CLEO 2010 Forum

[YourExcellence-ness]

So I got in touch with an '07 fellow and here is what he had to say about his experience with CLEO and how it helps or doesn't with placement.

Congratulations on your CLEO acceptance! I highly recommend you attend the summer institute.

Now more specifically on to your questions. I can only relay information about CLEO assistance in placement from my own observations during my summer institute in 2007. The majority of fellows had already been accepted to a law school before the institute began. These acceptances ranged everywhere from Berkeley and UVa to more obscure 4th tier schools. There were students who had not been accepted to any law school at the beginning of the program and were placed by summer's end.

Throughout the summer, there are representatives from schools who visit the institute to recruit, this ranges from informal chats and application solicitation to more formal interviews. There are a variety of schools that do this type of recruitment. During my institute, schools included, University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin, University of Denver, UNC, Ohio State. However, there is no consistency to this recruitment, and it may be dependent upon the institute location. My brother attend the summer institute one year later, at a different location, and no school conducted interviews for recruitment purposes. Typically, the law school host institute will recruit from the CLEO fellows.

The students who had the most success with acquiring acceptances during CLEO were those who were waitlisted. I was waitlisted at Ohio State before I attended the summer institute, and received an offer from Ohio State a few days after the institute was over. I do not believe that CLEO did much in the way of facilitating my "placement." I was waitlisted early on and sent several letter, supplemental information to OSU. It was merely coincidence that Ohio State was at the institute to recruit. Before the offer, I have planned on attending SUNY Buffalo. If you are waitlisted at some schools, it is in your best interest to inform them that you intend to attend the summer institute and you remain committed to attending. This may sway some schools, since as you indicated it is your UG GPA that may be the weak factor in your application. I do remember schools like Southern Illinois University and Missouri being at the institute to recruit, and I suspect that your ivy league background would be more valued at those places than than at schools in the northeast like BC and BU--which probably has many ivy leaguers.

GREAT INFORMATION!!! Thanks for that but I'm not going to lie.. it's still somewhat disappointing to know that CLEO might not be able to work the miracles that I thought they could. I wonder what Law Schools will be recruiting in Missouri this summers... Miami too for that matter!

[texas296]

I wonder if any schools will be recruiting given the economy and the amount of people applying this year--no on came to recruit in '08 when the market tanked; I still have my fingers crossed for some representatives from Florida or the mid-west.

[tab]

Hey! I am a little confused about this whole nomination process. I applied for the program in November and still have not received a decision. I have gotten acceptances to Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Emory and George Washington Law. I was waitlisted at UVA and I'm still waiting to hear from 7 other top 15 institutions. I am currently working in a country with limited internet/phone access so it has been a hassle trying to figure out what the program needs from me. My brother phoned the office and was told that my school acceptances were not enough. Apparently they have not gotten nominations from the schools I listed. Did anyone contact their law schools directly for a nomination or does CLEO need to request this nomination?

[YourExcellence-ness]

Hey! I am a little confused about this whole nomination process. I applied for the program in November and still have not received a decision. I have gotten acceptances to Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Emory and George Washington Law. I was waitlisted at UVA and I'm still waiting to hear from 7 other top 15 institutions. I am currently working in a country with limited internet/phone access so it has been a hassle trying to figure out what the program needs from me. My brother phoned the office and was told that my school acceptances were not enough. Apparently they have not gotten nominations from the schools I listed. Did anyone contact their law schools directly for a nomination or does CLEO need to request this nomination?

Schools don't usually nominate accepted students to this program..rather they nominate students who the school might otherwise reject or consider a potential conditional admit (based on completion of CLEO)
My Opinion.. Based on the fact that you have already been admitted to all of these great schools lead me to believe that CLEO could much better benefit others who havn't been as fortunate..LIKE ME. If you dont mind me asking.. What makes you feel as though CLEO is the right program for you?

[Trelawny]

Hey! I am a little confused about this whole nomination process. I applied for the program in November and still have not received a decision. I have gotten acceptances to Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Emory and George Washington Law. I was waitlisted at UVA and I'm still waiting to hear from 7 other top 15 institutions. I am currently working in a country with limited internet/phone access so it has been a hassle trying to figure out what the program needs from me. My brother phoned the office and was told that my school acceptances were not enough. Apparently they have not gotten nominations from the schools I listed. Did anyone contact their law schools directly for a nomination or does CLEO need to request this nomination?

