U Washington 2011 Applicants Forum

[crit_racer]

Shit I'm freaking out. Decision tomorrow? AHHHH

Won't we still have to wait for the letter in the mail?

Yeah, but knowing that decisions will be made by tomorrow still seems pretty big to me...

[geoduck]

My ego would love to call it yield protection, but I honestly doubt that is the case. My guess is that there was simply something about my application that turned off the admissions committee. If one strong voice arguing for an applicant can make a difference--as so many admissions blogs and anecdotes recount--then I imagine that the reverse is likely true. Perhaps it was the hyphenation error towards the beginning of my conclusion, or maybe the broader libertarian tones of my personal statement (FYI, it was not a political piece by any means, and those interested in reading it will find it on the last page of the "Personal Statements Sample" thread http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=625 ).

In any event, I am pretty sure that there is plenty of sense behind UW's decisions. I wrote all this just to point out that there is a heavy element of serendipity in admissions and that those who were rejected, like me, should take it with a grain of salt.

Incidentally, I met a UW alumnus and ex-member of their faculty at an admitted students’ reception for Vanderbilt in Tokyo this week. He had very positive things to say about both schools.

First, I seriously mean no disrespect with the following. I think that you are right about it not being YP. You obviously have the numbers to get in (and have at two great schools) but it seems like UW's really trying to do the 'beyond-the-numbers' thing and take the statements and application materials into big consideration. I agree that your personal statement probably hurt you, but not so much because of any perceived libertarian tones. It suffers of a combination of disjointedness and informality, the latter coming in part from the extensive use of em dashes.

The problem I have with it is that I didn't come away really knowing that much about you and I am left with unanswered questions... the most important being how did you get to Japan? You put the question in my mind in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Now I feel like Louis Black wondering why the girl spent a year in college because of a horse. The narrative bounces around a lot and leaves many of similar questions. Granted, a little in medias res never hurt anybody, but it only works if the story wraps back to where you started. It's actually a really interesting story, but the snapshot approach makes it difficult to resolve an understanding of who you are.

And the Nietzschist tone probably didn't help, especially since I picked them up before I even read the 250. Perhaps this is what you meant by "libertarian", but it really does come off as Wille zur Macht and that doesn't play all that great in the Northwest.

Basically, what we've got here is a treatment for a feature length coming-of-age story and what UW seems to want is a screenplay for a 10 minute character study short. That said, best of luck at Yale! God only knows what they're looking for and it could be perfect for them.

[whitman]

My ego would love to call it yield protection, but I honestly doubt that is the case. My guess is that there was simply something about my application that turned off the admissions committee. If one strong voice arguing for an applicant can make a difference--as so many admissions blogs and anecdotes recount--then I imagine that the reverse is likely true. Perhaps it was the hyphenation error towards the beginning of my conclusion, or maybe the broader libertarian tones of my personal statement (FYI, it was not a political piece by any means, and those interested in reading it will find it on the last page of the "Personal Statements Sample" thread http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... &start=625 ).

In any event, I am pretty sure that there is plenty of sense behind UW's decisions. I wrote all this just to point out that there is a heavy element of serendipity in admissions and that those who were rejected, like me, should take it with a grain of salt.

Incidentally, I met a UW alumnus and ex-member of their faculty at an admitted students’ reception for Vanderbilt in Tokyo this week. He had very positive things to say about both schools.

First, I seriously mean no disrespect with the following. I think that you are right about it not being YP. You obviously have the numbers to get in (and have at two great schools) but it seems like UW's really trying to do the 'beyond-the-numbers' thing and take the statements and application materials into big consideration. I agree that your personal statement probably hurt you, but not so much because of any perceived libertarian tones. It suffers of a combination of disjointedness and informality, the latter coming in part from the extensive use of em dashes.

The problem I have with it is that I didn't come away really knowing that much about you and I am left with unanswered questions... the most important being how did you get to Japan? You put the question in my mind in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Now I feel like Louis Black wondering why the girl spent a year in college because of a horse. The narrative bounces around a lot and leaves many of similar questions. Granted, a little in medias res never hurt anybody, but it only works if the story wraps back to where you started. It's actually a really interesting story, but the snapshot approach makes it difficult to resolve an understanding of who you are.

And the Nietzschist tone probably didn't help, especially since I picked them up before I even read the 250. Perhaps this is what you meant by "libertarian", but it really does come off as Wille zur Macht and that doesn't play all that great in the Northwest.

