Michigan Law School C/O 2019 Applicants (2015-16) Forum

[WinterComing]

Anyone know if Darrow invites are in lieu of traditional scholarship offers or a separate thing?

My impression (from TLS and other sources) is that if you're invited to apply for a Darrow but don't end up getting one, they may (or may not) then offer you other merit and need aid from other sources.

Yeah. I would think that if you're deemed worthy of interviewing for the Darrow but don't get it, you would be a very good candidate for other forms of aid. And as far as I know, no one who is asked to interview for the Darrow is offered other aid until after they go through the Darrow process.

[cdavis1024]

Seems like they've been especially generous with $ this cycle, hope other schools follow suit

+1. I'd be happy to just see Mich be as generous for those of us with <170 LSATs as they have for those >170. Obviously I don't expect the SAME amount, but from what I've gathered, aid awards for 170+ scorers have been anywhere from 90-120k, and as a 166, I'd be pretty happy with like ... 40-60.

[MrR10]

Has anyone done the Darrow interview yet?

+1

Long time lurker checking in: submitted 11/20, complete 12/09, admitted 12/24, Darrow invite by email 1/8.

Wow, that's a really quick turnaround. Congrats!

[fliptrip]

Still sitting at complete early October... really far above one 75th and between 50 and 75th on the other. I submitted an optional essay but not a "Why Michigan". Does Michigan have a reputation for YP?

In a word, yes. If, as a high scorer, you don't show specific interest in Michigan, you can definitely end up in their "complete" status limbo. I'm >75th LSAT and 50<x<75th GPA and I've been stuck on "complete" since mid-October. I don't know why these folks hate me--they did it to me last year and this year I went to great efforts to write a specific "why Michigan", but clearly to no avail. I understand YP for folks who are just throwing apps around to get scholly leverage, but I am really really interested in Michigan and would definitely go there over higher ranked schools.

At some point towards the end of the month, Dean Z will likely email all folks in "complete" limbo to tell us that we are in limbo because they don't like us enough to accept us and don't hate us enough to reject us. She'll implore us to hold on, which then leaves us with a choice to make.

[cdavis1024]

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[coldmonkey13]

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[wrestlme431]

Finally went complete today. Submitted 12/9. Also shedding my lurker status.

[James.K.Polk]

Question for all: What makes you most interested in Michigan, and would you choose U of M over a higher ranked school? If so, why? If not, why not?

I'm just curious. There's some hate for a lot of the schools I originally had pegged as "reach" or "goal" schools (including UMich, Georgetown, and to some extent, Cornell) on TLS, and it makes me ponder things.

I think a big part of the hate is the huge hard-on people on TLS have for the holy trinity and the T-5, though that's my opinion and can't be proven.

I'd agree with this. Also, you have to consider that TLS is largely an echo chamber; while there are 1, 2, and 3Ls who can bring new information, and there is Spivey, most of the posts we read are just regurgitated old posts.

I like Michigan because it's the 2nd best school in the midwest (by ranking), because I feel (or hope, anyway) that smaller class sizes can bring up the employment numbers, and because I know a Michigan Law degree will never be invaluable, no matter where you are.

[rska884]

Question for all: What makes you most interested in Michigan, and would you choose U of M over a higher ranked school? If so, why? If not, why not?

I'm just curious. There's some hate for a lot of the schools I originally had pegged as "reach" or "goal" schools (including UMich, Georgetown, and to some extent, Cornell) on TLS, and it makes me ponder things.

I think a big part of the hate is the huge hard-on people on TLS have for the holy trinity and the T-5, though that's my opinion and can't be proven.

I'd agree with this. Also, you have to consider that TLS is largely an echo chamber; while there are 1, 2, and 3Ls who can bring new information, and there is Spivey, most of the posts we read are just regurgitated old posts.

I like Michigan because it's the 2nd best school in the midwest (by ranking), because I feel (or hope, anyway) that smaller class sizes can bring up the employment numbers, and because I know a Michigan Law degree will never be invaluable, no matter where you are.

