Yale c/o 2016 Applicants (2012-2013 cycle) Forum

BigZuck · Post by **BigZuck** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:44 am

JedBartlett wrote:DAMMIT.

What's wrong?

JedBartlett · Post by **JedBartlett** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:25 pm

BigZuck wrote:
JedBartlett wrote:DAMMIT.
What's wrong?

Yale Law not letting us submit until Nov. 1 :*(

Kionaltski · Post by **Kionaltski** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 9:26 pm

JedBartlett wrote:
BigZuck wrote:
JedBartlett wrote:DAMMIT.
What's wrong?
Yale Law not letting us submit until Nov. 1 :*(

+1 honestly, how does it hurt them to let us send it now? They don't have to read until november if they don't want to

WaterCoffeeBeer · Post by **WaterCoffeeBeer** » Thu Oct 18, 2012 11:39 pm

Hi people,

I was also admitted to Yale last year, though I deferred my acceptance and will be starting in 2013. I am mystified at the fact that I got in. The fact that I did convinces me that there is no one "formula" for succeeding, although you're obviously going to need competitive GPAs and LSATs. I just wanted to share a couple related pieces of advice that will maybe apply to you (also, in case it's relevant, I applied straight out of undergrad):

(1) The personal statement can just "tell it like it is." Mine was very straightforward. I said why I was interested in going to law school (the reasons were mostly academic), how my extracurricular activities informed this interest, and why I thought I would be a good addition to the law school community. That's it. I wrote drafts in which I tried to tell a compelling story, but they didn't sound compelling. Don't try to invent one when it isn't there - being honest will probably be better, unless honesty will make you sound like a terrible person. (If you want to be a lawyer because you watch Suits and you want to be able to be a terrible person just like Harvey, it's probably best not to say this.)

(2) The 250 can be a good way to diversify your application, but don't force it. I thought my resume/PS had too much to do with philosophy, so I tried writing about different things. I ended up writing something philosophical and it worked out. This isn't to say that you shouldn't use the 250 to diversify your application, just that doing so isn't necessary.

Feel free to PM if you have questions, although I must admit I don't come on here very often. Good luck!

VasaVasori · Post by **VasaVasori** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 4:28 pm

RSterling · Post by **RSterling** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:14 pm

Has anyone started their 250 essays yet? I'm having a hard time with it. I'm writing about a subject that highlights a somewhat unique soft not really mentioned in the rest of my app, but it's on a topic I imagine older law professors won't care about. I'm hoping I'm not making a mistake since my numbers make me no lock at all for the auto-admit pile. I'll be seeing faculty review if I'm lucky.

elterrible78 · Post by **elterrible78** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 5:32 pm

VasaVasori wrote:I swear I'm not crazily stalking Yale's twitter... I just happend to land on the page 8 seconds after they tweeted that apps will be open within the next week or two. Seems like they might open them up early?

Hey man, the application itself opened within the last couple of days. You just can't actually submit it until November 1.

VasaVasori · Post by **VasaVasori** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:29 pm

Post removed.

RSterling · Post by **RSterling** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 11:59 am

Has anyone started working on the 250s yet? I've got a rough draft and would be willing to swap with someone. Shoot me a pm.

JedBartlett · Post by **JedBartlett** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:04 pm

RSterling wrote:Has anyone started working on the 250s yet? I've got a rough draft and would be willing to swap with someone. Shoot me a pm.

I'm gonna wurk on dat dis weekend, bro

uconjak · Post by **uconjak** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:50 pm

I would like YALE....but my june Lsat score was only 164, so I decided to shoot a little lower. I do plan to take the Dec. Test....I have been working for 3 years on a research project with a YLS grad (1985). He and I talked about a month ago, about my future and Law school. He wanted to know about what schools i was targeting. I gave him the list and I didn't have Yale on it. he asked why not YALE( I didn't have Columbia, harvard or stanford either). I told him, I thought it was probably a waste of my timea and Money. Then he told me he would write me of LOR If i wanted him to...I about had a heart attack....He asked what would be your first choice of ALL schools. I said, YALE....He told me thats where he got his JD...I told him about my LSAT score. He laughed and said, I didn't have the best scores either....but he said, "it is like hitting the lottery, you never know if you are the one they pick. Your grades are good, I am going to give you a specific Yale LOR. if you re-take LSAT and get it up to a 170 you have a good chance." Yesterday he emailed me his LOR....it was great. He also said he wanted me to stop in and go over my PS....to give me the best chance possible.
QUESTION; if I get the 170 do i got a snowballs chance?