Basically, what we've got here is a treatment for a feature length coming-of-age story and what UW seems to want is a screenplay for a 10 minute character study short. That said, best of luck at Yale! God only knows what they're looking for and it could be perfect for them.

Riiiight. No one who got into UW wrote a less-than-perfect personal statement. I have no explanation, but geoduck's is probably wrong.

[geoduck]

Riiiight. No one who got into UW wrote a less-than-perfect personal statement. I have no explanation, but geoduck's is pretty ridiculous.

It's no less ridiculous than thinking it was because of Libertarian tones. Scrabble got directly told that the rejection was because of the essay and resume. In this case, it sure wasn't the numbers or the WE or the softs. He pointed toward the statement and, after reading it, I can see why it wouldn't fly given what we know about Mr. Le and co.

[ScrabbleChamp]

Riiiight. No one who got into UW wrote a less-than-perfect personal statement. I have no explanation, but geoduck's is pretty ridiculous.

It's no less ridiculous than thinking it was because of Libertarian tones. Scrabble got directly told that the rejection was because of the essay and resume. In this case, it sure wasn't the numbers or the WE or the softs. He pointed toward the statement and, after reading it, I can see why it wouldn't fly given what we know about Mr. Le and co.

Truth. No questions about it. But, on the bright side, he gave me pointers on what they'd prefer to see if I want to wait a year and re-apply. It is clear that UW is paying much more attention to the application materials and much less on the actual numbers. If you don't believe this, just look at LSN and look at the numbers of those that have been denied/waitlisted and of those that have been accepted.

[whitman]

Riiiight. No one who got into UW wrote a less-than-perfect personal statement. I have no explanation, but geoduck's is pretty ridiculous.

It's no less ridiculous than thinking it was because of Libertarian tones. Scrabble got directly told that the rejection was because of the essay and resume. In this case, it sure wasn't the numbers or the WE or the softs. He pointed toward the statement and, after reading it, I can see why it wouldn't fly given what we know about Mr. Le and co.

Oh ok. I guess I should have read the last few pages before responding. I didn't know they would be so picky with personal statements. Are they only taking creative writing liberals?

[fencod]

Are they only taking creative writing liberals?

For my sake, I hope so.

[crit_racer]

Are they only taking creative writing liberals?

For my sake, I hope so.

+1

[TreeHugger20]

Received an interview offer today for the Gates PSL Scholarship!

Jealous!!! Congrats!!!

[sabenser]

Riiiight. No one who got into UW wrote a less-than-perfect personal statement. I have no explanation, but geoduck's is pretty ridiculous.

It's no less ridiculous than thinking it was because of Libertarian tones. Scrabble got directly told that the rejection was because of the essay and resume. In this case, it sure wasn't the numbers or the WE or the softs. He pointed toward the statement and, after reading it, I can see why it wouldn't fly given what we know about Mr. Le and co.

Oh ok. I guess I should have read the last few pages before responding. I didn't know they would be so picky with personal statements. Are they only taking creative writing liberals?

(sigh) A couple pages back, it sounded like they want people with a self-centered PS and a three-page resume. For my sake, I hope it's true, ha.

[whitman]

Are they only taking creative writing liberals?

For my sake, I hope so.

+1

haha, well I think that's why I got in. Also, crit - that's badass man. You do much racing? I ride a lot (have cycled across the country) but those tight corners freak me out.

[apaint]

Received an interview offer today for the Gates PSL Scholarship!

Jealous!!! Congrats!!!

They are interviewing 20 and they only give 5 scholarships so a long shot but a great opportunity to visit UW

[WayBryson]

First, I seriously mean no disrespect with the following. I think that you are right about it not being YP. You obviously have the numbers to get in (and have at two great schools) but it seems like UW's really trying to do the 'beyond-the-numbers' thing and take the statements and application materials into big consideration. I agree that your personal statement probably hurt you, but not so much because of any perceived libertarian tones. It suffers of a combination of disjointedness and informality, the latter coming in part from the extensive use of em dashes.

The problem I have with it is that I didn't come away really knowing that much about you and I am left with unanswered questions... the most important being how did you get to Japan? You put the question in my mind in the first sentence of the second paragraph. Now I feel like Louis Black wondering why the girl spent a year in college because of a horse. The narrative bounces around a lot and leaves many of similar questions. Granted, a little in medias res never hurt anybody, but it only works if the story wraps back to where you started. It's actually a really interesting story, but the snapshot approach makes it difficult to resolve an understanding of who you are.

