URM 2010-2011 Application Cycle Forum

[timmna]

Thanks, everyone!!

Just got into IU with a full ride!!

Congrats, but you know you're not going there numbers twin LOL. Someway, somehow, given how our cycles are going, we are going to end up at the same school.

Oh and for everyone as far as my stats go. LSAC GPA is 3.4 (will be 3.5 after I send this update after fall grades...I believe). Very strong upward grade trend (I've had University Honors every semester since the second semester of sophomore year).

LSAT jumped 10 points from 159 in June to 169 in October (after finally winning my battle about a bubble with LSAC).

So anything is possible everyone. I felt I put together a good app and had great recs. But I thought the GPA would hold me back. I hope my cycle inspires someone.

Wow, Non. Our numbers are so similar, you just might be right about that! Gotta tell you, though, I'm liking our options so far...

[Buffalo Bill]

Posting here in this thread for the first time.

167
3.3
MA

In at Cornell and Fordham so far. NYU ED letter is sitting in the mailbox but I am home for the holidays so wont know for a while. Rejections from Penn and UVA.

[Non-Chalant1]

Posting here in this thread for the first time.

167
3.3
MA

In at Cornell and Fordham so far. NYU ED letter is sitting in the mailbox but I am home for the holidays so wont know for a while. Rejections from Penn and UVA.

Tell me your not a bills fan from New England. I asked my roommate back on campus to grab my NYU letter.

[Buffalo Bill]

Hahaha.. Die hard bills fan. Born and raised in upstate New York.

[LLB2JD]

Posting here in this thread for the first time.

167
3.3
MA

In at Cornell and Fordham so far. NYU ED letter is sitting in the mailbox but I am home for the holidays so wont know for a while. Rejections from Penn and UVA.

Congrats

[Miranda 18]

Wow amazing acceptances so far! SOOO happy for everyone on here!

[HawksJetsFalcons]

I don't post here often, but I will go ahead and do so now

11/16- In at U of Miami ($$$)

12/12- In at UGA

Still waiting on:

USC
Howard
Bama
Emory
U of Florida
U of Maryland
FSU
Georgia State


I applied very early and I think that helped. I took the LSAT twice, and I am more than happy to share my numbers through PM. I was under the median at both schools that I got into, but I think my other factors helped a ton.

[miracle2011]

In at BU and Cornell!

[LLB2JD]

In at BU and Cornell!

Congrats..This group is something else this year...

[rundoxierun]

In at Cornell this morning as well.. I guess its time to begin withdrawals after the holidays.

[LLB2JD]

In at Cornell this morning as well.. I guess its time to begin withdrawals after the holidays.

Yes'sir

[pennyloafer17]

In at Cornell this morning as well.. I guess its time to begin withdrawals after the holidays.

Congrats!

[LAWLAW09]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

I'll post stats and more info later. My cycle thus far:

AA Male

IN:

Penn
Cornell
Georgetown
UT
William & Mary
Temple

Waitlisted:

UVA



Good luck to everyone.

[Knock]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

I'll post stats and more info later. My cycle thus far:

AA Male

IN:

Penn
Cornell
Georgetown
UT
William & Mary
Temple

Waitlisted:

UVA



Good luck to everyone.

Congrats man. Are you leaning Penn? Get any $ yet?

so far i'm

In:
Berkeley
Michigan
Georgetown
Duke
Cornell
UCLA

[LAWLAW09]

Congrats man. Are you leaning Penn? Get any $ yet?

so far i'm

In:
Berkeley
Michigan
Georgetown
Duke
Cornell
UCLA

Thanks and same to you.

No $ yet, but that will change. Penn would be great, but $ offers are going to heavily influence my decision. If I get multiple t-10 acceptances, the cheaper school will get me.

[LLB2JD]

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

I'll post stats and more info later. My cycle thus far:

AA Male

IN:

Penn
Cornell
Georgetown
UT
William & Mary
Temple

Waitlisted:

UVA



Good luck to everyone.

Congrats man. I know you're going to have a great cycle.

[rundoxierun]

Thanks and same to you.

No $ yet, but that will change. Penn would be great, but $ offers are going to heavily influence my decision. If I get multiple t-10 acceptances, the cheaper school will get me.

Is this including Chicago/Columbia/NYU?

[ksimon2007]

Well I applied to quite a few schools, but I have heard back from eight so far:
AA male

In: American, W&L, GMU, Vanderbilt, Richmond, Catholic, Wake Forest

Held at G'Town...so all of you not going to G'Town withdraw lol

Congratulations to all of you on outstanding acceptances. I'm a bit more of a laymen ha

[LAWLAW09]

Congrats man. I know you're going to have a great cycle.

Thanks. Good luck to ya.

Is this including Chicago/Columbia/NYU?

Yup. I think there's a much bigger difference in opportunities for "CCN-ORMs" vs "T7-T14-ORMs," than there is for "CCN-Black Males" vs "T7-T14 Black Males."

Chicago had 17 black males, 9 AA 1Ls in all (http://officialguide.lsac.org/Release/S ... BA1832.pdf; my point is the same even if the data varies slightly from year to year). Not all of them will go after the same type of work or work in the same city. It's hard for me to imagine a plethora of advantages that will be given to the 2-5 Chicago Black males in a particular city, that won't also be available to the Black males coming out of the bottom T14.

