Why do law schools ask which law schools you applied to? Forum

[Perjury]

and do you guys list the schools or ignore it?

[Perjury]

41 views and no response.

[basicgrey7]

hahaha ill respond but i have no clue. Sometimes jobs ask you where else you are applying? Maybe for the same reason?

[manbearwig]

The only reason I can think of could actually mean something is that they can see if you see them as a safety or a reach school.

[basicgrey7]

The only reason I can think of could actually mean something is that they can see if you see them as a safety or a reach school.

My thinking is so that they could make you an offer if they are worried about losing you.

[eagles111]

both answers above seem reasonable. Also some schools could use it to assist with YP. I don't know if the schools that do a lot of YP ask but it would be useful if that were a goal.

As for your second question, I would definitely answer. If you leave it blank worst case it is understood to mean that you are not applying to any other law schools, which would be highly deceptive, best case you just look like you didn't complete the application. You wouldn't leave one of the other questions blank, right? If for some reason you are strongly disinclined to answer you could contact the admissions office.

[newyorker88]

They use it to yield protect. I've ignored the question every time it appeared and have been accepted at those schools. So, I wouldn't worry about negative reprocussions from leaving out. Also, a blank means you're not answering the question it does not mean that you're saying you didn't apply to any other schools, writing none on that section would be the way to articulate that.

[Holly Golightly]

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[newyorker88]

Also, schools communicate with each other and if they're really interested in a candidate will sometimes ask the other school they applied to not to accept them.

[rando]

both answers above seem reasonable. Also some schools could use it to assist with YP. I don't know if the schools that do a lot of YP ask but it would be useful if that were a goal.

As for your second question, I would definitely answer. If you leave it blank worst case it is understood to mean that you are not applying to any other law schools, which would be highly deceptive, best case you just look like you didn't complete the application. You wouldn't leave one of the other questions blank, right? If for some reason you are strongly disinclined to answer you could contact the admissions office.

Worst case scenario if you leave it blank would actually be when they are using it to YP and they assume that you are applying to better ranked schools and that is why you left it blank. In which case, they would be more likely to YP your app.

[DukeHopeful]

Whenever that question showed up on schools I applied to, I just answered it with a few of the peer schools I had applied to. It was a safety app, so I just named my other safeties. That way I answered the question without giving it away that the app was a safety, though I would imagine schools can be pretty sure about safeties from the numbers.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Also, schools communicate with each other and if they're really interested in a candidate will sometimes ask the other school they applied to not to accept them.

I absolutely do not believe this. Law schools are in the market for competitive candidates. If a candidate is so competitive that one school A Is willing to request that school B reject the applicant, there is no way that the school B complies with the request. Also, it's entirely unethical. The applicant requested consideration by each school. The second school may be the candidate's first choice and the first school the last choice. I refuse to believe this happens.

[Anonymous Loser]

I don't see how this information would be useful for yield protection purposes: if you have a 3.9/173, Fordham assumes you are targeting NYU and Columbia whether you indicate this on the application form or not. Similarly, if you have a 3.2/156, you need not indicate that you are also applying to Rugters for the Fordham admissions committee to draw the conclusion that you are applying to Fordham as a reach school.

This information is used to develop a better understanding of the demographics of overall applicant pool, rather than for any sort of individualized determination on an applicant's admission. The schools that ask for this information tend to be those in saturated markets, where they are stuck competing not only against those schools in their market which are higher-ranked and afford better career prospects, as well as lower-ranked schools which offer substantial scholarships to qualified applicants, but the also must compete against similarly-ranked peer schools in nearby markets as well. Using Fordham as the example again, an applicant at Fordham's medians will be in the running for substantial scholarship funding at Brooklyn and Cardozo, and have an outside shot at NYU and Columbia. In addition, this applicant will have a good chance of acceptance at BC/BU, and a host of other T1 schools. Developing a better sense of where their applicants are also likely to apply helps Fordham direct its marketing efforts more effectively.

[danquayle]

I don't see how this information would be useful for yield protection purposes: if you have a 3.9/173, Fordham assumes you are targeting NYU and Columbia whether you indicate this on the application form or not. Similarly, if you have a 3.2/156, you need not indicate that you are also applying to Rugters for the Fordham admissions committee to draw the conclusion that you are applying to Fordham as a reach school.

This information is used to develop a better understanding of the demographics of overall applicant pool, rather than for any sort of individualized determination on an applicant's admission. The schools that ask for this information tend to be those in saturated markets, where they are stuck competing not only against those schools in their market which are higher-ranked and afford better career prospects, as well as lower-ranked schools which offer substantial scholarships to qualified applicants, but the also must compete against similarly-ranked peer schools in nearby markets as well. Using Fordham as the example again, an applicant at Fordham's medians will be in the running for substantial scholarship funding at Brooklyn and Cardozo, and have an outside shot at NYU and Columbia. In addition, this applicant will have a good chance of acceptance at BC/BU, and a host of other T1 schools. Developing a better sense of where their applicants are also likely to apply helps Fordham direct its marketing efforts more effectively.

Yeah, I think they use it for marketing/business strategy purposes. I think they try to identity certain demographics that they can attempt to persuade to come to their school, and the spread of school applications helps them. I know I got a bunch of emails from schools purely because I had graduated from a certain school... merely because a graduate of that school is part of their targeted demographic.

I think they also use it just to know where they're at in the scheme of things and who they're up against. For example, does a certain state school compete most with lower ranks school in its own state, or with other state schools in the region?