Michigan (AKA Hogwarts) c/o 2016 Applicants Thread 2012-2013 Forum

[helix23]

I think it is actually just keeping track every time you login

[calverna]

It updates every day.

[thelaststraw05]

It updates every day and it doesn't mean anything.

Take a look at this blog post to get an idea of how the status checker now works at Michigan:

http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... 397d820295

The gist is that Michigan now posts your decision online as well as sending a letter in the mail. There is no delay in the status checker being updated. This means that there is no longer any incentive to try logging into the admitted students website to discover whether you've been admitted (as there was in the past).

I thought, for old time’s sake, it would be fun to look at the aggregate data on log-in attempts. And that’s how I learned that there are other people out there whose capacity to spend excessive amounts of time on tasks that others might dispatch quickly, or not engage in at all, rivals my own. Looking only at the data through November 1, I was fascinated to see that, of the 502 people who had tried to access the admitted students site prior to being admitted, 73 did so just once; 273 did so 10 times or more; 50 did so 50 times or more; 6 tried 100 times or more; and one dedicated individual tried 215 times.

[Yukos]

I thought, for old time’s sake, it would be fun to look at the aggregate data on log-in attempts. And that’s how I learned that there are other people out there whose capacity to spend excessive amounts of time on tasks that others might dispatch quickly, or not engage in at all, rivals my own. Looking only at the data through November 1, I was fascinated to see that, of the 502 people who had tried to access the admitted students site prior to being admitted, 73 did so just once; 273 did so 10 times or more; 50 did so 50 times or more; 6 tried 100 times or more; and one dedicated individual tried 215 times.

Awkward as fuck for that one guy. Didn't even know about the admitted student thing, but glad it doesn't work. Obsessively checking the status checker itself is enough I think.

[RSterling]

My mistake. It was the first time I'd logged in to see my status since originally logging in after getting the e-mail. Trust me, I'm not the guy who logged in 200 times haha

[thelaststraw05]

My mistake. It was the first time I'd logged in to see my status since originally logging in after getting the e-mail. Trust me, I'm not the guy who logged in 200 times haha

No - that is an old blog post from Dean Z about the old system (which didn't tell you about a decision until three days after the acceptance or rejection went out in the mail). I was just pointing that out to say that you don't have to deal with that problem anymore. Check your status checker as often as you'd like. (But for your own sanity make it a once or twice a day thing... not 10 times a day).

[RSterling]

My mistake. It was the first time I'd logged in to see my status since originally logging in after getting the e-mail. Trust me, I'm not the guy who logged in 200 times haha

No - that is an old blog post from Dean Z about the old system (which didn't tell you about a decision until three days after the acceptance or rejection went out in the mail). I was just pointing that out to say that you don't have to deal with that problem anymore. Check your status checker as often as you'd like. (But for your own sanity make it a once or twice a day thing... not 10 times a day).

I understood what you meant. I just misphrased my post. What I meant to say is that I won't be like the guy who logged in 200 times. That's almost 7 times a day on average...unbelievable.

[guinness1547]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

[UnamSanctam]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

Last year there was an email that followed up the acceptance.

[JedBartlett]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

Last year there was an email that followed up the acceptance.

Do they update our status with "Admit" or "Deny" as soon as they make a decision?

[UnamSanctam]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

Last year there was an email that followed up the acceptance.

Do they update our status with "Admit" or "Deny" as soon as they make a decision?

No idea. They didn't have that quick updating last year; I found out by checking the Admitted Students website.

[JedBartlett]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

Last year there was an email that followed up the acceptance.

Do they update our status with "Admit" or "Deny" as soon as they make a decision?

No idea. They didn't have that quick updating last year; I found out by checking the Admitted Students website.

Thanks bro.

[thelaststraw05]

So is there no email confirmation of acceptance or denial, it's actually a physical letter?

Last year there was an email that followed up the acceptance.

Do they update our status with "Admit" or "Deny" as soon as they make a decision?

No idea. They didn't have that quick updating last year; I found out by checking the Admitted Students website.

