Fordham Waiting Room Forum

[Xiaolong]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

[nygrrrl]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

This doesn't seem strange at all, to me. Honestly, if you look at LSN, there were many admits early in the cycle with VERY high numbers (both LSAT and GPA); many of those people have now been admitted to T10/T14 schools and have either withdrawn their apps or probably won't be attending Fordham. At this point in the cycle, if I were an AdComm? I'd be admitting the people I really wanted, whose scores were median or higher than last year, whom I felt were really going to take the spot offered. I'd be WLing the people I'd LIKE to get, while waiting a bit to see how the rest of their cycle went. Also, I think it's clear that Fordham is working to raise the medians this year - but that's something that has to happen slowly. You can't just say, "OK! From now on, we're only taking 168s and above!" because then you'd have an empty classroom.
My humble opinion, anyway.

[rockthelaw]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

I wish I knew the answer, but in general I would think that Fordham, like every school, has to balance between accepting applicants with credentials above their medians who probably will get into many higher-ranked schools versus accepting students at their medians who they can reasonably expect to matriculate. They most likely waitlist the applicants with numbers slightly above the median because 1) they get so many applications, and 2) to get a better feel for the rest of the applicant pool and how much these slightly-above applicants really want to go to Fordham before extending them an offer of admission. Fordham seems to admit and offer big scholarships to applicants with numbers well above the median as well, but again this seems like standard practice in law school admissions (ex. how many kids getting the full tuition scholarship at Columbia are also accepted at and considering HYS? Quite a few, judging by some of the other forums on this site...at least five when I read and counted in that thread).

So, I think Fordham might be trying to raise their medians, but they're also trying to maintain the medians they have already established.

[rockthelaw]

nygrrrl, you beat me to it.

[nygrrrl]

nygrrrl, you beat me to it.

Great minds, Rocky. Great minds. I will be the Natasha, to your SQVIRREL.

[rockthelaw]

[nygrrrl]

Da! Yesssss.... ve don't need no steeenking Boris!

[rockthelaw]

Sounds good. We'll cut off Boris.

I was telling my girlfriend's mom about the Fordham student who, according to OperaSoprano, went to the admissions office on the first day or right before the first day of classes and told them that, while he was set to matriculate to another law school, still wanted to go to Fordham...and they accepted him. She laughed about the story, but all I could think was, "Am I going to have to be that guy?" and "Would I be that guy?" Well I realized that yes, I would be that guy, I stopped talking for a few minutes.

[goosey]

Hello everyone..guess we won't be hearing today.

Last night I dreamt I got my feb score--15 point curve, yet I got a 152. Horrifying and I was sobbing and saying "fordham will never take me now"--fordham, u own me.

Anyway, so...enjoy ur day everyone. I'm baking cookies todday

[Snoopy1216]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

This doesn't seem strange at all, to me. Honestly, if you look at LSN, there were many admits early in the cycle with VERY high numbers (both LSAT and GPA); many of those people have now been admitted to T10/T14 schools and have either withdrawn their apps or probably won't be attending Fordham. At this point in the cycle, if I were an AdComm? I'd be admitting the people I really wanted, whose scores were median or higher than last year, whom I felt were really going to take the spot offered. I'd be WLing the people I'd LIKE to get, while waiting a bit to see how the rest of their cycle went. Also, I think it's clear that Fordham is working to raise the medians this year - but that's something that has to happen slowly. You can't just say, "OK! From now on, we're only taking 168s and above!" because then you'd have an empty classroom.
My humble opinion, anyway.

Great explanation! I'd also like to add that schools do not base their admissions decisions ONLY off numbers. You have no idea what kind of soft factors those 168ers had or even if their writing was good!

[nygrrrl]

[
Great explanation! I'd also like to add that schools do not base their admissions decisions ONLY off numbers. You have no idea what kind of soft factors those 168ers had or even if their writing was good!

Great point, Snoopy.

[ndirish2010]

They probably took my 168 because they knew I wasn't going to get into any T14s...

