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Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:21 am
by futurelawyer123
I have a 3.6 GPA and a 170 LSAT, and my mother graduated from Cornell Law. I know that in college admissions, having an alumni parent can sometimes provide a slight boost in favor of the applicant, and I am wondering whether it is the same for law school admissions. Will my legacy status at all increase my chances at Cornell? I've Googled this information and can't seem to find an answer! Thanks for any help you can provide.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:24 am
by SupraVln180
you should get into Cornell anyway.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:25 am
by bhan87
You'll probably get in, but it won't be because of legacy

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:28 am
by patrickd139
SupraVln180 wrote:you should get into Cornell anyway.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:30 am
by MrKappus
Montauk's book (p. 226) is available on Google Books and discusses legacies (w/ quotes from various deans).

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:34 am
by turbotong
Depends on whether or not your mother makes her annual alumni donation =).

No, I'm serious. This stuff does matter. Some people with alumni parents (if they are rich) ask their parents to make extra donations to that school for several years if they know they're going to apply to it.

On the other hand, you have great scores anyway and probably don't need too much extra halp.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:40 am
by futurelawyer123
Thanks everyone! Yes, she does make her annual donation; as far as I know, it's nothing major, but hopefully they will see that she remains committed to the school.

I would prefer to be closer to a city than Cornell is, as I spent my UG years at a small LAC in the middle of nowhere, but I was hoping that I might be able to rest (somewhat) easily with the idea that I have a decent chance at Cornell, given my family connection... great to hear that you don't think I'll need it. I'm interested in remaining in the NYC Metropolitan area, and the schools I plan to apply to are Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Seton Hall, Rutgers-Newark, and possibly Brooklyn Law and Penn. What do you think my chances would be at the aforementioned schools, and are there any others you suggest I add? Any I should disregard? (I'm just beginning to plan for law school, so you all are the experts in my eyes!)

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:42 am
by FiveSermon
futurelawyer123 wrote:Thanks everyone! Yes, she does make her annual donation; as far as I know, it's nothing major, but hopefully they will see that she remains committed to the school.

I would prefer to be closer to a city than Cornell is, as I spent my UG years at a small LAC in the middle of nowhere, but I was hoping that I might be able to rest (somewhat) easily with the idea that I have a decent chance at Cornell, given my family connection... great to hear that you don't think I'll need it. I'm interested in remaining in the NYC Metropolitan area, and the schools I plan to apply to are Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Seton Hall, Rutgers-Newark, and possibly Brooklyn Law and Penn. What do you think my chances would be at the aforementioned schools, and are there any others you suggest I add? Any I should disregard? (I'm just beginning to plan for law school, so you all are the experts in my eyes!)
Cornell - In
Columbia - Out
NYU - Out
Fordham - In $$
Seton Hall - In $$$
Rutgers - In $$$
Brooklyn - In $$$
Penn - WL

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 12:59 am
by firemed
FiveSermon wrote:
futurelawyer123 wrote:Thanks everyone! Yes, she does make her annual donation; as far as I know, it's nothing major, but hopefully they will see that she remains committed to the school.

I would prefer to be closer to a city than Cornell is, as I spent my UG years at a small LAC in the middle of nowhere, but I was hoping that I might be able to rest (somewhat) easily with the idea that I have a decent chance at Cornell, given my family connection... great to hear that you don't think I'll need it. I'm interested in remaining in the NYC Metropolitan area, and the schools I plan to apply to are Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Seton Hall, Rutgers-Newark, and possibly Brooklyn Law and Penn. What do you think my chances would be at the aforementioned schools, and are there any others you suggest I add? Any I should disregard? (I'm just beginning to plan for law school, so you all are the experts in my eyes!)
Cornell - In
Columbia - Out
NYU - Out
Fordham - In $$
Seton Hall - In $$$
Rutgers - In $$$
Brooklyn - In $$$
Penn - WL
I agree except two little things. Possibly you could add a $ to Cornell, and a small chance of waitlist at NYU from what I saw this cycle.

But basically the above is spot on.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 10:57 am
by futurelawyer123
Okay great. Yeah I didn't think I'd have much of a chance at NYU or Columbia, but considering I'd like to practice in the NYC area I figured I might as well try. Also, I am willing to move elsewhere for law school (but hope to return to NYC) - from what I've read, it is clearly important to go to a T14 school, but I am wondering if some have a stronger presence in NYC than others...?

One last (hypothetical) question... let's say I do get into Fordham with $$, but I also get into Cornell. In terms of job prospects after graduation (I don't necessarily need biglaw, but would like to be gainfully employed), are there any cases in which one might be better off choosing Fordham? Clearly I'm not going to get an unbiased opinion at home from my mother. ;-)

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:32 am
by firemed
futurelawyer123 wrote:Okay great. Yeah I didn't think I'd have much of a chance at NYU or Columbia, but considering I'd like to practice in the NYC area I figured I might as well try. Also, I am willing to move elsewhere for law school (but hope to return to NYC) - from what I've read, it is clearly important to go to a T14 school, but I am wondering if some have a stronger presence in NYC than others.

