New LSAC Evaluation Service Forum

[thecilent]

Then how am I getting fee waivers via CRS this cycle? I signed up in 08. And I am getting waivers from schools I had previously not received them from.

Idk. I was under the impression it was a year from signing up. I took the lsat last December, and haven't gotten anything for this cycle.

Last year most of my fee waivers came in september to november.

True

[094320]

..

[kazu]

Are they out of their minds??? Why the hell do they decide to implement this NOW???

Christ. I didn't think I could hate LSAC more.

[Hannibal]

Why is the LSAC evil? I love them.

1. I only have to send transcripts/LORs to one place. When I was applying to UG I had to send mine to every school I applied.
2. The LSAT is fantastic. I'm a splitter so without the LSAT I'd be going to a TTT most likely. Also, it's probably the most fun standardized test I've ever taken.
3. I called them about a transcript thing and they were nice.

I'm going to pretend I didn't send them like $400 of my money with books and fees and all because it hurts my argument.

[Knock]

Why is the LSAC evil? I love them.

1. I only have to send transcripts/LORs to one place. When I was applying to UG I had to send mine to every school I applied.
2. The LSAT is fantastic. I'm a splitter so without the LSAT I'd be going to a TTT most likely. Also, it's probably the most fun standardized test I've ever taken.
3. I called them about a transcript thing and they were nice.

I'm going to pretend I didn't send them like $400 of my money with books and fees and all because it hurts my argument.

--ImageRemoved--

"We will wait until the new cycle starts and then throw a new evaluation form at them...mwahahaha."
-LSAC

[Knock]

Oops should have been more specific. People applying for the upcoming cycle who took a LSAT associated with the previous cycle don't show up on CRS searches and so don't receive unsolicited fee waivers that they should have gotten for their numbers. They have to contact the schools themselves to request a fee waiver.

Honestly, I think you are blaming LSAC for an inherently flawed system. LSDAS is not unfair, it's an attempt to make things more fair. We can argue about A+s all day, but the fact of the matter is that they had to draw the line somewhere and that's where they chose to do it. Better that way than having 100 different ways of calculating grades.\

As for the CRS, when should LSAC draw the line? A name should not be in the CRS forever, since everyone will either eventually go to law school or choose not to. So at what date should they remove your name from the CRS? A year after your LSAT sounds reasonable to me.

Finally, those who complain about the LSAT (not saying that you are), should realize that it is one of the only reasonable ways of grouping around 100,000 applicants each year. GPA is not standard accross the board, as we all know. Interviewing every applicant is not plausible. And basing decisions off of self reported data is just stupid. I feel bad for those who struggle with standardized tests, but that is part of life. If they can outperform their numbers they can hopefully outperform the rest of their class in 1L and transfer.

See this thread:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... ead#unread

[Eugenie Danglars]

I was reading the BU app earlier today, and they have a space asking if you plan to use the Evaluation service. I had no idea what this was, so I came and read this thread. The BU app, at least, says that even if you mark that you plan to use this service, your app will be evaluated without it. Sounds like it's no big deal for this cycle at least.

[crossingforHYS]

I was reading the BU app earlier today, and they have a space asking if you plan to use the Evaluation service. I had no idea what this was, so I came and read this thread. The BU app, at least, says that even if you mark that you plan to use this service, your app will be evaluated without it. Sounds like it's no big deal for this cycle at least.

I has a tour of ucla law, and this service was brought up.

The Dean explained that you can SUPPLEMENT this service and submit 2 evaluations and two letters of rec. but not from the same people. Or you can just submit evaluations or just letter of recs...

hope this is helpful.

[Deuce]

I was reading the BU app earlier today, and they have a space asking if you plan to use the Evaluation service. I had no idea what this was, so I came and read this thread. The BU app, at least, says that even if you mark that you plan to use this service, your app will be evaluated without it. Sounds like it's no big deal for this cycle at least.

I has a tour of ucla law, and this service was brought up.

