UC Davis Waitlist 2010 Forum

[Foosters Galore]

Yeah, sorry for the confusion everyone. I sent in a LOCI yesterday and the email from the dean was the response.

[cali gal]

i still haven't received a response for my LOCI. hope that's not a bad sign.

[tommytahoe]

i still haven't received a response for my LOCI. hope that's not a bad sign.

Probably not... they're just swamped, I bet. Crunch time. At like 3:00 pm I emailed a LOCI (my third and I hope final since April). Later on, I see an email from Asst. Dean Pinkney, saying they will place the letter in with my file. The email was dated 10:15 pm! Wow. Tlak aboit working hard.

[cali gal]

i still haven't received a response for my LOCI. hope that's not a bad sign.

Probably not... they're just swamped, I bet. Crunch time. At like 3:00 pm I emailed a LOCI (my third and I hope final since April). Later on, I see an email from Asst. Dean Pinkney, saying they will place the letter in with my file. The email was dated 10:15 pm! Wow. Tlak aboit working hard.

If you don't mind me asking, how often do you send your LOCIs and do they vary greatly? I sent one about a month ago and am thinking of sending another but i don't want to be too bothersome. And, I don't want to sound too repetitive if I send a second letter that's similar to the first. Thoughts?

[sparclette]

I had the same question too. I spoke with addmissions office about a month ago and they said that we really shouldn't write anything to them unless it was an addendum/ provided new information to update my application. I don't know if I should write a loci just stating that I want to go there.... it just creates more work for them and I feel like staying on the waitlist is more appropriate then sending them a bunch of letters - thoughts???

[tommytahoe]

i still haven't received a response for my LOCI. hope that's not a bad sign.

Probably not... they're just swamped, I bet. Crunch time. At like 3:00 pm I emailed a LOCI (my third and I hope final since April). Later on, I see an email from Asst. Dean Pinkney, saying they will place the letter in with my file. The email was dated 10:15 pm! Wow. Tlak aboit working hard.

If you don't mind me asking, how often do you send your LOCIs and do they vary greatly? I sent one about a month ago and am thinking of sending another but i don't want to be too bothersome. And, I don't want to sound too repetitive if I send a second letter that's similar to the first. Thoughts?

Yeah, the big questions. First, I have tried not to write one more than once a month, as a somewhat flexible rule. For example, somehow I made it onto GULC's waitlist, where I will perish for all eternity. But they had a couple tightly scheduled dates when they made offers from the WL, so I threw in a LOCI 3 weeks after the previous one, just to catch their eye in time. But I hear that you don't want to be doing it too often. Also, some schools even flat-out say on their webpages: "You don't need to contact us more than once." UVA does that. Hastings says, "Don't send us stuff yet, until like May, when we ask for it. And they still don't want my new LOR.

RE: content: I asked around too, and got a sense that when you first send one you want it to address a few key things:
(1) Your interest in the school (hopefully right at the start). If they're numero uno, let them know in no uncertain terms. If they are one of many, say something like, "You are one of my top choices." Honestly, you could tell each of your top 5 schools they are your top pick. They look for folks who really want to be there, but I'm sure they know they can't discern the real deal from those looking to get in off a waitlist.
(2) One or two things about the school (preferably very specific things) and its program that you find really attractive, and that ties in with what you have been doing and/or hope to do in law school and once you graduate. I have varied this from letter to letter, by saying the first time that I love their PI work, and would love to take part in their Immigration Clinic. Another time I mentioned visiting there, and sitting in on their Moot Court Competition (I just graduated from UCD undergrad). Another time I mixed in how I love their approach to teaching, and the rep. they have for a close-knit community (I actually really believe all this stuff coincidentally!). It could be different things for you, but if you spend enough time reading about them, and their curricula, or what students tell you about the place, you'll come up with a lot of ways to say "I love You," LOCI-style.
(3) Let them know what has changed for you of late, or things you have done that in any way reflects well on you. I sent them stuff saying that I joined up with two different school/community groups. I told them about my grades that just got released. I made a reference back to an aspect of my PS —an aspect I felt was a strength— and tried to make a connection from that to now.
(4) Find a way to close it up with a simple, direct statement along the lines of how you hope they will find a spot for you in the Class, and here's what you will bring.... Kind Regards,...

