Must be the Year of the Waitlist Forum

[PDaddy]

Welcome to my world.

Accepted:
University of Iowa (26)
University of Cincinnati (52)
Case Western Reserve Univesirty (55) $10,000
Louisiana State University (75)
University of Buffalo-SUNY (87)
Catholic University (94) $10,000
Florida International University (Tier 4)
Nova Southeastern University (Tier4)
Florida Coastal ( Tier 4) $15,000

Waitlisted:

William and Mary (28)
University of North Carolina (30)
Washington and Lee (30)
American University (45)
Tulane University (45)
University of Florida (51)
Villanova Law (61)
Penn State University (65)
University of Miami (71)
DePaul University (87)
Loyola Chicago (87)

Do you maybe think the reason for so many waitlists is people applying to 50 schools like this??? You were accepted to almost the same amount I applied to.

You are correct. However, in order to give themselves a "snowball's chance in hell", people have to apply to many schools. It has continued to the point that an average applicant is applying to 20+ schools, and it's not unusual for people to do 30-40. That was unheard of just a decade ago. The irony is that the applications have "snowballed" out of control.

Maybe the ABA should consider imposing a limit of, say, 15 schools per applicant within a cycle. That's plenty. And maybe there should be a 3-strikes rule, where you can only apply to any first-year JD program twice in a lifetime. And maybe there should be a 2 in 5 rule for taking the LSAT. That is, 2 times within 5 years. That would get everything back under control by making people choose judiciously when they take the LSAT and what schools they apply to. But the LSAC would hate that b/c it makes so much money in the current system.

[stopscreaming]

Here's a mystery for you all.

I got a UCLA waitlist (which took almost half a year to send me) after being accepted to Chicago, Michigan, Duke, NW and Cornell.

I mean, if Columbia and Berkeley want to waitlist me (and believe me, they did) ok, I get it. If Harvard wants to keep me on perpetual hold until hell freezes over, that's fine too. But seriously, what did I ever do to these guys?

Now it's got me worried that the other acceptances are nothing more than an elaborate flame on the part of LSAC and that UCLA was the only one too classy to play along...

<edit for sp>

[Holly Golightly]

I've been WL-ed at 4 schools. Only trying to get off of GULCs.

[holybartender]

WL: Duke, Virginia, UCLA, USC, Georgetown, Michigan
Held: Columbia, Northwestern

Yaaaaay.

[LessThanLiz]

I have a feeling schools will recruit heavily off their waitlist.

Too bad. I can't be losing my $500+ dollar deposit on School A because School B is taking it's sweet time.

Oh well. Nice scholarship is nice.

[berkeleygrad09]

Columbia: Reserve
BU: WL

Pepperdine: 25K
Loyola: 28K (84K total)

Rejected from Berkeley, USC and UCLA (I really wanted to stay on the west coast)

What should I do?? Wait a year?

[1ferret!]

Here's a mystery for you all.

I got a UCLA waitlist (which took almost half a year to send me) after being accepted to Chicago, Michigan, Duke, NW and Cornell.

I mean, if Columbia and Berkeley want to waitlist me (and believe me, they did) ok, I get it. If Harvard wants to keep me on perpetual hold until hell freezes over, that's fine too. But seriously, what did I ever do to these guys?

Now it's got me worried that the other acceptances are nothing more than an elaborate flame on the part of LSAC and that UCLA was the only one too classy to play along...

<edit for sp>

I have seen this kind of thing before. Oftentimes schools that you are applying for as safeties, if they are aware of your other prospects, don't want to waste their offer on you because you are unlikely to attend, and just push some other likely attendee onto a wait list. Usually this happens when you apply later in the cycle, but for whatever its worth...

[Ragged]

Columbia: Reserve
BU: WL

Pepperdine: 25K
Loyola: 28K (84K total)

Rejected from Berkeley, USC and UCLA (I really wanted to stay on the west coast)

What should I do?? Wait a year?

If retaking the LSAT and waiting a year is an option for you, that's what you should do.

[FunkyJD]

Do you maybe think the reason for so many waitlists is people applying to 50 schools like this??? You were accepted to almost the same amount I applied to.

You are correct. However, in order to give themselves a "snowball's chance in hell", people have to apply to many schools. It has continued to the point that an average applicant is applying to 20+ schools, and it's not unusual for people to do 30-40. That was unheard of just a decade ago. The irony is that the applications have "snowballed" out of control.

Maybe the ABA should consider imposing a limit of, say, 15 schools per applicant within a cycle. That's plenty. And maybe there should be a 3-strikes rule, where you can only apply to any first-year JD program twice in a lifetime. And maybe there should be a 2 in 5 rule for taking the LSAT. That is, 2 times within 5 years. That would get everything back under control by making people choose judiciously when they take the LSAT and what schools they apply to. But the LSAC would hate that b/c it makes so much money in the current system.

I got WL'd by Virginia, Texas, Georgia, and American, rejected by BU, and accepted by Emory, Illinois, and UNC. Now how the hell does that make any sense? I'm glad I applied to as many schools as I could afford; who knows what the hell adcomms must be thinking.

