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What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:31 pm
by jhw123
Hello all,

I am wondering about your various opinions on my odds at Vanderbilt Law. I graduated from a top 10 liberal arts college majoring in government and history. I received a 166 on my LSATs and my overall GPA is a 3.74 with an upward grade trend (by senior year, I had a 4.0). Of course, I could say that I had an "amazing interview," "wrote a really great essay," and "got the best recommendations," but I won't. Interviewing is like driving; everyone thinks they're stellar. I assume that I did well in these areas, as I imagine many others did as well. I currently live in Egypt (one year out of college) where I teach first grade.

On a somewhat unrelated topic, I was wondering what people thought about a potential acceptance at Vandy vs.

1.) a full ride at William and Mary (I already got it)
and
2.) no money, UT Austin (ditto).

I don't generally like the vibe of big schools, so I'm leaning away from UT, but I'm open to suggestions. Also, I am interested in practicing international law (or some law job involving a lot of travel) and wondering how that would factor into my decision).

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:33 pm
by duckmoney
You could definitely get in, but you're not getting much (if any) money. Depending on how much debt you'll have to go into, I'd take the $ at W&M.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:51 pm
by jhw123
I realize I come across as entitled in saying this, which I know I am by the nature of my situation. My parents have offered to pay for law school, so in the technical sense, debt is not an issue for me. That said, I am not sure that I want to rely on my parents; this year, I am 100% financially independent and I like the feeling. Furthermore, should anything go wrong (ie, I decide I don't want to be a lawyer midway through) I'm not sure I could live with the guilt. Still, I am highly attracted to Vanderbilt. It's described atmosphere as a congenial, hard-working, non-competitive, close-knit environment really appeals to me; if it wasn't about $ I would go in a heartbeat.

I have a harder time getting a sense of W&M's atmosphere, because I never visited (and, given that I live in Egypt, won't be able to). I'm fine with the whole 'non party vibe,' but I'm worried that if I don't place tops in the class I'll lose my shot at the limited international law pool. US World News, what have you done to me?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:09 pm
by aquyenl
wow you're my numbers twin 166/3.76. i also applied to vanderbilt and those other two schools. did you do the law scholars merit app for vandy?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:15 pm
by jhw123
No, I didn't. Beginning to think I should have, but at the time I figured I was such an "on the fence" applicant that I'd never get it. If you don't mind me asking, where have you applied?

I applied to:
Cornell: deferred to regular
Fordham: in with some $
UT Austin: In
W&M: In, full ride
UVA: rejected
BC: In
BU: In
W&L: In

Just waiting to hear back from Vandy.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:33 pm
by aquyenl
I applied to cornell, georgetown, utexas, vandy, houston, W&L, W&M, emory, berkeley.

Rejected from UVA, deferred to regular by utexas, in at houston and W&L.

How did you hear about full ride at W&M? I applied around 12/20 so I'm worried the money may get dried up before I get to it. However, I would LOVE to go to Vandy.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:42 pm
by jhw123
Yeah, Vanderbilt sounds awesome. I went to an undergrad school where everyone loved the school and I can tell they're like that at Vandy, too. It makes for a great time. I applied early-ish, perhaps in September? By the end of November, I had heard back from everywhere except Vanderbilt. I hope there's still $ left for you at W&M. Some of my close friends have really been pushing the W&M get out of payment free card, but Vanderbilt's je ne sais quoi keeps tempting me...

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:53 pm
by Cade McNown
jhw123 wrote:Hello all,

I am wondering about your various opinions on my odds at Vanderbilt Law. I graduated from a top 10 liberal arts college majoring in government and history. I received a 166 on my LSATs and my overall GPA is a 3.74 with an upward grade trend (by senior year, I had a 4.0). Of course, I could say that I had an "amazing interview," "wrote a really great essay," and "got the best recommendations," but I won't. Interviewing is like driving; everyone thinks they're stellar. I assume that I did well in these areas, as I imagine many others did as well. I currently live in Egypt (one year out of college) where I teach first grade.

