ATL reports on school application volumes Forum

[im_blue]

Or they're becoming more and more known for being the school that emphasizes experience.

Yeah, Northwestern has gone from 80% with 1+ years of WE in 2001, to 91% in 2004, to 98% in 2009. That reputation scares off college seniors, especially those who hear through LSN and TLS that their chances are slim unless they have CCN numbers. A college senior who might have applied back in 2004 is not going to waste his efforts to be one of 4-5 special admits now.

[chadwick218]

Or they're becoming more and more known for being the school that emphasizes experience.

Yeah, Northwestern has gone from 80% with 1+ years of WE in 2001, to 91% in 2004, to 98% in 2009. That reputation scares off college seniors, especially those who hear through LSN and TLS that their chances are slim unless they have CCN numbers. A college senior who might have applied back in 2004 is not going to waste his efforts to be one of 4-5 special admits now.

I have a feeling that they admit a lot more than just the 4-5 who end up matriculating ... it's just that those who are actually admitted, but do not matriculate far better options than attending NU.

[BenJ]

Or they're becoming more and more known for being the school that emphasizes experience.

Yeah, Northwestern has gone from 80% with 1+ years of WE in 2001, to 91% in 2004, to 98% in 2009. That reputation scares off college seniors, especially those who hear through LSN and TLS that their chances are slim unless they have CCN numbers. A college senior who might have applied back in 2004 is not going to waste his efforts to be one of 4-5 special admits now.

I have a feeling that they admit a lot more than just the 4-5 who end up matriculating ... it's just that those who are actually admitted, but do not matriculate far better options than attending NU.

Either way, as I pointed out elsewhere, if you have good enough numbers to get into Northwestern out of undergrad, you have good enough numbers to get into Chicago, and I can't see any reason to take Northwestern over Chicago. So there's no reason to even apply to Northwestern for someone coming out of undergrad, especially because their app fee is higher than anywhere else.

[fortissimo]

Damn. So glad I am not applying this cycle.

I didn't apply to Northwestern because I didn't have 2+ years of WE. Potentially being with a class that's much older than me is also daunting.

This isn't to say that I wouldn't prefer Northwestern as an institution to other schools in the T-14 though. I applied to UVA and Duke but I didn't really want to go anywhere in the South (or anywhere else with sweltering heat for that matter) and if NU didn't have the WE requirement (nor had an older class) I'd definitely have taken it over them.

[chadwick218]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

[im_blue]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

I posed this question in a thread, which Ken asked in this NU Law interview:

TLS: Does the school's focus on work experience limit its potential to rise in the rankings, since they may sacrifice college seniors with high GPA/LSAT scores (or those students wouldn't choose to come to NU)?

I think, to a certain extent, our admissions statistics speak for themselves. Since 1996, our median LSAT has risen from a 164 to a 170. So, it hasn’t limited us with regards to that particular statistic. I think in the end we are looking for strong students — students who will contribute to the Northwestern Law community. If a college senior who has a high GPA and a high LSAT score is interested in Northwestern, they should definitely come in and do an interview and state their case. Because the fact of the matter is, we would like to get to know the applicant a little better in that way.

I think the one thing that college seniors who apply to Northwestern Law often fail to do in their application is to really convey the message of why they want to go to law school. That’s really important to us, especially when evaluating an application of a college senior. The one thing that we try to screen for, in general, are applicants who are going to law school just to go to law school, and not as part of a discernable career plan. Applicants that are delaying the inevitable of finding a job, who say “I can’t find a job — I’ll go to law school!” In the application process, we try to look into the motivations of why the applicant wants to go to law school, especially among college seniors.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/johann-l ... rview.html

[fortissimo]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

NU has pretty strong numbers because of/despite its WE requirement and it seems to offer a lot of money to students. However, I think that it would definitely have more applications and hence possibly a lower acceptance rate if straight out of undergrads weren't dissuaded from applying.

[chadwick218]

NU has pretty strong numbers because of/despite its WE requirement and it seems to offer a lot of money to students. However, I think that it would definitely have more applications and hence possibly a lower acceptance rate if straight out of undergrads weren't dissuaded from applying.

True, but looking at LSN, it appears as though only a few of these students actually matriculate. Of those who matriculate, approximately 33% receive financial aid, but only 15% receive anything more than 1/2 scholarship.

[JOThompson]

Interestingly enough, the # of applicants to NU has declined in recent years. I think that the reason is pretty self-explanatory though ...

...help me out. i'm slow.

-steep application fee + implicit work-experience requirements (IMO, has deterred many otherwise would-be applicants)

Even with a fee waiver, I didn't apply there. Not even worth it without work experience IMO.

[chadwick218]

Even with a fee waiver, I didn't apply there. Not even worth it without work experience IMO.