Late in the cycle they changed their policy and started to include a short accept or deny paragraph on the status checker at the same time they send the letter out.

That was the whole point of the blog post I cited above.

[UnamSanctam]

That was the whole point of the blog post I cited above.

Fair point.

[one_by_one]

Speaking of blog posts, there's a new blog post! http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... spx?ID=102

Basically, Dean Z. started reading apps today. Exciting!

[02889]

Speaking of blog posts, there's a new blog post! http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... spx?ID=102

Basically, Dean Z. started reading apps today. Exciting!

Very exciting! I wonder if she is often the second person reading the apps (based on her pondering "Why does my read of this personal statement lead me to the opposite conclusion of the first person who read it?"), and if so, whether that means decisions will be coming out starting next week or so. Hopefully!

[Rahviveh]

Speaking of blog posts, there's a new blog post! http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... spx?ID=102

Basically, Dean Z. started reading apps today. Exciting!

Very exciting! I wonder if she is often the second person reading the apps (based on her pondering "Why does my read of this personal statement lead me to the opposite conclusion of the first person who read it?"), and if so, whether that means decisions will be coming out starting next week or so. Hopefully!

She is the second person "reading" apps (if by the reading, you mean looking at the spreadsheet with LSAT/GPA and URM status on it).

[thelaststraw05]

Speaking of blog posts, there's a new blog post! http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... spx?ID=102

Basically, Dean Z. started reading apps today. Exciting!

Very exciting! I wonder if she is often the second person reading the apps (based on her pondering "Why does my read of this personal statement lead me to the opposite conclusion of the first person who read it?"), and if so, whether that means decisions will be coming out starting next week or so. Hopefully!

She is the second person "reading" apps (if by the reading, you mean looking at the spreadsheet with LSAT/GPA and URM status on it).

1. Under the Michigan constitution the University of Michigan "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. . ." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_C ... Initiative

2. Michigan actually has a rather holistic application process. I know that sounds trite, but compare last year's admissions data (Michigan: http://michigan.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/, Virginia: http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/, Georgetown: http://gulc.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/). Georgetown has the largest class size of these and offers very little by way of scholarships, as a result you see a blob that is almost entirely green with a little bit of yellow mixed in. That is pretty common of a school that is almost 100% GPA and LSAT focused. Virginia is a bit of a middle ground and has a mix, but they don't read enough to actually reject many who meet their cutoffs.

Michigan actually does read the application. On the graph you can see this by the fact that some people who would have been in the middle of the pack or just above medians are rejected. It isn't a yield protect indication of a bunch of rejects or waitlists clustered in the top right corner of the graph, but rather spread throughout the acceptance range. Another solid indicator that the applications are read is that pretty much every acceptance letter has a handwritten comment from Dean Z about something she liked in your application.

3. I've mentioned this before, but if you have any questions for 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls at Michigan, feel free to stop by. We even use it sometimes to ask each other questions. There is a lot of good information already in there if you just want to peruse it too. http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... start=1800

[Yukos]

Speaking of which, I was again curious, so I thought I'd see which schools care the most about your numbers. Here's a ranking of the T14 schools, from those that care most about your numbers to those that care least.

1. Columbia (.78)
2. NYU (.72)
3. Georgetown (.69)
4. Duke (.66)
5. Northwestern (.66)
6. UVA (.61)
6. Harvard (.61)
8. Penn (.58)
8. Chicago (.58)
10. Michigan (.57)
11. Cornell (.54)
12. Berkeley (.49)
13. Stanford (.47)
14. Yale (.35)

That's from the guy who invented mylsn.info, based on date from LSN. It looks like the data backs thelaststraw up, UM is one of the more holistic schools. I'm not sure how UM's affinity for YP distorts this rating though.

[thelaststraw05]

That's from the guy who invented mylsn.info, based on date from LSN. It looks like the data backs thelaststraw up, UM is one of the more holistic schools. I'm not sure how UM's affinity for YP distorts this rating though.