And the Nietzschist tone probably didn't help, especially since I picked them up before I even read the 250. Perhaps this is what you meant by "libertarian", but it really does come off as Wille zur Macht and that doesn't play all that great in the Northwest.

Basically, what we've got here is a treatment for a feature length coming-of-age story and what UW seems to want is a screenplay for a 10 minute character study short. That said, best of luck at Yale! God only knows what they're looking for and it could be perfect for them.

No offense taken, but I would like to offer up a few counterpoints. First, “unanswered questions” seem to be inevitable in personal statements given their brevity. It would be a very boring person indeed who could distill their entire existence into 700 words. Moreover, the PS is complemented by other application materials. For instance, your question of why I am in Japan (I teach English in Sendai as a member of The JET Programme) is answered by my resume. One of my two letters or recommendation for UW also comes from my supervisor here. If UW allowed for more than two LORs then they also would have had one from my Japanese History professor.

I don’t doubt that UW is, as you say, “really trying to do the 'beyond-the-numbers' thing,” but that in itself is not an explanation either. Numerically, I am much weaker at Vanderbilt than I am at UW, and Vanderbilt is well-known for admission practices that look beyond the numbers—they actually offer optional interviews with alumni. I received an offer of admissions relatively quickly after applying to Vanderbilt and received $72,000 in scholarship money (good standing being the only stipulation) from them. Such results taken together with the feedback I received from several professors and a few other professionals leave me with absolutely no doubt that my personal statement is in any way shape or form weak. It may not have gelled with an admissions committee or individual reading it, but that only supports my previous claim of serendipity playing a role in admissions.

On a humorous note, you actually make a much stronger statement regarding the possibility of the libertarian tone impacting the decision than I do when you write: “And the Nietzschist tone probably didn't help, especially since I picked them up before I even read the 250. Perhaps this is what you meant by "libertarian", but it really does come off as Wille zur Macht and that doesn't play all that great in the Northwest.” I only offered up my suggestion (qualified with a “perhaps”) as an example of something that might have played on an individual’s prejudices during the review process, whereas you state in no uncertain terms that this is a worldview often looked down upon in that region of the country. I’ll also add that if you picked up on this theme before reading the 250 then you most certainly did get a pretty decent sense of who I am and how I think.

[geoduck]

No offense taken, but I would like to offer up a few counterpoints. First, “unanswered questions” seem to be inevitable in personal statements given their brevity. It would be a very boring person indeed who could distill their entire existence into 700 words. Moreover, the PS is complemented by other application materials. For instance, your question of why I am in Japan (I teach English in Sendai as a member of The JET Programme) is answered by my resume. One of my two letters or recommendation for UW also comes from my supervisor here. If UW allowed for more than two LORs then they also would have had one from my Japanese History professor.

I don’t doubt that UW is, as you say, “really trying to do the 'beyond-the-numbers' thing,” but that in itself is not an explanation either. Numerically, I am much weaker at Vanderbilt than I am at UW, and Vanderbilt is well-known for admission practices that look beyond the numbers—they actually offer optional interviews with alumni. I received an offer of admissions relatively quickly after applying to Vanderbilt and received $72,000 in scholarship money (good standing being the only stipulation) from them. Such results taken together with the feedback I received from several professors and a few other professionals leave me with absolutely no doubt that my personal statement is in any way shape or form weak. It may not have gelled with an admissions committee or individual reading it, but that only supports my previous claim of serendipity playing a role in admissions.

On a humorous note, you actually make a much stronger statement regarding the possibility of the libertarian tone impacting the decision than I do when you write: “And the Nietzschist tone probably didn't help, especially since I picked them up before I even read the 250. Perhaps this is what you meant by "libertarian", but it really does come off as Wille zur Macht and that doesn't play all that great in the Northwest.” I only offered up my suggestion (qualified with a “perhaps”) as an example of something that might have played on an individual’s prejudices during the review process, whereas you state in no uncertain terms that this is a worldview often looked down upon in that region of the country. I’ll also add that if you picked up on this theme before reading the 250 then you most certainly did get a pretty decent sense of who I am and how I think.

I will readily agree that it gives a sense of how you think. This might be what Vandy liked. I'm still not sure if readily betrays who you are. It still feels very disjointed and overly broad to me. I agree that nobody can be distilled into 700 words, which is why I generally prefer the statements that don't try and instead talk about a tighter life period. I also prefer essays/statements that are self-contained. In my review, those were the weak points of an interesting story. Given the strength of your numbers, it's my guess that the UW adcoms are of a similar mind. Congrats on the Vandy offer though.