RSterling · Post by **RSterling** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:14 pm

uconjak wrote:I would like YALE....but my june Lsat score was only 164, so I decided to shoot a little lower. I do plan to take the Dec. Test....I have been working for 3 years on a research project with a YLS grad (1985). He and I talked about a month ago, about my future and Law school. He wanted to know about what schools i was targeting. I gave him the list and I didn't have Yale on it. he asked why not YALE( I didn't have Columbia, harvard or stanford either). I told him, I thought it was probably a waste of my timea and Money. Then he told me he would write me of LOR If i wanted him to...I about had a heart attack....He asked what would be your first choice of ALL schools. I said, YALE....He told me thats where he got his JD...I told him about my LSAT score. He laughed and said, I didn't have the best scores either....but he said, "it is like hitting the lottery, you never know if you are the one they pick. Your grades are good, I am going to give you a specific Yale LOR. if you re-take LSAT and get it up to a 170 you have a good chance." Yesterday he emailed me his LOR....it was great. He also said he wanted me to stop in and go over my PS....to give me the best chance possible.
QUESTION; if I get the 170 do i got a snowballs chance?

I'm 169/4.0. My LSAT score is definitely going to be the (hopefully) weakest part of my application. I'm still applying even though I have a minute chance. It is like playing the lottery. Yale has occasionally dipped into my range of numbers, but rarely. I just don't want to have to wonder about it.

WaterCoffeeBeer · Post by **WaterCoffeeBeer** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:20 pm

uconjak wrote:I would like YALE....but my june Lsat score was only 164, so I decided to shoot a little lower. I do plan to take the Dec. Test....I have been working for 3 years on a research project with a YLS grad (1985). He and I talked about a month ago, about my future and Law school. He wanted to know about what schools i was targeting. I gave him the list and I didn't have Yale on it. he asked why not YALE( I didn't have Columbia, harvard or stanford either). I told him, I thought it was probably a waste of my timea and Money. Then he told me he would write me of LOR If i wanted him to...I about had a heart attack....He asked what would be your first choice of ALL schools. I said, YALE....He told me thats where he got his JD...I told him about my LSAT score. He laughed and said, I didn't have the best scores either....but he said, "it is like hitting the lottery, you never know if you are the one they pick. Your grades are good, I am going to give you a specific Yale LOR. if you re-take LSAT and get it up to a 170 you have a good chance." Yesterday he emailed me his LOR....it was great. He also said he wanted me to stop in and go over my PS....to give me the best chance possible.
QUESTION; if I get the 170 do i got a snowballs chance?

I don't see why not, assuming your GPA is also in the range. 170 was the 25th percentile for the class of 2015, which means that a quarter of the class had the same LSAT as you or worse. One thing I would consider doing is getting a recommender who knows the LSAT well to say something about why they think the 164 doesn't represent your ability. But otherwise, it seems like you have a strong application. If there is a lot to gain and not a lot to lose, why not give it a shot?

Elston Gunn · Post by **Elston Gunn** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 9:59 pm

RSterling wrote:
uconjak wrote:I would like YALE....but my june Lsat score was only 164, so I decided to shoot a little lower. I do plan to take the Dec. Test....I have been working for 3 years on a research project with a YLS grad (1985). He and I talked about a month ago, about my future and Law school. He wanted to know about what schools i was targeting. I gave him the list and I didn't have Yale on it. he asked why not YALE( I didn't have Columbia, harvard or stanford either). I told him, I thought it was probably a waste of my timea and Money. Then he told me he would write me of LOR If i wanted him to...I about had a heart attack....He asked what would be your first choice of ALL schools. I said, YALE....He told me thats where he got his JD...I told him about my LSAT score. He laughed and said, I didn't have the best scores either....but he said, "it is like hitting the lottery, you never know if you are the one they pick. Your grades are good, I am going to give you a specific Yale LOR. if you re-take LSAT and get it up to a 170 you have a good chance." Yesterday he emailed me his LOR....it was great. He also said he wanted me to stop in and go over my PS....to give me the best chance possible.
QUESTION; if I get the 170 do i got a snowballs chance?
I'm 169/4.0. My LSAT score is definitely going to be the (hopefully) weakest part of my application. I'm still applying even though I have a minute chance. It is like playing the lottery. Yale has occasionally dipped into my range of numbers, but rarely. I just don't want to have to wonder about it.