I believe when I was going through the admissions process I asked one of the admissions officers essentially how it worked on their end. The answer was long and involved, but it came down to this. Michigan has one of the largest admissions staffs of any of the T14 because they read every single application cover-to-cover.

[SaintsTheMetal]

1. Under the Michigan constitution the University of Michigan "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. . ." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_C ... Initiative

sorry but URM bump definitely exists at every school including Michigan, it may just be in the name of bringing more "diversity" to campus.

for example:
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/spiritniffler189
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/MaroonURM/jd
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/plaiseadieu/jd

[UnamSanctam]

1. Under the Michigan constitution the University of Michigan "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. . ." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_C ... Initiative

sorry but URM bump definitely exists at every school including Michigan, it may just be in the name of bringing more "diversity" to campus.

for example:
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/spiritniffler189
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/MaroonURM/jd
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/plaiseadieu/jd

Of course it does, but lol at the idea that they don't read your application. I wouldn't be here if they hadn't read mine.

[Mdenis1]

I hope some decisions will be out soon! i applied at the very beggining, i wonder if they have been through my application yet.

[thelaststraw05]

1. Under the Michigan constitution the University of Michigan "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. . ." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_C ... Initiative

sorry but URM bump definitely exists at every school including Michigan, it may just be in the name of bringing more "diversity" to campus.

for example:
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/spiritniffler189
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/MaroonURM/jd
http://lawschoolnumbers.com/plaiseadieu/jd

I was just pointing out that claiming any true AA at Michigan is suggesting that the University of Michigan is acting in opposition to the mandates of it's state constitution. A serious charge. I haven't read those applications, but those applicants may have overcome some substantial adversity in their lives. Further, each of the examples you sight has been out of undergrad for a couple years and might have some good WE softs.

[Rahviveh]

Speaking of blog posts, there's a new blog post! http://www.law.umich.edu/connection/a2z ... spx?ID=102

Basically, Dean Z. started reading apps today. Exciting!

Very exciting! I wonder if she is often the second person reading the apps (based on her pondering "Why does my read of this personal statement lead me to the opposite conclusion of the first person who read it?"), and if so, whether that means decisions will be coming out starting next week or so. Hopefully!

She is the second person "reading" apps (if by the reading, you mean looking at the spreadsheet with LSAT/GPA and URM status on it).

1. Under the Michigan constitution the University of Michigan "shall not discriminate against, or grant preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. . ." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_C ... Initiative

2. Michigan actually has a rather holistic application process. I know that sounds trite, but compare last year's admissions data (Michigan: http://michigan.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/, Virginia: http://uva.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/, Georgetown: http://gulc.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats/1112/). Georgetown has the largest class size of these and offers very little by way of scholarships, as a result you see a blob that is almost entirely green with a little bit of yellow mixed in. That is pretty common of a school that is almost 100% GPA and LSAT focused. Virginia is a bit of a middle ground and has a mix, but they don't read enough to actually reject many who meet their cutoffs.

Michigan actually does read the application. On the graph you can see this by the fact that some people who would have been in the middle of the pack or just above medians are rejected. It isn't a yield protect indication of a bunch of rejects or waitlists clustered in the top right corner of the graph, but rather spread throughout the acceptance range. Another solid indicator that the applications are read is that pretty much every acceptance letter has a handwritten comment from Dean Z about something she liked in your application.

3. I've mentioned this before, but if you have any questions for 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls at Michigan, feel free to stop by. We even use it sometimes to ask each other questions. There is a lot of good information already in there if you just want to peruse it too. http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... start=1800

The green is all clustered in the top right quadrant. Outside the quadrant is URM's. The handful of rejections in the quadrant - many of them are splitters who got initially WL'ed and eventually got released. Just because Michigan uses its WL a lot (like UVA) doesn't make it a holistic process.

The HW note is utterly worthless. Who cares? So her secretary skimmed the app, typed up some little nugget and emailed it to her. That doesn't prove anything. LOL @ actually believing Dean Z reads through every app.