still havent received a final decision from either (HLS put me on hold) and im wondering why since i applied in early november. any insight on my chances? ive got really good offers from other schools but these two are my top choices.

white/latina female
3.7 from an ivy
175
pretty strong softs

I'd be shocked if you didn't get into Columbia. Your GPA might be low for Harvard but you still have a fighting chance.

thanks, thats what i thought, but since i still havent heard im getting a little worried...

anyone else have any insight as to what could be taking so long?

low chance for Harvard
Most likely in for Columbia

Tell me how you do with Harvard. I have a 3.7(3) too, and I'm hoping to have a shot there next year with an LSAT equivalent to yours. If you are half-Latina, does that allow you to check the URM box?

I definitely think you can get into Columbia relatively easily with your numbers, URM or not. I hope you hear back from HLS.

wut? There's no URM box.

What do you mean?

You check the box indicating your race or ethnicity. There's no box to check for being a URM.

Whether a racial or ethnic group is underrepresented is determined by statistics. You merely tell schools what race or ethnicity you are. Whether that race or ethnicity happens to be underrepresented is determined by statistical factors beyond your control, such as whether the representation of a particular group in your school is proportional to that group's overall representation in your community, or state.

For example, most latinas are not at all underrepresented. Many people in law school have some South American blood, and claim to be latino/latina. Just among my few friends alone, we have 2 people with parents from South America (one from Argentina, one from Venezuela), and another kid whose mom is Cuban. And we are far from the only ones around. It is usually the case that Mexican and Puerto Rican students are underrepresented, since they are far less common. What type of latina heritage do you have?

Interesting. Yeah, I had heard that being Mexican-American helped your chances, but I should not have been so quick to assume that that applies to other types of Latino/as. Thanks, guys!

I'm going to CLS next year, I applied in November with 175/3.71 from a good but not great undergrad, not sure why you haven't heard back from them...

The only URM Latino/a is Mexican.

Puerto Ricans would most certainly be considered URM as well.

OP: What are your other options ?

I do identify as Latina (I am Argentinian and Brazilian) but I would not consider myself a URM on an application like NYU's which flat out asks you if you are.

As of now, I am going to NYU with a pretty hefty scholarship ($30,000/yr for the first two years and $15,000 for the third year with the promise of $30,000 if I work in public interest during my second summer) so I am still really excited about how my cycle turned out. Even though Columbia is my first (realistic) choice I wouldn't necessarily go there since I have such a good financial aid package from NYU. I guess I'm just holding out for Columbia because I want to at least have the option to decide and can see myself being so much happier there...

also thanks for your feedback! it's reassuring/interesting to get more perspectives on the matter

WAITLISTED at columbia. im pretty disappointed and confused...

Have you been accepted to any of HYS? If so perhaps there is something so spectacular about your app that CLS guessed that one of HYS had taken you and did not want to be turned down. If you really want CLS the waitlist isn't such a bad place to be right now, send in a LOCI and you definitely have a good chance of getting in

this makes me happy I ED'd despite everyone telling me 175/3.71 = auto-admit at CLS...

That's not true. Very few people (if any at all) get into CLS off the waitlist, and the waitlist is long. Sorry about the waitlist, OP. But as you said, 75K at NYU is not bad at all--Columbia probably would not have given you that much money even if you'd gotten in, so realistically, you're no worse off for having been waitlisted.

Doesn't matter. NYU with scholarship money is a great offer. Congratulations !

Yeah, NYU is definitely a peer school of CLS. Is there any reason you prefer CLS to NYU other than its slightly higher rank?

That's weird you got waitlisted at Columbia with a 175. I have a 3.7x GPA too, and I'm shooting for both NYU and Columbia, so I hope I have a shot at either.

I'm curious if you got into any of HYS too....

Dud you send them a LOCI before you received a decision?