Does a fee waiver and a packet mean acceptance is likely? Forum

[WalkingPlato]

Hi. I, like many (if not all of you), have received some mailings and fee waivers from law schools. A lot of them say I would be a competative applicant and/or a good fit for the school. But, do these fee waivers and accompanying packets mean that it is likely I will get in if I apply or are they just looking for applicants to lower their acceptance percentage?

[Tom Joad]

Depends on the school and your numbers.

[WalkingPlato]

Depends on the school and your numbers.

I received several T20 and a couple T14 and I got excited... My GPA is far above their 75th %tile but my LSAT for the T14 is at or 1 point below the 25th.. So I'm guessing it's not a likely admit.

[laxbrah420]

Acceptance into the T14 is for only the most elite students in the country and therefore it is never accurate to say that acceptance is likely --what you can conclude however is that if you don't get a packet and a fee waiver then acceptance is unlikely.

[moonman157]

Schools give out a lot of waivers so that you apply, they ding you, and their acceptance rate goes down. Might as well apply though

[WalkingPlato]

Schools give out a lot of waivers so that you apply, they ding you, and their acceptance rate goes down. Might as well apply though

Yea, that's what I'm thinking. I might as well do it since it's free.

[guinness1547]

Acceptance into the T14 is for only the most elite students in the country and therefore it is never accurate to say that acceptance is likely --what you can conclude however is that if you don't get a packet and a fee waiver then acceptance is unlikely.

Really? Don't many potential applicants with competitive numbers fail to receive packets and fee waivers from a decent amount of schools they would have a fair chance of being admitted to?

[Scotusnerd]

Most schools give one out if you ask.

There are no other conclusions you can draw from this argument. It doesn't even make sense that a school would consider this. The information just isn't passed on to the selection committee.

Don't make this more than it is.

[catholicgirl]

Don't make this more than it is.

[manofjustice]

short answer: no. However, the earlier in the cycle you get the fee waiver, the better. But, my guess is still no. This last cycle has been horrendous, and I am sure schools are doing everything they can to boost their numbers, including selectivity...and just sheer numerical yield. So I would expect application fees will stay (they signal quality) but will be easily waived (they decrease applications).

[top30man]

Don't make this more than it is.

[Luchando]

Consider the incentive that every school has to encourage applications from students that certainly won't be admitted.

Hint: It has to do with the word selectivity.

[DaRascal]

I honestly think it means something. If a school gives you a waiver it means that they're definitely interested because you're a strong candidate who would likely attend if admitted (hence why people with say 3.7/170+ don't get waivers to schools they'd be locks at) or a URM/LGBT/Military Vet who would add much needed diversity to the student body.

It wouldn't make sense for T-14s to just hand out a bunch of fee waivers just to make their acceptance rate more selective by rejecting those people later. They're losing $70-$80 each time they do that and it's not like hundreds of thousands of students are applying to law school to begin with so the acceptance rate is probably only going to decrease marginally if they do that while they could lose tens of thousands in application fees they would have collected.

[Scotusnerd]

I honestly think it means something. If a school gives you a waiver it means that they're definitely interested because you're a strong candidate who would likely attend if admitted (hence why people with say 3.7/170+ don't get waivers to schools they'd be locks at) or a URM/LGBT/Military Vet who would add much needed diversity to the student body.

It wouldn't make sense for T-14s to just hand out a bunch of fee waivers just to make their acceptance rate more selective by rejecting those people later. They're losing $70-$80 each time they do that and it's not like hundreds of thousands of students are applying to law school to begin with so the acceptance rate is probably only going to decrease marginally if they do that while they could lose tens of thousands in application fees they would have collected.

I got fee waivers to schools I blew the water out of. I even got a fee waiver to Charleston, for heaven's sake.

[dingbat]

I got fee waivers to schools I blew the water out of. I even got a fee waiver to Charleston, for heaven's sake.

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

[Scotusnerd]

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

I only laughed if they didn't include scholarship offers.

[DaRascal]

I honestly think it means something. If a school gives you a waiver it means that they're definitely interested because you're a strong candidate who would likely attend if admitted (hence why people with say 3.7/170+ don't get waivers to schools they'd be locks at) or a URM/LGBT/Military Vet who would add much needed diversity to the student body.

It wouldn't make sense for T-14s to just hand out a bunch of fee waivers just to make their acceptance rate more selective by rejecting those people later. They're losing $70-$80 each time they do that and it's not like hundreds of thousands of students are applying to law school to begin with so the acceptance rate is probably only going to decrease marginally if they do that while they could lose tens of thousands in application fees they would have collected.

I got fee waivers to schools I blew the water out of. I even got a fee waiver to Charleston, for heaven's sake.

I didn't say there weren't exceptions and for a school like Charleston maybe it makes sense because they think they can trick you into attending with a shiny packet and significant scholarship money so that you'll raise their medians and a rise in acceptance rate wouldn't really affect their reputation anyway.

I dunno this is all just my speculation.

[dingbat]

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

I only laughed if they didn't include scholarship offers.

Then I just felt insulted

I mean, seriously, if my LSAT is more than a dozen points over the 75th percentile and I don't live in the general region of some festering TTT, what are they thinking?

[DaRascal]

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

I only laughed if they didn't include scholarship offers.

Then I just felt insulted

I mean, seriously, if my LSAT is more than a dozen points over the 75th percentile and I don't live in the general region of some festering TTT, what are they thinking?

I think you're afraid of the challenge. You don't want to go to the TTT because you're afraid of the responsibility of having to be one of the top students and carry that school's vision into the future. There are leaders and then there are those who choose to be just another number at a top law school.

[dingbat]

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

I only laughed if they didn't include scholarship offers.

Then I just felt insulted

I mean, seriously, if my LSAT is more than a dozen points over the 75th percentile and I don't live in the general region of some festering TTT, what are they thinking?

I think you're afraid of the challenge. You don't want to go to the TTT because you're afraid of the responsibility of having to be one of the top students and carry that school's vision into the future. There are leaders and then there are those who choose to be just another number at a top law school.

I made that mistake with my UG

[Bronte]

Acceptance into the T14 is for only the most elite students in the country and therefore it is never accurate to say that acceptance is likely --what you can conclude however is that if you don't get a packet and a fee waiver then acceptance is unlikely.

Really? Don't many potential applicants with competitive numbers fail to receive packets and fee waivers from a decent amount of schools they would have a fair chance of being admitted to?

That's quite correct. Not getting a fee waiver does not bear on the likelihood of admittance. None of this stuff in this thread makes any sense since your likelihood of admittance is apparent on the face of your numbers.

[anela00]

I just got a fee waiver and packet from a T10 school, PLUS a short handwritten note from the admissions dean ("Congrats on a stellar performance at [HYS]!"). Also, the letter was customized to speak to my URM group. Now does that mean something?

[top30man]

I just got a fee waiver and packet from a T10 school, PLUS a short handwritten note from the admissions dean ("Congrats on a stellar performance at [HYS]!"). Also, the letter was customized to speak to my URM group. Now does that mean something?

It sounds like it was from Michigan? If so, I remember that being a good sign last year, but it was not universal in terms of indicating a future acceptance. I recall someone posting a stat saying it was a little over 50 percent, though that could be incorrect.

[bp shinners]

Don't let fee waivers/info packets change your expectations. Your chances are the same they were before you received it; now, you just have more information. But what that information suggests is anyone's guess.

[manofjustice]

I got (unsolicited) scholarship offers from schools that were so far below my numbers they made me laugh

I only laughed if they didn't include scholarship offers.