Do Applications Follow You Beyond Admissions? Forum

[DeSilentio2728]

After you are admitted to a law school, how much play does your application get beyond the admissions process, i.e., do faculty read your application, does the admissions staff ever mention information about your application with you after you arrive on campus for classes? I guess I am wondering how much anonymity exists in the process, and whether or not, what you say in your personal statement, etc... follows you.

I know that when you apply for the bar, your application may come into evidence, but I am simply concerned with the individuals that you have to work with on a daily basis at law school.

The reason I ask this, is that when I arrive at law school, I do not want to be known as such and such person who went through such and such experience (as presented in personal essay), but rather I just want a relatively clear slate.

Any thoughts?

[Kohinoor]

After you are admitted to a law school, how much play does your application get beyond the admissions process, i.e., do faculty read your application, does the admissions staff ever mention information about your application with you after you arrive on campus for classes. I guess I am wondering how much anonymity exists in the process, and whether or not, what you say in your personal statement, etc... follows you.

I know that when you apply for the bar, your application may come into evidence, but I am simply concerned with the individuals that you have to work with on a daily basis at law school.

The reason I ask this, is that when I arrive at law school, I do not want to be known as such and such person who went through such and such experience (as presented in personal essay), but rather I just want a relatively clear slate.

Any thoughts?

It doesn't come up. Literally 3 people max at the school have read your essay, and they weren't trying to remember it beyond that moment.

[swc65]

That is an interesting question and it probably varies by schools. Some schools have committees that read the apps with professors. Others only have admissions people whom you will likely never see again.

Even if professors do read your app and then you have them for a class, I am sure they have the professionalism not to prejudge or pity you because of your PS. That is if they even remember your name from the PSs they read.

[DeSilentio2728]

I also wonder if professors are aware of your lsat scores when you take classes, as in, if one were to get into Harvard with a 150 lsat, would one be prejudged before every class one would take?

[r6_philly]

why did you write something in your PS if you don't want your potential mentors know about your? I can certain understand about anonymity among peers, but why professors?

[flyingpanda]

I also wonder if professors are aware of your lsat scores when you take classes, as in, if one were to get into Harvard with a 150 lsat, would one be prejudged before every class one would take?

Are you kidding me? Nobody who isn't on the committee looks at your application. Your professors won't know about any of your prior academic achievements.

[DeSilentio2728]

why did you write something in your PS if you don't want your potential mentors know about your? I can certain understand about anonymity among peers, but why professors?

No, I am actually just curious to the answer to these questions. More so, from an undergraduate perspective. I remember having an academic advisor my freshman year of college with whom I had never had a class, but who seemed to suggest that I was limited in my potential. I wondered, since I went to a good school where most students had exceptional sat/act scores, if I was being prejudged for having a lower score, and thus having lower potential than some of my peers.

[chadwick218]

Some states will request your application as you are applying to the bar.

[Kohinoor]

Why do law school students have this skewed sense of their importance to others?

[r6_philly]

why did you write something in your PS if you don't want your potential mentors know about your? I can certain understand about anonymity among peers, but why professors?

No, I am actually just curious to the answer to these questions. More so, from an undergraduate perspective. I remember having an academic advisor my freshman year of college with whom I had never had a class, but who seemed to suggest that I was limited in my potential. I wondered, since I went to a good school where most students had exceptional sat/act scores, if I was being prejudged for having a lower score, and thus having lower potential than some of my peers.

Did this experience actually hurt you anyhow (other than how you feel). Were you treated unfairly in grading/evaluations because of it? I would think if you don't actually have lower potential than your peers then you should be able to excel no matter what. But I think it is unavoidable to have the professors judge you at least somewhat form your records. In UG profs get your GPA on the roster when they come to class so they should know who are the better performances, but I don't feel that it will affect how they treat you too much. At least it shouldn't. To think if law professors would discriminate based on entrace exam scores seem to be against the spirit of the study of law.

[JMD.USMC]

Why do law school students have this skewed sense of their importance to others?

TITCR

You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake. You're the same decaying organic matter as everything else.

[r6_philly]

Why do law school students have this skewed sense of their importance to others?

I am really curious of this. I have only been on this forum for a couple of months but I am just really surprised of how many around here think. People are sincerely afraid of others find out what made them who they are. It is bizarre, to me. It's like people are ashamed of who they are, and at the same want to appear to others as someone else.

[DeSilentio2728]

I think that this is a legitimate question. I mean does anybody ever live down a bad test score? I know that when I request transcripts from my undergraduate institution, my act score is always on the transcript, so when employers request a copy of my transcripts, they view not only my undergraduate grades, but also my standardized tests scores, i.e. my supposed intelligence. So no matter how well I did in college, I will always be prejudged on that score, whereas I should simply be judged based on my performance during college. (I scored well on my ACT score, I am just positing the question)

[Mr. Pablo]

I think that this is a legitimate question. I mean does anybody ever live down a bad test score? I know that when I request transcripts from my undergraduate institution, my act score is always on the transcript, so when employers request a copy of my transcripts, they view not only my undergraduate grades, but also my standardized tests scores, i.e. my supposed intelligence. So no matter how well I did in college, I will always be prejudged on that score, whereas I should simply be judged based on my performance during college. (I scored well on my ACT score, I am just positing the question)

#1 (bolded). Yes, because at a certain point people stop caring about that bullshit, i.e. when you have real work experience.

#2 (bolded) When you have real and substantive experience, employers don't give a shit about your GPA or your transcript.

[DeSilentio2728]

I think that this is a legitimate question. I mean does anybody ever live down a bad test score? I know that when I request transcripts from my undergraduate institution, my act score is always on the transcript, so when employers request a copy of my transcripts, they view not only my undergraduate grades, but also my standardized tests scores, i.e. my supposed intelligence. So no matter how well I did in college, I will always be prejudged on that score, whereas I should simply be judged based on my performance during college. (I scored well on my ACT score, I am just positing the question)

#1 (bolded). Yes, because at a certain point people stop caring about that bullshit, i.e. when you have real work experience.

#2 (bolded) When you have real and substantive experience, employers don't give a shit about your GPA or your transcript.

Thanks for answering the questions.

Too bad law schools don't see things the same way, because I have a shit ton of great work experience (been out of school for a few years), but with a 163 lsat I am not getting into HYS.

[vanwinkle]

Why do law school students have this skewed sense of their importance to others?

Because outside of law school they were actually the best at what they do. They'll get reality beaten into them quickly once they get here, though.