This is just my two cents, by no means a blueprint, and it's only b/c you asked. Clearly, it gets harder to come up with new stuff once you've sent in your solid, comprehensive LOCI #1. My LOCI#1 would be along the lines of the outline above, then # 2 I tried to find a different "way in," talking about one very specific aspect of the school and owning that aspect in one short paragraph. In the rest of LOCI #2, I would say, "I continue to contribute with BLANK student group," or "I got dean's list my last semester," or "I have just started an exciting new summer internship, where I hope to find ways to help with this issue I care about." OR, of course, if you took the LSAT again, let them know the score and that LSDAS should be sending it to them soon. Grades, LSAT, jobs, honors, promotions, meaty things like that.
Anything new works, as long as it is to the point, doesn't waffle (like this POST), and is genuine. I'm sure they can see through a letter that could easily be for any old school: "Your terrific curriculum and nationally recognized faculty," e.g.

LOCI's #2 and (if at all needed) #3, should mostly focus on the new addendum-like things poster above me mentioned, not so much the love letter stuff. By this point they have a good measure of why you like them, and of what you believe are your skills.You could maybe use these later letters (again, if you wish to write them) to tell them something addendum-like, and simply frame it with very quick, well-phrased opening and closing statements that encapsulate why their school motivates you, and what you will bring to their community/campus.
But who knows: they may laugh at my letters when they receive them, so my two cent may be worth only a penny tops.

good luck

EDIT: Many folks may prefer just to write one big LOCI #1, then from there on out just send successive, very brief, businesslike reminders that they are still interested, and that they would def. accept an offer pf admission, and leave it at that.

[sparclette]

PS. I need the following to change!: 'Current Status: Your Wait List response has been received'

- I keep checking it all day even though I know they only make changes at 6pm every day....driving me crazy I'm at work and I can't focus!!!!

[smiths71]

Any movement for anyone since the 15th deposit deadline? Any ideas on when they might start pulling off the wait list as a result?

[finalaspects]

Any movement for anyone since the 15th deposit deadline? Any ideas on when they might start pulling off the wait list as a result?

should be very soon. im guessing by the end of the next week and the end of the month at the latest.

[Ranran1116]

I got off the waitlist. No elaborate LOCI, just said "I wish to remain on the waitlsit." So I guess LOCI may not be that important?

[finalaspects]

I got off the waitlist. No elaborate LOCI, just said "I wish to remain on the waitlsit." So I guess LOCI may not be that important?

how were you notified? email?

[Ranran1116]

I got off the waitlist. No elaborate LOCI, just said "I wish to remain on the waitlsit." So I guess LOCI may not be that important?

how were you notified? email?

Yes.

[tommytahoe]

I got the offer too. Very excited.
Asst. Dean Pinkney emailed me at 9:36 pm last night! I had sent an LOCI the afternoon before (I think the third one I had written starting in March/April). I can't say whether it had anything to do with the offer, so it's hard to draw conclusions there.

[missinglink]

Congrats on that. I know you had been waiting on Hastings, too.

[sparclette]

luckkkkkkkkkkky! CONGRATS!!!!!

[tommytahoe]

Congrats on that. I know you had been waiting on Hastings, too.

Thanks. I have been a law school orphan since March, when I withdrew from American and Santa Clara. Loooong spring, it has been! Good luck all!

[cali gal]

Congrats on that. I know you had been waiting on Hastings, too.

Thanks. I have been a law school orphan since March, when I withdrew from American and Santa Clara. Loooong spring, it has been! Good luck all!

Congratulations! I hope there will be more movement on the waitlist for the rest of us

[wnd360]

Just got off the waitlist today! It was a long wait but well worth it

[yo!]

Congrats everyone! Join us on the facebook page. By the looks of things, the people in our class are pretty cool and the 2/3Ls have been great about answering questions for us.

[cali gal]

Any more good news out there?

[zeth006]

All quiet on the TLS front.

[calgal17]

Congrats to the new admits! If there are any females looking for a place, I am in need of a roommate in my 2 bd, 1 bath apartment. PM me for details!

[neilu789]

I got off the waitlist. No elaborate LOCI, just said "I wish to remain on the waitlsit." So I guess LOCI may not be that important?

how were you notified? email?

Yes.

How long were you given to accept the offer and was there just one deposit they are asking you pay to attend?
Do you know anything about financial aid for students admitted from the waitlist?

Thanks!

[sparclette]

any updates?

[haider]

I got off the waitlist. No elaborate LOCI, just said "I wish to remain on the waitlsit." So I guess LOCI may not be that important?

how were you notified? email?

Yes.

How long were you given to accept the offer and was there just one deposit they are asking you pay to attend?
Do you know anything about financial aid for students admitted from the waitlist?

Thanks!

I don't know details, but this is from the website:

"Students admitted from the waiting list are required to pay both deposits. Information pertaining to seat deposit payment deadlines will be communicated at the time of the admission offer. "