Columbia: Information about applying to other schools Forum

[soleilik]

Under Law School Interest (Section 7), there is this question:

6. Are you applying, or have you applied, to other law schools? If so, please list them.

Now, I am applying to about 20 different schools, should I list them all on the application?

If anyone knows anything about this, please advise.

Thank you so much!!!

[AntipodeanPhil]

Why is this even an issue for people?

Law schools understand that students apply to lots of schools. Indeed, they would probably judge you negatively for only applying to one school, since that would illustrate baseless overconfidence or some kind of strange irrationality.

And if you think it is no big deal to tell a little white lie and state that you are only applying to Columbia, or Columbia and two or three others, you should read the Yale Law Admissions Blog:

http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissions/

The tl;dr version: telling the truth won't hurt you; lying could.

[AntipodeanPhil]

Also, have you looked at the LSN graph for Columbia? They don't yield protect.

http://columbia.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1011/

[soleilik]

I didn't intend to lie; it's clear that very rarely does an applicant apply to one school. My concern was whether it is necessary to list them all, and what if I apply to more schools after submitting this one? Would that have to be reported? Would that also be considered lying?

Thanks for the information/links!

[Danny Mothers]

The question is optional. You can choose not to answer it, and, frankly, it isn't Columbia's or any other school's business (in my opinion at least).

[AntipodeanPhil]

I didn't intend to lie; it's clear that very rarely does an applicant apply to one school. My concern was whether it is necessary to list them all, and what if I apply to more schools after submitting this one? Would that have to be reported? Would that also be considered lying?

Thanks for the information/links!

Well, obviously some people do add a few schools to their lists after they start applying, but it would look implausible if you said you were only applying to Columbia and a couple of backups, but then applied to 20. And we don't know if there is some way for schools to see the other schools you have already applied to on LSAC - probably not, but do you want to risk that?

Sure, the question is optional, but what are they going to assume if you don't answer it?

They obviously want you to answer it, since they included it. So if you choose not to, you run the risk of annoying them, for what benefit? None, since they don't yield protect.

[WhiteGuy5]

I answered honestly. Don't read too much into it.