Top Law Schools

I'm just wondering. Do they see your list and see that you have a bunch of reach schools with your numbers then decide that they waitlist you? Or do they see that you have a bunch of schools that you would definitely get into and go ahead and admit you for fear of you going elsewhere?

My first choice is UNC (as you can tell from my username). The question asks "What other law schools have you applied to?" The answer right now is NONE. I do plan on applying to about 10 other schools. Does it help me to answer honestly RIGHT NOW and say NONE (which is absolutely true because I've not completed any apps yet)? Or should I put the other schools to which I plan on applying?

In other words, RIGHT NOW, what is the upside of putting down the other schools?

prob to be able to YP someone.

muddywaters wrote:prob to be able to YP someone.

I'm sorry, I don't follow you. What does YP mean?

UNC2009 wrote:

muddywaters wrote:prob to be able to YP someone.

I'm sorry, I don't follow you. What does YP mean?

It means yield protect. If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend. It's all a part of the rankings bullshit.

The best way to guard against that is apply to some reaches and some safeties with UNC closer to the top but not at the top. It lets them know you don't consider them a safety, but it also could inspire them to work harder to keep you if they see they might lose you to a school a few spots ahead.

That, and also for comparison data; as in all the guidebooks that say 'People that apply to school X also apply to school Y,Z, & R.'

If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend.

I disagree with the assertion that UNC would reject you based on this. That's absurd. What the question really does is give them a good idea of matriculation rates so that they don't admit too many/too few applicants. They'll admit students with HYS numbers and be glad if they choose to attend. They just won't expect a seat deposit from them. If they do attend, there's always room for one more - especially one that's exceptionally qualified.

what schools ask you what other schools you are applying to?

kshenkshen wrote:what schools ask you what other schools you are applying to?

I've heard Fordham and UNC from other posts. Any others, folks?

dresq wrote:

If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend.

I disagree with the assertion that UNC would reject you based on this. That's absurd. What the question really does is give them a good idea of matriculation rates so that they don't admit too many/too few applicants. They'll admit students with HYS numbers and be glad if they choose to attend. They just won't expect a seat deposit from them. If they do attend, there's always room for one more - especially one that's exceptionally qualified.

They may not reject you ONLY because of this, but if you are applying to those schools and have stats that are in the range of those schools, you would be YP. Once a school accepts you, that seat is held until you Deposit elsewhere or accept it. That means UNC (in this scenario) is holding a seat while other potential WL students are accepting offers elsewhere. YP exists, but if you are deferred/YP rejected all it takes is a LOCI to reverse that.

dresq wrote:

If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend.

I disagree with the assertion that UNC would reject you based on this. That's absurd. What the question really does is give them a good idea of matriculation rates so that they don't admit too many/too few applicants. They'll admit students with HYS numbers and be glad if they choose to attend. They just won't expect a seat deposit from them. If they do attend, there's always room for one more - especially one that's exceptionally qualified.

Just because it's an absurd notion that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. There's anecdotal evidence of it on here, if you care to look. It's all about the stats. The school would much rather reject you than have you reject it.

Clever username wrote:

UNC2009 wrote:

muddywaters wrote:prob to be able to YP someone.

I'm sorry, I don't follow you. What does YP mean?

It means yield protect. If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend. It's all a part of the rankings bullshit.

The best way to guard against that is apply to some reaches and some safeties with UNC closer to the top but not at the top. It lets them know you don't consider them a safety, but it also could inspire them to work harder to keep you if they see they might lose you to a school a few spots ahead.

I'm applying at Wake Forest, UGA, UT-Knoxville, Alabama, William and Mary (all within 10 or so ranks of UNC) and UVA, W&L, GW, William and Mary, and Emory (all higher ranked than UNC and ALL reaches for me). I've not applied any of them YET, so again, the question is, do I say "No, I've not applied to any other schools" which is true, or do I say, "I'm planning on applying to these schools (listed above)?"

Thanks for the advice.

Name all of them.

Unless (and probably even if) you live in NC, they'll think you're a liar if you say you're only applying to UNC. Your range of schools is exactly what it should be for an optimal answer to that question--a school doesn't want to be a reach and doesn't want to be a safety, they want to be a target. That lets them assume that you won't get into your reaches and you'll choose them over the lower ranked schools.

Clever username wrote:

dresq wrote:

If, say, you apply to UNC, Duke, Virginia, Cornell, Georgetown, GW, Fordham, BC and Colorado, North Carolina will likely reject you because they figure if you're applying to all those higher-ranked schools you'll probably attend one of those over UNC, thus lowering its percentage of admitted students who actually attend.

I disagree with the assertion that UNC would reject you based on this. That's absurd. What the question really does is give them a good idea of matriculation rates so that they don't admit too many/too few applicants. They'll admit students with HYS numbers and be glad if they choose to attend. They just won't expect a seat deposit from them. If they do attend, there's always room for one more - especially one that's exceptionally qualified.

Just because it's an absurd notion that doesn't mean it doesn't happen. There's anecdotal evidence of it on here, if you care to look. It's all about the stats. The school would much rather reject you than have you reject it.

Don't get snippy, friend. I did look:

http://unc.lawschoolnumbers.com/applicants/0708/
http://unc.lawschoolnumbers.com/applicants/0607/
http://unc.lawschoolnumbers.com/applicants/0506/
http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchRes ... px?sid=102 (and look at the chart in the Law School Description page)

Who exactly got rejected with 75/75+ numbers in the past 3 years? The guys with high LSATs were rejected due to low GPAs. Schools are far more interested in attracting high quality students than rejecting them. Again, it just gives them an idea as to who will be likely to matriculate so that they can know roughly how many offers to send out in the first round.