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Thought it would be useful to separate waitlist questions from the general Penn admissions thread, so here we go!

Anyone know how Penn historically has treated its waitlist? Like, is it pretty much a lost cause, or is there still hope, or is there only hope if you cure cancer or stop a genocide, etc? I tried to wade through last year's waitlist thread, and it seems like a few people do get off, but it's a multiple-round process and lasts till the very end.

Also, since I've already graduated and am still going to be at the same job till when I start law school, I'm not sure what kind of updated materials to send them... anyone else in this boat?

Can we add in any information people know on RD applicants who have been "held" which I believe is a waitlist without calling it a waitlist? Anyone know chances of getting in? Chances of getting money? Any other info?

Any advice on getting off the waitlist? I have sent LOCI with updated accomplishments and will be updating my resume.

bump!

More WLs went out yesterday, so...

My waitlist email also mentions an additional essay so if you didn't send either a Why Penn or a 5 year plan, you can send one now.

I don't have any updated accomplishments, but I will probably try to work on a nice LOCI this weekend and see if I can get lucky.

Waitlist here too and I wrote a Why Penn essay. They must really not like me.

Yeah, I wrote the Why Penn also.

(Probably dumb) question:

Does a LOCI need to be an actual letter-- like snail-mailed on nice paper? Or can it be an emailed attachment, or in the body of an email?

Ohai. I belong here now.

parker09 wrote:Yeah, I wrote the Why Penn also.

(Probably dumb) question:

Does a LOCI need to be an actual letter-- like snail-mailed on nice paper? Or can it be an emailed attachment, or in the body of an email?

I'm probably going to write it in letter form, and email it as an attachment along with my response to their waitlist email. But I will also send a hard copy via snail mail.

oneforship wrote:

parker09 wrote:Yeah, I wrote the Why Penn also.

(Probably dumb) question:

Does a LOCI need to be an actual letter-- like snail-mailed on nice paper? Or can it be an emailed attachment, or in the body of an email?

I'm probably going to write it in letter form, and email it as an attachment along with my response to their waitlist email. But I will also send a hard copy via snail mail.

Oh, eff. I wrote a very brief two-line response to the WL email, figuring that if they weren't going to look at WL files till mid-May, I'd have time to send a LOCI till then...

Or should I be telling them every week that I'm still interested?

parker09 wrote:

oneforship wrote:

parker09 wrote:Yeah, I wrote the Why Penn also.

(Probably dumb) question:

Does a LOCI need to be an actual letter-- like snail-mailed on nice paper? Or can it be an emailed attachment, or in the body of an email?

I'm probably going to write it in letter form, and email it as an attachment along with my response to their waitlist email. But I will also send a hard copy via snail mail.

Oh, eff. I wrote a very brief two-line response to the WL email, figuring that if they weren't going to look at WL files till mid-May, I'd have time to send a LOCI till then...

Or should I be telling them every week that I'm still interested?

I think your strategy is fine as well. I think the general consensus is that once a month is the max for LOCI correspondence, if you really want to work at getting off the waitlist.

I was already planning a trip to NYC next month, and I think I'm going to extend my trip another day and stop in Philly to visit, too.

Does visiting the school help your case? Meeting adcomms in person?

CordeliusX wrote:Does visiting the school help your case? Meeting adcomms in person?

I don't know if it will help, but I was already planning a trip to NYC, so just tacked on Philly too. They happen to have an info session one of the days I'll be there, so that's pretty convenient.

ugh got my waitlist email last night. Penn Law is my top choice so I really hope I get in and also find out before the summer..

WL here also 1/12, withdrew today. Good luck to everyone else!

I should withdraw too but I don't think that helps other people on the WL that much.

I hope by not replying to the waitlist invitation they infer that I'm withdrawing.

thorntll wrote:I hope by not replying to the waitlist invitation they infer that I'm withdrawing.

They do. The email says if you don't respond by a certain date, like 2/10/10 I think, they will automatically withdraw you.

So I'm working on some points to my LOCI, but I find that a lot of my focus now is quite different from what I wrote in my 5 year plan essay.