The Dean explained that you can SUPPLEMENT this service and submit 2 evaluations and two letters of rec. but not from the same people. Or you can just submit evaluations or just letter of recs...

hope this is helpful.

I'll definitely be forgoing it then. Have 4 letters of rec. in the works; rather not have my 5th and 6th closest profs evaluating me...

[kazu]

I was reading the BU app earlier today, and they have a space asking if you plan to use the Evaluation service. I had no idea what this was, so I came and read this thread. The BU app, at least, says that even if you mark that you plan to use this service, your app will be evaluated without it. Sounds like it's no big deal for this cycle at least.

I has a tour of ucla law, and this service was brought up.

The Dean explained that you can SUPPLEMENT this service and submit 2 evaluations and two letters of rec. but not from the same people. Or you can just submit evaluations or just letter of recs...

hope this is helpful.

2 evaluations & two letters of rec? So... their quota for each is separate I guess? Or is it 2~4 total, however way you want to mix it?

Thanks for the info

[Hannibal]

Tomorrows the big day! Who's excited?

[r6_philly]

Tomorrows the big day! Who's excited?

I am! I plan on using this. I may actaully ask a couple of my LOR prof. to do this instead so they don't have to rewrite their LOR's.

[lawls]

I definitely won't be doing this. Not enough notice and I don't like the idea of it.

The attempt to quantify these kinds of things borders on the absurd. The way one evaluator will quantify skills will be different than another. Some will grade harshly and others leniently. Etc. etc. Isn't the whole point of LORs is to give space to people who know us to describe us in real and vivid language, while also giving insight into the recommender themselves?

I realize LORs rarely come into play, but I think preserving the human element, or even just the illusion of a human element, in these kinds of things is a good thing.

[r6_philly]

You are right, however in the educational world we are always trying to standarize and fit things into matrices or rubrics.

I suspect people who would be able to get great evaluations will love it, everyone else would hate it. They better keep it optional.

On the other hand, your professors have to evaluated in such a way every single semester, so it would be natural for them to evaluate you the same way. It may also easier to get evaluations than LOR's.

I wonder how many LOR's are canned templates anyway. Maybe it is more effective and accurate for the law schools to view evaulations rather than LOR's (maybe that's why they weigh so little).

[Barbie]

Tomorrows the big day! Who's excited?

I am! I plan on using this. I may actaully ask a couple of my LOR prof. to do this instead so they don't have to rewrite their LOR's.

Sorry, but can someone recap a summary for me? What is this and is it required / is it advised to do it if it isn't required?

[r6_philly]

Sorry, but can someone recap a summary for me? What is this and is it required / is it advised to do it if it isn't required?

details will be out next week, but it's a way for your recommenders to quantify your qualities in numerical values (I presume). It is not going to be required right now since it's new. If you can get top ratings, I recommend you to use it. It is going to stand out more than a good LOR since 1. it can be compared with other applicant's evaluations (if you have top ratings, again) 2. it doesn't require anyone to actually read it to see you did well.

[Barbie]

Sorry, but can someone recap a summary for me? What is this and is it required / is it advised to do it if it isn't required?

details will be out next week, but it's a way for your recommenders to quantify your qualities in numerical values (I presume). It is not going to be required right now since it's new. If you can get top ratings, I recommend you to use it. It is going to stand out more than a good LOR since 1. it can be compared with other applicant's evaluations (if you have top ratings, again) 2. it doesn't require anyone to actually read it to see you did well.

Fuuuhhhhhh... I already had all my LORs sent last year. I thought I was done with this!!!

[r6_philly]

Fuuuhhhhhh... I already had all my LORs sent last year. I thought I was done with this!!!

So did I. You don't need to use it. Since I am reapplying, I figure I would use this instead of getting all new LOR's. Save my recommenders some trouble.

[Barbie]

Fuuuhhhhhh... I already had all my LORs sent last year. I thought I was done with this!!!

So did I. You don't need to use it. Since I am reapplying, I figure I would use this instead of getting all new LOR's. Save my recommenders some trouble.

