University of Richmond c/o 2016 Forum

[1Mwaiting2016]

Can someone tell me a list of good things about UR? I deposited there and people keep telling me to retake the LSAT. I can consider that of course, just want to see what is positive about Richmond.

Dude if you even have to ask that at this stage you messed up by putting down a deposit. If you need convincing to go here because anonymous people talked you out if it, your going to hate anywhere you end up.
Take a hour and read through this entire thread, all 19 pages. It will tell you good and bad things, according to posters. Hopefully that will answer your question.

[bsktbll28082]

I've been reading and I really like Richmond. Just looking for some additional reasons to like UR I may have overlooked

[gator32]

I've been reading and I really like Richmond. Just looking for some additional reasons to like UR I may have overlooked

If you can retake and potentially save money - do it. Maybe you'll score high enough for UVA.

[harris4]

I haven't heard anything back from Richmond but I am definitely considering a retake. I scored a 160 my first time, so I figure I can improve by at least 3-4 points and get more scholarship money.

[Nesnesitelna]

^Interesting, do you have prior ties to VA?

Nope!

[jahacopo2221]

Fairly new to this forum. Would you believe I only discovered it *after* I applied to all the various schools on my list? I was accepted everywhere I applied (save for two schools who needed a second recommendation, but after the other acceptances poured in, I didn't bother reminding my recommenders to post) and was really surprised with my offers, considering a less than stellar 2012. I was initially offered $25K/yr with my acceptance to U of R, which wasn't enough to corral me. I deposited with a school offering me a full-tuition scholarship, only to have Dean Rahman call me two days later offering me a spot in the John Marshall Scholars program and $30K/yr, with an extended deadline.

After much hemming and hawing (in addition to depositing with the other school, I had put down $1K deposit on a moving truck and a $500 deposit on a new apartment, luckily those deposits are refundable!) I accepted U of R's offer yesterday and personally hand-delivered my acceptance to the admissions office and the financial aid office. I then went and found a new place to live about 7 miles from campus! Put a hold on a unit and I move in on July 24, so I have plenty of time to settle in before orientation.

Looking forward to meeting all of you who have accepted and have fingers crossed for those of you on the wait-list. You too may get that urgent text/email/phone call from Dean Rahman (seriously, I got all three for the new offer).

For those that are interested, my numbers were 3.68/162

[tony2167]

God damnit. I should've held out on depositing. Seems like everyone has had their offers increased.

[bsktbll28082]

^me too

I deposited on time because I thought a deadline meant it was a deadline :/

[lhanvt13]

^me too

I deposited on time because I thought a deadline meant it was a deadline :/

It is. It's really rare that this happens but I've still heard it definitely happens. I'd say it's too much of a risk

[tronredo]

Hi everybody,

I got admitted in March. Paid my deposit on April 15th. I'm still hoping to get some money from them. So far Dean Rahman and Jay tell me it's unlikely i will get anything. My numbers aren't stellar at all. But i am still hopeful.

Really excited to meet those who have already committed to Richmond and to all those on the waitlist, goodluck. Keep calling Dean Rahman. She is a sweet heart; so go the sweet way.

[jahacopo2221]

^me too

I deposited on time because I thought a deadline meant it was a deadline :/

I didn't intend to play roulette for more money. I had four schools offer me full scholarship, including a top tier school, and from my previous offer, I had pretty much written off U of R because it wasn't enough to overcome the gap and live comfortably. I visited 3 of the 4 schools that had offered me the most $$$ April 10-April 13 and made my decision to accept a school in New England on the deadline date, after agonizing over it for weeks, and I mailed off that decision with the postmark of April 15th. I felt so relieved. Three days later, I got a voicemail message, text message, and email from Dean Rahman asking me to call. At first, I thought she was calling to see if I had mailed my seat deposit, as I hadn't gotten around to withdrawing yet. I was ever so shocked to get the increased $$$ and be placed in the JM Scholars program. She gave me a until April 26 to see if I wanted to accept the new offer. After much weighing of the pros and cons, I decided to accept U of R's offer, even though it is still less than the other school's offer. But this is closer to home, cheaper to live/move, less stressful on my cats than a 10 hour drive and the school is ranked higher. I accepted by this deadline, because I do believe deadlines mean deadlines. I had no reason to believe/think that I would get an increased offer from U of R by playing chicken with the deadline.

I am still in shock over the offers I got from all schools, because I had a rough 2012 (spring, summer, and fall semesters--especially the fall) and I didn't apply until March 8th because I was overseas studying at Oxford and was crunched for time to do anything non-tutorial related there. I got a phone call from Dean Rahman on March 25th while I was in Paris, luckily enough the one place I had my US mobile phone with me and on since the rest of the time I was overseas I used a UK mobile. My acceptance offer came together with the $25,000/yr award, so I'm thankful that I didn't have to wait like many of you did because I might have dismissed U of R right out of hand at that point and told the Dean no thank you. But, yeah, definitely in shock and awe. My numbers I think are just barely above the median (especially LSAT) for last year's class, so I wasn't expecting this at all. Perhaps it was my softs or personal statement, though I can't imagine those were standouts either, so it will probably remain a mystery!

