URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results Forum

Share experiences and seek insight regarding your experience as an underrepresented minority within the legal community.
Forum rules
Anonymous Posting

Anonymous posting is only appropriate when you are sharing sensitive information about bar exam prep. You may anonymously respond on topic to these threads. Unacceptable uses include: harassing another user, joking around, testing the feature, or other things that are more appropriate in the lounge.

Failure to follow these rules will get you outed, warned, or banned."
jmj2254

New
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Nov 02, 2015 11:49 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by jmj2254 » Wed May 04, 2016 11:52 am

.
Last edited by jmj2254 on Mon May 23, 2016 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

hello2018

New
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 12:00 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by hello2018 » Thu May 05, 2016 10:52 am

AA Female

Two years out from undergrad

Attending: NYU (full)

GPA: 3.7
LSAT: 160 (2x)

Acceptances:

Harvard
Chicago
Columbia
Duke
Michigan

Waitlists:
Yale

Rejections:
None

Advice: Know yourself. Apply early. Be able to speak openly about your passion, and do so from the heart.

texcellence

Bronze
Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by texcellence » Thu May 05, 2016 11:54 am

hello2018 wrote:AA Female

Two years out from undergrad

Attending: NYU (full)

GPA: 3.7
LSAT: 160 (2x)
Congrats! To you and JMJ, did you get RTK or AnBryce or did they offer you a full ride, non-named scholly?

lawyergirl94

New
Posts: 82
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 11:09 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by lawyergirl94 » Mon May 09, 2016 1:22 pm

Type of URM: AA Female

Attending: USC

GPA: 3.8

LSAT: 155

Softs: K-JD, year-long internship at DOJ, year-long internship at BigLaw firm, leadership positions, Greek life, etc.

Advice: -While you shouldn't rely on the URM curve as a crutch, DO NOT let the numbers discourage you. As you can see, my numbers didn't warrant acceptances, let alone scholarships from a lot of schools I received them from. Use this thread as motivation and think "Man, if she/he did this w. a ___ GPA and a _____ LSAT, imagine what I can do w. higher numbers."

-This is not a proven fact, however, going to information sessions, getting business cards, and emailing admissions officers in the months leading up to Feb. of your cycle can help your name stick out and build a relationship. Again, it's not a proven fact, but I was granted admission to each school I practiced this with, and it certainly doesn't hurt as long as you're not a pest (once a month will suffice). PM for what I talked about in each month's email.

-It is completely okay to solicit and ask for fee waivers. If you can't figure out exactly how to ask, there are templates all over the internet.

-TLS is a GREAT tool, but don't let it drive you insane comparing yourself to others' scores, timing, etc.

Approx. Time of Application: Dec. 20

Other acceptances:
Chicago ($)
Virginia ($$)
Michigan ($$)
Cornell
Georgetown
Texas ($$$)
Emory ($$$)
USC ($$$)
GW ($$)
Fordham
UC Irvine ($$$$)
Penn State ($$$$)
Howard ($$$$)


Rejections:
Stanford
Harvard

Waitlists:
UCLA
Penn
Berkeley
Duke
NYU

User avatar
180kickflip

Bronze
Posts: 377
Joined: Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:45 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by 180kickflip » Mon May 09, 2016 1:57 pm

Type of URM: AA male (non-traditional)

Attending: Berkeley

GPA: 3.2

LSAT: 168 (after multiple retakes)

Softs: AmeriCorps, work experience, super low SES background

Advice:
1. Don't take the LSAT until you're PTing ABOVE your target by 3-4 points.
2. Don't apply until you have maxed your LSATs
3. Don't settle for anything under t14 with a big discount or a top regional for near free
4. Apply before Thanksgiving
5. Request fee waivers from every school you're going to apply to well in advance of your desired application date
6. Stay as far from TLS as you can during LSAT prep (unnecessary time suck + stress builder)
7. Decide where you want to practice, find out what firms are there, see if those firms attend OCI at the schools you're choosing between, and go to school where your desired firms recruit

Approx. Time of Application: September for most apps, literally at the deadline for UVA, Harvard, Stanford

Other acceptances:
Michigan -150k
Georgetown- 165k
UCLA- full
BU- 135k
Northwestern- 120k