I think it's largely driven by the rankings, too. As the lower end of the T14, these schools (with Northwestern) have a lot of people applying to them who are hoping to go somewhere better, which will color perception. I went to an undergrad which was in a similar situation with rankings, and met my fair share of people there who were frustrated they didn't end up somewhere "better".

If these schools are right for you (regardless of whether it's because of rankings, location, specific programs, etc.), I wouldn't worry too much about the opinions you see on here.

[coldmonkey13]

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[curious bobcat]

Excellent point. For example, given certain desired career paths, outside of HYS, UVA is by far the best school for some, so unless a different school offers people money (even if it's ranked higher e.g. NYU) they may be inclined to go to UVA.

For what career paths do you believe UVA better prepares a student than Columbia/Chicago/Penn/etc.?

[december1205]

Applied late bc i thought i would do substantially better on the Dec LSAT (one can dream)

Here's to hoping Michigan!

[coldmonkey13]

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[CJRpnw]

How long did most people wait between acceptance and getting their scholarship offers? I'm SO excited about Michigan, and I want to book my ASW ticket ASAP if the offer makes that dream doable.

[cub1014]

At some point towards the end of the month, Dean Z will likely email all folks in "complete" limbo to tell us that we are in limbo because they don't like us enough to accept us and don't hate us enough to reject us. She'll implore us to hold on, which then leaves us with a choice to make.

By limbo do you mean waitlist or a sort of no decision purgatory, as far as the "holding on part goes". I'm part of that current complete limbo group.

[fliptrip]

At some point towards the end of the month, Dean Z will likely email all folks in "complete" limbo to tell us that we are in limbo because they don't like us enough to accept us and don't hate us enough to reject us. She'll implore us to hold on, which then leaves us with a choice to make.

By limbo do you mean waitlist or a sort of no decision purgatory, as far as the "holding on part goes". I'm part of that current complete limbo group.

From what I gathered, it was more like the "hold" category at other schools. I think they plan to look at complete limbo folks a little later in the cycle and compare us to a more complete applicant pool and then decide what they want to do--accept, reject, w/l. I didn't stick around after getting the Dean Z email last year, but this year I'm gonna ride it out if it comes to that.

[nacogdoches]

How long did most people wait between acceptance and getting their scholarship offers? I'm SO excited about Michigan, and I want to book my ASW ticket ASAP if the offer makes that dream doable.

One of their letters says that they have a target turnaround time for merit aid of two weeks, but mine came a few days later than that.

[benwyatt]

How long did most people wait between acceptance and getting their scholarship offers? I'm SO excited about Michigan, and I want to book my ASW ticket ASAP if the offer makes that dream doable.

One of their letters says that they have a target turnaround time for merit aid of two weeks, but mine came a few days later than that.

Yeah, my email from them says they shoot for around 2 weeks. Hoping I get some good news this week

[CJRpnw]

How long did most people wait between acceptance and getting their scholarship offers? I'm SO excited about Michigan, and I want to book my ASW ticket ASAP if the offer makes that dream doable.

One of their letters says that they have a target turnaround time for merit aid of two weeks, but mine came a few days later than that.

Good to know -- thank you!

[GoogleWasMyIdea]

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[cc1012]

So if we haven't received merit aid yet, it seems like we won't be offered any?

Admitted in mid November.

[nacogdoches]

How long did most people wait between acceptance and getting their scholarship offers? I'm SO excited about Michigan, and I want to book my ASW ticket ASAP if the offer makes that dream doable.

One of their letters says that they have a target turnaround time for merit aid of two weeks, but mine came a few days later than that.

Yeah, my email from them says they shoot for around 2 weeks. Hoping I get some good news this week

Did it say that in your acceptance email? I don't see anything like that in mine.

You'll get what is noted in your Admitted Students Website as "Offer Follow-up Email". It'll include all of the fun administrative minutiae you'd ever want to know.

[GoogleWasMyIdea]

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[GoogleWasMyIdea]

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[Billy Madison]

Rejected, according to the status checker. Hadn't checked in a while, but it says a letter was mailed. Good luck to you all!