If you limit people to applying to only 15 schools, who's to say that there wouldn't be a glut of people applying to a narrow band of the same schools, for strategic reasons?

[lebob]

11 rejections
2 acceptances
1 waitlist. I wish I had more waitlists, that way I could at least take the LSAT again to have a chance THIS fall! ugh. Rejections = automatic wait until next year to have another shot.

[berkeleygrad09]

I only applied to 9-10 schools, which is why I'm completely screwed right now

[mi-chan17]

Waitlists:
GTown, UVA, UMich, UChi, Duke, Vandy, BC, BU, W&M, UCLA

and Cornell EA deferred (which may as well be a waitlist, since I probably won't see a decision until after some deposit deadlines)

I've been waitlisted at more than half of my schools. It's epic.

169/~3.5

(Edited for stats and because I was waitlisted by UCLA.)

[beef wellington]

Waitlists:
GTown, UVA, UMich, UChi, Duke, Vandy, BC, BU, W&M

and Cornell EA deferred (which may as well be a waitlist, since I probably won't see a decision until after some deposit deadlines)

I've been waitlisted at more than half of my schools. It's epic.

169/~3.5

(Edited for stats.)

That's impressive. Where are you in?

[ruleser]

I win:

UVA-Waitlisted -->Heartbroken
Duke-Waitlisted
Cornell-Waitlisted --->Devastated
Vanderbilt-Waitlisted
UMinn-Waitlisted
Notre Dame - Waitlisted -->Homophobes
Boston College-Waitlisted -->Crushed (Was my dream school)

/ thread

ehhh, pretty close:
Cornell - still waiting after EA deferral
UCLA - WL
Vandy - WL
BU - WL
UIll - WL
Cardozo - Held
U Cincy - Held
Applied late to these last two, but still..
Oh yeah, and still waiting on WUSTL after applying in Oct.
Stiill waiting on GW as well

[ChattTNdt]

Year of the waitlist without a doubt.

165 / 3.23 - waitliisted at Georgia State (medians of 159 and 3.33 according to LSN).

I would be concerned that there was something inherently waitlist-able about me if it wasn't for my ONE and only glorious acceptance... LSU!

Didn't want to live in Atlanta anyway.

[ruleser]

Columbia: Reserve
BU: WL

Pepperdine: 25K
Loyola: 28K (84K total)

Rejected from Berkeley, USC and UCLA (I really wanted to stay on the west coast)

What should I do?? Wait a year?

Amazing you got Columbia reserve but rejected at USC/UCLA - I'm guessing you are at least a bit of a high LSAT splitter?

[berkeleygrad09]

not really -166/3.56, i think my softs gave me a good advantage but i was pretty surprised

[mi-chan17]

That's impressive. Where are you in?

Thanks. *blush*

I'm in at: W&L, UMN, Davis, USC, WUSTL, ND, and GWU.

[aulburch]

This is what I've been thinking. I don't stay around these boards too much, but I applied to 10 schools and was waitlisted by 7 of them (Columbia reserve, Duke, UVA, UPenn, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, GW). In at William and Mary thankfully, but I will do anything to go to any of the schools where I'm waitlisted. Still waiting on USC and UCLA.

With the number of applicants staying about the same and the number of applications up about 15-25% on average, do you all think these schools will be pulling from the waitlists more than usual?

[hotdog123]

Most people seem to think that with such a giant swell in applications (including an increase in the avg # of schools each applicant applies to, as well as an increase in the number of "less committed" applicants), the waitlists are going to see a lot of movement this year.

[ricking1288]

That is one reason why. These schools are not dumb. They are well aware that students, especially the ones with good numbers, apply to many schools. When a 175/4.0 person applies to Penn State and Depaul, these schools know they are safties. Hence why schools have ED and EA programs.

lol, UPenn is a safety for someone with a 175/4.0

Upenn is different than Penn state

[CrimsonCal]

One can dream... I wonder how long it may take to hear back for a waitlist...
it's just annoying because Berkeley wants everyone to commit by June 1st and withdraw from any waitlists

plus, obviously... there's a lot of planning involved in moving, it's hard to pick up your life in a week and move across the country if you're spontaneously accepted somewhere

[ace_n_the_hole]

Death to the Wait List!

William and Mary - WL
University of Richmond - WL
University of Denver - WL
Penn State - WL
American - Reject
GMU - Reject

Still waiting on Pitt, Alabama, IU-B, Case, Catholic. Of those schools I will probably get wait listed at Pitt, Case, and Catholic and denied by the other two. FML

[pelican]

BC- Waitlist
BU- Waitlist
UNC- Waitlist
Emory- Waitlist
Illinois- Hold
W&M- Waitlist
UGA- Waitlist
Wake- Hold

[sixburgher]

I have a feeling schools will recruit heavily off their waitlist.

Too bad. I can't be losing my $500+ dollar deposit on School A because School B is taking it's sweet time.

Oh well. Nice scholarship is nice.

Losing $500 would suck, but it's only about .5% of the total 3 year CoA. If I get in off the WL at my top choice I may go. I'm definitely not letting $500 decide my next 3 years.