Shocking rejections Forum
- BigA
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:22 am
Shocking rejections
I remember when I was first thinking about law school and contacting different schools. Someone from the University of Wyoming told me they rejected someone with a 170 LSAT score. She said the guy came off as really arrogant in his PS and they wouldn't want someone like him in their program (Her point being that Wyoming is not just about numbers. They take the whole person into account).
So I'm wondering what other stories people have about rejections that just seem to defy logic. Also if you could explain or venture a guess as to the reason for this rejection, please do. It could help others from making the same mistake.
So I'm wondering what other stories people have about rejections that just seem to defy logic. Also if you could explain or venture a guess as to the reason for this rejection, please do. It could help others from making the same mistake.
- amputatedbrain
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue Aug 04, 2009 5:21 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
my large public school (low T1 law school) has a chart of LSAT/GPA acceptance/rejections in their viewbook. In the "180/3.75+" column, there was one rejection . . . when I asked about it, apparently the applicant was just brilliant but a sociopath and his LOR writers had actually advised against letting him in.
Edit: I guess that isn't really what you meant because it wasn't really inexplicable given the circumstances, but you have to wonder what kind of person you have to be to get rejected from an alright law school with perfect numbers
Edit: I guess that isn't really what you meant because it wasn't really inexplicable given the circumstances, but you have to wonder what kind of person you have to be to get rejected from an alright law school with perfect numbers
- BigA
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- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:22 am
Re: Shocking rejections
No. Thanks for sharing. I'm a bit surprised his references would send letters like that though. Wouldn't you think they would just decline when the guy came to them to write a LOR, if they felt that way? Guy must be scary crazyamputatedbrain wrote:my large public school (low T1 law school) has a chart of LSAT/GPA acceptance/rejections in their viewbook. In the "180/3.75+" column, there was one rejection . . . when I asked about it, apparently the applicant was just brilliant but a sociopath and his LOR writers had actually advised against letting him in.
Edit: I guess that isn't really what you meant because it wasn't really inexplicable given the circumstances, but you have to wonder what kind of person you have to be to get rejected from an alright law school with perfect numbers
- Dignan
- Posts: 1110
- Joined: Sun Feb 08, 2009 5:52 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
Note to self: do not ask for letters of recommendation from people who think that I am a sociopath.amputatedbrain wrote:my large public school (low T1 law school) has a chart of LSAT/GPA acceptance/rejections in their viewbook. In the "180/3.75+" column, there was one rejection . . . when I asked about it, apparently the applicant was just brilliant but a sociopath and his LOR writers had actually advised against letting him in.
- BigA
- Posts: 448
- Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 7:22 am
Re: Shocking rejections
That's what's funny too. Guy musta thought these were the two best people to write him a good letterDignan wrote:Note to self: do not ask for letters of recommendation from people who think that I am a sociopath.amputatedbrain wrote:my large public school (low T1 law school) has a chart of LSAT/GPA acceptance/rejections in their viewbook. In the "180/3.75+" column, there was one rejection . . . when I asked about it, apparently the applicant was just brilliant but a sociopath and his LOR writers had actually advised against letting him in.

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- Kohinoor
- Posts: 2641
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:51 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
Not necessarily crazy. Douchenozzles make enemies, and there's nothing better than screwing someone you find arrogant or condescending.BigA wrote:No. Thanks for sharing. I'm a bit surprised his references would send letters like that though. Wouldn't you think they would just decline when the guy came to them to write a LOR, if they felt that way? Guy must be scary crazy
- los blancos
- Posts: 8397
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 4:18 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
Not law school, but this is a 100% true story
I was a slacker in HS, had like a 3.5 with a lot of As but a lot of really shitty grades on my transcript. But I had a 34 ACT.
I got rejected by my state university whereas some of my classmates with similar GPAs and essays but far worse test scores got in. Mind you, this was around the time they were supposedly letting in kids with connections. (Now you know which state school I'm talking about)
One of my buddies who was a year my junior went to one of their admissions info sessions and applied the following year. He said the adcomm told the group about a 34 ACT they rejected the previous year (i.e., they were making an example out of me). He said he gave the adcomm a total mindfuck when he went up to her after the session and asked her if she was talking about me.
