Some Admissions Consultants ain't so good Forum

[Lifesonalex]

Dan Sullivan's Law School Admissions Consulting LSAC.
Yes. LSAC is the company that administers the LSAT test.
Apparently Sullivan uses the LSAC initials to make the public think he's connected to the LSAT test organization.
But now to the meat of the matter.


Sullivan took remedial math and a reduced credit load as a Villanova undergrad. That was fatal dumbness for someone wanting to get into Harvard/Yale Law Schools. This alone should terrify any 19 year old who is considering hiring Sullivan for advice. Nixy might say "Well 40 years have passed so that's no longer relevant". Nonsense. Sullivan did this as an adult, at a time when he was obsessed about getting into a T14 law school. When Sullivan made the above move his law school admissions packet was the single most important thing in his life. He made the blunder anyway. That shows us something very significant. And the blunder was obvious to everyone but Sullivan.



Sullivan kept a notebook titled Easy 'A' Teachers. He would strike up conversations with anyone at Villanova and ask them about easy teachers for a particular class. This is off the scale. Sullivan is the only guy I've ever seen do this. It was an obsession. Maximizing GPA. Sullivan turned it into a science. When Sullivan got to U of Chic Law School this trick didn't work so well.



Sullivan had the brilliant idea "if one Villanova degree is good then 2 are better". What to do? Let's do summer sessions and get 2 degrees. But wait. Doesn't that only prove that Dad has money to finance summer sessions? Sullivan didn't see it that way. Wouldn't it be far better to avoid frivolous electives and take an additional class in both the fall and spring semesters? Not if you're Sullivan. How many parents are willing to finance summer sessions at college so Junior can graduate with 2 degrees? No one in my neighborhood.



Scroll forward. Sullivan is not getting into the law schools that he wants. What to do? Let's enroll at U of Mich for a Philosophy degree. Really? Yes, if 2 degrees at Villanova are great, just think of the distinction of having 3 degrees. Daddy had money and could finance this frivolity. Plus, while getting the frivolous degree at U of Mich, Sullivan will have time to study for the LSAT and take numerous prep classes. Any parents out there willing to finance this?

This is the one thing that Sullivan did that may have worked out for him. Hopefully you have wealthy parents so you can copy his move. He had plenty of time to take LSAT prep classes and so he got a 177 LSAT, or so he says. In Sullivan's defense, he may have actually got that score because he got into U of Chic Law in 1983, ranked #6 at the time.



Wow. Now things are really looking up. He got accepted at #6 U of Chic Law. Let's overlook the fact that all of his other acrobatics may have prevented him from getting accepted into Harvard/Yale Law.



Did he distinguish himself in any way at U of Chic Law? If yes, he would have told us on his consulting website. So I'll go with the "No" answer.

It's OK, he got a job at Simpson Thatcher. Wow! But wait. What is so prestigious about being on the Simpson Flatliner Track a week after arrival? Flatliner Track? Yes, no partner takes an interest in your career, no meaningful training, mind numbing paperwork, then at the end of your usefulness you're politely but firmly told that your services are no longer required. Is it prestigious? You decide.

Sullivan's site says that he got into admissions consulting by advising his "political science professor wife's students". Kill me. Did Dan just type those words? And he was a Simpson Thatcher guy? With a 177 LSAT? I'm speechless, and that does not often happen. Are you now shocked that he didn't make partner at Simpson? I'm not.

Is that an example of how not to write on an admissions essay? Why not make it more ridiculous? I would suggest:

"My blond Ashkenazi Jewish political science professor wife's students..."

If you seek to be ridiculous, may as well go all the way. Right now if I was 19 and looking for an admissions consultant, I'd be running in the opposite direction.


From Dan's site. He worked for a Fortune 500 company. He won't tell us which one. I guess it's confidential.

He was a partner at 2 smaller firms. He won't tell us which firms. I guess it's confidential.

Sullivan was at first rejected by Villanova admissions. His Dad raised hell and donated. Sullivan was then accepted. To me, this is comical. Sullivan told me that years ago. I was there. In the room. Daddy smoothing things over by talking to someone on the golf course when Junior screws up.

Sullivan states on his site that he was Captain of the Villanova debate team. How did they do? No comment. It's ok, it was a long time ago.

Where is the logical connection between Sullivan's English, Accounting and Philosophy degrees? There is none. He's doing a random walk. And the Harvard/Yale Law Admissions Directors saw it. Dan didn't.



I'm nauseated by all of this if I'm a 19 year old who just did a 10 hour shift at McDonald's flipping burgers for minimum wage. I don't really want to send Sullivan the $2500 that I saved up. Do Nixy and Moderator Cavalier feel my pain?

If Dan is being truthful about his LSAT score, he just may have been admitted to Harvard/Yale Law Schools, had Dan avoided all of the frivolity above. It's called "being too clever by half". He was too cute for his own good.

Can we believe his LSAT score of 177? And of course anyone can say they got anything on the LSAT and they can't be proven wrong. Knowing the guy for 40 years, I believe he would lie about his LSAT score to impress people. Which translates into people sending him thousands of dollars in consulting fees.

Now let's take a step back and look at the big picture. Had Sullivan been admitted to Harvard Law or the #40 law school, it would not have mattered. Either way, he's still on the Simpson Thatcher Flatliner Track a week after arrival.

Sullivan's Admissions Consulting does not add value. It scoops up attractive people but it's not responsible for their attractiveness, like a modeling agency.

If TLS feels the above adds value, that it's well thought out and useful, may I post it on the admissions consultants forum so that more TLS readers will see it? I already know Cavalier's answer but hopefully there is someone more reasonable who can decide the issue. You see, sadly, Cav has a vendetta against me, at least that's what appearances indicate.

[Geddylee]

What does Sullivan charge for admissions consulting.
Just curious.
Not that I want to hire him after what you posted

[Lifesonalex]

I have the screenshot of Sullivan's divorce court docs

Ordering counseling for alcohol and drug use

Shame.....

Who wants to hire him as an admissions consultant?

I can email you the screenshot
lenny2 at consultant dot com

consider this a favor from me to you

Teenagers.
No point in flipping burgers for 2 months over the summer and sending the money to Sullivan for consulting services

[Lifesonalex]

I have the internet doc, Sullivan divorce case, ordering Sullivan to take counseling for alcohol and drugs.......
Want him as an admissions consultant? lenny2 at consultant dot com
It all depends on if you want to send Sullivan a check for $2500 for admissions consulting

[nealric]

I'm not sure I understand this vendetta. If you had a bad experience with the service this consultant provided, it would be better to post a review of that service. If you have no particular connection, why post a lengthy screed?

I personally wouldn't hire an admissions consultant primarily because law school is mostly a numbers game. Have a 3.8+ UGPA and 170+ LSAT and one of the top schools should let you in. Maybe if you are gunning for Yale or Stanford it's worth consulting with someone who has specific expertise in those places (cozying up to someone who actually knows the right people there is probably better though).

But what this guy did in the 1980s and his (evidently) nasty divorce seems pretty irrelevant to whether he gives good advice to people applying to law school in the 2020s. Perhaps OP is the ex wife?