I think you don't need CLEO's six week institute. Your acceptances in to Tier 1 schools is better than what the program will offer you. I can imagine all the scholarships that you will receive from those schools compared to you paying CLEO $2000 and receiving back 5k or 2k a year. I suggest you apply to the Attitude is Essential Program, it's two days and is free and you will receive the same benefits as those who went through the summer program. CONGRATS!!

[texas296]

Can someone explain what being nominated means for a candidate? Does it mean that the school that's nominated you will give you a conditional admit based on your performance at CLEO? And if you're nominated, will it necessarily be from the list of schools you submitted to CLEO?

Tab congrats! I'm surprised that you haven't been admitted to CLEO--do you want to go to see if law school is right for you or you feel that you need the preparation? I've seen a lot of folks who've gone to top tier law schools go to CLEO.

[tab]

I was under the impression the CLEO program is a law prep program. I have been out of the academic life for three years and would like to get back in the swing of things before I start this fall. Thanks for the information. I had no idea that the nomination needed to be from a school that would not otherwise accept you. I emailed the schools that accepted me to ask for a nomination and got no response so far. I have not gotten a reply back from CLEO either. I guess that makes sense now. I am still interested in attending the program even though I am not a target candidate. Good luck to everyone!

[JDO]

I was under the impression the CLEO program is a law prep program... I had no idea that the nomination needed to be from a school that would not otherwise accept you...

I am not sure if the nomination needs to come from a school that would reject you if you do not attend (and successfully complete) CLEO. UC Davis says that they will only nominate students that are already accepted to their school. If this is true, and other schools have policies like Davis, it would be fairly difficult for all those who are seeking nominations.

On the other hand, I was also accepted into a tier 4 law school and when I attended their open house, their dean said she will use one of her two nominations to send me to CLEO (if this is all they need). My advice is to get to the school and speak with someone, tell them why you want to go to CLEO, and let them know you are serious about it. I also believe that the schools have very limited nominations.

I hope this information helps... and I hope that this nomination, sent out today, will bring my acceptance to CLEO's summer institute.

[YourExcellence-ness]

I was under the impression the CLEO program is a law prep program... I had no idea that the nomination needed to be from a school that would not otherwise accept you...

I am not sure if the nomination needs to come from a school that would reject you if you do not attend (and successfully complete) CLEO. UC Davis says that they will only nominate students that are already accepted to their school. If this is true, and other schools have policies like Davis, it would be fairly difficult for all those who are seeking nominations.

On the other hand, I was also accepted into a tier 4 law school and when I attended their open house, their dean said she will use one of her two nominations to send me to CLEO (if this is all they need). My advice is to get to the school and speak with someone, tell them why you want to go to CLEO, and let them know you are serious about it. I also believe that the schools have very limited nominations.

I hope this information helps... and I hope that this nomination, sent out today, will bring my acceptance to CLEO's summer institute.

GOOD LUCK TO YOU BOTH! WHAT SCHOOL IS SUBMITTING THE NOMINATION? IF YOU DONT MIND ME ASKING.

[centricisgreat1908]

Hey All,

I just submitted my program fee and was assigned to the Summer Institute at FIU.

See you there,

Centricisgreat

[texas296]

Also set up facebook groups for each location.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=3 ... 198&ref=nf
2010 CLEO Six Week Summer Institute - FIU

[JDO]

Did anyone need a nomination before they were accepted to the institute? What was the process like after receiving your nomination?

[centricisgreat1908]

As I stated earlier, I received an acceptance letter on February 28 after receiving the initial letter stating they could not offer a placement at that time. I immediately faxed them three letters of acceptance and one wait list (I sent this fax Jan. 29) but didn't hear again until Feb. 28. I doubt seriously that I was recommended by a particular school because the schools I actually applied to changed alot from when I submitted the CLEO application in November 2009. Once I was accepted, I sent the acceptance letters to the remaining schools that are affiliated with the program...I am still waiting to hear from five schools, but I already had acceptances when I was admitted to CLEO.

HTH

[JDO]

Thanks HTH, I hope to be in the program this summer, I had a school accept me and nominate me, I hope that was enough.