To this day I have a vendetta against that fucking school, because I definitely would have gone there had they not rejected my ass. Fortunately, I eventually ended up at a much better school.
I was a slacker in HS, had like a 3.5 with a lot of As but a lot of really shitty grades on my transcript. But I had a 34 ACT.
I got rejected by my state university whereas some of my classmates with similar GPAs and essays but far worse test scores got in. Mind you, this was around the time they were supposedly letting in kids with connections. (Now you know which state school I'm talking about)
One of my buddies who was a year my junior went to one of their admissions info sessions and applied the following year. He said the adcomm told the group about a 34 ACT they rejected the previous year (i.e., they were making an example out of me). He said he gave the adcomm a total mindfuck when he went up to her after the session and asked her if she was talking about me.
To this day I have a vendetta against that fucking school, because I definitely would have gone there had they not rejected my ass. Fortunately, I eventually ended up at a much better school.
- BigA
- Posts: 448
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Re: Shocking rejections
Any explanation for why?One of my buddies who was a year my junior went to one of their admissions info sessions and applied the following year. He said the adcomm told the group about a 34 ACT they rejected the previous year (i.e., they were making an example out of me). He said he gave the adcomm a total mindfuck when he went up to her after the session and asked her if she was talking about me.
Makes me wonder... anyone reading this get rejected from Wyoming with a 170?

- los blancos
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Re: Shocking rejections
I actually happened to be there a month after I got rejected and went to the admissions office. They gave me some bullshit about my grades/transcript. Which really couldn't have been THAT bad else I wouldn't have gotten into a top school the following year as a transfer with only middling grades from my freshman year.BigA wrote:Any explanation for why?One of my buddies who was a year my junior went to one of their admissions info sessions and applied the following year. He said the adcomm told the group about a 34 ACT they rejected the previous year (i.e., they were making an example out of me). He said he gave the adcomm a total mindfuck when he went up to her after the session and asked her if she was talking about me.
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Re: Shocking rejections
UCLA rejected me for undergrad with a 4.35 GPA (4th in the high school class) and 35 ACT. Also, no red flags or anything on my resume or transcript. I was from San Diego too, so everyone was just really surprised.
Many of my friends with MUCH worse scores got into the school. It was really quite bizarre. I still think about it sometimes.
Many of my friends with MUCH worse scores got into the school. It was really quite bizarre. I still think about it sometimes.
- los blancos
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Re: Shocking rejections
hitmon33 wrote:UCLA rejected me for undergrad with a 4.35 GPA (4th in the high school class) and 35 ACT. Also, no red flags or anything on my resume or transcript. I was from San Diego too, so everyone was just really surprised.
Many of my friends with MUCH worse scores got into the school. It was really quite bizarre. I still think about it sometimes.
That's absurd, but at least you got rejected by a fairly selective school and that school wasn't involved in giving away spots to unqualified politically connected applicants.
- Hattori Hanzo
- Posts: 659
- Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 12:17 am
Re: Shocking rejections
Good job on strategic replacement of "know" with "think"Dignan wrote:Note to self: do not ask for letters of recommendation from people who think that I am a sociopath.amputatedbrain wrote:my large public school (low T1 law school) has a chart of LSAT/GPA acceptance/rejections in their viewbook. In the "180/3.75+" column, there was one rejection . . . when I asked about it, apparently the applicant was just brilliant but a sociopath and his LOR writers had actually advised against letting him in.

I think you and I share the same thoughts on at least ONE specific school's application process. I kept thinking perhaps it was an LOR problem but then I got accepted with the same LORs at Cal. I don't know why but I personally feel I'll soon be a good example for this thread.
- ontologyfail
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:53 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
Anyone who gets rejected from Cooley.
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- traehekat
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Re: Shocking rejections
UIUC denied my friend with a 35 ACT.
