173 URM Waitlisted at Target Schools - Advice please! Forum

[bananasplitz]

Splitter URM
Business undergrad from a top school in Los Angeles
Late applicant (submitted in late January)


I was expecting to get in to Virginia, Michigan and Duke, but I've been waitlisted at all three.

On the other hand, USC and UCLA admitted me quickly with great scholarships. But I don't really want to stay in LA my entire life.

I'm worried that my personal statement might have limited me to Los Angeles because I mentioned my experience in the entertainment business. But there are plenty of other reasons top schools could waitlist me (low GPA, late applicant, weak diversity statement).

Any advice? Should I reapply next year, stick it out with waitlists, or what?

[Tiago Splitter]

1. What type of URM?

2. What other decisions have you received?

[ManOfTheMinute]

waitlists could be promising since you are URM... even with some $$ potentially

[bananasplitz]

1. What type of URM?

2. What other decisions have you received?

1. Mexican (and white). No adversity to write about

2. Here's the predictor vs. admissions decisions so far-

CONSIDER
Stanford . . . . .
Columbia . . . . . (waitlisted)
NYU . . . . . .

STRONG CONSIDER
Penn . . . . .
Berkeley . . . . . . (denied)
Duke . . . . . . (waitlisted)

ADMIT
Virginia . . . . . (waitlisted)
Michigan . . . . . . (waitlisted)
Cornell . . . . . .
Georgetown . . . . . . (accepted)
Vanderbilt . . . . . . (accepted w/ $80k)
UCLA . . . . . (accepted w/ $90k)
USC . . . . . (accepted w/ $120k)

[Tiago Splitter]

If you applied late you might be well served to improve your app and re-apply next year. But for now just hang in there. You'll probably have some better options two months from now.

[bchirco]

Wow, i'd LOCI Columbia. TBH, I'm surprised that a 3.35 even got waitlisted there. Good luck man!

[Gatriel]

Is there 1 school your would really want to go to over the others. If so, it might be worth the money to fly out there and get some face to face time with the adcom. Set it up as a law school tour, and email someone from the adcom (usually can be found in faculty profiles) and says "Hey, I'm a prospective URM student and I saw your factuly profile and have a few questions about X, Y, and Z. Would you have 10 to 15 minutes for me on this date?" Ususally a dean or something works the best.

Go there, ask a couple easy questions for them to answer -- then say Yeah currently I'm waitlisted and would really love to come here and wanted to know because I am interested in (something that ties into the easy questions you asked them).

[manofjustice]

wait. you'll get in. YP.

[WhiskeynCoke]

Wow, i'd LOCI Columbia. TBH, I'm surprised that a 3.35 even got waitlisted there. Good luck man!

He's above their LSAT median and is a URM. Seems quite unsurprising to me, especially with this cycle being what it is.

[PRgradBYU]

Good things happen to URMS who wait.

[bananasplitz]

Is there 1 school your would really want to go to over the others. If so, it might be worth the money to fly out there and get some face to face time with the adcom. Set it up as a law school tour, and email someone from the adcom (usually can be found in faculty profiles) and says "Hey, I'm a prospective URM student and I saw your factuly profile and have a few questions about X, Y, and Z. Would you have 10 to 15 minutes for me on this date?" Ususally a dean or something works the best.

Go there, ask a couple easy questions for them to answer -- then say Yeah currently I'm waitlisted and would really love to come here and wanted to know because I am interested in (something that ties into the easy questions you asked them).

Good advice, thanks. This would work well if I got into Penn or NYU and had another reason to fly out. But if I get WL'd at those schools too, maybe I'll just fly out and visit my top choices.

I don't have a #1 choice because $$ will be a big factor in my decision. And that's another reason why these waitlists are a bummer for me... all the money could be given out and I'll miss all the admitted student days so it'll be expensive and difficult to choose the best fit

[daleearnhardt123]

For whatever it's worth, my $.02 is that you are NOT being considered as a URM by these schools (no, I don't know WHY).

A 3.35/173 is good enough for a non-URM to get the results you're getting. Something is wrong. you should probably swing these places a quick diversity-style-LOCI or something

[TripTrip]

Edit: I'm a moron.

[WaltWhite]

For whatever it's worth, my $.02 is that you are NOT being considered as a URM by these schools (no, I don't know WHY).

Well, not all Mexicans are considered URM. OP hasn't specified, so it's likely he is not actually URM and just thinks he is.

Agreed. From what I've read, Mexicans are not considered to be the type of URM that makes law schools bark like dogs and quack like ducks.

Just because you aren't 'white' (which, OP admitted he partially is), doesn't mean you are entitled to an URM-booster. Plus, there's a reason law schools, and others, are moving away from Hispanic/Latino towards Caucasian-Hispanic.

It seems that an URM-booster will only help if you're in a certain group (AA) and 2.0/142 applying to freaking Harvard.

[bananasplitz]

For whatever it's worth, my $.02 is that you are NOT being considered as a URM by these schools (no, I don't know WHY).

Well, not all Mexicans are considered URM. OP hasn't specified, so it's likely he is not actually URM and just thinks he is.

Mexican is definitely URM. I think you mean not all types of hispanics are considered URM.

But anyways, I think daleearnhardt's suggestion could help. Although I'm not really sure what a diversity-style LOCI would sound like...

[Ben Franklin]

Definitely the timing of the app.

[Clearly]

You have to see if you're getting the URM boost. If you are, it's YP; if you're not, it's about what I'd expect (except UVA might have bit if you applied earlier).

[John_rizzy_rawls]

It seems that an URM-booster will only help if you're in a certain group (AA) and 2.0/142 applying to freaking Harvard.

Idiotic sentiment.

[PRgradBYU]

It seems that an URM-booster will only help if you're in a certain group (AA) and 2.0/142 applying to freaking Harvard.

How has this comment not been flagged? You're a moron.

[bananasplitz]

Splitter URM (173, 3.35)
Business undergrad from a top school in Los Angeles
Late applicant (submitted in late January)


I was expecting to get in to Virginia, Michigan and Duke, but I've been waitlisted at all three.

On the other hand, USC and UCLA admitted me quickly with great scholarships. But I don't really want to stay in LA my entire life.

I'm worried that my personal statement might have limited me to Los Angeles because I mentioned my experience in the entertainment business. But there are plenty of other reasons top schools could waitlist me (low GPA, late applicant, weak diversity statement).

Any advice? Should I reapply next year, stick it out with waitlists, or what?

Just to add to the list.... now also waitlisted at Penn and NYU. Sucks.

[Nova]

It seems that an URM-booster will only help if you're in a certain group (AA) and 2.0/142 applying to freaking Harvard.

How has this comment not been flagged? You're a moron.

Yeah that's obviously not true.

Op if you don't like how your cycle turns out, reapply early. Next cycle will treat you much better.