Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14 Forum

(Applications Advice, Letters of Recommendation . . . )
Post Reply
DebtAverse

New
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:17 pm

Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by DebtAverse » Tue Jun 24, 2014 1:59 pm

I am trying to get my mind off waiting for the results of the LSAT, so I seem to have found new things to worry about regarding law school. :?
The more I read on school websites, blogs, etc., the more I am getting the impression that schools in the T14 prefer admitting students who come from well-respected undergraduate schools. I am starting to get very nervous about this because my degree is from an unranked school that I chose mainly because it had a good, cost-effective online program. The school does have a physical campus, so law schools will not automatically know that the degree was completed online, but I am still concerned that the school itself may be frowned upon. Does anyone have experience with this type of situation? Will it hurt my admissions chances at T14 schools?

Thank you in advance!
Last edited by DebtAverse on Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Nova

Platinum
Posts: 9102
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:55 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by Nova » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:00 pm

Kurst wrote:Does your undergrad school matter? Can it help an applicant?
Does your undergraduate institution matter?
Importance of undergrade prestige for T14?
3.0 from Dartmouth versus 3.0 from state school
Non-elite UG: a T-6 killer?
Any T14 students here started at community college for UG?
Do T14's look down on community colleges?
It doesn't matter where you went for UG!
What Undergraduate School should I pick to help my LS Admiss
Should I Transfer Undergraduate Schools?
High numbers, low undergrad prestigue
Does the undergraduate school matter?
Undergraduate Advice
How much does your undergraduate Institution Matter?
How important is undergrad prestige?
Why is it that UG institution is irrelevant?
Does Undergraduate School Matter?
to what degree does undergraduate institution matter at HYS?
does undergrad matter at all?
Do law schools really care what school you attended for UG?
How much does UG matter?
College Freshman looking at Law School
178 LSAT, 3.93 GPA - Does UG really matter?
Importance of Undergrad Institution
Unknown Undergraduate Institution
Weight of UG institution in LS+ Big Law
UG MATTERS! Don't believe the hype
Will undergrad prestige matter?
Does undergraduate school matter?
Does where you went Undergraduate matter?
does your undergrad university prestige matter?
How much does undergrad school matter?
Does your undergraduate school matter?
Does Undergraduate School Matter?
Does the Undergrad School you graduate from matter?
Does school matter?
Undergrad Prestige
snob appeal of your undergraduate institution
Question about GPA major and school prestige
Is UG prestige a factor in the admission process?
OS Updates: Yes, Virginia, Undergraduate Schools Matter.
How much does where you went to undergrad matter?
Why does quality of undergrad matter so little?
How much does where you did undergrad matter?
How much does what undergrad school you attend matter?
Undergrad doesn't matter! (unless it's a good one)
Does undergrad matter
Quality of undergrad institution does matter!
Does undergrad matter?
Undergrad doesnt matter? WSJ disagrees.
Name of Undergrad School Matter in Applying?
How much weight is given to your undergrad college?
Importance of Undergraduate University??
Does it matter where you do your UG studies for T14 schools?
Does quality of undergrad make a significant difference?
Does UG Really Not Matter?
How much does where you went for UG factor in?

toothbrush

Gold
Posts: 2388
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2012 2:21 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by toothbrush » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:14 pm

nova, i'd like to believe that you have that list bookmarked for this very purpose.

DebtAverse

New
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:17 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by DebtAverse » Tue Jun 24, 2014 2:38 pm

Ah, sorry to start another thread on such a recurring topic. Thank you for linking those other threads! I guess my big concern is the unranked + online nature of my degree, but based on a couple of the replies in those other threads maybe that does not matter as long as the school has a physical campus. Does anyone have experience with the online degree portion? The more I read in those other threads, the more I am seeing "UG doesn't matter, unless it's online." Thanks :)

User avatar
twenty

Gold
Posts: 3189
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:17 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by twenty » Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:11 pm

.
Last edited by twenty on Tue Jun 24, 2014 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


DebtAverse

New
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:17 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by DebtAverse » Tue Jun 24, 2014 5:44 pm

Thanks for the reply, @twenty. I suspected that an online degree was not as cut-and-dry of an issue as lesser known college vs. Ivy might be. That's kind of depressing news though. If you don't mind my asking, did your school have a physical campus? Also, if you are comfortable sharing this, did you try for three cycles or just settle for a school during the second admissions cycle? Thanks!