Rejections:
Stanford
Harvard
UVA
Cornell (never responded to interview request)
Chicago (never responded to interview request)

Waitlists:
Penn- *wrote a why Penn
Duke
NYU
Columbia

User avatar
invgr8

New
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:52 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by invgr8 » Tue May 10, 2016 4:45 pm

Type of URM: Mexican American

Attending: Texas ($$$)

GPA: 3.72

LSAT: 160 (1 try)

Softs: Average

Advice:
Apply to SEO regardless of interest in biglaw.
Apply as early as you can, and to as many top 20 law schools as your budget allows.
Regardless of city preference you can use any offer to renegotiate a better scholarship at your #1 choice.
Almost everyone waives your application if you just ask.
Retake LSAT if you can.

Approx. Time of Application: After October LSAT results (before Thanksgiving break), but before December results are out.

Other acceptances:
Michigan ($$)
Cornell ($$$)
GW ($$$)
ASU ($$$)

Rejections:
UCLA

Waitlists:
UChicago
Columbia
Berkeley
Georgetown

20171lhopeful

Bronze
Posts: 239
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:12 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by 20171lhopeful » Tue May 10, 2016 6:02 pm

Do you recommend applying to SEO even people interested in human rights/public interest law?

invgr8 wrote:Type of URM: Mexican American

Attending: Texas ($$$)

GPA: 3.72

LSAT: 160 (1 try)

Softs: Average

Advice:
Apply to SEO regardless of interest in biglaw.
Apply as early as you can, and to as many top 20 law schools as your budget allows.
Regardless of city preference you can use any offer to renegotiate a better scholarship at your #1 choice.
Almost everyone waives your application if you just ask.
Retake LSAT if you can.

Approx. Time of Application: After October LSAT results (before Thanksgiving break), but before December results are out.

Other acceptances:
Michigan ($$)
Cornell ($$$)
GW ($$$)
ASU ($$$)

Rejections:
UCLA

Waitlists:
UChicago
Columbia
Berkeley
Georgetown

User avatar
gamerish

Gold
Posts: 3128
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:37 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by gamerish » Wed May 11, 2016 9:12 pm

20171lhopeful wrote:Do you recommend applying to SEO even people interested in human rights/public interest law?
The consensus amongst SEO alums is yes, absolutely.

20171lhopeful

Bronze
Posts: 239
Joined: Thu Apr 28, 2016 5:12 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by 20171lhopeful » Wed May 11, 2016 9:31 pm

Why? What are the benefits if you're not interested in corp law? Perhaps I haven't done enough research on SEO... But does acceptance into SEO make you more qualified in law school admissions in general? And how does interning in a corporate firm further your public interest career? Or do they have non corporate options?

I also spent two years as a BigLaw paralegal so I'm reluctant to do it if it's just going to be a summer doing practically the same type of work...or if it won't make me competitive in the field I do want to be in.

gamerish wrote:
20171lhopeful wrote:Do you recommend applying to SEO even people interested in human rights/public interest law?
The consensus amongst SEO alums is yes, absolutely.

User avatar
invgr8

New
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 9:52 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by invgr8 » Thu May 12, 2016 12:17 am

20171lhopeful wrote:Do you recommend applying to SEO even people interested in human rights/public interest law?
Yes, SEO is a great organization and building a network should be some of the priorities you should have as you decide to go to law school. Many of the biglaw attorneys do pro bono work, maybe one of them that does work in human rights, and can get you in touch with a non-profit. All this while being a 0L. SEO gets you ahead of the pack in every sense and is the only program of its type regardless of interest in a particular type of law. It is truly a great opportunity.

User avatar
gamerish

Gold
Posts: 3128
Joined: Fri Dec 19, 2014 12:37 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by gamerish » Thu May 12, 2016 12:29 am

20171lhopeful wrote:Why? What are the benefits if you're not interested in corp law? Perhaps I haven't done enough research on SEO... But does acceptance into SEO make you more qualified in law school admissions in general? And how does interning in a corporate firm further your public interest career? Or do they have non corporate options?