[YourExcellence-ness]

CLEO is confusing.. hope it all just comes full circle. Now that they have my money they have gotten too quiet for comfort. I called them today to inform them about a school I applied to that is affiliated so that they can have record and possibly make contact with said school.. The lady said very rudely "We don't need to know that information anymore" ... what this means? I have NO idea. I was simply trying to make sure that the CLEO knows where I am applying.. in order that they might assist. CLEARLY they don't care.

[Jules Winnfield]

CLEARLY they don't care.

And this certifies my opinion of CLEO not caring for the students whom they work with.

That said, I will be doing AIE this summer (hopefully in Atlanta). Who else is going?

[JDO]

CLEO is confusing.. hope it all just comes full circle. Now that they have my money they have gotten too quiet for comfort. I called them today to inform them about a school I applied to that is affiliated so that they can have record and possibly make contact with said school.. The lady said very rudely "We don't need to know that information anymore" ... what this means? I have NO idea. I was simply trying to make sure that the CLEO knows where I am applying.. in order that they might assist. CLEARLY they don't care.

they probably don't care about maintaining relationships for you. It's probably best that you speak with the school's admissions office and make them aware of your CLEO acceptance. If you can get through someone past the front desk in CLEOs DC office, and speak to someone who matters, you might have better luck.

[YourExcellence-ness]

I hope CLEO proves me wrong.. I am going in with no expectations.

[tab]

Okay it's good to know that I am not the only one that has had a shady experience with this application process. I did get the email that said I was not accepted. My brother called in for me and was told that I was accepted. Then I got an email saying they needed a nomination first. I'm all the way in Ethiopia dealing with this situation so it's been very frustrating! I had my brother fax in acceptances from UPenn, Northwestern, George Washington, Emory and Vanderbilt. Why is this not enough to get in the program?? These schools are dealing with hundreds of people...they are not concerned about turning in my CLEO nomination. Grrrrrrrrrrr! Okay I am done complaining. Congrats to people who were able to get through this process successfully!

[centricisgreat1908]

CLEO is confusing.. hope it all just comes full circle. Now that they have my money they have gotten too quiet for comfort. I called them today to inform them about a school I applied to that is affiliated so that they can have record and possibly make contact with said school.. The lady said very rudely "We don't need to know that information anymore" ... what this means? I have NO idea. I was simply trying to make sure that the CLEO knows where I am applying.. in order that they might assist. CLEARLY they don't care.

they probably don't care about maintaining relationships for you. It's probably best that you speak with the school's admissions office and make them aware of your CLEO acceptance. If you can get through someone past the front desk in CLEOs DC office, and speak to someone who matters, you might have better luck.

I think that it is really important that we as candidates/participants manage our expectations of the CLEO program appropriately, based on everything I have read in past CLEO forums, speaking with former Fellows, etc. CLEO Summer Institute does not make a point to actually place candidates in schools as a result of the summer program, if it happens, it is on a haphazard basis. The point of the Summer Institute is to simulate the 1L year by allowing students to take 3-4 classes from actual instructors that teach how to read and brief cases, craft examination answers , etc. Based on all the information I have gathered, going into the summer institute expecting law school placement is a grave error, it happens in very rare instances and isn't the main objective of the program despite the language that states "many students with low LSAT scores and GPAs would not be admitted to law school without the benefit of CLEO". With regards to the attitude of the individuals in the program office, I have had the same negative experiences. At this point, I just hope they send me the necessary information before i have to drive 1,000+ miles to get to the program.

[YourExcellence-ness]

CLEO is confusing.. hope it all just comes full circle. Now that they have my money they have gotten too quiet for comfort. I called them today to inform them about a school I applied to that is affiliated so that they can have record and possibly make contact with said school.. The lady said very rudely "We don't need to know that information anymore" ... what this means? I have NO idea. I was simply trying to make sure that the CLEO knows where I am applying.. in order that they might assist. CLEARLY they don't care.

they probably don't care about maintaining relationships for you. It's probably best that you speak with the school's admissions office and make them aware of your CLEO acceptance. If you can get through someone past the front desk in CLEOs DC office, and speak to someone who matters, you might have better luck.