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Re: Shocking rejections
What was your class rank? UIUC uses class rank and ACT as pretty much the only factors in admissions. Also which college did you apply to. Engineering, and Business are more selective than LAS.boilercat wrote:I actually happened to be there a month after I got rejected and went to the admissions office. They gave me some bullshit about my grades/transcript. Which really couldn't have been THAT bad else I wouldn't have gotten into a top school the following year as a transfer with only middling grades from my freshman year.BigA wrote:Any explanation for why?One of my buddies who was a year my junior went to one of their admissions info sessions and applied the following year. He said the adcomm told the group about a 34 ACT they rejected the previous year (i.e., they were making an example out of me). He said he gave the adcomm a total mindfuck when he went up to her after the session and asked her if she was talking about me.
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Re: Shocking rejections
There's a story in How to Get Into Top Law Schools about Berkeley rejecting a near perfect LSAT/GPA because the applicant was boring or two dimensional.BigA wrote:I remember when I was first thinking about law school and contacting different schools. Someone from the University of Wyoming told me they rejected someone with a 170 LSAT score. She said the guy came off as really arrogant in his PS and they wouldn't want someone like him in their program (Her point being that Wyoming is not just about numbers. They take the whole person into account).
So I'm wondering what other stories people have about rejections that just seem to defy logic. Also if you could explain or venture a guess as to the reason for this rejection, please do. It could help others from making the same mistake.
-
- Posts: 1004
- Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 5:17 pm
Re: Shocking rejections
Berkely hates flat applicants.JOThompson wrote: There's a story in How to Get Into Top Law Schools about Berkeley rejecting a near perfect LSAT/GPA because the applicant was boring or two dimensional.
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- 84Sunbird2000
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Re: Shocking rejections
LoL, plus Flatland-inhabitants are probably unable to get a Visa.oneforship wrote:Berkely hates flat applicants.JOThompson wrote: There's a story in How to Get Into Top Law Schools about Berkeley rejecting a near perfect LSAT/GPA because the applicant was boring or two dimensional.
- thalassocrat
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Re: Shocking rejections
kwhitegocubs wrote:LoL, plus Flatland-inhabitants are probably unable to get a Visa.oneforship wrote:Berkely hates flat applicants.JOThompson wrote: There's a story in How to Get Into Top Law Schools about Berkeley rejecting a near perfect LSAT/GPA because the applicant was boring or two dimensional.

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Re: Shocking rejections
I got rejected from Notre Dame out of high school. I had like a 3.7, and a 1480 on the old SAT. I went to catholic school, I'm from Indiana, and my letters of recommendation were from my teachers that went to Notre Dame. One was written by my physics teacher who wrote around 50 letters for people to go to notre dame through the years, and I was the first one to ever be rejected. I would have gone there for sure if I got in. They never did give me an answer as to why. The worst part of it is I knew people in my graduating class with 2.5 gpa's and 1000 sat scores who got in because of their family connections.
- sarlis
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Re: Shocking rejections
hey, they are a top 10 school, man, just look at their rankingsontologyfail wrote:Anyone who gets rejected from Cooley.
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- Posts: 98
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Re: Shocking rejections
rejected by dartmouth out of HS...haha yeah right chumps
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Re: Shocking rejections
ND is very overrated. Where did you end up?gocubs2010 wrote:I got rejected from Notre Dame out of high school. I had like a 3.7, and a 1480 on the old SAT. I went to catholic school, I'm from Indiana, and my letters of recommendation were from my teachers that went to Notre Dame. One was written by my physics teacher who wrote around 50 letters for people to go to notre dame through the years, and I was the first one to ever be rejected. I would have gone there for sure if I got in. They never did give me an answer as to why. The worst part of it is I knew people in my graduating class with 2.5 gpa's and 1000 sat scores who got in because of their family connections.
- utilitarianjac
- Posts: 102
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Re: Shocking rejections
WUSTL rejected me by email three weeks after I had started 1L.
I had a 170/4.00.
I had a 170/4.00.
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Re: Shocking rejections
Did you go to some unaccredited christian school? Because that is insane with those numbers.utilitarianjac wrote:WUSTL rejected me by email three weeks after I had started 1L.
I had a 170/4.00.
Seriously? What are you waiting for?
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