User avatar
twenty

Gold
Posts: 3189
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 1:17 pm

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by twenty » Tue Jun 24, 2014 8:23 pm

It did, but the on-campus component is a much smaller part of the university, and it is fairly apparent that I did the online program based on my transcript. If you went somewhere like ASU, University of Florida, etc. that doesn't differentiate between online and on-campus students, you may have an easier time with (read: fooling) admissions officers.

Things worked out for me -- I ended up getting a full ride to a T1 where I have ties/I can live with my folks to save on housing. In the last three years there has never been a single point I've been even the slightest bit interested in biglaw, so I don't mind too much. :)

User avatar
jbagelboy

Diamond
Posts: 10361
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 7:57 pm

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by jbagelboy » Wed Jun 25, 2014 7:50 pm

it certainly won't help. nearly all students at top law programs went to good colleges too.

then again, there was a kid in my section from 'patrick henry college', which might as well be an online university as far as I'm concerned. And he's doing fine ASAIK. So it's definitely possible.

Chrstgtr

Bronze
Posts: 322
Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2014 12:53 am

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by Chrstgtr » Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:13 pm

jbagelboy wrote:it certainly won't help. nearly all students at top law programs went to good colleges too.

then again, there was a kid in my section from 'patrick henry college', which might as well be an online university as far as I'm concerned. And he's doing fine ASAIK. So it's definitely possible.
Top UG schools are definitely overrepresented at T14 schools. With that said, top UG schools probably also hold a disproportionate number of good test takers (read: high SAT and LSAT scoring students) and therefore a larger number potential high LSAT scoring LS applicants.

Want to continue reading?

Register for access!

Did I mention it was FREE ?


User avatar
Jaqen

Silver
Posts: 986
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:23 am

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by Jaqen » Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:14 pm

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/cloudy

^My cycle. I went to a directional state u (i.e. Northern Idaho University). Before Chicago and Harvard took me off their waitlists, I was underperforming. It worked out for me in the end, but I easily could have been working with my cycle minus the waitlist admissions.

Feel free to PM me if you like.

tskela

Bronze
Posts: 338
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:41 pm

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by tskela » Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:42 pm

Jaqen wrote:http://lawschoolnumbers.com/cloudy

^My cycle. I went to a directional state u (i.e. Northern Idaho University). Before Chicago and Harvard took me off their waitlists, I was underperforming. It worked out for me in the end, but I easily could have been working with my cycle minus the waitlist admissions.

Feel free to PM me if you like.
Yield protection as opposed to having anything to do with your UG?

ymmv

Diamond
Posts: 21482
Joined: Mon Oct 21, 2013 1:36 pm

Re: Online, Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by ymmv » Wed Jun 25, 2014 8:46 pm

jbagelboy wrote:it certainly won't help. nearly all students at top law programs went to good colleges too.
Huh that is totally not the case for my class. For every HYP we have probably 3 no-name random unranked private lib arts.

User avatar
Nova

Platinum
Posts: 9102
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 8:55 pm

Re: Unranked Undergrad Institutions and the T14

Post by Nova » Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:42 pm

toothbrush wrote:nova, i'd like to believe that you have that list bookmarked for this very purpose.
that actually sounds like a better idea

I always just search my post history for "kurst"

Register now!

Resources to assist law school applicants, students & graduates.

It's still FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Law School Admissions Forum”