Top Law Schools

Just wanted to reiterate the message that TLS engrained in me. You are not a special candidate. If anyone has a great resume, WE, PS, it's me. Without going into detail, my background is very very strong and my GPA trend is about as upward trending as it can be.

I applied to a T14 school where I was at its 25%, ED. I got dinged.

I'm not complaining, this was my fault for not scoring a 99 percentile LSAT, I do not belong there. I'll end up going to a lesser school with $$$ and a smile on my face.

So, If you have the money to throw a hail mary, do it, some people must get in at these levels (non-URM), just don't think you'll be different!

lilpain wrote:Just wanted to reiterate the message that TLS engrained in me. You are not a special candidate. If anyone has a great resume, WE, PS, it's me. Without going into detail, my background is very very strong and my GPA trend is about as upward trending as it can be.

I applied to a T14 school where I was at its 25%, ED. I got dinged.

I'm not complaining, this was my fault for not scoring a 99 percentile LSAT, I do not belong there. I'll end up going to a lesser school with $$$ and a smile on my face.

So, If you have the money to throw a hail mary, do it, some people must get in at these levels (non-URM), just don't think you'll be different!

Feel better? What if I told you that there is a good chance your application wasn't as good as you thought it was?

Translation: I am a douchebag and because I overestimate how good my application is, you have no chance at a t14 so don't bother unless you are rich and want to throw money away.

Schools don't get ranked based on how many special snowflakes they admit. The system is stupid but it is what it is. A reasonable amount of research should have made the rules of the game pretty clear.

Mce252 wrote:

lilpain wrote:Just wanted to reiterate the message that TLS engrained in me. You are not a special candidate. If anyone has a great resume, WE, PS, it's me. Without going into detail, my background is very very strong and my GPA trend is about as upward trending as it can be.

I applied to a T14 school where I was at its 25%, ED. I got dinged.

I'm not complaining, this was my fault for not scoring a 99 percentile LSAT, I do not belong there. I'll end up going to a lesser school with $$$ and a smile on my face.

So, If you have the money to throw a hail mary, do it, some people must get in at these levels (non-URM), just don't think you'll be different!

Feel better? What if I told you that there is a good chance your application wasn't as good as you thought it was?

You'd be 100% right. Thus why I didn't get in.

Moral_Midgetry wrote:Translation: I am a douchebag and because I overestimate how good my application is, you have no chance at a t14 so don't bother unless you are rich and want to throw money away.

Not really. I knew I didn't have the numbers for it so I'm not shocked. Just adding my own experience to the TLS thought that softs don't matter as much as numbers. (And also that I didn't properly evaluate my own apparently!)

lilpain wrote:Just wanted to reiterate the message that TLS engrained in me. You are not a special candidate. If anyone has a great resume, WE, PS, it's me. Without going into detail, my background is very very strong and my GPA trend is about as upward trending as it can be.

I applied to a T14 school where I was at its 25%, ED. I got dinged.

I'm not complaining, this was my fault for not scoring a 99 percentile LSAT, I do not belong there. I'll end up going to a lesser school with $$$ and a smile on my face.

So, If you have the money to throw a hail mary, do it, some people must get in at these levels (non-URM), just don't think you'll be different!

I don't know about that statement. I think the 25% line (and below, of course) is for nothing but splitters (a 3.08/174 is in at UVA on LSN, for example) and URMs. It is hard to find instances of non-URM students getting admitted with 25% or below in GPA and LSAT.

Deuce FTW

Deuce wrote:

LOL, or this:

Maybe my title was misleading... I'm really not whining. As my original post said, I didn't belong there and I knew it my lsat was 6 percentile points lower, this school had a 99 percentile LSAT as median.

I thought my softs were good, maybe enough, they weren't. No shock here! Just saying TLS was right (*Bows before all knowing TLS demi-gods!*), but I wanted to throw my hat in the ring for shiggles!

lilpain wrote:Maybe my title was misleading... I'm really not whining. As my original post said, I didn't belong there and I knew it my lsat was 6 percentile points lower, this school had a 99 percentile LSAT as median.

If you are talking about HYS (which it sounds like you are), then you really shouldn't be surprised. Even if your softs and WE are great compared to the average law school applicant, they are probably mediocre compared to most HYS (or even many CCN) students. HYS (and especially YS) want the total package. You would have had to have mind-blowing softs to overcome an LSAT below median.

romothesavior wrote:

lilpain wrote:Maybe my title was misleading... I'm really not whining. As my original post said, I didn't belong there and I knew it my lsat was 6 percentile points lower, this school had a 99 percentile LSAT as median.

If you are talking about HYS (which it sounds like you are), then you really shouldn't be surprised. Even if your softs and WE are great compared to the average law school applicant, they are probably mediocre compared to most HYS (or even many CCN) students. HYS (and especially YS) want the total package. You would have had to have mind-blowing softs to overcome an LSAT below median.

Right. The point of all this was, I thought I did. I obviously don't, others in the same boat should consider that they might not be as special as they think before applying...

Of course people will get in with better softs, I just thought mine would be better than they were! But hey, a reach is a reach, I had no faith it would pan out.

Makes me curious what your GPA and LSAT was. If it was very close to the 25th percentile, I could maybe understand. If not, I think you are being pretty ridiculous.

Sorry to hear it though. At least you are happy with your outcome.

Based on post history, 3.56/166.

Curious to hear OP's softs.

How many nobel prizes did you win that you thought you had a chance at HYS with a 166?

isnt this a result of USNWR though ? Schools take hits when they admit URM's who usually have below average credentials leaving very little room for people with outstanding softs who are a little short numbers wise. No school will come out and say this but theres a reason why schools arent clamoring to admit people with bad numbers event though they might be the brightest/most successful people around..

Sandro777 wrote:isnt this a result of USNWR though ? Schools take hits when they admit URM's who usually have below average credentials leaving very little room for people with outstanding softs who are a little short numbers wise. No school will come out and say this but theres a reason why schools arent clamoring to admit people with bad numbers event though they might be the brightest/most successful people around..

Of course things are partially USNWR driven.

That being said, isn't it perfectly plausible that adcomms genuinely think that high GPA's/LSAT's show great aptitude?

FlightoftheEarls wrote:Based on post history, 3.56/166.

Curious to hear OP's softs.

Seriously though, OP... unless you are a Rhodes scholar, Nobel prize nominee, NYT best-selling author, professional athlete or entertainer, or Medal of Honor winner, you really had no shot at a school with a 172 LSAT median (or any school in the T14) with a 166/3.56. You probably wouldn't even have much shot at a T20, in most cases. I understand your disappointment, but it really should come as no surprise that you got dinged.

Glad to hear you are happy with your current offers, and best of luck.

Guys. I know. Please read my responses, threw a hail mary, just saying I overestimated my softs. No Noble Prize. Ha, I get it!

Oh and not Hys. Lower t14. I realize I fucked up the 25 percentiles. But not full idiot to go Hys