Top Law Schools

If you tell a school in your personal statement that it is your "top choice" are you obligated to matriculate if you are accepted?

You are not bound to it like you would if you ED'd but you probably shouldn't have written that if it wasn't true.

Did you include a statement of absolute compliance and sign and date your personal statement?

If so, yes.

No. But I question whether or not this little tidbit will add any value to your application.

This isn't a dilemma

if you think honesty is important, yes

otherwise, probably not

kittenmittons wrote:This isn't a dilemma

Dammit, I can't believe I didn't mention that, I so rarely give up an opportunity to be pedantic.

Technically, no. Ethically and if you are fond of keeping your word, yes.

Do you think they might contact whatever school you choose to attend?

DCD wrote:Do you think they might contact whatever school you choose to attend?

no


They will gloss right over this statement anyway, so it's just a waste of space

I told my top choice school that they were such. And I did ED. But even if they let me in now (I was deferred from ED) I probably won't attend without scholarship help. That doesn't change the fact that it is my dream school and top choice and that if money wasn't a factor I would go there without a second's hesitation.

Treat law schools like hot girls. Be alpha and neg them bro

shadowfrost000 wrote:Did you include a statement of absolute compliance and sign and date your personal statement?

If so, yes.

I didn't include a statement of absolute compliance. I really wanted to go to school there at the start of the cycle, but now I am having second thoughts. I simply referred to them as "my top choice" once in my personal statement. To make matters worse, my numbers are way above their medians, so I'm basically sure that I'll get in.

lawschooliseasy wrote:

shadowfrost000 wrote:Did you include a statement of absolute compliance and sign and date your personal statement?

If so, yes.

I didn't include a statement of absolute compliance. I really wanted to go to school there at the start of the cycle, but now I am having second thoughts. I simply referred to them as "my top choice" once in my personal statement. To make matters worse, my numbers are way above their medians, so I'm basically sure that I'll get in.

what do you mean "to make matters worse?" this isn't a dilemma, you're under absolutely no obligation to the school, stop whining.

Personally, I would only say that to my actual top choice. Not that it will get you a real advantage anyway, but saying it to every school is a pretty lame move.

That said, I don't think you are obligated to attend if admitted to the school you said was your #1. You can't anticipate what the difference in financial aid will be. Columbia may have been your top choice when applying, but if NYU awards you $$$$, it can become a lot easier to turn down your previous top-choice.

There is no dilemma. You probably meant it when you sent it, and now you don't. If you sent it in all your applications then that is an ethical "violation." Things change and they know that. No one will care...

My top choice has changed twice already, just because of my dealings with the admission's offices.

kittenmittons wrote:Treat law schools like hot girls. Be alpha and neg them bro

"Stanford is totally a shit school. I wouldn't be caught dead attending there. Your mascot is a goddamn tree."

kittenmittons wrote:This isn't a dilemma

capitalacq wrote:

DCD wrote:Do you think they might contact whatever school you choose to attend?

no


They will gloss right over this statement anyway, so it's just a waste of space

This.

Also, there is no ethical dilemma involved in not attending your top choice.

WhiskeyGuy wrote:Technically, no. Ethically and if you are fond of keeping your word, yes.

It's dishonest if you are lying about it being your top choice, but there is not anything dishonest about it if the school really is your top choice. "You are my top school" is not equivalent to "I will attend your school no matter what if accepted" so there is nothing dishonest about not attending just because you write that.

Plenty of people end up not going to schools that were their top choice when applying. Who knows what will change between you submitting an app and you deciding what school to go to.

But once again,

Cap wrote:They will gloss right over this statement anyway, so it's just a waste of space

even if you said "it is my to choice and I will attend if accepted" - your opinion is not unlikely to change over the subsequent 3-4 months while waiting for a decision. As long as it was true when yo signed the app and you have a valid reason for changing your mind I dont see an ethical dilemma.

ED applications aside, saying a school is your top choice does not mean that you are agreeing to attend if admitted. Lots of people have to turn down their top choice due to better scholarship offerings from other schools as well as other factors.