A sincere good luck to all of you still waiting to hear something, and I will look forward to meeting everyone in August as we become Richmond Spiders!

[harris4]

Anybody heard anything about the regular waitlist?

[1Mwaiting2016]

Anybody heard anything about the regular waitlist?

Not yet

[harris4]

Called the admissions office today, the lady I talked to was incredibly vague. She said "we are confident spots will open up." She gave no time frame though.

[1Mwaiting2016]

Called the admissions office today, the lady I talked to was incredibly vague. She said "we are confident spots will open up." She gave no time frame though.

Thank you so much. This made my day so much better.

[harris4]

I just wish they could be a little more detailed with their information haha

[Nesnesitelna]

^me too

I deposited on time because I thought a deadline meant it was a deadline :/

I didn't intend to play roulette for more money. I had four schools offer me full scholarship, including a top tier school, and from my previous offer, I had pretty much written off U of R because it wasn't enough to overcome the gap and live comfortably. I visited 3 of the 4 schools that had offered me the most $$$ April 10-April 13 and made my decision to accept a school in New England on the deadline date, after agonizing over it for weeks, and I mailed off that decision with the postmark of April 15th. I felt so relieved. Three days later, I got a voicemail message, text message, and email from Dean Rahman asking me to call. At first, I thought she was calling to see if I had mailed my seat deposit, as I hadn't gotten around to withdrawing yet. I was ever so shocked to get the increased $$$ and be placed in the JM Scholars program. She gave me a until April 26 to see if I wanted to accept the new offer. After much weighing of the pros and cons, I decided to accept U of R's offer

Pretty well describes my situation. I was deciding between staying for state tuition at Arizona or accepting a generous offer at Wake Forest, and suddenly after having no intention of going to Richmond, they sweetened their offer and I had to give it a serious look. Loved it when I visited this weekend, so I'm really glad things turned out the way they did, but it was certainly not a calculated strategic move not to deposit.

[tony2167]

Even if it wasn't calculated on anyone's part it's still somewhat irritating to me to see people with numbers lower than mine getting their offers increased. Especially when I talked to Dean Rahman personally just a few days before the deadline asking about the possibility of increasing my scholarship and was basically told my numbers didn't warrant anything more than I'd already received. Apparently if I'd just held out they've had been singing a different tune, however.

[ashleydy10]

Even if it wasn't calculated on anyone's part it's still somewhat irritating to me to see people with numbers lower than mine getting their offers increased. Especially when I talked to Dean Rahman personally just a few days before the deadline asking about the possibility of increasing my scholarship and was basically told my numbers didn't warrant anything more than I'd already received. Apparently if I'd just held out they've had been singing a different tune, however.

I understand your frustration. I'd be pretty upset as well. With that being said, there may be other reasons those individuals are having their offers increased. You never know.. they may be non-trad, URM's, community service, worked in govt...

[jahacopo2221]

Even if it wasn't calculated on anyone's part it's still somewhat irritating to me to see people with numbers lower than mine getting their offers increased. Especially when I talked to Dean Rahman personally just a few days before the deadline asking about the possibility of increasing my scholarship and was basically told my numbers didn't warrant anything more than I'd already received. Apparently if I'd just held out they've had been singing a different tune, however.

I understand your frustration. I'd be pretty upset as well. With that being said, there may be other reasons those individuals are having their offers increased. You never know.. they may be non-trad, URM's, community service, worked in govt...

I am a non-traditional student and a veteran of the Air Force. I served as student government president of my community college, aided a higher education advocacy group by testifying about legislation in front of the House of Delegates and the State Senate, did an honors semester abroad at the University of Oxford. I graduated from cc with a 3.93 GPA, and will grad from GMU with a 3.68, which brings my LSDAS GPA to a 3.8 (and my LSAT was 162). But I don't think it was my numbers or my softs that helped me with U of R or any other school. I think it was my personal statement. Almost all of my admissions letters had a handwritten note from the Dean who signed the letter, saying that I had a very interesting life story and that my diverse experiences would bring something great to both the law school and the legal community as a whole. I told my story of searching to find my niche in my statement. I'm also a very good writer (according to my tutors at Oxford). So, I really think it was my personal statement, not just my numbers.

I can understand it's frustrating to see others get 'better' offers with 'lower' numbers, but as the poster above said, life is not all about numbers. There are other factors in play, otherwise the Admissions process would be a whole lot simpler. There'd be a set matrix and we'd all know where we stand straight from the beginning.

[ashleydy10]

Even if it wasn't calculated on anyone's part it's still somewhat irritating to me to see people with numbers lower than mine getting their offers increased. Especially when I talked to Dean Rahman personally just a few days before the deadline asking about the possibility of increasing my scholarship and was basically told my numbers didn't warrant anything more than I'd already received. Apparently if I'd just held out they've had been singing a different tune, however.

