Why hide identity on LSN? Forum

[sach1282]

Why do people generally avoid revealing any detailed information on softs on LSN?

[lzyovrachievr]

They think they'll be outed to admissions committees if they are too specific.

[AntipodeanPhil]

Yeah, my LSN profile definitely gives me away - although I can't really avoid it.

I have heard three reasons why people think that might be bad:

1) You have to make sure you don't write anything that could reflect negatively on you.

2) Schools could check your other acceptances and scholarship offers before making a decision about how much scholarship money to offer.

3) Schools could check your other acceptances and your school rankings before making a decision about whether to yield-protect you.

I used to think concerns like these were neurotic and ungrounded, but I've heard various reports of admissions reps admitting they visit LSN (and TLS) - although only second and third hand reports.

[MumofCad]

I wouldn't rank your schools on there. That's information that should really be kept to yourself IMO, until well after your cycle is over and maybe even after. If you wouldn't tell an adcom it, I wouldn't put it on LSN.

That being said, I doubt they are really looking through LSN to match to particular applicants. I mean at top law schools, you are talking about them wading through 7000 or so applicants to pick only 200-600 for admission. I think they are probably plenty busy with that to not need to go in search of trying to find additional information on candidates. Do they look at TLS and LSN, sure, but I bet its more in a general context of trying to see what impression potential students have of their procedures and school. If you were an adcom and reading some of these TLS threads, for example, you might find it interesting to see that LSN graphs are cited as revealing that you have a GPA floor if in fact you do not. If you wanted applicants below claimed GPA floor to continue applying to your school, you may seek to rectify that rumor in interviews or presentations, etc. Or you may want to read peer schools' threads and look at their graphs to see how their strategies play out in relation to yours.

I could perhaps see the scholarship thing too, but again more in relation to Duke (per se) wanting to know how the money they are offering certain types of candidates stacks up to the money UVA is offering them, or Chicago wanting to see what Columbia is doing with their money (are people being attracted by the new Rubensteins to turn down significant money at Columbia and other schools, do they mention what is swaying their decisions, etc), etc.

And yes, I wouldn't make your profile public if you use the opportunity of a relatively anonymous public forum to generally act rude, immature or like an idiot. It's unfortunate that people choose to represent themselves like that anyhow.

[AntipodeanPhil]

I wouldn't rank your schools on there. That's information that should really be kept to yourself IMO, until well after your cycle is over and maybe even after. If you wouldn't tell an adcom it, I wouldn't put it on LSN.

Yeah, it surprises me that so many people do that.

I'm sure you're right that they don't make any systematic attempt to match applicants to LSN profiles, but I can imagine them looking through LSN, for the reasons you list, and recognizing an applicant from his or her profile. Some people list fairly distinctive softs, and in a few cases numbers alone might be enough to make an applicant distinctive - a 180/4.1, for example. I'm fairly sure I'm the only 174/superior on LSN - although I've come across others here.

[sea15]

I wouldn't rank your schools on there. That's information that should really be kept to yourself IMO, until well after your cycle is over and maybe even after. If you wouldn't tell an adcom it, I wouldn't put it on LSN.

That being said, I doubt they are really looking through LSN to match to particular applicants. I mean at top law schools, you are talking about them wading through 7000 or so applicants to pick only 200-600 for admission. I think they are probably plenty busy with that to not need to go in search of trying to find additional information on candidates. Do they look at TLS and LSN, sure, but I bet its more in a general context of trying to see what impression potential students have of their procedures and school. If you were an adcom and reading some of these TLS threads, for example, you might find it interesting to see that LSN graphs are cited as revealing that you have a GPA floor if in fact you do not. If you wanted applicants below claimed GPA floor to continue applying to your school, you may seek to rectify that rumor in interviews or presentations, etc. Or you may want to read peer schools' threads and look at their graphs to see how their strategies play out in relation to yours.

I could perhaps see the scholarship thing too, but again more in relation to Duke (per se) wanting to know how the money they are offering certain types of candidates stacks up to the money UVA is offering them, or Chicago wanting to see what Columbia is doing with their money (are people being attracted by the new Rubensteins to turn down significant money at Columbia and other schools, do they mention what is swaying their decisions, etc), etc.

And yes, I wouldn't make your profile public if you use the opportunity of a relatively anonymous public forum to generally act rude, immature or like an idiot. It's unfortunate that people choose to represent themselves like that anyhow.

Ditto on the bolded.

I 100% agree. I don't act immature or post inappropriate things on here (or in real life), so I have no reason to be afraid that a school will "find me out", if they have the time to even do such a thing.

[bp shinners]

I 100% agree. I don't act immature or post inappropriate things on here (or in real life), so I have no reason to be afraid that a school will "find me out", if they have the time to even do such a thing.

Of course, cost/benefit analysis of the situation has you not revealing specifics. There is almost no gain (if any) to revealing who you are on LSN. There is possibly a cost if someone does go through that information and finds something out about you, such as scholarship money or school rankings.

Anecdotally, I know for employment several of my friends had issues with Facebook pictures coming back to haunt them.

So, in short, I'd recommend 'fudging' the numbers a bit, just because you have something to lose but nothing to gain.

[Bildungsroman]

Of course, cost/benefit analysis of the situation has you not revealing specifics. There is almost no gain (if any) to revealing who you are on LSN.

This is the free rider problem personified. If you're not willing to at least put up your numbers and results on LSN then you shouldn't be using it.

[Tiago Splitter]

Of course, cost/benefit analysis of the situation has you not revealing specifics. There is almost no gain (if any) to revealing who you are on LSN.

This is the free rider problem personified. If you're not willing to at least put up your numbers and results on LSN then you shouldn't be using it.

Mild fudging and keeping specifics to a minimum is not going to hurt anyone. Once the cycle is over, it does help for everyone to put up all the information they can for future classes.

[LaCumparsita]

I have an LSN question! I cannot for the life of me verify my account... I keep resending the confirmation email to my email and never receive it. Therefore no one can see my profile and it annoys me. What do I do?!

[AntipodeanPhil]

I have an LSN question! I cannot for the life of me verify my account... I keep resending the confirmation email to my email and never receive it. Therefore no one can see my profile and it annoys me. What do I do?!

I have gmail, and the email was going to my spam folder. Have you checked there?

[LaCumparsita]

I have gmail too, but no such luck. It's not popping up in my spam or inbox :/

[bp shinners]

Of course, cost/benefit analysis of the situation has you not revealing specifics. There is almost no gain (if any) to revealing who you are on LSN.

This is the free rider problem personified. If you're not willing to at least put up your numbers and results on LSN then you shouldn't be using it.

Never said you shouldn't put up your numbers. But I'd definitely recommend changing a few things slightly so that you can't be definitively IDed. .02 on your GPA, an equivalent undergrad, and a misnamed soft factor aren't going to affect, to any serious degree, the usefulness of your info.

[FantasticMrFox]

I really doubt the admissions will bother going onto LSN and comb through trying to match the applicants...if they did, I think it'd be a big waste of time-most people don't put too much info and matching would be mostly guessing.