I also spent two years as a BigLaw paralegal so I'm reluctant to do it if it's just going to be a summer doing practically the same type of work...or if it won't make me competitive in the field I do want to be in.
I'm not yet an alum myself, so I'll defer to those who are (there are numerous threads on the subject you can find with the forum search tool and the phrase "+SEO"). You do seem unclear about some of the basics of the program though so I can speak to those aspects of your question: Getting into SEO has no bearing on law school admissions. Quite the opposite really, since you can't get a decision from SEO until you've deposited at a school. And they do not have a non-corporate affiliate (unless by "corporate" you mean "transactional" practice, the two are often used as synonyms on TLS, in which case virtually every firm they partner with has a litigation practice).

Gathering what research I've done on my own and my own conclusions on it, I can speculate what benefits SEO might have for someone aiming for public interest, though my insights are based on the experiences of others and are obviously not infallible. Having SEO and the firm they place you at on your resume is a designation in and of itself that you are not only a URM/diverse candidate for whatever position you're applying for, but a highly qualified one at that since SEO is pretty difficult to get into. That you, presumably, made it through your summer successfully also signals that you're competent at some kind of legal work (admittedly, probably low-level work since we haven't even been to law school, but work nonetheless).

SEO as a resume line also tends to be more powerful than that of a paralegal. While there's certainly significant value in having work experience before law school, the exclusivity of SEO and the aforementioned characteristics it signals to potential employers have a very real boost in job hunts - just look at the doors that are opened to SEO alums for 1L summer employment that are pretty universally considered closed to most 1Ls. It is a much better way to spend your summer than working in a firm in a non-attorney capacity because it is pretty much as close as a 0L can get to doing "lawyer work," and I highly doubt that fact would be overlooked by PI employers simply because it was in a more corporate setting.

I know as someone interested in certain PI fields (and this may not be so much a factor for you since you've worked in a big law firm) that SEO will give me the opportunity to see what other practices are out there and at least an inkling of what a potential big law career is like (particularly differences in litigation styles between public and private interest settings).

An actual concrete PI boon is pro-bono opportunities. I know at at least the firm I'll be summering with, SAs and interns handle a ton of pro-bono work which is obviously PI-based and would give you something substantive to discuss in an interview with a PI employer.

I don't think anyone here is going to break your arm about applying, but it does seem to me that there are some very real benefits that any future attorney could find useful, for one reason of another.

Budfox55

Bronze
Posts: 301
Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 6:05 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by Budfox55 » Thu May 12, 2016 1:44 pm

gamerish wrote:
20171lhopeful wrote:Why? What are the benefits if you're not interested in corp law? Perhaps I haven't done enough research on SEO... But does acceptance into SEO make you more qualified in law school admissions in general? And how does interning in a corporate firm further your public interest career? Or do they have non corporate options?

I also spent two years as a BigLaw paralegal so I'm reluctant to do it if it's just going to be a summer doing practically the same type of work...or if it won't make me competitive in the field I do want to be in.
I'm not yet an alum myself, so I'll defer to those who are (there are numerous threads on the subject you can find with the forum search tool and the phrase "+SEO"). You do seem unclear about some of the basics of the program though so I can speak to those aspects of your question: Getting into SEO has no bearing on law school admissions. Quite the opposite really, since you can't get a decision from SEO until you've deposited at a school. And they do not have a non-corporate affiliate (unless by "corporate" you mean "transactional" practice, the two are often used as synonyms on TLS, in which case virtually every firm they partner with has a litigation practice).

Gathering what research I've done on my own and my own conclusions on it, I can speculate what benefits SEO might have for someone aiming for public interest, though my insights are based on the experiences of others and are obviously not infallible. Having SEO and the firm they place you at on your resume is a designation in and of itself that you are not only a URM/diverse candidate for whatever position you're applying for, but a highly qualified one at that since SEO is pretty difficult to get into. That you, presumably, made it through your summer successfully also signals that you're competent at some kind of legal work (admittedly, probably low-level work since we haven't even been to law school, but work nonetheless).

