What Townsend wants is to keep up the "momentum" he has built as an undergraduate by entering the accelerated medical school program at Duke in August. Rather than a traditional four-year program that includes two initial years of academic study before interning, the Duke program condenses the first two years into one, leaving the second year to intern and the third for supervised research.

Townsend acknowledges the program is more "non-traditional" than what he mighthave faced at Washington University in St. Louis,but says the demands, as well as the location, arewhat make Duke attractive. Harvard, he says, gavehim a chance to try many activities while buildinga solid academic record, and the pattern of studyshould not be broken.

"There's nothing I feel I've missed out on,"Townsend says. "I don't feel I need a break."

Admissions Decisions

Law and medical school admissions officials arenot surprised that the bulk of students applyingthis year think like Townsend in continuingdirectly into school.

"Particularly with people in that situation,they have a lot more options," says Todd Morgan,associate director of Harvard Law School (HLS)admissions.

Morgan explains that the number of studentsdeferring varies to some degree according to thestate of the economy. "If [the economy] is good,they go to Law School," he says.

However, the economy is booming and accordingto Morgan "this year looks no different from anyother year" in terms of the number of deferrals.

He attributes this to the fact that studentdeferrals are handled on a case-by-case basis,with some individuals deferring for years. The LawSchool asks students to submit a petition fordeferral by May 15, the due date for the firsttuition deposit.

"We don't make any judgements about why anindividual will defer," Morgan says. "We want toknow what that individual plans to do. We're lesslikely to grant [a deferral] if they have no ideawhat they want to do. If they have a time plan, aschedule, it's more positive and productive."

For the last 10 years, Morgan says about 100 ofeach 540-member class have chosen to defer. "It'snot so many that you can perceive it," he says.

"In general, I personally think that for peoplecoming out of college it makes sense to dosomething else," Morgan says. "I think there's alot of value in gaining experience outside ofacademia...It's best to know [law school] is whatyou really want to do."

Morgan says those who defer because they areunsure about going to law school in the firstplace, however, pose a unique problem. While timeoff is productive for those who are sure they wantto return to school, he says it may not be forstudents like Manasantivongs not set onreturning--especially if they don't do thesoul-searching others with time off might.

"By deferring, most people won't really gothrough that process," Morgan says. "I worry aboutthose people who defer because they're not surelaw school is what they want to do."

Students are allowed two years to defer beforethe Law School starts pushing them to return andassume the spot held for them in the returningclass. Although those who defer still pay theinitial $500 deposit, the spot may be held formore than two years, given extenuatingcircumstances.

Deferring From the College