I think that it is really important that we as candidates/participants manage our expectations of the CLEO program appropriately, based on everything I have read in past CLEO forums, speaking with former Fellows, etc. CLEO Summer Institute does not make a point to actually place candidates in schools as a result of the summer program, if it happens, it is on a haphazard basis. The point of the Summer Institute is to simulate the 1L year by allowing students to take 3-4 classes from actual instructors that teach how to read and brief cases, craft examination answers , etc. Based on all the information I have gathered, going into the summer institute expecting law school placement is a grave error, it happens in very rare instances and isn't the main objective of the program despite the language that states "many students with low LSAT scores and GPAs would not be admitted to law school without the benefit of CLEO". With regards to the attitude of the individuals in the program office, I have had the same negative experiences. At this point, I just hope they send me the necessary information before i have to drive 1,000+ miles to get to the program.

Understood, and I agree ..With my current impression I'm hoping that things can only get better. For $2,000 though.. are answers to much to ask for? I would be fine if I had clarity... everything that I know about CLEO is based on Hear Say or Speculation.. We deserve to know more. I dont expect CLEO to magically get me into a wonderful law school. I would however like the satisfaction in knowing that they have informed the law schools that I have applied of my confirmed commitment to attend the summer program..PREFERABLY BEFORE THE ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE Makes a final decision on my application.

For Instance: LSU was gracious enough to invite me to apply and supplied a fee waiver last minute (around the 1st of March). I applied, and upon further research I found that LSU is in fact a CLEO Affiliate. Naturally I wanted to be sure that LSU knew of my plans to attend CLEO.. I called CLEO first.. tried to explain to them that I had recently applied to LSU but didn't list them as one of my choices on the app or placement assistance confirmation. The person who I spoke to advised me that "They Didnt Need This Information".. I took that info for what it was. I then called LSU.. spoke with the Assistant Dean of Admissions who encouraged me to fax them my original CLEO acceptance. The ADA also told me that usually CLEO sends them a letter saying something along the lines that "A candidate which has applied to LSU Law(or whatever law school) has been chosen to attend our summer institute.. please provide us with his/her application status.. Accepted, Wait List, or Otherwise. If Wait Listed or Otherwise.. would LSU Law(or whatever law school) be willing to accept this candidate if he/she successfully completes the institute, etc." She went on to say that this is something that the Admissions Committee and App readers would like to know!

Look.. I understand what CLEO has already made very clear, that placement is more difficult due to many factors. All I ask is that they try, notify the schools in a timely fashion, and at the very least LET ME KNOW WHATS GOING ON. I was advised not to buy a plane ticket until I hear something else from CLEO. I already paid $2,025... plane tickets go up daily. I love CLEO for what its commitment.. and if you read the history and testimonials of older CLEO scholars and fellows you cant help but to be inspired. I just pray that CLEO can be for me half of what it was for the people who benefited way back when!

[YourExcellence-ness]

And another thing.. LET'S KEEP THIS FORUM ALIVE. HEARING FROM YOU GUYS AND YOUR EXPERIENCES AND PLANS GIVES ME A LIL PEACE OF MIND!!!

[centricisgreat1908]

When I received my acceptance to CLEO, before I even knew if I could come up with the funds, I crafted an email to EVERY LAW SCHOOL I was waiting to hear from that was either a member, supporting or sustaining institution for CLEO (All five I am waiting to hear from have some sort of affiliation). In my letter I stated what the program was and emphasized that I would be attending the institute in an effort to make it very clear that I was participating and this should be considered as a factor in my admissions decision. I received email confirmations back from all but one of the schools I sent this additional information too. I also attached a scanned copy of the acceptance letter from CLEO, it may not make a bit of difference, but I made the choice to take it into my own hands considering the response, or lack thereof, I had been getting from individuals in the program office.

[JDO]

I messaged CLEO about my nomination, they said that they are reviewing the nominations now and they will notify me if I am admitted. Wow, that sucks. There must be so many people out there with those letters of denial that ask for nominations...

[kimmie]

Hello Everyone,

I just wanted to give my opinion on the nomination process from what I have heard from different schools and former CLEO participants. I think it depends on which school gives you a nomination. From what I have been told some schools get a certain number of spots in the program and if they nominate you for the spot, you are definitely in the program.

If you feel I am wrong, please let me know.....

Best Wishes to everyone.