Request for additional application materials Forum

[TommyK]

Has anybody else had this happen?

I got an email today:

Dear TommyK,

Your application for admission has been preliminarily reviewed by our Admissions and Scholarship Committee. I'm pleased to let you know that the Committee is impressed by your record and that you are a very competitive candidate.

As a result of a significant increase in our application volume for this year's incoming class, we woudl like to have from you a statement that describes your interest in XXXX College of Law and how a XXXX legal education might help achieve professional goals you have set for yourself.

You are welcome to email this statement (up to two pages) to me at anytime in the next three weeks. Once received, your file will be re-reviewed by the Admissions and Scholarship Committee and their decision will be communicated to you. Thank you.

It sounds like they want a "Why XXXX school essay". I am an auto-admit based on their numbers in recent years. Would you assume they're just trying to identify the real candidates here from the folks who have no serious interest in the school? As a form of self-selecting yield protection?

[Übermensch]

Has anybody else had this happen?

I got an email today:

Dear TommyK,

Your application for admission has been preliminarily reviewed by our Admissions and Scholarship Committee. I'm pleased to let you know that the Committee is impressed by your record and that you are a very competitive candidate.

As a result of a significant increase in our application volume for this year's incoming class, we woudl like to have from you a statement that describes your interest in XXXX College of Law and how a XXXX legal education might help achieve professional goals you have set for yourself.

You are welcome to email this statement (up to two pages) to me at anytime in the next three weeks. Once received, your file will be re-reviewed by the Admissions and Scholarship Committee and their decision will be communicated to you. Thank you.

It sounds like they want a "Why XXXX school essay". I am an auto-admit based on their numbers in recent years. Would you assume they're just trying to identify the real candidates here from the folks who have no serious interest in the school? As a form of self-selecting yield protection?

Is that the actual text of the e-mail? If so, let it be known that they misspelled "would."

I've never heard of this, but go ahead and write the letter. If your numbers make you an auto-admit, the letter probably can't hurt you, assuming you don't blow it. It sounds like yield-protection, though. If accepted, do you actually plan on going there?

[jeremysen]

Has anybody else had this happen?

It sounds like they want a "Why XXXX school essay". I am an auto-admit based on their numbers in recent years. Would you assume they're just trying to identify the real candidates here from the folks who have no serious interest in the school? As a form of self-selecting yield protection?

Yes (not myself), yes, and yes.

[TommyK]

Is that the actual text of the e-mail? If so, let it be known that they misspelled "would."

I've never heard of this, but go ahead and write the letter. If your numbers make you an auto-admit, the letter probably can't hurt you, assuming you don't blow it. It sounds like yield-protection, though. If accepted, do you actually plan on going there?

Actual text, with the exception of the typo - I didn't copy and paste since the email came on my iPhone so I re-typed.

Yeah, probably unlikely to attend. The likelihood isn't 0.00%, but it's probably less than 1%. It's not worth my time and I'm not in the habit of just collecting acceptances. So, as far as being a way of yield protecting, I'd say it's pretty effective in my case. I just wanted to make sure I was interpreting it correctly.