when to write a why x and what t-25s care about them? Forum

[cavalier2015]

i have a below 25th GPA at some of the top end schools and im waiting on december lsat but i am expecting either at 50th or slightly above/below. which t-14s care about the Why x? From my understanding its: UVA, UPenn, Duke, Michigan. Anyone else i'm missing? How about for the t-25? also general suggestions regarding why x would be great

thanks

[KMart]

I'd say anything outside of the top 6. As for when to write them: if you have a compelling reason, then write why you want to go.

[Kratos]

everywhere

[PeanutsNJam]

I wrote Why X's for schools that might YP me (BU, BC), and ones that I really actually want to go to (NU). But I didn't write Why X for obvious reach schools (Penn, UVA). Plus I didn't want to risk writing a lackluster Why X, which is theoretically worse than no Why X. The only reason I applied to most of the T14 is because they're T14. They actually aren't even in cities I want to go to, or in regions I want to practice in.

Some schools have a "why us?" section in their app, like Cornell, so I didn't write a Why X for that.

TL;DR: I wrote Why X for schools that I have compelling reasons to go to beyond "great employment stats and preftige"

[hillz]

I wrote for Penn, Virginia, Michigan, Duke, & Northwestern, and did the optional response for Georgetown. I think as long as an applicant is able to find things that interest them about the school (clinics, profs, location, etc.) and relate it to their interests and career goals, a Why X is a good idea.

Schools, especially Penn & Virginia, want to know that you truly are interested in them and not just applying because they're T14 because they don't want to risk a low yield. And if you can find personal reasons to go, i.e. this is near my mom's family, this area is where my husband could most easily find work, all the better.

Ad Comms know that most applicants writing a Why X essay are going to find info off the website and that shows that those applicants at least took an extra step to research (however minimally) and reflect upon how the school connects to their past experiences & dreams for the future.

[hillz]

As far as T-25 schools, I think you should write one if you really and truly care about getting in. I didn't write any for schools out of the T14 but I would have considered it if I had been a splitter or had some other reason for really wanting a particular school (i.e. geographic ties that weren't obvious based on my location when I applied).

[PeanutsNJam]

Hillz did you apply to T6? IIRC, you stand a significant chance of getting YP'd from non T6 so yeah it was smart for you to write a Why X. In the end I think it could hurt you if you don't put enough thought and effort into a Why X. The school's wikipedia page/website is a good starting point, but if you want a good Why X, look through the "ask a law student" threads here on TLS. Use the information there.

[pcph]

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