register “approximately six to eight weeks before your first law school application deadline.” The CAS page says “at least four to six weeks before your first law school application deadline.” Counted back from a February 15, 2027 deadline, the two pages point to these dates:
- Steps page: December 21, 2026 through January 4, 2027.
- CAS page: between January 4 and January 18, 2027, with January 18 the latest.
Signing up by December 21, 2026 satisfies both.
Processing comes on top of that. LSAC says, “It takes approximately two weeks to process a transcript once we receive it.” Letters of recommendation travel through CAS as well, so a recommender’s timing counts against the same window. As of October 2026, CAS costs $219, and each law school report costs $45.
Working Backward From the Regular Round
For a fall 2027 applicant who has not tested yet, the regular round works backward like this:
- Take the January 2027 LSAT, the last administration that meets Harvard’s February 1 cutoff, Columbia’s regular round and NYU’s no-disadvantage terms. LSAC’s registration deadline is December 1, 2026; test days are January 13 to 16; scores come out February 3, 2027, two days before Harvard’s deadline.
- If this is your first LSAT, finish LSAT Argumentative Writing after it opens on January 5, 2027.
- Sign up for CAS six to eight weeks before your first deadline, the earlier of LSAC’s two lead times, and order transcripts early enough to allow two weeks of processing.
- Draft your personal statement now, so the application can go in once the score posts.
Each school also sets its own components, so check the law school admissions requirements for every school on your list before you plan backward from its deadline.
Early Decision ran on a tighter calendar. Columbia’s Early Decision Plan took an LSAT no later than October 2026, and that administration ran October 7 to 10. Counted back from the November 15, 2026 deadline, LSAC’s two CAS lead times fell between September 20 and October 18, 2026.
If you are planning for fall 2028 instead, LSAC’s advice to test in June or September/October before you apply is the starting point. For help sequencing these steps, ExceptionalGrad’s law school consulting services include Hourly Applicant Advising, which the service page describes as “individual advising sessions for JD applicants in order to plan their journey.”
Planning Your Cycle With ExceptionalGrad
A timeline only works if each school’s file is complete before its date. ExceptionalGrad’s Detailed Application Review aims to have “all sections of the JD application including essays, educational history and important experiences” fully prepared for submission. Our advisors edit and advise; they never write your essays.
If you are applying this cycle, start with a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I apply to law school for fall 2027?
Apply between September 2026, when Harvard, Columbia, UVA and WashU opened fall 2027 applications, and each school’s deadline: February 5, 2027 at Harvard, July 1, 2027 at WashU. Harvard reviews applications roughly in completion order, while NYU says applicants who test by January and meet its February 15 deadline face no competitive disadvantage.
When should I take the LSAT for fall 2027?
By January 2027 if you are aiming at Harvard, Columbia or NYU’s regular round. Harvard requires the test no later than February 1, Columbia lists January as its last regular-round LSAT, and NYU ties its no-disadvantage promise to January. The January 2027 LSAT runs January 13 to 16; LSAC’s registration deadline is December 1, 2026.
What is the timeline for applying to law school?
Count backward from your first deadline. LSAC advises having your LSAT score before it; in the 2026-27 testing year, scores come 19 to 21 days after each administration’s first test date. CAS needs your transcripts, about two weeks each to process, and LSAC sends no report until every step is complete.
When should you take the LSAT Writing?
Before your first score is due, if this is your first LSAT. LSAC releases a score only once an approved LSAT Argumentative Writing sample, or an older LSAT Writing sample, is on file. In the 2026-27 testing year the writing opens eight days before each administration’s first test date, January 5, 2027 for January.