If you are reapplying, why do you need new LOR's?

[r6_philly]

Fuuuhhhhhh... I already had all my LORs sent last year. I thought I was done with this!!!

So did I. You don't need to use it. Since I am reapplying, I figure I would use this instead of getting all new LOR's. Save my recommenders some trouble.

If you are reapplying, why do you need new LOR's?

Some schools ask for new materials. I am revising my PS, rewriting my PS and writing new why x essays. Some ask for at least 1 new LOR.

I figure I will just submit new stuff since I have done quite a bit more after last cycle and new things would help my app look better so why not do it, many schools require it anyway.

[crossingforHYS]

I was reading the BU app earlier today, and they have a space asking if you plan to use the Evaluation service. I had no idea what this was, so I came and read this thread. The BU app, at least, says that even if you mark that you plan to use this service, your app will be evaluated without it. Sounds like it's no big deal for this cycle at least.

I has a tour of ucla law, and this service was brought up.

The Dean explained that you can SUPPLEMENT this service and submit 2 evaluations and two letters of rec. but not from the same people. Or you can just submit evaluations or just letter of recs...

hope this is helpful.

2 evaluations & two letters of rec? So... their quota for each is separate I guess? Or is it 2~4 total, however way you want to mix it?

Thanks for the info

I think its 2-4 in total...

[firemed]

So.... two things:

One- Would you say their revamping the website will in any way scr#w with the info I have already put in? Seriously.... if they lose any of my data and I have to call them and complain I will be seriously put out... not that I can do anything about it, since they have an effing monopoly on applications... but whatever... I will still be angry.

Two- Do you get the impression these evaluation thingies are going to necessarily or as a prerequisite be from academics? Or do you think that perhaps an employer could provide an evaluation?

The reason I ask number two is that I have great academic letters of recommendation (who doesn't?) but if this gave me a chance to have my employers (who like me so much I think they would have sex with an angry alligator hopped up on crack if they could keep me) rate my skills in communication, work ethic, intelligence, awesomeness, and attractiveness (there is no charge for awesomeness.... or attractiveness)... well, that could only help me. And at this point, even .1% of help would be nice (since I am a low GPA splitter).


Oh, and I realize that we should have details in less than 24 hours, but I am feeling impatient...

[casper13]

In late April, ANNE M. BRANDT, Executive Director of LSAC wrote:

Greetings! I write to let you know... about the new Evaluation Service that will be launched in late summer.

This service complements the Letter of Recommendation Service and law schools may accept, recommend, or require that applicants provide evaluations as part of the law school application.

An evaluation is composed of an online form with six categories of skills and attributes important in the law school admission process. The evaluator rates 30 individual skills and attributes and may provide comments about each category. General comments about the applicant can be made at the end of the evaluation. The service will be completely online.

Candidates will furnish LSAC with the names of those persons doing an evaluation; LSAC will contact the evaluator with a link to the website; and the evaluator will establish an account with LSAC and complete the evaluation forms online and submit them to LSAC.
The evaluations are sent as part of the law school report

Yeah because recommenders are not busy enough that they are gonna take time to establish an acct with LSAC and go through some process. I see some fail on this if scholls make it a requirement, seems like a lot of extra steps for an LOR writer that he or she may not care to do.

[thewarflamingo]

Can any of y'all even log into the new LSAC site? I tried on Firefox and Explorer, but it keeps popping up an error message saying the page can't load/be displayed. Anyone have success logging in?

[r6_philly]

Can any of y'all even log into the new LSAC site? I tried on Firefox and Explorer, but it keeps popping up an error message saying the page can't load/be displayed. Anyone have success logging in?

Yesterday they had a warning saying the LSDAS service will be unavailable today. They should have disabled the login link. But they didn't. I think it will be back tomorrow.

I have never been a part of a smooth re-launch/site update, so expect things to be buggy for a little while. But your data should be safe, this looks like a re-facing, not a structural change.