SEO as a resume line also tends to be more powerful than that of a paralegal. While there's certainly significant value in having work experience before law school, the exclusivity of SEO and the aforementioned characteristics it signals to potential employers have a very real boost in job hunts - just look at the doors that are opened to SEO alums for 1L summer employment that are pretty universally considered closed to most 1Ls. It is a much better way to spend your summer than working in a firm in a non-attorney capacity because it is pretty much as close as a 0L can get to doing "lawyer work," and I highly doubt that fact would be overlooked by PI employers simply because it was in a more corporate setting.

I know as someone interested in certain PI fields (and this may not be so much a factor for you since you've worked in a big law firm) that SEO will give me the opportunity to see what other practices are out there and at least an inkling of what a potential big law career is like (particularly differences in litigation styles between public and private interest settings).

An actual concrete PI boon is pro-bono opportunities. I know at at least the firm I'll be summering with, SAs and interns handle a ton of pro-bono work which is obviously PI-based and would give you something substantive to discuss in an interview with a PI employer.

I don't think anyone here is going to break your arm about applying, but it does seem to me that there are some very real benefits that any future attorney could find useful, for one reason of another.
+1 to all of this and I'll add what I think is possibly the most important aspect of SEO...the network. The fact is, there aren't that many URMs at top law schools. 90(roughly the amount in SEO) is unfortunately a noticeable percentage. The legal field is a small world and having access to this network is HUGE. Also there are a bunch of networking opportunities throughout the summer that will allow you to connect with attorneys from other firms as well. Even if you aren't interested in BigLaw, having access to this pool of top URM law students and attorneys will eventually pay dividends somewhere down the line.

Most importantly, you will make a lot of friends :).

pattyesq

New
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:03 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by pattyesq » Thu May 12, 2016 3:54 pm

Budfox55 wrote:
gamerish wrote:
20171lhopeful wrote:Why? What are the benefits if you're not interested in corp law? Perhaps I haven't done enough research on SEO... But does acceptance into SEO make you more qualified in law school admissions in general? And how does interning in a corporate firm further your public interest career? Or do they have non corporate options?

I also spent two years as a BigLaw paralegal so I'm reluctant to do it if it's just going to be a summer doing practically the same type of work...or if it won't make me competitive in the field I do want to be in.
I'm not yet an alum myself, so I'll defer to those who are (there are numerous threads on the subject you can find with the forum search tool and the phrase "+SEO"). You do seem unclear about some of the basics of the program though so I can speak to those aspects of your question: Getting into SEO has no bearing on law school admissions. Quite the opposite really, since you can't get a decision from SEO until you've deposited at a school. And they do not have a non-corporate affiliate (unless by "corporate" you mean "transactional" practice, the two are often used as synonyms on TLS, in which case virtually every firm they partner with has a litigation practice).

Gathering what research I've done on my own and my own conclusions on it, I can speculate what benefits SEO might have for someone aiming for public interest, though my insights are based on the experiences of others and are obviously not infallible. Having SEO and the firm they place you at on your resume is a designation in and of itself that you are not only a URM/diverse candidate for whatever position you're applying for, but a highly qualified one at that since SEO is pretty difficult to get into. That you, presumably, made it through your summer successfully also signals that you're competent at some kind of legal work (admittedly, probably low-level work since we haven't even been to law school, but work nonetheless).

SEO as a resume line also tends to be more powerful than that of a paralegal. While there's certainly significant value in having work experience before law school, the exclusivity of SEO and the aforementioned characteristics it signals to potential employers have a very real boost in job hunts - just look at the doors that are opened to SEO alums for 1L summer employment that are pretty universally considered closed to most 1Ls. It is a much better way to spend your summer than working in a firm in a non-attorney capacity because it is pretty much as close as a 0L can get to doing "lawyer work," and I highly doubt that fact would be overlooked by PI employers simply because it was in a more corporate setting.

I know as someone interested in certain PI fields (and this may not be so much a factor for you since you've worked in a big law firm) that SEO will give me the opportunity to see what other practices are out there and at least an inkling of what a potential big law career is like (particularly differences in litigation styles between public and private interest settings).

An actual concrete PI boon is pro-bono opportunities. I know at at least the firm I'll be summering with, SAs and interns handle a ton of pro-bono work which is obviously PI-based and would give you something substantive to discuss in an interview with a PI employer.