One last (hypothetical) question... let's say I do get into Fordham with $$, but I also get into Cornell. In terms of job prospects after graduation (I don't necessarily need biglaw, but would like to be suitably employed), are there any cases in which one might be better off choosing Fordham? Clearly I'm not going to get an unbiased opinion at home from my mother. ;-)

Full ride or 3/4 ride would make it pretty tempting over Cornell for me. But other people might disagree.

ETA: I hear Fordham is surprisingly good at placement, and Cornell of the T14 is on the low end. But I haven't actually looked at numbers, so I can't really say.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 11:43 am
by CanadianWolf
Cornell was #2 on the NLJ250 list for placement into the nation's largest law firms. Cornell is the easy pick over Fordham unless Fordham offers a full tuition scholarship & Cornell offers zero scholarship money & then it is a toss-up.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 9:32 pm
by SupraVln180
firemed wrote:
FiveSermon wrote:
futurelawyer123 wrote:Thanks everyone! Yes, she does make her annual donation; as far as I know, it's nothing major, but hopefully they will see that she remains committed to the school.

I would prefer to be closer to a city than Cornell is, as I spent my UG years at a small LAC in the middle of nowhere, but I was hoping that I might be able to rest (somewhat) easily with the idea that I have a decent chance at Cornell, given my family connection... great to hear that you don't think I'll need it. I'm interested in remaining in the NYC Metropolitan area, and the schools I plan to apply to are Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Seton Hall, Rutgers-Newark, and possibly Brooklyn Law and Penn. What do you think my chances would be at the aforementioned schools, and are there any others you suggest I add? Any I should disregard? (I'm just beginning to plan for law school, so you all are the experts in my eyes!)
Cornell - In
Columbia - Out
NYU - Out
Fordham - In $$
Seton Hall - In $$$
Rutgers - In $$$
Brooklyn - In $$$
Penn - WL
I agree except two little things. Possibly you could add a $ to Cornell, and a small chance of waitlist at NYU from what I saw this cycle.

But basically the above is spot on.
OP could snag UPenn with an ED, if he is comfortable paying sticker.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:31 pm
by HeavenWood
patrickd139 wrote:
SupraVln180 wrote:you should get into Cornell anyway.
And keep in mind, there are different degrees of legacy.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sat Apr 16, 2011 10:43 pm
by Meerkat Manor
HeavenWood wrote:
patrickd139 wrote:
SupraVln180 wrote:you should get into Cornell anyway.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 1:43 pm
by JamMasterJ
If you are willing to leave NY as you say, blanket 7-14 (Georgetown, not Texas) as well as throwing ones at Columbia and NYU for kicks. You'll probably get Cornell, and maybe one of MVP as well as some of the lower ones. Use the money to negotiate.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:23 pm
by firemed
JamMasterJ wrote:If you are willing to leave NY as you say, blanket 7-14 (Georgetown, not Texas) as well as throwing ones at Columbia and NYU for kicks. You'll probably get Cornell, and maybe one of MVP as well as some of the lower ones. Use the money to negotiate.
+1

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 4:37 pm
by Aberzombie1892
firemed wrote:
futurelawyer123 wrote:Okay great. Yeah I didn't think I'd have much of a chance at NYU or Columbia, but considering I'd like to practice in the NYC area I figured I might as well try. Also, I am willing to move elsewhere for law school (but hope to return to NYC) - from what I've read, it is clearly important to go to a T14 school, but I am wondering if some have a stronger presence in NYC than others.

One last (hypothetical) question... let's say I do get into Fordham with $$, but I also get into Cornell. In terms of job prospects after graduation (I don't necessarily need biglaw, but would like to be suitably employed), are there any cases in which one might be better off choosing Fordham? Clearly I'm not going to get an unbiased opinion at home from my mother. ;-)

Full ride or 3/4 ride would make it pretty tempting over Cornell for me. But other people might disagree.

ETA: I hear Fordham is surprisingly good at placement, and Cornell of the T14 is on the low end. But I haven't actually looked at numbers, so I can't really say.
Cornell is a beast at the NLJ250. Last year was a bad year. Look at prior years and this year.

Re: Will legacy help?

Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:16 pm
by firemed
Aberzombie1892 wrote:
firemed wrote:
futurelawyer123 wrote:Okay great. Yeah I didn't think I'd have much of a chance at NYU or Columbia, but considering I'd like to practice in the NYC area I figured I might as well try. Also, I am willing to move elsewhere for law school (but hope to return to NYC) - from what I've read, it is clearly important to go to a T14 school, but I am wondering if some have a stronger presence in NYC than others.

One last (hypothetical) question... let's say I do get into Fordham with $$, but I also get into Cornell. In terms of job prospects after graduation (I don't necessarily need biglaw, but would like to be suitably employed), are there any cases in which one might be better off choosing Fordham? Clearly I'm not going to get an unbiased opinion at home from my mother. ;-)

Full ride or 3/4 ride would make it pretty tempting over Cornell for me. But other people might disagree.

ETA: I hear Fordham is surprisingly good at placement, and Cornell of the T14 is on the low end. But I haven't actually looked at numbers, so I can't really say.

Cornell is a beast at the NLJ250. Last year was a bad year. Look at prior years and this year.
Ah, gotcha. My bad. Full ride only then for Fordham... and only if Cornell wasn't offering $$$ is my new vote.