[Kim617]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

This doesn't seem strange at all, to me. Honestly, if you look at LSN, there were many admits early in the cycle with VERY high numbers (both LSAT and GPA); many of those people have now been admitted to T10/T14 schools and have either withdrawn their apps or probably won't be attending Fordham. At this point in the cycle, if I were an AdComm? I'd be admitting the people I really wanted, whose scores were median or higher than last year, whom I felt were really going to take the spot offered. I'd be WLing the people I'd LIKE to get, while waiting a bit to see how the rest of their cycle went. Also, I think it's clear that Fordham is working to raise the medians this year - but that's something that has to happen slowly. You can't just say, "OK! From now on, we're only taking 168s and above!" because then you'd have an empty classroom.
My humble opinion, anyway.

Great explanation! I'd also like to add that schools do not base their admissions decisions ONLY off numbers. You have no idea what kind of soft factors those 168ers had or even if their writing was good!

See, but this isn't fair. I worked my ass off to get my LSAT score, and I'm still borderline for NYU and Columbia. I'm sort of getting penalized by Fordham yet I got waitlisted in Columbia and I'm expecting much of the same from NYU. So basically my option is to not live in NY anymore, assuming Fordham thinks my score is too high for them. And I know it's not my softs or PS that is scaring them away, I did get into a T14. I'm not saying it's any worse than all of you waiting, I just don't think it is fair for them to waitlist me because my LSAT is too high. If I get waitlisted, I don't really have the time to wait around for them to accept me, because I have to worry about where I've been accepted. Which means moving away from the place I've lived my whole life because Fordham didn't offer me a spot because I did TOO well.

[beef wellington]

No offense to any of the new admits from friday, but there seems to be a strange pattern about fordham. Many 166ers got in, and there seem to be quite a few 167ers and higher that were waitlisted. Seems kinda strange to me especially since Fordham may be trying to raise their median this year...any thoughts on this?

This doesn't seem strange at all, to me. Honestly, if you look at LSN, there were many admits early in the cycle with VERY high numbers (both LSAT and GPA); many of those people have now been admitted to T10/T14 schools and have either withdrawn their apps or probably won't be attending Fordham. At this point in the cycle, if I were an AdComm? I'd be admitting the people I really wanted, whose scores were median or higher than last year, whom I felt were really going to take the spot offered. I'd be WLing the people I'd LIKE to get, while waiting a bit to see how the rest of their cycle went. Also, I think it's clear that Fordham is working to raise the medians this year - but that's something that has to happen slowly. You can't just say, "OK! From now on, we're only taking 168s and above!" because then you'd have an empty classroom.
My humble opinion, anyway.

Great explanation! I'd also like to add that schools do not base their admissions decisions ONLY off numbers. You have no idea what kind of soft factors those 168ers had or even if their writing was good!

See, but this isn't fair. I worked my ass off to get my LSAT score, and I'm still borderline for NYU and Columbia. I'm sort of getting penalized by Fordham yet I got waitlisted in Columbia and I'm expecting much of the same from NYU. So basically my option is to not live in NY anymore, assuming Fordham thinks my score is too high for them. And I know it's not my softs or PS that is scaring them away, I did get into a T14. I'm not saying it's any worse than all of you waiting, I just don't think it is fair for them to waitlist me because my LSAT is too high. If I get waitlisted, I don't really have the time to wait around for them to accept me, because I have to worry about where I've been accepted. Which means moving away from the place I've lived my whole life because Fordham didn't offer me a spot because I did TOO well.

If you're coming up on a seat deposit and you still prefer Fordham, let them know about the deadline and that you'd accept an offer of admission--I bet they'll give you one. They're just waiting to see who withdraws and who is still interested, because they can't tell them apart right now.

[nygrrrl]

If you're coming up on a seat deposit and you still prefer Fordham, let them know about the deadline and that you'd accept an offer of admission--I bet they'll give you one. They're just waiting to see who withdraws and who is still interested, because they can't tell them apart right now.

I agree with this.
Also, Kim - it's not about "fair." We all worked our butts off. They have small classes and are trying to put together two cohesive groups. They have a ton of applicants. I think that saying they are penalizing you is... well.... pushing it. Maybe there IS something on your app that makes them wonder how you'd fit into Fordham - who knows? They took MANY high gpa/high lsat people, early in the cycle - why they WL'd you is anyone's guess. You are in a large group of people, all wondering the same thing. BREATHE.

[goosey]

If you're coming up on a seat deposit and you still prefer Fordham, let them know about the deadline and that you'd accept an offer of admission--I bet they'll give you one. They're just waiting to see who withdraws and who is still interested, because they can't tell them apart right now.