On a somewhat unrelated topic, I was wondering what people thought about a potential acceptance at Vandy vs.

1.) a full ride at William and Mary (I already got it)
and
2.) no money, UT Austin (ditto).

I don't generally like the vibe of big schools, so I'm leaning away from UT, but I'm open to suggestions. Also, I am interested in practicing international law (or some law job involving a lot of travel) and wondering how that would factor into my decision).
jhw:

I think unfortunately you're in waitlist territory. I'm sure you do have great softs, and the year in Egypt will interest them. But Vandy waitlists so many people in your numbers range it's very hard to escape that grouping.

1: I'd do Texas over W&M, even with the money. Try leveraging your full ride against UT so that they might sweeten the pot for you.
2: What's the difference between Vandy and UT?
3: I miss Loretta. and Duckie.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 4:29 am
by jhw123
I know I'm going to get waitlisted. It's inevitable. UT is the biggest law school in the country; Vandy is small. Though, if I had a really good friend in Austin, maybe the big school would shrink down to just the right size....


Maybe I should ask UT... how do you think I should do that? Via a phone call or email?
You sound like you know your stuff. Skype sometime this weekend, guru?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2011 5:50 am
by gens1tb
If your parents are willing to cover tuition, why don't you retake the LSAT and apply next fall? Are you sure a 166 is the best you can do?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:10 pm
by jhw123
I don't really see how my parents covering costs relates to re-taking the LSATs. Anywhoo, tried re-taking and I walked out. Don't think I could score the necessary 4,5 points to make it worth the effort (plus I live in Egypt and didn't bring any of my books with me).

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Tue Jan 18, 2011 1:18 pm
by CanadianWolf
Texas is the 19th largest law school in the country with about 1,182 law students (384 first year law students) while Vanderbilt has about 600 law students total.
Based only on the scant information shared in your post, a full tuition & fees scholarship (or is it truly a full-ride scholarship ?) at William & Mary may be the better option over Texas since you do not want to practice in Texas. (Vanderbilt is not relevant because you haven't been accepted yet.)

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:41 am
by tttlllsss
What do you mean full-ride at W&M? Are you in-state for VA?

I was under the impression that W&M didn't give full rides.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:54 am
by 2011Law
If your parents are mad rich and will not be significantly financially affected by paying the COA, my advice would be to go to the best school that you got into in the region you most want to practice in.

edit: sp

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:44 am
by niederbomb
You should have an advantage. Vandy likes rich kids. Seriously, Vanderbilt is the only law school to which I applied (I applied to 12 and most of the T14) that asks questions like "what are your assets?" and "how do you plan to pay for law school?" WTF? Isn't there a law against these sorts of questions that invite socio-economic bias?

I left those questions 100% blank. So maybe you can take my spot.

This isn't a flame. If Vandy really asks these questions, they must care about the answers, and I think OP has a lock on this matter. So you might well get in past some poorer people with higher numbers if you play your cards right.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:26 am
by chup
jhw123 wrote:Also, I am interested in practicing international law (or some law job involving a lot of travel) and wondering how that would factor into my decision.
LOL.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 6:46 am
by niederbomb
aschup wrote:
jhw123 wrote:Also, I am interested in practicing international law (or some law job involving a lot of travel) and wondering how that would factor into my decision.
LOL.
And lulz at OP thinking you can get any kind of work abroad from Vanderbilt. NYU/Penn is about as low as you can go on this one, buddy, and even then, you'll be practicing regular corporate law in a U.S. firm in some business hot spot, like Shanghai, or some other crowded, dirty developing city. No "Paris one week and Phuket the next" type of deal, bro.

Real "International Law" as presented in the brochures hardly exists.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:22 pm
by jhw123
niederbomb wrote:
aschup wrote:
jhw123 wrote:Also, I am interested in practicing international law (or some law job involving a lot of travel) and wondering how that would factor into my decision.
LOL.
And lulz at OP thinking you can get any kind of work abroad from Vanderbilt. NYU/Penn is about as low as you can go on this one, buddy, and even then, you'll be practicing regular corporate law in a U.S. firm in some business hot spot, like Shanghai, or some other crowded, dirty developing city. No "Paris one week and Phuket the next" type of deal, bro.

