LawSchoolNumbers.com Fudging of Numbers Forum

[TommyK]

It seems like a lot of people who sign up for profiles at LawSchoolNumbers.com fudge their LSAT/GPA/Date of application numbers. I can only assume this is so the schools to which they apply don't see the other schools they're applying to and exercise yield protection. Am I correct in this assumption? Does anybody have any thoughts on whether this is good practice or unchecked paranoia?

[Grizz]

Mainly paranoia. Even if a few people did fudge, LSN is still good enough to see general trends for most schools.

[volfan6415]

Unchecked paranoia....schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications. Lets for for starters assume that the schools did have the time between reveiwing the thousands of applications that they recieve, there is no 100 percent way that the school can verify that the profile they have found is the applicant that they are looking at. The school is not going to make an admission's decision based off of unverifiable data in order to further the questionable process known as YP.

The people who further this idea are the same people who make "alien hats" out of aluminum foil.

[Bildungsroman]

I fudge my numbers on LSN because I don't want my IRL friends to track down my profile. In my situation it's not paranoia, because they've alread found the profiles of a few other people we know from previous cycles just for curiosity's sake, and I want to keep the details of my cycle from them.

[rui]

If you're number fudging, what the hell is the point of LSN (or do you plan to correct your numbers after you're finished?)

[Hey-O]

If you're number fudging, what the hell is the point of LSN (or do you plan to correct your numbers after you're finished?)

It makes you feel good about yourself to pretend you got a 180 4.0?

[WestOfTheRest]

Unchecked paranoia....schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications. Lets for for starters assume that the schools did have the time between reveiwing the thousands of applications that they recieve, there is no 100 percent way that the school can verify that the profile they have found is the applicant that they are looking at. The school is not going to make an admission's decision based off of unverifiable data in order to further the questionable process known as YP.

The people who further this idea are the same people who make "alien hats" out of aluminum foil.

I don't know about LSN, but there are verified examples of adcomms reading TLS posts. If you do some searches you will find examples of them disclosing that they have read peoples posts.

[billyez]

If you're number fudging, what the hell is the point of LSN (or do you plan to correct your numbers after you're finished?)

To be fair, some/most of the people tend to note that they're going to update their numbers to the correct figures after their cycles. As long as the numbers are correct for future applicants LSN still remains a more viable resource than LSP. This is just another reason why, though, I think people are far too reliant on LSN/LSP in the first place..just apply where they really want to go rather than trying to divine where they're going to be accepted through programs.

I don't know about LSN, but there are verified examples of adcomms reading TLS posts. If you do some searches you will find examples of them disclosing that they have read peoples posts.

I know I've read interviews from adcoms saying that they just don't have the time though to really investigate this too much. Besides, all these people care about (mostly) is numbers so I doubt that what you post on here, in the highly unlikely situation that they investigate someone's posts, would really matter. Heck, you could just not say anything here that you wouldn't say IRL and that would solve the problem.

[Hey-O]

Unchecked paranoia....schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications. Lets for for starters assume that the schools did have the time between reveiwing the thousands of applications that they recieve, there is no 100 percent way that the school can verify that the profile they have found is the applicant that they are looking at. The school is not going to make an admission's decision based off of unverifiable data in order to further the questionable process known as YP.

The people who further this idea are the same people who make "alien hats" out of aluminum foil.

I don't know about LSN, but there are verified examples of adcomms reading TLS posts. If you do some searches you will find examples of them disclosing that they have read peoples posts.

I've heard this too. I don't think that I have revealed anything that would make anyone know who I am, but I think I've revealed enough that adcomms could figure it out if they wanted to. But why? What do they get out of it? What could they possibly use against you?

[09042014]

I fudge my numbers on LSN because I don't want my IRL friends to track down my profile. In my situation it's not paranoia, because they've alread found the profiles of a few other people we know from previous cycles just for curiosity's sake, and I want to keep the details of my cycle from them.

Then why must you put up a LSN page?

[WestOfTheRest]

Unchecked paranoia....schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications. Lets for for starters assume that the schools did have the time between reveiwing the thousands of applications that they recieve, there is no 100 percent way that the school can verify that the profile they have found is the applicant that they are looking at. The school is not going to make an admission's decision based off of unverifiable data in order to further the questionable process known as YP.

The people who further this idea are the same people who make "alien hats" out of aluminum foil.

I don't know about LSN, but there are verified examples of adcomms reading TLS posts. If you do some searches you will find examples of them disclosing that they have read peoples posts.

I've heard this too. I don't think that I have revealed anything that would make anyone know who I am, but I think I've revealed enough that adcomms could figure it out if they wanted to. But why? What do they get out of it? What could they possibly use against you?

There are alot of things people say on this website that could potentially worry adcomms. I know in my two years on this site I haven't always been...uh humm, "professional".

[Bildungsroman]

I fudge my numbers on LSN because I don't want my IRL friends to track down my profile. In my situation it's not paranoia, because they've alread found the profiles of a few other people we know from previous cycles just for curiosity's sake, and I want to keep the details of my cycle from them.

Then why must you put up a LSN page?

