Chicago c/o 2017 Applicants (2013-2014) Forum

[0913djp]

Checking in despite the fact I have a weak shot.

Worth an application.

[hohenheim]

In other news, I noticed that you were waitlisted at Chicago. Did you do anything specifically to get off the waitlist?

1) Avoid the waitlist in the first place
As elterrible has shown here, applicants who apply earlier have a statistically significant advantage in admission at Chicago. I definitely saw this in my cycle. Last year was the first year that Chicago did mass skype interviews and it really slowed things down. I applied at the beginning of December and UChi only managed to interview a handful of people who applied after this date by the time their big waitlist wave came out at the end of March. Since the waitlist is a risky proposition at a small school like Chicago, do yourself a favor and avoid it altogether: Apply early!

caveat: assuming you can't retake

2) Write the optional waitlist letter/LOCI!
When I was waitlisted, the email included the following paragraph:

You may submit an additional essay discussing the reasons why you are interested in studying law at Chicago and how our curriculum and academic environment will help you achieve your personal and professional goals. Please limit your essay to two pages and submit your essay to ______. If you have already submitted a similar essay with your application, you may simply submit a statement of continuing interest and reference the essay you submitted with your application.

It was hard to find motivation to write this at the end of the cycle, especially when it is totally optional, but I found it to be a great opportunity to provide job updates and really focus on how Chicago's "curriculum and academic environment" would help me achieve my personal and professional goals. They clearly read these letters since many of the points I mentioned came up in my interview. Which brings me to my third point...

3) Prepare for the interview and blow them away!
A month of silence passed after I sent the optional letter before a small group of 20-30 (based on interview slots) were invited to interview over a two-week period. I knew that I interview well, so I was excited to finally get the chance to talk to someone face-to-face (well, over skype...) about my application. The night before the interview, I spent an hour or two going over the questions in this thread. Every question that I heard in the interview was mentioned in this thread, and while I didn't plan what I would say, knowing what questions were coming allowed me to connect my answers to present a cohesive narrative. As a result, the interview went very well. I'm convinced that this is what got me off the waitlist in spite of my sub-par numbers.

Note: I think there were two admission offers from this first interview wave. A few weeks later, another similarly sized wave of interview requests went out that yielded another two or so admits.

4) Do your hard negotiating AFTER admission!
Another month of silence went by before I got a call from Dean Perry out of the blue, gauging interest. This was basically a YP (yield protect) call, so I basically just needed to say I was interested, but it served as a final chance to show just how excited I was about Chicago. This was important for me because I really wanted to go but couldn't without a scholarship, and I made sure that I let Dean Perry know about it. However, the YP call is NOT the time to haggle with someone about specific scholarship figures. Do that once they've committed to you and you have some negotiating power. After receiving a formal admission offer and initial scholarship, I came back with a renegotiated scholarship from MVP and was able to get my UChi offer increased through their re-evaluation process. Chicago was surprisingly generous with waitlist scholarships this cycle, so give them the chance! Let the initial offer come and go from there.

I think only 4 people on LSN/TLS got off the waitlist this year (though all of us got money), so the odds are obviously low, but hopefully these comments help you get off the waitlist (or simply avoid it). Good luck and I hope to see lots of you at ASW next spring!

[The-Specs]

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[maximus92]

Checking in!

[MoMettaMonk]

For anyone who hasn't, I suggest reading through the thread about interviews that Hohenheim posted a few posts above me. I'd never seen it before, and it's wildly comprehensive for the interviews for UChi, Harvard, Northwestern, and Georgetown.

[Slytherpuff]

I keep checking myself into and out of this thread... my numbers don't give me a great chance but I might go for it anyway. Good luck, everyone!

[The-Specs]

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[jrsbaseball5]

Checking in, good luck everyone!

[ThePiedPiper]

Checking in...Good luck to everyone

[kathj06]

Checking in! Can't believe that app is already open.

[04102014]

Happy application day!

[t14splitter]

First time going through this. Is it common for schools to ask where you are also applying? Do you need to respond? Do I need to include all of the other schools (I'm applying to a bunch since my girlfriend is simultaneously applying to med school)

[NapoleonXV]

?

[0913djp]

I am interested in hearing a response to the above question as well. I feel like they know what other schools we apply to because of the LSAC?

No?

[NapoleonXV]

?

[charlie.black]

Any word on a fee waiver? I assume hiddens aren't applied for a couple of weeks?

[WheninLaw]

Checking in! I'm a little bit intimidated by the weather, I have to say. How bad is winter there?

Beautiful until October. Then starts to get cold. Winter is brutal.

[NapoleonXV]

Any word on a fee waiver? I assume hiddens aren't applied for a couple of weeks?

Haven't got any fee waivers as yet, and I have registered CRS.
Do they ignore international students?

[NapoleonXV]

I have officially started my application.

ETA: My application is now sitting at 100%. Just waiting on some LoR and my Why Chicago and Diversity Statement.

Congrats.
I am also thinking of doing a DS, but the adcomm does not seem to be especially encouraging:

May I submit a diversity statement or “Why Chicago” essay?
You may, but please do so only when they are important to your application. Please remember that you want to be concise and genuine.

We believe that the personal statement is a wonderful place to discuss any aspects of your background (e.g., racial, ethnic, or religious identification, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, etc.) that are significant to you. If you find that you cannot include these topics in your personal statement, you may submit an additional diversity statement.

If there are genuine and informed reasons why you are particularly interested in studying law at Chicago, you are welcome to discuss them in an additional essay.

[The-Specs]

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[Slytherpuff]

Checking in! I'm a little bit intimidated by the weather, I have to say. How bad is winter there?

Beautiful until October. Then starts to get cold. Winter is brutal.

Ouch. I guess I can always live in the library...

[lastsamurai]

Do I seriously need to write the number of hours/week I spend at my job on my resume?

[cotiger]

Do I seriously need to write the number of hours/week I spend at my job on my resume?

It can't hurt to follow their directions..

[lastsamurai]

Do I seriously need to write the number of hours/week I spend at my job on my resume?

It can't hurt to follow their directions..

Yeah I understand that, but I'm wondering if that is more for college activities? For instance, putting "Member of student government (approximately 5 hours per week)" would make sense to me, but "Analyst at such and such (approximately 50-80 hours per week)" just seems strange, no?

[cotiger]

Do I seriously need to write the number of hours/week I spend at my job on my resume?

It can't hurt to follow their directions..

Yeah I understand that, but I'm wondering if that is more for college activities? For instance, putting "Member of student government (approximately 5 hours per week)" would make sense to me, but "Analyst at such and such (approximately 50-80 hours per week)" just seems strange, no?

Yeah, I agree it's kind of strange, but they do say to put the hours for every activity or job. Even if it's not completely necessary for full time jobs, it's not like they would mark you off for putting it in there.