3.2 170 LSAT AA male priority WL at DUKE. Advice Forum

[HUalumni93]

Duke sent a priority track application. I applied early November. Is this a reflection of the strong applicant pool? Or should I send a LOCI

[sparkytrainer]

Did you write a compelling why duke? Do you have a c&f problem? Do you have something wrong in your app, like some spelling mistakes?

Just fyi, you have a great LSAT and you are a URM, but don't feel entitled to the t13. People have been totally rejected with better numbers.

[Rigo]

I'm leaning YP tbh.
170 AA male puts you in a crazy echelon.

[sparkytrainer]

I'm leaning YP tbh.
170 AA male puts you in a crazy echelon.

Duke doesn't have a tendency to purely YP. They really look closely at someone like OP, who should be close to an auto-admit, and look strongly at how specifically interested OP is through why duke, etc. Duke will admit people whose numbers dont make it clear they should be because of a strong why duke essay and either WL or straight up deny strong applicants because they don't write a why duke.

Remember, Duke is the 3rd smallest t13 clocking in just over 200 students per class. So they can afford to care a little more about specifics.

[UVA2B]

I'm leaning YP tbh.
170 AA male puts you in a crazy echelon.

Duke doesn't have a tendency to purely YP. They really look closely at someone like OP, who should be close to an auto-admit, and look strongly at how specifically interested OP is through why duke, etc. Duke will admit people whose numbers dont make it clear they should be because of a strong why duke essay and either WL or straight up deny strong applicants because they don't write a why duke.

Remember, Duke is the 3rd smallest t13 clocking in just over 200 students per class. So they can afford to care a little more about specifics.

What you just described is...wait for it...

Yield protect.

Schools admit those they think will likely attend, while shying away from those who seem uncommitted applicants who seem likely to go elsewhere.

[HUalumni93]

Did you write a compelling why duke? Do you have a c&f problem? Do you have something wrong in your app, like some spelling mistakes?

Just fyi, you have a great LSAT and you are a URM, but don't feel entitled to the t13. People have been totally rejected with better numbers.

I have other acceptances in the t13. I'd rather not go into specifics this early.

That's the main reason why I was confused at the outcome

[sparkytrainer]

Did you write a compelling why duke? Do you have a c&f problem? Do you have something wrong in your app, like some spelling mistakes?

Just fyi, you have a great LSAT and you are a URM, but don't feel entitled to the t13. People have been totally rejected with better numbers.

I have other acceptances in the t13. I'd rather not go into specifics this early.

That's the main reason why I was confused at the outcome

And what I am telling you is that you probably didn't sell your interest in Duke hard enough. But congrats on the other acceptances, I'm sure you will have great options.

[cdotson2]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

[Barack O'Drama]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

Why do you think you were rejected from Mich? Your numbers were obviously amazing...

[HUalumni93]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

Would you mind sharing your stats in a PM?

[LSlyfe]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

Why do you think you were rejected from Mich? Your numbers were obviously amazing...

Only they know, but it’s possible Prop 2 had something to do with the Michigan rejection since that can be a game changer for URMs depending on how they convey their diversity and experience.

[cdotson2]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

Would you mind sharing your stats in a PM?

my stats are in my profile if you click on my name. I had a 3.76 and a 170, which makes the Michigan rejection even stranger because I had decent numbers for an admission regardless of an URM boost. however, I am PR/Cuban/white not AA so your boost will be stronger.

[Barack O'Drama]

As an URM applicant two cycles ago, my advice is to not expect to get into every school. You have good stats but are still a splitter (some schools have GPA floors that they usually don't go under even for URM's with great LSATS). I got waitlisted at every school from 10th to 4th on US news and was rejected from Michigan, but then got directly into Harvard and Stanford. Law school admissions can be a lot more unpredictable than we sometimes paint on tls, especially for URM applicants.

Why do you think you were rejected from Mich? Your numbers were obviously amazing...

Only they know, but it’s possible Prop 2 had something to do with the Michigan rejection since that can be a game changer for URMs depending on how they convey their diversity and experience.

yeah, that makes sense. Well, either way, it turned out working out for ya

[Eman1994]

Duke sent a priority track application. I applied early November. Is this a reflection of the strong applicant pool? Or should I send a LOCI

I am an AA Male with a 3.1 167 and I got WL too via Priority Track and was honestly pretty surprised as well. Hopefully this isn't an indication of how the rest of my T14 applications will go. I wasn't super high on Duke anyway so it wasn't a huge deal to me but I would really love to go to Columbia NYU Harvard Georgetown or Penn.