Top Law Schools

How completely, if at all, should we answer this question?

Put down a few peer schools.

It's not going to hurt you; no reason to not answer.

Hate to be the stickler for rules, but you do sign a statement at the end of the application saying that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

I am curious, however, as to how the law schools use that info. Anyone have any ideas?

JRockND wrote:Hate to be the stickler for rules, but you do sign a statement at the end of the application saying that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

I am curious, however, as to how the law schools use that info. Anyone have any ideas?

Well the question is OPTIONAL, so you don't HAVE to fill it out...

Fill it out completely and honestly, or don't fill it out. It doesn't matter and its certainly not worth fudging the line of a deception over.

MumofCad wrote:Fill it out completely and honestly, or don't fill it out. It doesn't matter and its certainly not worth fudging the line of a deception over.

Yeah I was thinking all-or-nothing. Really a minor issue that only 2 schools ask for, but I wonder what the Columbia people would think if I put down I was applying to HYS.

Curious1 wrote:

JRockND wrote:Hate to be the stickler for rules, but you do sign a statement at the end of the application saying that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

I am curious, however, as to how the law schools use that info. Anyone have any ideas?

Well the question is OPTIONAL, so you don't HAVE to fill it out...

Plus, it's not like you're bound to apply to those schools and only those schools. Just put down what you're considering at the time, you can always change your mind.

JRockND wrote:Hate to be the stickler for rules, but you do sign a statement at the end of the application saying that the information you provide is accurate to the best of your knowledge.

I am curious, however, as to how the law schools use that info. Anyone have any ideas?

Accurate is not the same as complete. For example, if the question asks "What law schools are you applying to?" (Hopefully with better grammar), and you list three schools of the five you have applied to, you have answered the question accurately, if not completely. If the question says "Provide a complete list of all law school to which you attend to apply to" then a complete list is expected.

That being as it may, the question is a marketing one and I doubt very much anyone will check your answer. Schools want to know how they stand among their peer institutions.

Curious1 wrote:

MumofCad wrote:Fill it out completely and honestly, or don't fill it out. It doesn't matter and its certainly not worth fudging the line of a deception over.

Yeah I was thinking all-or-nothing. Really a minor issue that only 2 schools ask for, but I wonder what the Columbia people would think if I put down I was applying to HYS.

They will think your are a sane, rational person.

I know there is a lot of talk about YPing on here, but if you look at the LSN graph on Columbia, the truth is that almost everyone in a certain number range got in (those very few that were WL in that range, were late appliers). And almost all of those in that auto-admit range applied to HYS. They know this to be true and they won't find it shocking to know that you are not an exception.

I didn't answer it. It's not required and I don't think its any of their business.

Law schools use it to determine what their "peers" are. I know for a fact mine does.

Even if a different school you are applying to is much higher ranked than the one asking you the question, you wouldn't apply to the school in question if you wouldn't attend under any circumstances. Thus if the school in question offered a full ride, or your dream schools rejected you, you would, more than likely, end up at the school in question.

Meh. I was gonna ask what other people are doing also. But honestly, even if a school used this for YP, I feel like you'd be able to get off the WL pretty easily assuming you were YPed.

DocHawkeye wrote:That being as it may, the question is a marketing one and I doubt very much anyone will check your answer. Schools want to know how they stand among their peer institutions.

This. That's the answer every rep has given me when I asked them, and I've never seen anyone point out any information that would cause me to question it (see LSN graphs).