URM 2016-2017 Cycle Thread Forum

[texcellence]

Here's the 2016-2017 URM cycle results excel -- please add your info to help out future URMs!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/ ... edit#gid=0

y'all i almost cannot handle all our excellence

[dietcoke1]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

[texcellence]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

i completely agree, at least w/r/t URMs. makes me wonder how my cycle had turned out had i not turned down Ivy UGs for financial reasons T_T but looks at us, we're doing thangs!

[Mr_Chukes]

SEO ding

[Mr_Chukes]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

i completely agree, at least w/r/t URMs. makes me wonder how my cycle had turned out had i not turned down Ivy UGs for financial reasons T_T but looks at us, we're doing thangs!

Ivy would have really helped from what I've seen.

[hammy393]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

I agree, especially for URMs, and especially at HYS

[hammy393]

SEO ding

Sorry to hear that. Did you just get an email?

[Mr_Chukes]

SEO ding

Sorry to hear that. Did you just get an email?

Yeah I got an email

[presidentspivey]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

i completely agree, at least w/r/t URMs. makes me wonder how my cycle had turned out had i not turned down Ivy UGs for financial reasons T_T but looks at us, we're doing thangs!

Sigh. ASU student here. Kill me now.

[AJ1010]

Hey guys. I just got an apartment on Mass ave directly across the street from HLS. If any girls are coming next year and looking for a roommate, PM me!

[lula43]

SEO ding

Sorry to hear that. Did you just get an email?

Yeah I got an email

Same here, Chukes. I had a late start date and will always wonder if that impacted the decision. *shrugs*

[stjeff00]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

i completely agree, at least w/r/t URMs. makes me wonder how my cycle had turned out had i not turned down Ivy UGs for financial reasons T_T but looks at us, we're doing thangs!

Sigh. ASU student here. Kill me now.

How much does ranking of Undergrad actually matter?

[Barack O'Drama]

based off our limited sample on our spreadsheets, I am kicking myself for not trying to go to a better undergrad lol

just going to repeat that I think we under value how admissions look at undergrads

Yeah, we often hear how UG doesn't matter, classes, don't matter, and only GPA/LSAT matter. I have to say that just doesn't seem the case. At least not w/r/t HYS.

[principalagent]

I went to an Ivy+ known for grade deflation and my URM friends, especially if they were black, consistently beat their numbers for law school admissions even w/r/t URM statistics. I think it definitely makes a difference. I assume admissions believes that a lower GPA at an Ivy or some other strong and tough school (think MIT, Swarthmore) is a safer bet than a higher yet still splitter GPA at other schools. Whether this call is realistic, correct or fair is another story.

[chetobeto]

I actually went to one of those clinics that the top 14 host where you get to talk to all of the admissions deans, and that was one of the questions I asked.

I asked if going to a small state school would impact my chances at admissions, versus going to at least a more well known top public, or a private/Ivy.

Every dean told me the same thing, that it didn't matter. Except Georgetown's dean. She actually told me that it doesn't really matter where you go, unless you went to a really good school like Harvard.

Those were pretty much her exact words if my memory serves me well as it was like close to a year ago when I went.

[Mrocky2]

I actually went to one of those clinics that the top 14 host where you get to talk to all of the admissions deans, and that was one of the questions I asked.

I asked if going to a small state school would impact my chances at admissions, versus going to at least a more well known top public, or a private/Ivy.

Every dean told me the same thing, that it didn't matter. Except Georgetown's dean. She actually told me that it doesn't really matter where you go, unless you went to a really good school like Harvard.

Those were pretty much her exact words if my memory serves me well as it was like close to a year ago when I went.

For some random reason I was thinking about this the other day. Adcoms say that, but in practice idk if it's the case at my T6 most of the URM's went to top 20 private schools, or top 20 LAC (Williams, Amherst etc) or flagship state schools (that's maybe 1/5 at most), or top HBCU (Howard, Spelman, Morehouse) and across the law school more generally almost no one is from a so called "no name school". They're at least from top 100 US News with over 50% from the the top 10-20. I just can't imagine that there aren't top students at the thousands of other schools with great GPAs and respectable LSATs applyin to law school. So that's all anecdotal, but seems less of a correlation and more causation to me.