[crit_racer]

haha, well I think that's why I got in. Also, crit - that's badass man. You do much racing? I ride a lot (have cycled across the country) but those tight corners freak me out.

Yeah I like to race. I like all kinds of cycling, though. Didn't start out w/ any intentions of racing, but it just sorta happened as I started riding more. I'm actually thinking of doing a tour this summer before law school.

[clarsen]

Dinged at UW!

No surprise at all, and to be completely honest I'm not disappointed because it was such a reach for me. I only applied because I have grown up in the Seattle area and been a lifelong Husky. I completed my undergrad at another school but have always been loyal to UW, and that will remain the same as I pursue my law career at Seattle University. Check my TLS profile for a link to my LSN profile if interested in my numbers and application timeline.

[chicityteacher]

Dinged at UW!

No surprise at all, and to be completely honest I'm not disappointed because it was such a reach for me. I only applied because I have grown up in the Seattle area and been a lifelong Husky. I completed my undergrad at another school but have always been loyal to UW, and that will remain the same as I pursue my law career at Seattle University. I've provided a link to my LSN profile for anyone interested in my numbers and application timeline.

Sorry to hear that. Good luck at SU!

[RTFM]

Dinged at UW!

No surprise at all, and to be completely honest I'm not disappointed because it was such a reach for me. I only applied because I have grown up in the Seattle area and been a lifelong Husky. I completed my undergrad at another school but have always been loyal to UW, and that will remain the same as I pursue my law career at Seattle University. I've provided a link to my LSN profile for anyone interested in my numbers and application timeline.

Sorry

Where are you located? I'm also Decision Letter Mailed 3/07 but I didn't get anything today...

[gens1tb]

Dinged at UW!

No surprise at all, and to be completely honest I'm not disappointed because it was such a reach for me. I only applied because I have grown up in the Seattle area and been a lifelong Husky. I completed my undergrad at another school but have always been loyal to UW, and that will remain the same as I pursue my law career at Seattle University. Check my TLS profile for a link to my LSN profile if interested in my numbers and application timeline.

oh no... we have the same decision date.

Damn it, I told myself I wasn't going to get on TLS until I received my decision letter for precisely this reason

Edit: when was the letter postmarked

[clarsen]

Sorry

Where are you located? I'm also Decision Letter Mailed 3/07 but I didn't get anything today...

I live in Seattle, so I would expect that I would see the letter before anyone else.

oh no... we have the same decision date.

Damn it, I told myself I wasn't going to get on TLS until I received my decision letter for precisely this reason

Edit: when was the letter postmarked

Postmarked 3/9

I'm well below the numbers so I don't know how much you can really infer from my decision. We're getting right down to the wire so I have to think that they are busy sending out all decisions at this point. Don't give up hope based on one decision!

[maythurs]

clarsen, you and I have similar numbers. UW is my reach school and I'm hoping for a miracle!

I've been a long-time stalker of this thread and love reading it every day because it's been such an encouraging, supportive, and informative group. Although I'll probably be dinged, I just wanted to finally say a big THANK YOU to all of you that posted. Every bump brightens up my day, especially during this nerve-wracking cycle.

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

[dean6673]

This is my first post to this thread; however, I have been avidly following it for over a month now.

I am a Washington State native, WSU grad, and a recent transplant to Seattle. My numbers for UW are below their medians for both LSAT and GPA. However, I remain cautiously optimistic as an URM.

I submitted my application in late November and have been in review since January 21st. I have probably viewed my status checker at least 5x a day since then. While I know acceptance is a long-shot, this thread has been an informative and nerve-calming read through this waiting game.

Anyways, I just wanted to wish everyone the best of luck as the final days of this agonizing process come to a close. No matter what school we end up going to, I am sure we are all going to make excellent and competent lawyers.

Again, best of luck everyone!

[samilabuena]

Sorry if this has been posted in pages past, but could anyone who has been accepted please tell me when exactly the first deposit is due?

'preciate it!

[tsutsik]

Sorry if this has been posted in pages past, but could anyone who has been accepted please tell me when exactly the first deposit is due?

'preciate it!

May 1st.

[lawyerorbust]

Ugh, I have my app forwarded for review 01/24 and I have not had an update since. Not only do I live here and go to UW as an undergrad but I WORK in the law school. it is ridiculous to avoid the admissions department, because I cannot believe I have not heard back. Have they given out all their scholarships? I just don't understand what I could have done wrong not to have heard yet.

163/3.87 scores. Not brilliant, but not terrible.