I don't think anyone here is going to break your arm about applying, but it does seem to me that there are some very real benefits that any future attorney could find useful, for one reason of another.
+1 to all of this and I'll add what I think is possibly the most important aspect of SEO...the network. The fact is, there aren't that many URMs at top law schools. 90(roughly the amount in SEO) is unfortunately a noticeable percentage. The legal field is a small world and having access to this network is HUGE. Also there are a bunch of networking opportunities throughout the summer that will allow you to connect with attorneys from other firms as well. Even if you aren't interested in BigLaw, having access to this pool of top URM law students and attorneys will eventually pay dividends somewhere down the line.

Most importantly, you will make a lot of friends :).
It would be nice to hear the benefits of SEO for a PI career from an SEO alum, especially one who planned to go to law school for PI (rather than the usual TLS speculation). While you may be exposed to pro bono opportunities, do you think SEO may be sort of a hindrance? I've heard that if you're interested in PI, your resume should be inundated with PI.

As for 1L summer employment, other than clerkships, how is that a benefit for PI-minded folks? Having a 1L firm job isn't opening doors. And how is SEO a great experience for someone who worked as a paralegal in a big law firm (in terms of the benefit of gaining work experience)?

And if you're connected to a network of SEO alums, if that network consists of all corporate law folks, how does that help in terms of your career?

I'd really appreciate if any alums had answers to this. I've seen it mentioned that SEO was great for PI, but there wasn't really an explanation why.

User avatar
wunderwoman

New
Posts: 27
Joined: Sat Oct 03, 2015 7:27 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by wunderwoman » Mon May 16, 2016 4:27 pm

pattyesq wrote:
Budfox55 wrote:
gamerish wrote:
20171lhopeful wrote:Why? What are the benefits if you're not interested in corp law? Perhaps I haven't done enough research on SEO... But does acceptance into SEO make you more qualified in law school admissions in general? And how does interning in a corporate firm further your public interest career? Or do they have non corporate options?

I also spent two years as a BigLaw paralegal so I'm reluctant to do it if it's just going to be a summer doing practically the same type of work...or if it won't make me competitive in the field I do want to be in.
I'm not yet an alum myself, so I'll defer to those who are (there are numerous threads on the subject you can find with the forum search tool and the phrase "+SEO"). You do seem unclear about some of the basics of the program though so I can speak to those aspects of your question: Getting into SEO has no bearing on law school admissions. Quite the opposite really, since you can't get a decision from SEO until you've deposited at a school. And they do not have a non-corporate affiliate (unless by "corporate" you mean "transactional" practice, the two are often used as synonyms on TLS, in which case virtually every firm they partner with has a litigation practice).

Gathering what research I've done on my own and my own conclusions on it, I can speculate what benefits SEO might have for someone aiming for public interest, though my insights are based on the experiences of others and are obviously not infallible. Having SEO and the firm they place you at on your resume is a designation in and of itself that you are not only a URM/diverse candidate for whatever position you're applying for, but a highly qualified one at that since SEO is pretty difficult to get into. That you, presumably, made it through your summer successfully also signals that you're competent at some kind of legal work (admittedly, probably low-level work since we haven't even been to law school, but work nonetheless).

SEO as a resume line also tends to be more powerful than that of a paralegal. While there's certainly significant value in having work experience before law school, the exclusivity of SEO and the aforementioned characteristics it signals to potential employers have a very real boost in job hunts - just look at the doors that are opened to SEO alums for 1L summer employment that are pretty universally considered closed to most 1Ls. It is a much better way to spend your summer than working in a firm in a non-attorney capacity because it is pretty much as close as a 0L can get to doing "lawyer work," and I highly doubt that fact would be overlooked by PI employers simply because it was in a more corporate setting.

I know as someone interested in certain PI fields (and this may not be so much a factor for you since you've worked in a big law firm) that SEO will give me the opportunity to see what other practices are out there and at least an inkling of what a potential big law career is like (particularly differences in litigation styles between public and private interest settings).

An actual concrete PI boon is pro-bono opportunities. I know at at least the firm I'll be summering with, SAs and interns handle a ton of pro-bono work which is obviously PI-based and would give you something substantive to discuss in an interview with a PI employer.

