Bored with Waiting -- Help with making sense of LSAC data
Posted: Sat Jan 23, 2010 2:28 am
sf
It's an interesting problem for Cornell. I believe it stems from the fact that their numbers are the easiest to reach among the T-14, so it acts sort of as a gate-keeper to the "good" law schools. Thus, it's reasonable to believe that Cornell is being flooded with a bunch of borderline numbers who are desperately trying to get into the T-14. While this is always a problem, it is probably being inflamed by the economy, and internet bias towards "T-14 or BUST!". You don't see such a massive increase in admissions at the rest of this bracket of schools because their numbers are considerably more difficult to reach. Where with Cornell you can be okay with a 3.2, the rest of the T-14 you really need a 3.5 or above. Where with Cornell you're okay with a 166, with the others you're not safe until you hit 170. Those are relatively small increases, but in practice they're everything. I can't remember exactly, but isn't it something like 3 times as many people score in the 165-169 range than the entire 170-180 set?
The real problem Cornell is going to face is a warped yield percentage. With so many borderline people desperate to get into a T-14, they're going to see a very high rate of matriculation from their average applicants. While only time will tell what's actually going on, I think this cycle at Cornell is going to be hyper competitive for borderline/reach students, but just another average year for anybody with better numbers. Cornell knows that most people above their medians end up going to Duke, Northwestern, Georgetown or MVP.