Top Law Schools

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pittsburghpirates wrote:Based on looking around, I've found some info on writing Why X essays for schools and that sometimes these essays can have a positive impact on your application in terms of avoiding waitlists (YP and perhaps for someone on the margins). The TLS guide mentions Penn and Michigan specifically as schools for which to write these essays. Know Cornell has a "Why Cornell" piece to their application as well. Just wanted to see if anyone else had any advice on this in terms of other schools for which writing one of these essays would be worth the effort. Focused primarily on the T14 and will write them for all schools where it could feasibly do me some good. Any advice much appreciated.

I know Penn's "Why" essay is pretty much always recommended (for people interested in it and those that don't want to be YPd), and it couldn't hurt to do one of the creative options for Gtown in lieu of a traditional "Why" essay. Also, I know they're not T14, but ND's "Why" essay is highly recommended if you want to consider it and UCLA also has a brief "Why" piece to their app if I remember correctly.

The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

This

I only did one for Chicago when WLed and they asked if I wanted to supplement my application with why I wanted to go. Otherwise UVA, Duke, Cornell, Northwestern, and Michigan all got one from me.

Mack.Hambleton wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

This

Also if you apply to ND do the ND one. ND is probably the school that puts the most weight on the Why? essay. People way over both medians get rejected without one and people below both get in with it. They truly want it. But as far as the other schools, that list above is a necessity.

fredfred wrote:Also if you apply to ND do the ND one. ND is probably the school that puts the most weight on the Why? essay. People way over both medians get rejected without one and people below both get in with it. They truly want it. But as far as the other schools, that list above is a necessity.

Can say I did not do one and probably should not have gotten WLed (it seemed like a YP). I wrote one but ultimately withdrew before they made a decision.

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

+1

And if any of those schools are top choices for you, put time into it.

Truthfully they're not even hard to write. It's one page; just poke around their website for a bit and check your grammar. In my experience if you really want to go the passion flows through to the essay.

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Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

I think Columbia should be considered, they have YPd a decent bit in the last couple cycles.

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basedvulpes wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

Just curious, why not worry about it for T6? It can't possibly hurt my chances, right?

I think it is because they are generally for YP, and most people would not get YPed by CCN unless it was like a 4.0 180 AA.

cdotson2 wrote:

basedvulpes wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

Just curious, why not worry about it for T6? It can't possibly hurt my chances, right?

I think it is because they are generally for YP, and most people would not get YPed by CCN unless it was like a 4.0 180 AA.

For whatever reason, a bunch of people with good but not insane #s did get WLd from cls last cycle. There was a whole saga about it in their applicants thread. Bunch of people regretted having not written a why x. Although cls also WLd ppl who did write them, so who knows.

I'd say if you're really dying to go to any particular school, you might as well write a why x essay.

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

The general recommendation ... based on what?

OP, the answer to your original question of why is this the general recommendation will be based on opinion and not fact. So as you reasoned it will not hurt you - and can only help you or do nothing for you - if you write Why Xs for every school.

There's no reason why applicants shouldn't write why Xs to all schools they apply to. It baffles me that kids don't. Your goal should be to convince every adcomm that their school is your top school. Doing so means, according to common sense, that they would go the extra mile (scholarships, etc.) to have you at their school over a kid with the same numbers who did not express interest. Visit my mylsn profile for an example of how someone can get large amounts of money compared to those with the same numbers by writing Why Xs.

The only instance in which TLS's vague "dont write Why Xs for top schools" advice is based in reality is that, if I recall correctly, the former HLS admissions dean said a Why X to HLS was superfluous.

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FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:The only instance in which TLS's vague "dont write Why Xs for top schools" advice is based in reality is that, if I recall correctly, the former HLS admissions dean said a Why X to HLS was superfluous.

I don't dispute that this is true, but do you happen to remember where you heard this from?

salander wrote:

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:The only instance in which TLS's vague "dont write Why Xs for top schools" advice is based in reality is that, if I recall correctly, the former HLS admissions dean said a Why X to HLS was superfluous.

I don't dispute that this is true, but do you happen to remember where you heard this from?

I recall reading it in the Spivey thread, from Karen Buttenbaum.

basedvulpes wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

Just curious, why not worry about it for T6? It can't possibly hurt my chances, right?

Depends on who you ask. I think Chicago specifically mentions they appreciate an application that doesn't have unnecessary addenda. Basically adcomms have to pour over thousands of apps, and they might be seen as a negative if you make them have to read several pages. Pretty sure Spivey has mentioned this before. Good question to search in that thread.

FloridaCoastalorbust wrote:

Winston1984 wrote:The general recommendation on this site is do it for: Penn, UVA, Michigan, Duke, and Northwestern. Don't worry about doing it for T6.

The general recommendation ... based on what?

OP, the answer to your original question of why is this the general recommendation will be based on opinion and not fact. So as you reasoned it will not hurt you - and can only help you or do nothing for you - if you write Why Xs for every school.

There's no reason why applicants shouldn't write why Xs to all schools they apply to. It baffles me that kids don't. Your goal should be to convince every adcomm that their school is your top school. Doing so means, according to common sense, that they would go the extra mile (scholarships, etc.) to have you at their school over a kid with the same numbers who did not express interest. Visit my mylsn profile for an example of how someone can get large amounts of money compared to those with the same numbers by writing Why Xs.

The only instance in which TLS's vague "dont write Why Xs for top schools" advice is based in reality is that, if I recall correctly, the former HLS admissions dean said a Why X to HLS was superfluous.

General recommendation based on posters as well as some admissions websites, and I believe Spivey has touched on this. There is definitely a reason you shouldn't write why Xs to all schools you apply to, adcomms don't necessarily appreciate a longer application. You can express interest without writing a why X essay. Your single data point is definitive proof why X essays get folks tons of money. For a counter data point, every school (except one) I wrote a why X essay for waitlisted me or gave me no money.

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urbanist11 wrote:From Chicago's website:

If there are genuine and informed reasons why you are particularly interested in studying law at UChicago, you are welcome to discuss them in an additional essay.

Maybe it's not essential to the degree that other schools are, but why not throw one in if you can articulate unique and interesting reasons you want to attend Chicago.

I think the problem is that the majority of folks don't have one, and then they try to force a generic one. Also, I must've been wrong about it being Chicago. So my bad on that. I do remember one website saying they appreciate a concise app. Or something along those lines.