I don't think anyone here is going to break your arm about applying, but it does seem to me that there are some very real benefits that any future attorney could find useful, for one reason of another.
+1 to all of this and I'll add what I think is possibly the most important aspect of SEO...the network. The fact is, there aren't that many URMs at top law schools. 90(roughly the amount in SEO) is unfortunately a noticeable percentage. The legal field is a small world and having access to this network is HUGE. Also there are a bunch of networking opportunities throughout the summer that will allow you to connect with attorneys from other firms as well. Even if you aren't interested in BigLaw, having access to this pool of top URM law students and attorneys will eventually pay dividends somewhere down the line.

Most importantly, you will make a lot of friends :).
It would be nice to hear the benefits of SEO for a PI career from an SEO alum, especially one who planned to go to law school for PI (rather than the usual TLS speculation). While you may be exposed to pro bono opportunities, do you think SEO may be sort of a hindrance? I've heard that if you're interested in PI, your resume should be inundated with PI.

As for 1L summer employment, other than clerkships, how is that a benefit for PI-minded folks? Having a 1L firm job isn't opening doors. And how is SEO a great experience for someone who worked as a paralegal in a big law firm (in terms of the benefit of gaining work experience)?

And if you're connected to a network of SEO alums, if that network consists of all corporate law folks, how does that help in terms of your career?

I'd really appreciate if any alums had answers to this. I've seen it mentioned that SEO was great for PI, but there wasn't really an explanation why.
I'm doing SEO this summer and I 100% plan on doing PI after law school. For me, SEO is more about exposure to legal work. As I haven't gone through SEO yet, I don't know how much this will benefit me. But I don't think that it'll hurt me. That said, I did struggle about applying, so if you want more details on like why I eventually decided to apply and what I'm hoping to get from SEO, feel free to PM me. I'd be happy to talk to you about it.

DeanStrangJr

New
Posts: 34
Joined: Tue Jan 12, 2016 3:13 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by DeanStrangJr » Mon May 16, 2016 10:37 pm

Type of URM: AA

Attending: USC

GPA: 3.3

LSAT: 164

Advice: Negotiate everything. Do it on the phone. Do it in person. Be genuine and polite, but be aggressive.

Approx. Time of Application: Early Jan

Other acceptances: NYU (WL)
UVA
UMich ($$)
Cornell ($$)
WUSTL ($$$)
BU ($$$)
OSU (Full)
ND ($$$)
UWash ($)

Rejections: Harvard
Berkeley

Waitlists: Chicago
Columbia
Duke
UCLA
Last edited by DeanStrangJr on Mon Aug 22, 2016 12:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

ac8876a

New
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:02 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by ac8876a » Tue May 31, 2016 12:59 pm

Nlawsing wrote:Type of URM: African- American Woman

GPA: 3.72

LSAT: 158,162

Attending: Very Undecided

Softs: Still in undergraduate. Pretty normal internships . NYC City Council, NY Supreme Court and some PR/Marketing internships. Also lots of campus leadership activities. I think my essays were really strong and my application really came full circle. I also hired an admissions consultant by the hour to edit my essays.

Advice:APPLY EARLY, RETAKE RETAKE RETAKE . I would say what resulted in me being pretty waitilisted across the board is the timeline in my application and not taking the LSAT a third time. I applied early January but retook with the February LSAT so updated majority of my applications in March. I think the best time to apply is before thanksgiving but definetly before New Years. Study for the LSAT make it your up most priority. My life revolved around the LSAT for almost a year and i still didn't max out my score on test day the way I expected. Was practicing around a 164-166 but scored a 158 and a 162 on test day. I might retake and apply in September but right now I'm going to ride out the waitlist at Harvard Chicago and Columbia and see what happens. Also considering Georgetown because of the generous financial aid packet they offered.

Approx Time of Application : January

Accepted :
Cornell-$
Georgetown$$$
University of Illinois-full ride
Fordham $$
StJohns- full ride
Georgewashington : $$
NYU (Waitlist- Accepted)

Waitlist:
Harvard
Columbia
Chicago
Michigan

Deny:
Yale
which admissions company did you use if you don't mind me asking?

ac8876a

New
Posts: 75
Joined: Mon Jul 13, 2015 11:02 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by ac8876a » Tue May 31, 2016 1:59 pm

When asking for fee waivers, should you mention you are a URM or just list your numbers?

