Are Rhodes Scholars & other softs auto-admits? Forum

[cesium]

Are Rhodes Scholars and other unique softs virtually guaranteed admission to certain law schools (assuming LSAT/GPA aren't too shabby)?

[nabadgelyo]

Are Rhodes Scholars and other unique softs virtually guaranteed admission to certain law schools (assuming LSAT/GPA aren't too shabby)?

It's pretty hard to get a Rhodes scholarship with a shabby GPA.

[badaboom61]

I know a guy who was a Truman scholar who had a high GPA but a really mediocre LSAT. He got into one T10 and rejected from the rest of the T14. So no, definitely doesn't sound like an auto admit, although Rhodes is more preftigious than Truman so it might be different.

[TheSpanishMain]

Depends on what you mean by "not too shabby", I suppose.

[cesium]

Depends on what you mean by "not too shabby", I suppose.

Let's say the GPA/LSAT are around 25th percentile, i.e. the applicant is "acceptable" for the school but does not stand out based on those numbers alone.

[patogordo]

is the answer going to change your life in any way?

[teampeeta]

It's really rare for anyone to get a Rhodes/Marshall/Gates-type scholarship with a GPA below 3.8. So it's unlikely that one of those people would be below the 25th in terms of GPA. LSAT is a completely separate issue- I actually bet that some of the numerical anomalies that occur at places like HYS (i.e. where someone is admitted with a much lower LSAT score than the norm) are people who have crazy softs like Rhodes, Marshall, etc.

In order to get one of those scholarships you generally have to have a very impressive GPA, resume, write very well, and have recommenders who are willing to call you the best thing since sliced bread. Even if the scholarships didn't make the recipients auto-admits, I imagine a lot of the qualities that allowed them to receive such prestigious awards would also serve them well in the law school admissions process.

So yes, my guess is that at places other than Yale Law, people who get those scholarships are admitted to almost any law school they'd like to attend.

[TheSpanishMain]

Probably not a lock but sure, a really significant boost. I'm just guessing, though.

Why do you ask?

[Trig]

I know a Rhodes Scholar with a 3.9+ 172+ who was rejected from Yale. He is somewhere else in the T14.

[McAvoy]

That's such a joke. Did he like, murder someone in-between?

[cron1834]

Yale doesn't owe anyone admission. Their Medians are 173/3.9+, and they have multiple scholar-award winners and other great-soft applicants every year. I suspect that a chunk of high achieving applicants are privileged, off-putting, or both. At that level of exclusivity, they're going to admit "good fits."

[phillywc]

People with those softs tend to have exceptions numbers.


Every dumb question that comes to your mind does not need a topic. The search function exists, it is great.

[tiltedwindmill]

is the answer going to change your life in any way?

[notalobbyist]

People with those softs tend to have exceptions numbers.


Every dumb question that comes to your mind does not need a topic. The search function exists, it is great.

Can robots go to law school? Hypothetically since robots can go to college and assuming it didn't have C&F issues.

[Trig]

That's such a joke. Did he like, murder someone in-between?

Nope. Yale being Yale I guess.

[chneyo]

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[Monochromatic Oeuvre]

Softs that are good but not otherwise exemplary (e.g. a couple years in BB, Fulbright, lots of published research) will help an on-the-fence applicant but will not save someone who is otherwise auto-ding. This is the answer most relevant to anyone who would post on TLS.

Softs that are exemplary (Rhodes, founder of eight-figure company, have same name as the school and it isn't a coincidence) are usually held by those smart enough to have great numbers anyway. They're auto-admit anywhere with 170+, although it would be weird if they couldn't crack 170. What would happen if say, a Marshall scholar from Princeton applied to Stanford with a 3.97/165? I don't know, but I'm sure an admissions office would cross that bridge when they come to it.

[patogordo]

Softs that are good but not otherwise exemplary (e.g. a couple years in BB, Fulbright, lots of published research) will help an on-the-fence applicant but will not save someone who is otherwise auto-ding. This is the answer most relevant to anyone who would post on TLS.

Softs that are exemplary (Rhodes, founder of eight-figure company, have same name as the school and it isn't a coincidence) are usually held by those smart enough to have great numbers anyway. They're auto-admit anywhere with 170+, although it would be weird if they couldn't crack 170. What would happen if say, a Marshall scholar from Princeton applied to Stanford with a 3.97/165? I don't know, but I'm sure an admissions office would cross that bridge when they come to it.

thank you for this excellent insight. i was considering retaking with my 3.97/165 but instead i will become a multi-millionaire Rhodes scholar.

[manu6926]

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