Liverpool fan? Let me know if you end up in New Haven, maybe we can catch a match together.

Also, retake the LSAT.

vzapana · Post by **vzapana** » Tue Oct 23, 2012 10:26 pm

uconjak wrote:I would like YALE....but my june Lsat score was only 164, so I decided to shoot a little lower. I do plan to take the Dec. Test....I have been working for 3 years on a research project with a YLS grad (1985). He and I talked about a month ago, about my future and Law school. He wanted to know about what schools i was targeting. I gave him the list and I didn't have Yale on it. he asked why not YALE( I didn't have Columbia, harvard or stanford either). I told him, I thought it was probably a waste of my timea and Money. Then he told me he would write me of LOR If i wanted him to...I about had a heart attack....He asked what would be your first choice of ALL schools. I said, YALE....He told me thats where he got his JD...I told him about my LSAT score. He laughed and said, I didn't have the best scores either....but he said, "it is like hitting the lottery, you never know if you are the one they pick. Your grades are good, I am going to give you a specific Yale LOR. if you re-take LSAT and get it up to a 170 you have a good chance." Yesterday he emailed me his LOR....it was great. He also said he wanted me to stop in and go over my PS....to give me the best chance possible.
QUESTION; if I get the 170 do i got a snowballs chance?

Fair warning: the admissions office has said repeatedly that at least two of the recommendations must be academic, and the situation you are describing would be quasi-academic at best. Make sure that it's your third rec, if you want to include a third rec.

Lawlschool2015 · Post by **Lawlschool2015** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:25 am

The timing is killing me. Can't wait to submit my app and start the nervous waiting.

uconjak · Post by **uconjak** » Thu Oct 25, 2012 2:41 pm

FYI, My LSAC is 3.84....The YLS grad doing the LOR was also one of my instructors. I had him for several honors courses. Thanks for the encouragement everyone...

Mr. Elshal · Post by **Mr. Elshal** » Sun Oct 28, 2012 9:01 pm

Checking in.

elterrible78 · Post by **elterrible78** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 2:40 am

Sent! Thought this day would never get here. Now it's just matter of waiting.

JedBartlett · Post by **JedBartlett** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 8:35 am

I've just applied. Good luck to all!

elterrible78 · Post by **elterrible78** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:33 am

JedBartlett wrote:I've just applied. Good luck to all!

To you, too! This is the big one, no?

JedBartlett · Post by **JedBartlett** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:44 am

elterrible78 wrote:
JedBartlett wrote:I've just applied. Good luck to all!
To you, too! This is the big one, no?

Aye!

And I dunno about you, but now I am officially done with applying to law[l] schools. It was a hard battle. It was a tough battle. Now let's wait for the blood to settle and for the outcome to be announced

.

elterrible78 · Post by **elterrible78** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 10:56 am

JedBartlett wrote:
elterrible78 wrote:
JedBartlett wrote:I've just applied. Good luck to all!
To you, too! This is the big one, no?
Aye!

And I dunno about you, but now I am officially done with applying to law[l] schools. It was a hard battle. It was a tough battle. Now let's wait for the blood to settle and for the outcome to be announced .

Yeah, that was the last one for me, too. Other than any type of scholarship materials or essays that might come along, it's just a matter of sitting back and waiting nervously now, I guess. It'll be nice once that dust does settle and we can kind of map out a rough idea of the next few years.

pandamonium13 · Post by **pandamonium13** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 11:21 am

Just submitted mine as well; so glad to finally be done with applications!

VasaVasori · Post by **VasaVasori** » Thu Nov 01, 2012 5:50 pm

Post removed.