Barack Obama 2.0

New
Posts: 54
Joined: Thu May 26, 2016 8:00 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by Barack Obama 2.0 » Tue May 31, 2016 11:27 pm

Nlawsing wrote:Type of URM: African- American Woman

GPA: 3.72

LSAT: 158,162

Attending: Very Undecided

Softs: Still in undergraduate. Pretty normal internships . NYC City Council, NY Supreme Court and some PR/Marketing internships. Also lots of campus leadership activities. I think my essays were really strong and my application really came full circle. I also hired an admissions consultant by the hour to edit my essays.

Advice:APPLY EARLY, RETAKE RETAKE RETAKE . I would say what resulted in me being pretty waitilisted across the board is the timeline in my application and not taking the LSAT a third time. I applied early January but retook with the February LSAT so updated majority of my applications in March. I think the best time to apply is before thanksgiving but definetly before New Years. Study for the LSAT make it your up most priority. My life revolved around the LSAT for almost a year and i still didn't max out my score on test day the way I expected. Was practicing around a 164-166 but scored a 158 and a 162 on test day. I might retake and apply in September but right now I'm going to ride out the waitlist at Harvard Chicago and Columbia and see what happens. Also considering Georgetown because of the generous financial aid packet they offered.

Approx Time of Application : January

Accepted :
Cornell-$
Georgetown$$$
University of Illinois-full ride
Fordham $$
StJohns- full ride
Georgewashington : $$
NYU (Waitlist- Accepted)

Waitlist:
Harvard
Columbia
Chicago
Michigan

Deny:
Yale
Fairly certain Harvard doesn't consider the February LSAT so they wouldn't have even acknowledged the 162 you scored after you retook. The fact that you still managed to get waitlisted with your original score is still impressive, good luck next cycle, I'm sure you'll get in!

AquaPis

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:04 am

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by AquaPis » Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:58 am

Type of URM: African American, Puerto Rican, Woman

Attending: Rutgers Law (Newark)

GPA: 3.3

LSAT: 156

Softs: 5 years out of Undergrad

Advice: Apply Early, take LSAT when ready because some law schools average scores

Approx. Time of Application: November-December

Other acceptances: Howard, Hofstra

jlet0314

New
Posts: 61
Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2015 8:48 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by jlet0314 » Wed Jun 15, 2016 6:24 pm

This thread is so quiet in comparison to previous cycles. Less applicants?

User avatar
Oskosh

Silver
Posts: 1028
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:18 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by Oskosh » Sat Jun 18, 2016 4:26 pm

Type of URM: Mexican-American Male

Attending: Harvard

GPA: 3.8

LSAT: 170

Softs: 3 years WE, low social economic background, first in my family to go to college and professional school, Teach for America (in my native city, working in the school district schools that I attended).
Advice: I believe that most URMs should blanket the T14s. You will never know what some law schools will offer you, and if you are denying yourself applications to some school because you think you are under qualified, then you are denying yourself a potential opportunity. I applied last year with a 164 and was still admitted to great schools, like UChicago, Berkeley, etc.

You should also NOT fear re-application. As a re-applicant, I had a much more successful cycle this year than I had last year. I applied to scholarships that I wasn't aware of during my first, haphazard application cycle (the BLOS and the AnBryce scholarship), and I had much more leverage when it came to scholarship negotiations. I was also able to submit most of my applications in a more timely manner, which translated to a higher acceptance rate at schools that waitlisted/rejected me last year.

Approx. Time of Application: October for Harvard and Stanford, November for the rest of the schools.

Other acceptances: Chicago, NYU, Berkeley, Michigan

Rejections: UVA (wtf?) :x

Waitlists: Columbia, Stanford

texcellence

Bronze
Posts: 170
Joined: Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:05 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by texcellence » Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:32 am

Oskosh wrote:Type of URM: Mexican-American Male

Attending: Harvard

GPA: 3.8

LSAT: 170

Softs: 3 years WE, low social economic background, first in my family to go to college and professional school, Teach for America (in my native city, working in the school district schools that I attended).
Advice: I believe that most URMs should blanket the T14s. You will never know what some law schools will offer you, and if you are denying yourself applications to some school because you think you are under qualified, then you are denying yourself a potential opportunity. I applied last year with a 164 and was still admitted to great schools, like UChicago, Berkeley, etc.

