Wake Forest C/O 2019 Applicants (2015-2016) Forum

[Arculease]

Bored 3L here, willing to take some questions.

Thank you for taking questions!

Just to give some perspective, what is your approximate class rank? Are you on any journals? And what job prospects are you looking at?

How would you rate the competitive atmosphere at Wake?

[jduluoz54]

I am not the Bored 3L, but I am a different bored 3L. Happy to help.

I am between top 5-10%. I am on Law Review. I will be clerking next year. Received an offer from 2L SA at V50 (deferred and will see what opportunities arise from clerkship).

I am never certain how to answer the competition question. It depends on how competitive you are. I have found everyone I interact with to be supportive and genuinely interested in my success. Stories of sharing notes and study groups are prevalent. I have never heard of sabotage or unscrupulous behavior. Wake is such a small school that you know your entire class. I want all of my friends to succeed.

HTH

[pleadthafif]

Anyone else visiting for ASW in March? Also anyone had any luck negotiating with WFU yet?

[WakeLaw16]

Don't want to out myself, but Law Review, top 10-15%. I've got a job lined up at a BigLaw firm, but it hasn't been an easy search. Wake OCI has a lot of NC firms show up, but a lot of them have very small summer classes. They all want ties to make sure that summers won't leave. I also know at least one NC midlaw firm that no offered its entire class. Out-of-staters did not fair well at OCI, even ones that were ranked highly. MNAT comes to Wake and Delaware firms in general seem like decent landing places for some out-of-staters. You will have to mass mail in order to get interviews from NYC and other bigger legal markets. NYC firms do not come to Wake and they are the overwhelming majority of BigLaw jobs. It seems like Wake does well with placing clerks at NC state courts. I feel lucky to have the job I got, and I know similarly situated people who do not have jobs lined up yet. A lot of these people might have to wait until after bar passage, as will the majority of the class. Overall, Wake's name will get you in the door if you have the grades, but be careful if you think NC midlaw and BigLaw jobs are easy to get. Also, I can't stress the importance of good interview skills. My interview skills are not great, but a lot of people with good interview skills and a lower rank fared much better than me. PM me if you want my specific situation.

[WakeLaw16]

As far as the competitive atmosphere, everyone knows each other due to the smaller class size so it is much more friendly and open than other school. Everyone wants to help everyone else from what I've seen. I love how tight knit the Wake community is.

[soccerchick]

does anyone know how much Wake normally adjusts scholarship offers after submitting reconsideration forms?

[tarheel123]

Just got the email about "no news is good news". Has anyone been accepted yet that has received this?

[bmathers]

I get my LSATs back next week, and Wake and UNC are both atop my list of applications (13ish). Hopefully they still have seats and possibly some money to give out, otherwise the $42k/year price tag may be a bit too rich for me. Good luck everyone

[paper plate]

does anyone know how much Wake normally adjusts scholarship offers after submitting reconsideration forms?

I would like to know about this as well. I'm visiting in a couple of weeks and am still trying to decide if I should submit my reconsideration form before I visit or after.

[cricketlove00]

I get my LSATs back next week, and Wake and UNC are both atop my list of applications (13ish). Hopefully they still have seats and possibly some money to give out, otherwise the $42k/year price tag may be a bit too rich for me. Good luck everyone

Have hope. I applied super late and I got in with a pretty good schools.

[EasttoWest94]

So I went to admitted students day, and was a little disappointed. I went intending to fall in love with the place, and instead found it to be kind of... dead, for a lack of a better word. Now, I know Wake is a small school and it doesn't help that I currently go to a huge public university (50k students), but I felt absolutely alone when touring the law school and walking around campus... even when I took a look around Winston-Salem. Any advice from students who go there, particularly those who have previously gone to a larger school? I have loved my experience at such a large school, and I'm afraid I want like the transition to Wake.

[AT9]

So I went to admitted students day, and was a little disappointed. I went intending to fall in love with the place, and instead found it to be kind of... dead, for a lack of a better word. Now, I know Wake is a small school and it doesn't help that I currently go to a huge public university (50k students), but I felt absolutely alone when touring the law school and walking around campus... even when I took a look around Winston-Salem. Any advice from students who go there, particularly those who have previously gone to a larger school? I have loved my experience at such a large school, and I'm afraid I want like the transition to Wake.

Admitted students day doesn't really give you a good idea of what law school is like. I didn't love Wake when I visited (even more dead as it was spring break), but I've found the people to be warm and friendly. After going to a big public undergrad, which I enjoyed, it was a little weird going someplace where you see the same people every day. But it was a nice change--makes law school feel less overwhelming and isolating. I hate to use this cliche, and I'm sure other places are like this too, but it does really feel like a community rather than just a school.

Oh, and I think your admitted students day was on a Friday when most of the school is at home. Go visit on a weekday between 9-2 if you want a better sense of what the atmosphere is like.

But, ultimately the feel you get on admitted students day should probably be far below other factors like location, career goals, and finances.

[DorcasPond]

So I went to admitted students day, and was a little disappointed. I went intending to fall in love with the place, and instead found it to be kind of... dead, for a lack of a better word. Now, I know Wake is a small school and it doesn't help that I currently go to a huge public university (50k students), but I felt absolutely alone when touring the law school and walking around campus... even when I took a look around Winston-Salem. Any advice from students who go there, particularly those who have previously gone to a larger school? I have loved my experience at such a large school, and I'm afraid I want like the transition to Wake.

