Can You Say "If Admitted, I will Attend" ???? Forum

[legalease9]

Go ahead and do it OP. Could give you a boost. Just make sure you do it for only one school of course, and that you are sure you will attend if admitted.

[General Tso]

I "don't know" why you feel the need to "use a lot of quotes" when you are "telling me this," but your argument is "unsound" at best.

A school isn't going to waitlist someone just because they say they want to go there. In all likelihood, they would have been waitlisted either way based on their numbers.

Why not? I would...you can keep this person hanging on the WL until the very end and offer that seat to 2-3 other more qualified applicants in the meantime.

[romothesavior]

During regular decision, you should ED if you know you want to attend a particular school. If you don't or if that school doesn't offer ED, then you should really just submit a strong, concrete "Why X" essay. Period. However, promising to attend is a great idea when you are on the waitlist. It doesn't always work, but if a WL spot does become available, that's when adcomms are concerned about making sure they admit someone who will attend. So that's when you should be asking this question.

Here's the bottom line...if the school is interested in you, then they're not going to deny you. And if you express strong, concrete interest and they WL you, then it wasn't because they didn't think you were interested enough. But once you're on that WL, there is no earthly reason to restrain your enthusiasm.

+1. This is a great response.

Still, I see nothing wrong with saying you'll attend if admitted. Again, you shouldn't feel a need to do it in your app, but there is no harm in doing so. Law school adcomms don't operate like a machine... there is some (small) degree of human element as well. It is always possible that you write a great Why X? and some adcomm reads it and gives you a boost because of it. So it could help, but I really doubt it does anything either way. At the end of the day, it is almost purely a numbers game for the vast majority of applicants.

[worldtraveler]

I did this for Michigan. I clearly didn't end up attending Michigan. I thought I had about a 1% shot at getting into Berkeley and Michigan was really my realistic dream school. I felt a little bad for saying that and then not actually going, so I would say don't do it. It's very hard to predict what you will actually do.

[bk1]

I felt a little bad for saying that and then not actually going, so I would say don't do it.

I wouldn't agree with this. If it is going to help my admissions chances, I would do it. If it won't, I wouldn't. Schools have tons of qualified applicants clamoring to get in and often WL/reject people with similar numbers to you so it is no skin off their back, thus I see no reason to truly feel bad. Is it a bit disingenuous? Of course, but it isn't binding or seriously unethical.

[Marionberry]

Of course, but it isn't binding or seriously unethical.

So it may be unethical, but not seriously so? I like this.

[MY2010]

I felt a little bad for saying that and then not actually going, so I would say don't do it.

I wouldn't agree with this. If it is going to help my admissions chances, I would do it. If it won't, I wouldn't. Schools have tons of qualified applicants clamoring to get in and often WL/reject people with similar numbers to you so it is no skin off their back, thus I see no reason to truly feel bad. Is it a bit disingenuous? Of course, but it isn't binding or seriously unethical.

i dunno, i was tempted to somehow imply this as well
...but ultimately, if i end up not going then it'd technically be a lie
so i went against it

[2ofspades]

I felt a little bad for saying that and then not actually going, so I would say don't do it.

I wouldn't agree with this. If it is going to help my admissions chances, I would do it. If it won't, I wouldn't. Schools have tons of qualified applicants clamoring to get in and often WL/reject people with similar numbers to you so it is no skin off their back, thus I see no reason to truly feel bad. Is it a bit disingenuous? Of course, but it isn't binding or seriously unethical.

Wow. Just...wow.