What Kind of Person becomes a law school admissions officer? Forum

[wiglaf1228]

I am honestly curious what type of person gets into this business, particularly at low-tier law schools that are essentially scams. Is it mostly out of work law firm recruiters, brainwashed alumni and secretaries? I cannot imagine wanting a job that mostly involves destroying college kid's dreams without first becoming a psychopath or other antisocial type of personality. It seems a job best suited to number crunching wannabe-business school types who like to maximize yield and minimize unneeded scholarship spending, but I don't see any out of work law firm recruiter having the brains or ambition for that (otherwise they'd get a big boy business job). Also, I noticed most law school admissions officers take months to read personal statements and glance at GPAs and LSATs; are they lazy, secretly very hardworking, or do they simply struggle with reading comprehension? I ask because I know most MBA types cannot read well and spend most of their time 'networking' at cocktail parties playing god with their crumpets and high priced whores, who are always found nearby posing somewhat convincingly as intoxicated girl friends who are totally just having a bad hair day.

A similar question is who would want to work in a career services office, but it's a little more obvious that they are all laid off or pregnant attorneys who actually want to help students. Thanks for any input you can provide as I plan my career.

[071816]

[TTTLS]

I thought the thread title was a rhetorical question.

[wiglaf1228]

I suppose in this economy, you take whatever job you can get, and admissions is quite low stress (since it's quite hard to screw up). But that does not explain why someone would do it for a long time, as many admissions officers do. Surely after some time mindlessly skimming your 5,000th inane personal statement about someone overcoming an obstacle or getting divorced or having sex in a law library or whatever a normal person would leave and pursue a more interesting life?

[soj]

That was a pretty good rant.

[wiglaf1228]

I think, getting high-minded here for a second, that it comes down to a power fetish (As Nietzsche would say everything does). Just as domineering serial killers and fugitive rapists can often be found working day jobs as local ordinance-enforcement agents or high school football referees, career law school admissions officers probably relish having control almost erotically --- in adcomms case, that control manifests as the ability to decide the fates of thousands of young applicants every year. It's a bit off topic, but note that many high school football referees who are not particularly officious are still a high risk of being pedophiles. Think about that the next time your younger varsity 'tight end' brother gets flagged for 'unnecessary roughness.'

[MrPapagiorgio]

Never really thought about it like that. I suppose it is "rewarding" to have power like that. I remember as captain of my high school baseball team I helped the coach make cut decisions in tryouts. In a sick way, it was fun to make a decision like that.

[wiglaf1228]

I think control and power trigger similar areas of the brain to the sexual pleasure centers. That might explain why people stick with the job for so long --- they get addicted to rejecting applicants like someone might get 'addicted' to sex or chocolates. Truly disturbing.

[Tiago Splitter]

Job Opening: Law school admissions officer
Requirements: JD
Type: Full time

Yay for full time JD required employment

[Total Litigator]

I give OP props for the rant as well. I assume he typed it out while alternating between chugging scotch, banging his head against the desk, and wiping the tears from his eyes every couple of sentences.

[wiglaf1228]

I should add that the scourge of degenerate, unqualified and potentially psychotic admissions officers is not limited to terrible law schools, though I suspect it's more common there. Take a look at Harvard's admissions office --- they are apparently really screwing up this cycle, all the deans are getting pregnant and they are offering interviews to candidates who have already withdrawn, etc etc. Is there any doubt they would not survive in the real world?

[Lwoods]

I don't think it's necessarily a power trip thing. Admissions is primarily marketing, so people who end up working in it probably have some sort of interest or background in marketing or sales. It's one of those jobs that's just a job for most, I think, though some ultimately turn it into their career.

[kwais]

I love that no matter how people respond, OP just continues douchey rant.
Nietzche? Really? who's the asshole now

[BlueDiamond]

someone who wants to make decent money with good benefits while only having to "work" for 4 months of the year.. it sounds ideal to me actually

[NinerFan]

someone who wants to make decent money with good benefits while only having to "work" for 4 months of the year.. it sounds ideal to me actually

They have to review applications starting in september and do recruiting trips all over the country at colleges and LSAC things, so I don't know if it's just 4 months. It isn't like H&R Block

[Renzo]

I love that no matter how people respond, OP just continues douchey rant.
Nietzche? Really? who's the asshole now

My sentiments exactly. I was ready to give to OP props for the initial rant, but then he went and ruined it with that bullshit.

[wiglaf1228]

You sound like you would make a good law school admissions officer! Based on your extensive amount of posts on this forum, you clearly have something of a fetish for the admissions process. That's another type of personality I did not consider --- someone who is addicted in a sense to the 'procedure,' much as George Zimmerman was preoccupied with policing.

[20121109]

You sound like you would make a good law school admissions officer! Based on your extensive amount of posts on this forum, you clearly have something of a fetish for the admissions process. That's another type of personality I did not consider --- someone who is addicted in a sense to the 'procedure,' much as George Zimmerman was preoccupied with policing.

........Go on.

[Geneva]

how much money do they make? i wonder what the dean/director of admissions at a place like harvard or yale makes...and how that compares to the director of admissions at a place like w&m...and cooley...

and i'm really bored...