Admitted students day doesn't really give you a good idea of what law school is like. I didn't love Wake when I visited (even more dead as it was spring break), but I've found the people to be warm and friendly. After going to a big public undergrad, which I enjoyed, it was a little weird going someplace where you see the same people every day. But it was a nice change--makes law school feel less overwhelming and isolating. I hate to use this cliche, and I'm sure other places are like this too, but it does really feel like a community rather than just a school.

Oh, and I think your admitted students day was on a Friday when most of the school is at home. Go visit on a weekday between 9-2 if you want a better sense of what the atmosphere is like.

But, ultimately the feel you get on admitted students day should probably be far below other factors like location, career goals, and finances.

I won't be attending the admitted students day, but to build off of what you said... My understanding is that your "experience" during ASW is a risky thing to wholly base your decision off of (assuming there aren't glaring red flags or deal breakers that are highlighted).

While some schools have weekends that correspond with spring break, subsequently giving off the feel of a ghost town that was mentioned above, I also know other schools wine and dine you, solely focused on promotion... to the point that the vast majority of their events are held off campus at glitzy venues with glamorous atmospheres, in the hopes that you'll be so starry eyed that you'll buy into the school's "promise" of leading you to a future of wealth/success, and just commit right there.

Not saying that ASWs don't have a purpose or can't be helpful in making a decision, but I'd definitely go into it being mindful of the differences between the "life" presented during ASW, and the life of their average students on a normal Tuesday.

[WakeLaw16]

So I went to admitted students day, and was a little disappointed. I went intending to fall in love with the place, and instead found it to be kind of... dead, for a lack of a better word. Now, I know Wake is a small school and it doesn't help that I currently go to a huge public university (50k students), but I felt absolutely alone when touring the law school and walking around campus... even when I took a look around Winston-Salem. Any advice from students who go there, particularly those who have previously gone to a larger school? I have loved my experience at such a large school, and I'm afraid I want like the transition to Wake.

Admitted students day doesn't really give you a good idea of what law school is like. I didn't love Wake when I visited (even more dead as it was spring break), but I've found the people to be warm and friendly. After going to a big public undergrad, which I enjoyed, it was a little weird going someplace where you see the same people every day. But it was a nice change--makes law school feel less overwhelming and isolating. I hate to use this cliche, and I'm sure other places are like this too, but it does really feel like a community rather than just a school.

Oh, and I think your admitted students day was on a Friday when most of the school is at home. Go visit on a weekday between 9-2 if you want a better sense of what the atmosphere is like.

But, ultimately the feel you get on admitted students day should probably be far below other factors like location, career goals, and finances.

100% agree with this. I went to a huge undergrad, and I really liked the change of pace for law school. Personally, I did not want the large school experience for law school because it is way too easy to get distracted when at a large public institution with tens of thousands of students around you. With Wake, I could focus a lot better on my studies, and trust me, you need to treat law school like a job if you want to do well.

The community aspect of Wake great. You will probably get to know most of the people in your class by the time you graduate to some extent, especially the students in your 1L section. It also helps to stem some of the competitiveness that law school breeds. Almost everyone is friendly and at-least collegial with one another.

Also, please do not think that Friday mornings are indicative of the atmosphere at Wake. Almost no 2Ls and 3Ls have class that day so the school is pretty empty.

[ashleyh]

Hey guys! I've been under review since 2/9 but now a scholarship box is at the bottom of the checker. I'm not sure what this means as it still says I'm under review. Anyone else experience this?

[sucreroux]

been a couple of weeks since i completed my interview. still haven't gone back under review..... how long should I wait until I let it go and choose another school? I know the email said May 1 but all of my other schools need a decision by April 1 and I don't have the cash flow to throw out seat deposits.

[bruceaquizzer1]

One of my friends applied here on monday and was accepted on wednesday this week. LSAT 162 GPA 3.5

[soccerchick]

Have any accepted students successfully submitted a scholarship reconsideration form? In the process of sending mine in, but am wondering whether anyone has successfully negotiated, as the seat deposit is coming up soon.

[DorcasPond]

been a couple of weeks since i completed my interview. still haven't gone back under review..... how long should I wait until I let it go and choose another school? I know the email said May 1 but all of my other schools need a decision by April 1 and I don't have the cash flow to throw out seat deposits.

If I were you, I'd wait until the 15th or 20th and then send them an honest email explaining the situation. No reason to pull yourself out early and essentially reject yourself. Worst case scenario, if you only want to put one deposit down, I'd say wait to pull your app at noon on 1 April if you haven't heard anything (assuming you would want to accept admission to Wake over another school you've gotten into). But that's just my two cents!

[carolinalawyer007]

Have any accepted students successfully submitted a scholarship reconsideration form? In the process of sending mine in, but am wondering whether anyone has successfully negotiated, as the seat deposit is coming up soon.

Haven't heard anything yet, but received confirmation email saying we will hear back by March 15th. Anyone else get the Smith/Shaver scholarship email? It may have just been sent to NC residents since it's a requirement

[soccerchick]

Also, has anyone created an accepted students fb page? Planning on trying to find a roommate, and that seems like the best way to do it haha.

[ctabs]

Also, has anyone created an accepted students fb page? Planning on trying to find a roommate, and that seems like the best way to do it haha.

Same!

[carolinalawyer007]

I know we hear back about scholarship negotiation by Tuesday, but I'm really hoping we find out before the weekend! Anyone hear anything yet?

[pleadthafif]

I know we hear back about scholarship negotiation by Tuesday, but I'm really hoping we find out before the weekend! Anyone hear anything yet?

Just emailed mine in last night!

[EasttoWest94]

Wake Forest up 7 spots in law school rankings. Get it, Wake. That's a huge jump.