Real "International Law" as presented in the brochures hardly exists.

I'm not under the impression that international law is some glitz fest where I prance around the sky formulating contracts and sipping champagne. I happen to live in a "crowded, dirty, developing city" and, in fact, would be perfectly content to move to another if it meant I could work abroad. As for your insinuation that no school I go to will ever be good enough to ever leave the United States, I guess we'll have to see. Note that I said "law job" and not "working for Big Law in London," bro.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 6:36 pm
by jhw123
tttlllsss wrote:What do you mean full-ride at W&M? Are you in-state for VA?

I was under the impression that W&M didn't give full rides.

I am not in state for W&M, but they offered me "in state tuition." As such, the amount of money they gave me, while not enough to cover an out of state tuition, is covered. I am under the impression that some schools do this, while others may not. W&L, for example gave me $35K/year, out of state.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:15 pm
by tttlllsss
jhw123 wrote:
tttlllsss wrote:What do you mean full-ride at W&M? Are you in-state for VA?

I was under the impression that W&M didn't give full rides.

I am not in state for W&M, but they offered me "in state tuition." As such, the amount of money they gave me, while not enough to cover an out of state tuition, is covered. I am under the impression that some schools do this, while others may not. W&L, for example gave me $35K/year, out of state.
Was this deal part of the Graduate Fellowship?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:25 pm
by stratocophic
niederbomb wrote:You should have an advantage. Vandy likes rich kids. Seriously, Vanderbilt is the only law school to which I applied (I applied to 12 and most of the T14) that asks questions like "what are your assets?" and "how do you plan to pay for law school?" WTF? Isn't there a law against these sorts of questions that invite socio-economic bias?

I left those questions 100% blank. So maybe you can take my spot.

This isn't a flame. If Vandy really asks these questions, they must care about the answers, and I think OP has a lock on this matter. So you might well get in past some poorer people with higher numbers if you play your cards right.
... ? They ask that because they provide limited amounts of need-based aid, not because they're trying to enroll entire classes of bourgeois lawyers. :?

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Sun Jan 23, 2011 11:38 pm
by kehoema2
OP you might get waitlisted at Vanderbilt. I have a 4.0/166 and that's what I got, you never know though.

If you get in, I think it will be at sticker.

Good luck.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 7:40 am
by niederbomb
stratocophic wrote:
niederbomb wrote:You should have an advantage. Vandy likes rich kids. Seriously, Vanderbilt is the only law school to which I applied (I applied to 12 and most of the T14) that asks questions like "what are your assets?" and "how do you plan to pay for law school?" WTF? Isn't there a law against these sorts of questions that invite socio-economic bias?

I left those questions 100% blank. So maybe you can take my spot.

This isn't a flame. If Vandy really asks these questions, they must care about the answers, and I think OP has a lock on this matter. So you might well get in past some poorer people with higher numbers if you play your cards right.
... ? They ask that because they provide limited amounts of need-based aid, not because they're trying to enroll entire classes of bourgeois lawyers. :?
Now that I think about it, you might be right. I assumed the opposite because I once worked for a university in X country that used these types of questions to exclude applicants who might not be able to pay.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 10:20 am
by jhw123
From what I recall, a lot of schools ask about socioeconomic status; they're usually just not as direct as Vanderbilt. IE-- "What do your parents do for a living?" "What is the highest degree that they hold?" I always figured these questions were used to weed out people like me--- the 'non-diverse', 'over-privileged.' I suppose it could go either way, though.

Re: What are my chances at Vanderbilt Law?

Posted: Mon Jan 24, 2011 6:31 pm
by molomloch
4.0 from a T1 undergrad, 169...I got wait listed.

Good luck!