You should also NOT fear re-application. As a re-applicant, I had a much more successful cycle this year than I had last year. I applied to scholarships that I wasn't aware of during my first, haphazard application cycle (the BLOS and the AnBryce scholarship), and I had much more leverage when it came to scholarship negotiations. I was also able to submit most of my applications in a more timely manner, which translated to a higher acceptance rate at schools that waitlisted/rejected me last year.

Approx. Time of Application: October for Harvard and Stanford, November for the rest of the schools.

Other acceptances: Chicago, NYU, Berkeley, Michigan

Rejections: UVA (wtf?) :x

Waitlists: Columbia, Stanford
Congrats on H! As a reapplicant, did you change any of your original app's components (other than your LSAT score, obviously)?

User avatar
Oskosh

Silver
Posts: 1028
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 3:18 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by Oskosh » Mon Jun 20, 2016 11:15 am

texcellence wrote:
Oskosh wrote:Type of URM: Mexican-American Male

Attending: Harvard

GPA: 3.8

LSAT: 170

Softs: 3 years WE, low social economic background, first in my family to go to college and professional school, Teach for America (in my native city, working in the school district schools that I attended).
Advice: I believe that most URMs should blanket the T14s. You will never know what some law schools will offer you, and if you are denying yourself applications to some school because you think you are under qualified, then you are denying yourself a potential opportunity. I applied last year with a 164 and was still admitted to great schools, like UChicago, Berkeley, etc.

You should also NOT fear re-application. As a re-applicant, I had a much more successful cycle this year than I had last year. I applied to scholarships that I wasn't aware of during my first, haphazard application cycle (the BLOS and the AnBryce scholarship), and I had much more leverage when it came to scholarship negotiations. I was also able to submit most of my applications in a more timely manner, which translated to a higher acceptance rate at schools that waitlisted/rejected me last year.

Approx. Time of Application: October for Harvard and Stanford, November for the rest of the schools.

Other acceptances: Chicago, NYU, Berkeley, Michigan

Rejections: UVA (wtf?) :x

Waitlists: Columbia, Stanford
Congrats on H! As a reapplicant, did you change any of your original app's components (other than your LSAT score, obviously)?
Yes. I had to submit a new letter of recommendation and a new personal statement. When I applied last year, my personal statement had a strong story, but it wasn't very well organized. I believe I did a much better job on my personal statement this year, which is why I had more success with certain law schools.

AshburtonGrove

New
Posts: 92
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 10:40 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by AshburtonGrove » Mon Jun 20, 2016 7:40 pm

My cycle just ended so I figured I'd give you all an update:

Type of URM: African-American

Attending: Stanford

Good GPA, lower LSAT than you'd expect. PM for specifics.

My softs were perhaps slightly above average.

I was accepted to every t14 except Yale, but got into Stanford off the waitlist (originally was committed to Harvard).

I applied to every school except Yale by early November (Applied to Yale in January because screw the 250 word essay). For all of the acceptances I received, I didn't get as much scholarship money as one would expect. I suspect that's a URM phenomenon. Regardless, I definitely had a strong PS+DS and applied early, and I think that gave me the edge in a lot of cases. I also had a lot of persistence in getting into Stanford, sending a LOCI both before and after being waitlisted and visiting the campus before getting in.

Feel free to reach out with questions about my cycle because I'm happy to share. I was extraordinarily fortunate throughout this cycle and I'd love to see more people find the same kind of success I've had.
Last edited by AshburtonGrove on Wed Oct 05, 2016 2:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

jng

New
Posts: 14
Joined: Fri May 13, 2016 3:19 pm

Re: URM 2015-2016 Cycle Results

Post by jng » Mon Jun 27, 2016 1:49 pm

What is SEO?

Post Reply Post Anonymous Reply  

Return to “Underrepresented Law Students”