Because I benefit so much from it that I feel compelled to contribute to it (after my cycle ends I'll change everything to the precise numbers), and my fudged numbers will be close enough to my real numbers to make them useful for other people during my cycle.

Edit: perhaps some clarification is needed. By "fudging" I mostly mean that I'm not mentioning my extracurriculars, years out of undergrad, residency, undergrad institution, etc. My listed numbers will be within 1 LSAT point and .2 GPA during my cycle, I'm just not adding other potentially useful/identifying information until after my cycle ends. Hopefully, keeping fairly similar numbers and fairly similar dates will help other applicants or at least provide an opportunity for commiseration.

[09042014]

I fudge my numbers on LSN because I don't want my IRL friends to track down my profile. In my situation it's not paranoia, because they've alread found the profiles of a few other people we know from previous cycles just for curiosity's sake, and I want to keep the details of my cycle from them.

Then why must you put up a LSN page?

Because I benefit so much from it that I feel compelled to contribute to it (after my cycle ends I'll change everything to the precise numbers), and my fudged numbers will be close enough to my real numbers to make them useful for other people during my cycle.

Don't put it up until the end of your cycle. 1 Pt on the LSAT is a huge factor.

[D. H2Oman]

I actually applied to business schools this cycle, but to throw off adcomms I post here.

[lawschoolstudent85]

\.

[volfan6415]

Unchecked paranoia....schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications. Lets for for starters assume that the schools did have the time between reveiwing the thousands of applications that they recieve, there is no 100 percent way that the school can verify that the profile they have found is the applicant that they are looking at. The school is not going to make an admission's decision based off of unverifiable data in order to further the questionable process known as YP.

The people who further this idea are the same people who make "alien hats" out of aluminum foil.

I don't know about LSN, but there are verified examples of adcomms reading TLS posts. If you do some searches you will find examples of them disclosing that they have read peoples posts.

I've heard this too. I don't think that I have revealed anything that would make anyone know who I am, but I think I've revealed enough that adcomms could figure it out if they wanted to. But why? What do they get out of it? What could they possibly use against you?

Yes they do read posts, but I think they do that more as a research tool to find out what the "community" is saying about their law school/ interact with the people who are considering applying to the school. Much in the same way that they provide information to people who vist the school etc. they are using this site to diseminate informationg about their school...but they don't go trolling around after they recieve an application to see if that particular applicant had posted on TLS or LSN or any other site for that matter because it is too hard to verify who the people are. Plus even if your identity could be verified they aren't really going to get that much useful information anyways. Now with sites like facebook where your name is listed with your profile that is a completly different story.

[romothesavior]

I actually applied to business schools this cycle, but to throw off adcomms I post here.

178

[NU_Jet55]

schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications.

I know for a fact that one adcomm found my LSN profile and actually was able to find my TLS profile as well (they are the same). It didn't affect my application at all though (still accepted with a scholly that matched what others with my numbers received).

[romothesavior]

schools don't have time to scour LSN looking for people who have applied to their school and attempting to "match" that profile to one of their applications.

I know for a fact that one adcomm found my LSN profile and actually was able to find my TLS profile as well (they are the same). It didn't affect my application at all though (still accepted with a scholly that matched what others with my numbers received).

I have also been found via TLS.

[shock259]

Adcomms gloss over LOR's and your PS in favor of your LSAT/GPA. I highly doubt that try to figure out who you are on TLS or LSN for admission purposes.

[lawls]

So when making up slightly fudged numbers, do you think perople are more likely to give themselves better or worse numbers?

The only numbers you should really trust are the schools 25/median/75ths, as these are their real numbers. LSN is helpful for splitters, but for ordinary applicants you are most helped by paying attention to the school's own published numbers.

[Bildungsroman]

I really wish all law schools would provide the ABA with an LSAT/GPA matrix for publication. A lot of them do, and I think it's a useful tool.

[IAFG]

1) searches make it really easy to track people down. I've done it; it takes like 20 seconds

2) schools that worry a lot about their yield would have the motive

3) who cares if you fudge in the middle of your own cycle? It's not going to change what people do.

[D. H2Oman]

So when making up slightly fudged numbers, do you think perople are more likely to give themselves better or worse numbers?

The only numbers you should really trust are the schools 25/median/75ths, as these are their real numbers. LSN is helpful for splitters, but for ordinary applicants you are most helped by paying attention to the school's own published numbers.

That only works for people who are moderately intelligent. You'd be amazed at how many dumbasses think that being at a schools 25th percentile means you have about a 25% chance of getting in. Then they start a thread about how Lawschoolnumbers can't possibly be right.

[romothesavior]

So when making up slightly fudged numbers, do you think perople are more likely to give themselves better or worse numbers?

The only numbers you should really trust are the schools 25/median/75ths, as these are their real numbers. LSN is helpful for splitters, but for ordinary applicants you are most helped by paying attention to the school's own published numbers.

Ehh not necessarily. That isn't all that helpful for determining how the individual school handles applicants.

LSAT at median and GPA below median at a lot of schools = WL or Ding
LSAT at median and GPA below median at, say, WUSTL = Practically auto-accept

LSN is also helpful for guessing scholarships. 25/med/75 won't help you figure that out on your own.