[Drea]

I mentioned this in another thread, but I think going to an Ivy+ school is helpful for URMs because it's usually a good indicator for ad coms of the rigor of an applicant's undergraduate schooling. In that way, an URM who excels at Ivy+ school is obviously looked upon very favorably. And I would assume that an URM with good but not outstanding numbers at an Ivy+ is still an attractive applicant because they've demonstrated they can handle a rigorous academic environment. For applicants from non Ivy+ schools that don't perform as well, however. ad coms may be less lenient. Nonetheless, I don't think not going to an Ivy+ school should be seen as a disadvantage. Because an URM who does outstanding anywhere is an attractive applicant at the end of the day.

Also, I'm speaking very generally here. Nobody should assume that they have a great shot simply because they went to an Ivy+ school. And those who did not also shouldn't feel like that precludes them from having a real chance at any law school. There are so so so many factors at play with these things.

(And I also wouldn't be surprised if it's just that many, if not most, of the URM applicants to T14/T6 schools simply come from highly ranked undergrads.)

[HarvardHopeful95]

Can I just express how proud I am of all of us? Like, we are all doing incredible things, some of us against ridiculous odds. Great job to everyone!

[brinicolec]

Can I just express how proud I am of all of us? Like, we are all doing incredible things, some of us against ridiculous odds. Great job to everyone!

+180

[Stephylynette]

Can I just express how proud I am of all of us? Like, we are all doing incredible things, some of us against ridiculous odds. Great job to everyone!

+180

Same. I'm honestly so excited for and proud of all you guys. Wishing you all the best and if you ever find yourself in Durham, holla at your girl

[Hi-So - ArshavinFan]

There are so so so many factors at play with these things.

(And I also wouldn't be surprised if it's just that many, if not most, of the URM applicants to T14/T6 schools simply come from highly ranked undergrads.)

Man!!! I agree with you soo much, but then i have to disagree with you a litle as well.

I attended a a school that is outside T100 on USNWR report for 2 years, then transferred to top 20 LAC.
Got into T14/T!3 schools, and wait-listed for one school which is like a SUPER SUPER Reach for me.

I have a friend with a higher GPA, slightly lower LSAT from the T100> school - No T13 acceptances, almost identical softs, better LORs - But much softer major - I was STEM, he was pretty easy major). His essays were about the same as mine as well, and he even applied earlier.

Granted our stories are even similar - sons of immigrants, grew up together for a bit, played on same sports teams, etc.

I definitely think school attended factors in a bit more significantly than this site thinks.

As for most URMS that are qualified coming from higher ranked undergrads - thats very true - but also it indicates to me that the URM boost may be broken somewhat??? Ideally youre trying to increase representation in the legal field, and in my experience most of the URMs at top schools are wealthier on average relative to other URM in college period. I'm not saying that its the duty of the schools to fix - but I definitely think it is a problem.

As a Nigerian and African-American person myself - I feel very conflicted with the boost myself. I was born here and America is definitely my home - but I know that even though I've never been above lower middle class - i still had a ton of advantages that quite frankly - i know others dont. But I've made sure to volunteer and be active in the black communities wherever I've been at, and I really think that showed, particularly with the in-person interviews I had.

I could wax lyrical forever lol I suppose - but long story short, I think the legal field above all fields needs to be the most fair.

[beantheshadow]

Arizona State grad whose attending Chicago!

It did feel funny at admitted students day when we we're introducing ourselves at one of the little lunches and I was wedged between a Princeton and Yale undergrad graduate.

[dietcoke1]

Arizona State grad whose attending Chicago!

It did feel funny at admitted students day when we we're introducing ourselves at one of the little lunches and I was wedged between a Princeton and Yale undergrad graduate.

every ASW, when I said my college, students thought I meant the T10 LAC that is in the same city. after awhile I just stopped correcting people lol

[smilingorch]

Arizona State grad whose attending Chicago!

It did feel funny at admitted students day when we we're introducing ourselves at one of the little lunches and I was wedged between a Princeton and Yale undergrad graduate.

every ASW, when I said my college, students thought I meant the T10 LAC that is in the same city. after awhile I just stopped correcting people lol

Amherst v UMass Amherst?

[dietcoke1]

Arizona State grad whose attending Chicago!

It did feel funny at admitted students day when we we're introducing ourselves at one of the little lunches and I was wedged between a Princeton and Yale undergrad graduate.

every ASW, when I said my college, students thought I meant the T10 LAC that is in the same city. after awhile I just stopped correcting people lol

Amherst v UMass Amherst?

noopee. UMass A is far better ranked than my undergrad