I agree with this.
Also, Kim - it's not about "fair." We all worked our butts off. They have small classes and are trying to put together two cohesive groups. They have a ton of applicants. I think that saying they are penalizing you is... well.... pushing it. Maybe there IS something on your app that makes them wonder how you'd fit into Fordham - who knows? They took MANY high gpa/high lsat people, early in the cycle - why they WL'd you is anyone's guess. You are in a large group of people, all wondering the same thing. BREATHE.

agreed. I got deferred at HOFSTRA, and meanwhile lsn shows they let in a 2.4/154 or something. It may be yp, but who knows. I feel like when people say things like that, they come off as being very entitled, and Im not saying this is the case, but maybe your app sent that message across as well. In the end, we can never really know how the reader sees our app. I think I saw the fordham accepted a 170+ already. I dont think they yp..its possible they just want to see how youd fit into the class aside from numbers

[beef wellington]

If you're coming up on a seat deposit and you still prefer Fordham, let them know about the deadline and that you'd accept an offer of admission--I bet they'll give you one. They're just waiting to see who withdraws and who is still interested, because they can't tell them apart right now.

I agree with this.
Also, Kim - it's not about "fair." We all worked our butts off. They have small classes and are trying to put together two cohesive groups. They have a ton of applicants. I think that saying they are penalizing you is... well.... pushing it. Maybe there IS something on your app that makes them wonder how you'd fit into Fordham - who knows? They took MANY high gpa/high lsat people, early in the cycle - why they WL'd you is anyone's guess. You are in a large group of people, all wondering the same thing. BREATHE.

agreed. I got deferred at HOFSTRA, and meanwhile lsn shows they let in a 2.4/154 or something. It may be yp, but who knows. I feel like when people say things like that, they come off as being very entitled, and Im not saying this is the case, but maybe your app sent that message across as well. In the end, we can never really know how the reader sees our app. I think I saw the fordham accepted a 170+ already. I dont think they yp..its possible they just want to see how youd fit into the class aside from numbers

I've said this before, but I think do YP in an atypical sense. I think they'll WL people when they don't feel like they can offer enough $ to compete with higher-ranked schools. My theory is the auto-admits they let in earlier in the cycle were the ones they wanted to spend their scholarships trying to attract.

[Snoopy1216]

I feel like when people say things like that, they come off as being very entitled

I completely agree. We can't say everything is YP-ing because bottom line is they just have to like you. And, I am sure they have tough decisions to make because eventually everyone starts to look alike. Every now and them I am sure someone is given the "inny minnie miny moe."

[rockthelaw]

I've said this before, but I think do YP in an atypical sense. I think they'll WL people when they don't feel like they can offer enough $ to compete with higher-ranked schools. My theory is the auto-admits they let in earlier in the cycle were the ones they wanted to spend their scholarships trying to attract.

That makes sense when you think about how Dean Brown says they like people who apply early.

[ndirish2010]

I know that Fordham is not known as being very generous with merit aid, but if they were going to offer any, what would the timetable be? Do you think they would be willing to negotiate at all?

[nygrrrl]

I know that Fordham is not known as being very generous with merit aid, but if they were going to offer any, what would the timetable be? Do you think they would be willing to negotiate at all?

Irish, it's not a question of generosity - they just don't have very much, to give. Opera knows the most about how this works... SUMMON!
edit: (that sounded peremptory. Rephrase: Summon, Please!)

[JayCole]

So let's assume they don't give you any merit scholarship $.

You graduate with 180k in debt -- but with a great education and valuable degree.

Someone please tell me it's ok. Just don't lie to me.

[nygrrrl]

So let's assume they don't give you any merit scholarship $.

You graduate with 180k in debt -- but with a great education and valuable degree.

Someone please tell me it's ok. Just don't lie to me.

Well Jay, that's the bedtime story I tell myself, every night.
(I believe it IS ok. Opera can probably explain it to you with facts and figures... but I just
believe that this degree, in this city, for ME will be perfect... even with the debt.)

[goosey]

do you guys think fordham adcomms read this thread?
that could be bad

I think some of us could very obviously be matched with our apps..

[Xiaolong]

do you guys think fordham adcomms read this thread?
that could be bad

I think some of us could very obviously be matched with our apps..

Totally possible. This is the "all things Fordham related" thread, so its not like like an adcom would have to search the forum for long. Adcoms are humans too and who wouldn't be curious to know what people think to know about your job.