What are everyone's thoughts, is it a terrible idea to go in a different direction, or could it be pulled off? For reference, when I wrote my 5 year essay, it was litigation focused, where as now I'm coming up with more business/corporate points. I know the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but it's still a bit of a 180 and I don't want to come off as non-committal.

oneforship wrote:So I'm working on some points to my LOCI, but I find that a lot of my focus now is quite different from what I wrote in my 5 year plan essay.

What are everyone's thoughts, is it a terrible idea to go in a different direction, or could it be pulled off? For reference, when I wrote my 5 year essay, it was litigation focused, where as now I'm coming up with more business/corporate points. I know the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but it's still a bit of a 180 and I don't want to come off as non-committal.

I sort of left my 5-year plan open with a "I may change my mind, but Penn has the wide breadth of programs/clinics/etc. to accommodate that" slant, with a few specifics about which other clinics I'd be interested in. I think as long as whatever you write ends up still being very Penn-specific, it's probably fine? (Then again, I also got WL-ed, so maybe it wasn't so fine.)

But I defer to anyone who thinks otherwise. Because at this point, I kind of want my entire LOCI to read something like this:

Dear Penn Adcomms:
Columbia and Chicago want me, so SUCK IT!
Cheers, parker09

I'm actually only sort of kidding. I still think I'd take Penn over CC, but don't want to wait till end of May to find out.

parker09 wrote:

oneforship wrote:So I'm working on some points to my LOCI, but I find that a lot of my focus now is quite different from what I wrote in my 5 year plan essay.

What are everyone's thoughts, is it a terrible idea to go in a different direction, or could it be pulled off? For reference, when I wrote my 5 year essay, it was litigation focused, where as now I'm coming up with more business/corporate points. I know the two aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, but it's still a bit of a 180 and I don't want to come off as non-committal.

I sort of left my 5-year plan open with a "I may change my mind, but Penn has the wide breadth of programs/clinics/etc. to accommodate that" slant, with a few specifics about which other clinics I'd be interested in. I think as long as whatever you write ends up still being very Penn-specific, it's probably fine? (Then again, I also got WL-ed, so maybe it wasn't so fine.)

But I defer to anyone who thinks otherwise. Because at this point, I kind of want my entire LOCI to read something like this:

Dear Penn Adcomms:
Columbia and Chicago want me, so SUCK IT!
Cheers, parker09

I'm actually only sort of kidding. I still think I'd take Penn over CC, but don't want to wait till end of May to find out.

Wow, ok parker if I get into penn can you call columbia and tell them to change my deferral to an acceptance? I'll do the same thing for you at penn. Although, honestly I'm getting more and more excited by the prospect of penn and you know not spending $1500 a month to live in a shoebox.

I got waitlisted yesterday, thinking about what to send in. I didn't write anything Penn specific in my essay. I don't think I'm really in yield protect territory (+75th LSAT -25th GPA), so I don't know if just expressing interest is going to make any difference.

def2104 wrote: Wow, ok parker if I get into penn can you call columbia and tell them to change my deferral to an acceptance? I'll do the same thing for you at penn. Although, honestly I'm getting more and more excited by the prospect of penn and you know not spending $1500 a month to live in a shoebox.

If you get into Penn, I think I'd also be okay with switching identities.

Penn was originally my top choice, due to its northeast location (everyone I know from UG is in nyc/boston/that area) but lower cost of living. I'd totally give up UofC or CLS for it right now, argh.

bluejayk wrote:I got waitlisted yesterday, thinking about what to send in. I didn't write anything Penn specific in my essay. I don't think I'm really in yield protect territory (+75th LSAT -25th GPA), so I don't know if just expressing interest is going to make any difference.

I've been wondering about this myself... but it can't hurt, right? One theory floating around TLS is that after all the admits make/don't make deposits, schools are going to want to fill their class as soon as possible and will thus be more inclined to take people off the waitlist who they think will actually attend...? So still caring enough to show interest = more likely to attend than someone who didn't care enough to send in the LOCI?