I also think that the interview significantly deters people. Indeed, I almost didn't apply b/c I didn't have time in my schedule w/ work + international travel to sit down for an interview. Alternatively, the interviews do help to assess which students are most interested in attending and arguably allows NU to make a more informed decision in terms of admissions.

[Oban]

Northwestern scares off the students applying to law school for the sake of applying to law school. It's a good thing.

[09042014]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

NU has pretty strong numbers because of/despite its WE requirement and it seems to offer a lot of money to students. However, I think that it would definitely have more applications and hence possibly a lower acceptance rate if straight out of undergrads weren't dissuaded from applying.

They also bolster their LSAT median by taking students who could barely get into the T20 because of a poor [strike]LSAT[/strike]GPA . NU is the only T14 I could get into, and WUSTL would be the only other T20 I could get.

Also being known as a more adult law school might increase their yield amongst older experienced cross admits with Michigan, Penn, Virgina, Cornell and Duke.

[chadwick218]

They also bolster their LSAT median by taking students who could barely get into the T20 because of a poor LSAT. NU is the only T14 I could get into, and WUSTL would be the only other T20 I could get.

Also being known as a more adult law school might increase their yield amongst older experienced cross admits with Michigan, Penn, Virgina, Cornell and Duke.

And if my class / section offers any evidence, NU has actually been very successful in this approach. It seems as though many of my classmates who were in the same position as Fox have did very well last semester.

[rayiner]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

NU has pretty strong numbers because of/despite its WE requirement and it seems to offer a lot of money to students. However, I think that it would definitely have more applications and hence possibly a lower acceptance rate if straight out of undergrads weren't dissuaded from applying.

They also bolster their LSAT median by taking students who could barely get into the T20 because of a poor [strike]LSAT[/strike]GPA . NU is the only T14 I could get into, and WUSTL would be the only other T20 I could get.

Also being known as a more adult law school might increase their yield amongst older experienced cross admits with Michigan, Penn, Virgina, Cornell and Duke.

I'm not sure there are enough sub-3.0/170+ splitters with WE for that to make a difference in the median.

[09042014]

Although I was personally attracted by the "experience" requirement in making my decision to attend NU, I wonder whether the experience requirement (in as much as it sets the school a part), serves as a competitive disadvantage in that it deters more undergrads with very strong numbers from applying who otherwise would attend if admitted than it encourages people like me to attend NU over a peer school.

NU has pretty strong numbers because of/despite its WE requirement and it seems to offer a lot of money to students. However, I think that it would definitely have more applications and hence possibly a lower acceptance rate if straight out of undergrads weren't dissuaded from applying.

They also bolster their LSAT median by taking students who could barely get into the T20 because of a poor [strike]LSAT[/strike]GPA . NU is the only T14 I could get into, and WUSTL would be the only other T20 I could get.

Also being known as a more adult law school might increase their yield amongst older experienced cross admits with Michigan, Penn, Virgina, Cornell and Duke.

I'm not sure there are enough sub-3.0/170+ splitters with WE for that to make a difference in the median.

It really depends on how close to 170 they can get without using them. When you need 117 (half of 233) people with a 170, four or five big splitters can be significant.

And there are at least three TLSers who fit that bill who are already in via ED for 2013.

[rayiner]

It really depends on how close to 170 they can get without using them. When you need 117 (half of 233) people with a 170, four or five big splitters can be significant.

And there are at least three TLSers who fit that bill who are already in via ED for 2013.

Possibly. Maybe more significant for maintaining that 172 75th now that I think about it.

I should note that there were some shocking ED decisions this year. My impression was that sub-3.0's during past cycles were mostly taken off the waitlist.

[chadwick218]

I should note that there were some shocking ED decisions this year. My impression was that sub-3.0's during past cycles were mostly taken off the waitlist.

Monitoring LSN and TLS, I feel much the same way. It appears as though they are trying to establish their 25/75 early.

[09042014]

It really depends on how close to 170 they can get without using them. When you need 117 (half of 233) people with a 170, four or five big splitters can be significant.

And there are at least three TLSers who fit that bill who are already in via ED for 2013.

Possibly. Maybe more significant for maintaining that 172 75th now that I think about it.

I should note that there were some shocking ED decisions this year. My impression was that sub-3.0's during past cycles were mostly taken off the waitlist.

I wasn't planning on EDing at NU, but instead Penn or Michigan, until I decided NU was the school I wanted because I live near Chicago, and wanted to practice there my whole career. I'm glad I did. I was expecting a WL.

The ED data from past cycles was non-existent for sub 3.0 splitters. I guess they figured they'd lock us down now instead of waiting til May or June.

It should be noted since the ED decisions nobody under 3.0 has gotten in. They've all been held. So it seems like the pattern still holds.