Boricuas! Forum

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towkthi

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Boricuas!

Post by towkthi » Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:51 pm

How many of us main-landers are actually applying to schools other than UPR, Pontifical, and de Hostos? I just feel like we are in a similar boat to NA's in that no one really knows how many of us there are and how well we do on the LSAT etc.

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billyez

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by billyez » Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:21 am

This is going to sound woefully ignorant and so I apologize in advance, but what do you mean by Boricuas?

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SamSeaborn2016

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by SamSeaborn2016 » Wed Jul 21, 2010 1:27 am

Boricuas = Puerto Rican aka Puertorriqueño

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:16 am

Boricua here from the mainland. There isn't that much information on Puerto Ricans in law school. All I know is that as of 2008, the mean LSAT for us is 138, which with my practice tests I've been doing much better than that, so I'm happy about that. I wonder if we get extra points for being from the island, as opposed to having parents who are Puerto Rican but being from NY or Chicago.

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Fri Jul 23, 2010 8:16 am

By the way, I'm not applying to any law school in the island. No UPR, Inter, or anything for me.

towkthi

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by towkthi » Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:39 pm

I'm not applying to anything on the island and I'm not so sure whether or not people from there get a bigger boost. I think most people go to UPR or another school and very few come up to the mainland. My cousin just graduated from law school down in Ponce and she and her husband are running their own practice, etc. I think most of us here stateside are diaspora kids.

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:46 pm

towkthi wrote:I'm not applying to anything on the island and I'm not so sure whether or not people from there get a bigger boost. I think most people go to UPR or another school and very few come up to the mainland. My cousin just graduated from law school down in Ponce and she and her husband are running their own practice, etc. I think most of us here stateside are diaspora kids.

Where you born in the states?

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catharsis

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by catharsis » Sat Jul 24, 2010 6:48 pm

checking in. gl to you in your cycle!!

kmarks

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by kmarks » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:36 am

Buenas suerte to everyone in the upcoming cycle!!
All I know is that as of 2008, the mean LSAT for us is 138
Is it me, or is that painfully low?

Also, since there are so few of us (some of the schools I'm applying to only have 1-2 PRs in the entire school), do you think we (whether stateside or on island) have significant boosts? I thought AA males had the biggest URM boost of all, but considering how few of us (and NAs) there are, you'd think it would work in our favor if we're decently qualified applicants...

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Sun Jul 25, 2010 9:57 am

kmarks wrote:Buenas suerte to everyone in the upcoming cycle!!
All I know is that as of 2008, the mean LSAT for us is 138
Is it me, or is that painfully low?

Also, since there are so few of us (some of the schools I'm applying to only have 1-2 PRs in the entire school), do you think we (whether stateside or on island) have significant boosts? I thought AA males had the biggest URM boost of all, but considering how few of us (and NAs) there are, you'd think it would work in our favor if we're decently qualified applicants...
I feel the same way. I visited a Top 10 school this summer and sat in on one of the summer classes. I was able to talk to the only latino student I saw, and he told me that there were less than 15 latinos in his class (2012 class), and none of them were puerto ricans.

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billyez

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by billyez » Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:17 pm

I'd be really surprised if ya'll don't get a boost equal to or more than what AA's get. That median LSAT score and the lack of PR's in law school should account for that. The only question I have is that I thought the aim of URM status is to ensure that the number of minorities in law school reflects in some way the proportion of minorities in scoiety - thus why Asians don't really get a boost. Are PR's represented in proportion already or is my theory totally and utterly wrong?

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thalassocrat

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by thalassocrat » Sun Jul 25, 2010 12:56 pm

billyez wrote:I'd be really surprised if ya'll don't get a boost equal to or more than what AA's get. That median LSAT score and the lack of PR's in law school should account for that. The only question I have is that I thought the aim of URM status is to ensure that the number of minorities in law school reflects in some way the proportion of minorities in scoiety - thus why Asians don't really get a boost. Are PR's represented in proportion already or is my theory totally and utterly wrong?
No, I think you're right, and outside of Puerto Rico schools they're underrepresented. PRs are one of the four groups counted as URMs at any rate.

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Mon Jul 26, 2010 2:11 pm

Interesting statistic on LSAC.org about Puerto Rican enrollment.

--LinkRemoved--

Edit: There are more "Native Americans or Alaskan Natives" in law school, than there are Puerto Ricans

towkthi

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by towkthi » Mon Jul 26, 2010 7:16 pm

DorianGray89 wrote:
towkthi wrote:I'm not applying to anything on the island and I'm not so sure whether or not people from there get a bigger boost. I think most people go to UPR or another school and very few come up to the mainland. My cousin just graduated from law school down in Ponce and she and her husband are running their own practice, etc. I think most of us here stateside are diaspora kids.

Where you born in the states?
Yes. Yeah I've wondered about the alleged boost and how all the law students IN Puerto Rico figure into the ABA's accounting. As you pointed out there are more NA's in stateside schools than PR's.

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Sakura3210

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by Sakura3210 » Wed Aug 04, 2010 3:58 am

To everyone asking Re:boost for PR's.
In my experience (09-10 cycle), the boost was DEFINITELY not as substantial as a good chunk of the AA boosts I witnessed. That said, it existed - I got waitlisted at a bunch of excellent schools that I was very borderline for w/my LSAT.

I think that in the case for PR's, if your numbers are borderline, your status is enough to get them to put you in the "consider" pile, but not to get in outright. DS's are consequently of vital importance - you need to show that your status is more than just a label. Personally, I think that failing to do that is what kept me from clinching a spot at my waitlisted schools.

Quick summary (what I believe to be generally the case)
PR#'s match school = accepted
PR#'s borderline = consider; good DS=acceptance, meh DS=waitlist
PR#'s poor= rejection, unless DS is really good in which case = consider (waitlist vs. acceptance then becomes and issue of how much interest you show in the school + how much space they have free + who knows for sure)

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DorianGray89

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by DorianGray89 » Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:46 pm

Sakura3210 wrote:To everyone asking Re:boost for PR's.
In my experience (09-10 cycle), the boost was DEFINITELY not as substantial as a good chunk of the AA boosts I witnessed. That said, it existed - I got waitlisted at a bunch of excellent schools that I was very borderline for w/my LSAT.

I think that in the case for PR's, if your numbers are borderline, your status is enough to get them to put you in the "consider" pile, but not to get in outright. DS's are consequently of vital importance - you need to show that your status is more than just a label. Personally, I think that failing to do that is what kept me from clinching a spot at my waitlisted schools.

Quick summary (what I believe to be generally the case)
PR#'s match school = accepted
PR#'s borderline = consider; good DS=acceptance, meh DS=waitlist
PR#'s poor= rejection, unless DS is really good in which case = consider (waitlist vs. acceptance then becomes and issue of how much interest you show in the school + how much space they have free + who knows for sure)
Where did you end up going?

bk1

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by bk1 » Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:49 pm

Last cycle (I am reapplying this cycle) I got a WL at somewhere that my numbers did not justify especially considering I applied at deadline, though I attribute that to both PR and it being my UG (UCD).

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Sakura3210

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Re: Boricuas!

Post by Sakura3210 » Wed Aug 04, 2010 5:19 pm

DorianGray89 wrote: Where did you end up going?
NYU 8)

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