ED App held over for Gen App pool. What now? Forum

[Harperm]

I applied ED to UTexas and they have since told me they are holding my application to consider with the General Applicant pool. What (if anything) should I do now? UT is my clear #1 and with a 3.33/165 I'm competitive, but not exceptional.

Would additional LORs help or emailing my contact at the admissions office to get their perspective? All advice appreciated.

[ScottRiqui]

Did you include a "Why Texas" essay with your original application? If not, now's the time. Even if you did, you could submit a Letter of Continuing Interest - just something to let them know that you still want to go there, even if you don't get the perks you would have gotten by being accepted ED. Don't put it that blatantly, of course.

[Harperm]

I did include a "Why Texas?" previously. Another layer to this is that I applied last cycle ED, and was flatly denied within weeks. Not much has changed in the past year beyond another year of work experience, additional volunteering, and networking with alums and admissions officers.

In this instance, how does one go about drafting a Letter of Continuing Interest without simply rehashing my "Why Texas?" essay?

[Paul Campos]

Some applicants may not be aware that many schools publish their complete applicant GPA/LSAT acceptance grid in the ABA's annual Guide to Law Schools, which is on line. Texas is one of these schools, and for the last cycle the data reveal that 34 out of 209 applicants with a GPA between 3.25 and 3.49 and an LSAT between 165 and 169 were accepted. That's a 16% chance, but keep in mind that your LSAT is at the bottom of that cell, and that most of the acceptances in a cell with a high rejection rate are usually URMs.

UT seems to put a lot of weight on GPA (the large majority of applicants with your GPA and 170+ LSATs were rejected), so you may want to consider other options.

[shifty_eyed]

I was held ED at UT last year (when it was non binding), and I ended up getting in with a significant scholarship. That said, I was over the 75th LSAT, and UT seems more splitter friendly from the outset of this cycle. Since you are below both of the current medians, your best hope is that they end up realizing they can't hold 166 and decide to let you in.

Some applicants may not be aware that many schools publish their complete applicant GPA/LSAT acceptance grid in the ABA's annual Guide to Law Schools, which is on line. Texas is one of these schools, and for the last cycle the data reveal that 34 out of 209 applicants with a GPA between 3.25 and 3.49 and an LSAT between 165 and 169 were accepted. That's a 16% chance, but keep in mind that your LSAT is at the bottom of that cell, and that most of the acceptances in a cell with a high rejection rate are usually URMs.

UT seems to put a lot of weight on GPA (the large majority of applicants with your GPA and 170+ LSATs were rejected), so you may want to consider other options.

The 165-169 numbers are misleading here IMO because UT's median was 167 (now 166), so chances look a lot more grim below both medians.

I did include a "Why Texas?" previously. Another layer to this is that I applied last cycle ED, and was flatly denied within weeks. Not much has changed in the past year beyond another year of work experience, additional volunteering, and networking with alums and admissions officers.

Did you retake? If not, why?