I understand your frustration. I'd be pretty upset as well. With that being said, there may be other reasons those individuals are having their offers increased. You never know.. they may be non-trad, URM's, community service, worked in govt...

I am a non-traditional student and a veteran of the Air Force. I served as student government president of my community college, aided a higher education advocacy group by testifying about legislation in front of the House of Delegates and the State Senate, did an honors semester abroad at the University of Oxford. I graduated from cc with a 3.93 GPA, and will grad from GMU with a 3.68, which brings my LSDAS GPA to a 3.8 (and my LSAT was 162). But I don't think it was my numbers or my softs that helped me with U of R or any other school. I think it was my personal statement. Almost all of my admissions letters had a handwritten note from the Dean who signed the letter, saying that I had a very interesting life story and that my diverse experiences would bring something great to both the law school and the legal community as a whole. I told my story of searching to find my niche in my statement. I'm also a very good writer (according to my tutors at Oxford). So, I really think it was my personal statement, not just my numbers.

I can understand it's frustrating to see others get 'better' offers with 'lower' numbers, but as the poster above said, life is not all about numbers. There are other factors in play, otherwise the Admissions process would be a whole lot simpler. There'd be a set matrix and we'd all know where we stand straight from the beginning.

agreed! and congrats!

[gator32]

Even if it wasn't calculated on anyone's part it's still somewhat irritating to me to see people with numbers lower than mine getting their offers increased. Especially when I talked to Dean Rahman personally just a few days before the deadline asking about the possibility of increasing my scholarship and was basically told my numbers didn't warrant anything more than I'd already received. Apparently if I'd just held out they've had been singing a different tune, however.

Same here. She actually said something along the lines of that they didn't want anyone to feel bad because a classmate with similar stats had more scholarship money, so they don't increase their offers. I knew that this wasn't true but still couldn't get more money, oh well. And no offense to the admissions office or fellow classmates, but I would say with confidence that most of us here aren't concerned with what our classmates scholarships are, but want the most money possible for ourselves!

On a similar note - has anybody had any luck searching for housing. I am just getting started on the search and am still in need of a roommate(s)!

[jahacopo2221]

On a similar note - has anybody had any luck searching for housing. I am just getting started on the search and am still in need of a roommate(s)!

I've secured an apartment about 7 miles from campus, in St. John's Wood. I saw it mentioned on U of R's website. The apartments are very reasonably priced. I am not doing the roommate thing (I learned while living at Oxford that I do much better without sharing my living space when in an intense academic environment--I was more stressed by my flatmates than the work I was doing!) but the units there are very reasonably priced. My 2BR is almost 1000 sq ft and cost $727 a month. They also offer student packages ranging all the way up to having a furnished apartment with utilities included in the rent. I already have my own furniture, so I didn't go that route, but I did consider taking the utilities only option. The selling points for me were the hardwood floors (I have black cats and hate vacuuming!) and the full-sized washer/dryer included. There's also oodles of space! They have 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units and it is a very quick drive between the complex and school. Also, if you don't have a car, the Richmond bus system stops in the community as well.

[gator32]

On a similar note - has anybody had any luck searching for housing. I am just getting started on the search and am still in need of a roommate(s)!

I've secured an apartment about 7 miles from campus, in St. John's Wood. I saw it mentioned on U of R's website. The apartments are very reasonably priced. I am not doing the roommate thing (I learned while living at Oxford that I do much better without sharing my living space when in an intense academic environment--I was more stressed by my flatmates than the work I was doing!) but the units there are very reasonably priced. My 2BR is almost 1000 sq ft and cost $727 a month. They also offer student packages ranging all the way up to having a furnished apartment with utilities included in the rent. I already have my own furniture, so I didn't go that route, but I did consider taking the utilities only option. The selling points for me were the hardwood floors (I have black cats and hate vacuuming!) and the full-sized washer/dryer included. There's also oodles of space! They have 1, 2, and 3 bedroom units and it is a very quick drive between the complex and school. Also, if you don't have a car, the Richmond bus system stops in the community as well.

Hey! Thanks so much for the response/recommendation. I definitely will take a look at those as the price is certainly right. Glad you found a place that suits your needs! I think I would like to be a little closer to downtown but having utilities/furniture if I wanted included in the rent is a pretty sweet option. I also understand what you're saying regarding sharing space with roommates being a distraction. I am hoping to find a law student who is also focused on their studies so that isn't an issue, but of course there are no guarantees.

Oh, and hardwood floors + black cats = win. That would be a pain if it was carpet throughout.

[pro se]

Finally posting since I thought it might give others still waiting a glimmer of hope. Got in last Thursday off the regular wait list. No money likely though, just an offer. I'm a non-traditional splitter- went to UR undergrad and had some good softs. I live in Richmond now and plan on attending- so if you have any general questions about the area PM me. Best of luck to those still waiting and looking forward to meeting the rest of the class.