I understand that the world isn't designed so that Black males only compete with Black males, but when it comes to building wealth, prestige for oneself (and not just one's employer), and career/life opportunities not related to law, Black males will continue to compete against Black males in major U.S cities in many ways (or at the very least be needed).

Factor in the importance that ppl and employers place on personality, WE, personal connections, appearance, etc. -factors other than one's degree-, and take a Black male that is aggressive and strategic in how he spends the additional $50k-$150k that won't be spent on loans, and a T7-T14 degree will almost always be "enough" for a Black male.

I know I simplified a lot, but much can be done, achieved, and gained with an extra 100k. I think this becomes even more apparent if one is willing to do for oneself many of the things that one prob would be asked to do as an employee in Big Law (i.e., work crazy hours, make oneself available and meet the needs of "clients," socialize/network with a purpose, etc.).

All this is theoretical at this point, since I currently don't have the varying cost of attendance options mentioned above, but after living 25+ years, I've also reached the conclusion that it's theoretical to believe that being qualified or having a certain degree will by itself lead to all the opportunities or level of happiness that it should.

With regards to being happy and having an impact in those communities I care the most about, choosing CCN with an extra $50k-$150k price tag over a T7-T14 degree is not a no-brainer for me.

[rundoxierun]

Yup. I think there's a much bigger difference in opportunities for "CCN-ORMs" vs "T7-T14-ORMs," than there is for "CCN-Black Males" vs "T7-T14 Black Males."

Not saying you are right or wrong but I am really curious to where you are getting this thought(i.e. do you know someone connected). Logically, it seems like it might be true but I dont think logic is confirmation enough. I mean, look at something as simple as the people who got SEO positions last year. 11 Columbia, 13 NYU, 5 Chicago vs. 2 Cornell/1 Penn/1 UVA. It really suggests there may be some kind of non-random filtering since the SEO firms represent the very firms we will likely be competing for. Plus, its not just the 2-5 Chicago grads you have to worry about but also the other 150ish HYSCCN grads fighting for a very, very limited number of positions.

Im legitimately curious of at what extra cost we should take on to move up a mythical "tier" within the T14.

[LAWLAW09]

Yup. I think there's a much bigger difference in opportunities for "CCN-ORMs" vs "T7-T14-ORMs," than there is for "CCN-Black Males" vs "T7-T14 Black Males."

Not saying you are right or wrong but I am really curious to where you are getting this thought(i.e. do you know someone connected). Logically, it seems like it might be true but I dont think logic is confirmation enough. I mean, look at something as simple as the people who got SEO positions last year. 11 Columbia, 13 NYU, 5 Chicago vs. 2 Cornell/1 Penn/1 UVA. It really suggests there may be some kind of non-random filtering since the SEO firms represent the very firms we will likely be competing for. Plus, its not just the 2-5 Chicago grads you have to worry about but also the other 150ish HYSCCN grads fighting for a very, very limited number of positions.

Im legitimately curious of at what extra cost we should take on to move up a mythical "tier" within the T14.

My thought isn't based on well documented stats or patterns, but as far as I can tell, neither is the thought that CCN with a much higher price tag is a better career move for a Black male than taking $ at a school ranked 7-14. To my knowledge, schools don't track career prospects by race and gender (or bar passage rates for that matter), but I figure if they did, the logic of picking schools based on what works/is true for ORMs would seem less credible. This seems to be especially true for schools that are graduating 4-8 Black males a year.

The SEO trends do seem to suggest that entrance into their program will become easier if one picks CCN over the other top schools, but we don't know how many from each school applied, nor is there much reason to think most Black males at a top school want Big Law. If one is looking to get into SEO, I don't think they should ignore the trends you pointed out, but there are ways to improve one's chances of getting into SEO that don't involve an additional 100k worth of debt.

The path that leads to being happy, financially independent, making a name for oneself, or working in Big Law or a particular region does not seem to heavily favor CCN over the rest of the T14 for the random Black male with those options. If it does, I too am legitimately curious and would like to be pointed to evidence that supports that argument.

It's impossible to go through the process without making some leaps of faith. Based on what I know and don't know, I would have to make another leap of faith to assume the quote you highlighted is not true. Additionally, when I factor in how often merit and/or the value of diversity is overpowered by other competing interests when final/big decisions are being made, that leap seems even bigger.

(FWIW, I do know of a Black male (Columbia law alum, former Skadden associate) that currently works in Big Law in D.C. I'm pretty sure he considered my Georgetown acceptance as more than enough to end up in Big Law or a position that would allow me to become financially independent.)

[ksimon2007]

My guess is that capable African American males from schools that do traditionally well at biglaw firms will be just fine. I would be happy with my chances at biglaw if I ended up at Vanderbilt. I think someone noted that the SEO program has such high standards in regards to "prestige" for very good reasons. They are putting you in an environment that can only be justified by the name of the law school you attend.

[miracle2011]

I just found out that I have received a $105,000 Merit scholarship to Boston University!

[kk19131]

I wonder how "black" some of you men are.

[ksimon2007]

I wonder how "black" some of you men are.

I think you we can save that discussion for Al Sharpton's radio show.