Top Law Schools

So, i've posted my situation a few times, and each day i get more anxious, worried and scared

I am a URM, Black/Pakistani....my Ps focused more on my experiences as a south asian....i applied to Y, H, S, C, C, N, B, & M at the end of october with a 3.6 and a 171...at the time i got a bunch of TLS encouragement about being able to get in just about everywhere, now...

Y-ding
H-hold
S-no word, #1 choice
C-hold
C-WL
N-no word
B-hold #2 choice
M-hold

IMO my chances are looking to hot.....but i only applied to these schools because i want biglaw in the nor cal, i wouldn't want to go to any of the other T14, and based on this economy, or any economy these schools offer me the best chance of getting to biglaw, having career opportunities without having to graduate in the top 10% (not that i'm planning to be in the bottom 10 or anything)

so, worst case scenario i don't get in anywhere....should i just apply to penn/northwestern and other t14's before their deadline.....or assume that this was a freak cycle and next year my chances will be much improved??????

mind you, i haven't "achieved" much since applying, so i wouldn't have much to add to next years app


Thanks guys

gladitsover wrote:So, i've posted my situation a few times, and each day i get more anxious, worried and scared

I am a URM, Black/Pakistani....my Ps focused more on my experiences as a south asian....i applied to Y, H, S, C, C, N, B, & M at the end of october with a 3.6 and a 171...at the time i got a bunch of TLS encouragement about being able to get in just about everywhere, now...

Y-ding
H-hold
S-no word, #1 choice
C-hold
C-WL
N-no word
B-hold #2 choice
M-hold

IMO my chances are looking to hot.....but i only applied to these schools because i want biglaw in the nor cal, i wouldn't want to go to any of the other T14, and based on this economy, or any economy these schools offer me the best chance of getting to biglaw, having career opportunities without having to graduate in the top 10% (not that i'm planning to be in the bottom 10 or anything)

so, worst case scenario i don't get in anywhere....should i just apply to penn/northwestern and other t14's before their deadline.....or assume that this was a freak cycle and next year my chances will be much improved??????

mind you, i haven't "achieved" much since applying, so i wouldn't have much to add to next years app


Thanks guys

I would throw out a few more apps. Also I think you should have a decent chance of getting in off a Hold or two. I don't think Pakastanis count as a URM so it may have hurt you that you focused your PS on this?

gladitsover wrote:So, i've posted my situation a few times, and each day i get more anxious, worried and scared

I am a URM, Black/Pakistani....my Ps focused more on my experiences as a south asian....i applied to Y, H, S, C, C, N, B, & M at the end of october with a 3.6 and a 171...at the time i got a bunch of TLS encouragement about being able to get in just about everywhere, now...

Y-ding
H-hold
S-no word, #1 choice
C-hold
C-WL
N-no word
B-hold #2 choice
M-hold

IMO my chances are looking to hot.....but i only applied to these schools because i want biglaw in the nor cal, i wouldn't want to go to any of the other T14, and based on this economy, or any economy these schools offer me the best chance of getting to biglaw, having career opportunities without having to graduate in the top 10% (not that i'm planning to be in the bottom 10 or anything)

so, worst case scenario i don't get in anywhere....should i just apply to penn/northwestern and other t14's before their deadline.....or assume that this was a freak cycle and next year my chances will be much improved??????

mind you, i haven't "achieved" much since applying, so i wouldn't have much to add to next years app


Thanks guys

Is your M - hold referring to the letter that they sent out to everyone, or did they actually tell you they are putting you on hold? If it's the former I don't think it's a negative sign, because everyone got one.

gladitsover wrote:assume that this was a freak cycle and next year my chances will be much improved??????

This. But also apply to a few more "safety schools" next year.

gladitsover wrote: mind you, i haven't "achieved" much since applying, so i wouldn't have much to add to next years app

Spend this summer "achieving" something. But don't do it just for the sake of your law school applications. Find something that you care about and force yourself to make time for it. Also, rewrite your personal statement and possibly find new LOR writers.

Torvon wrote:
Is your M - hold referring to the letter that they sent out to everyone, or did they actually tell you they are putting you on hold? If it's the former I don't think it's a negative sign, because everyone got one.

I got the email that said the're still reviewing my app

gladitsover wrote:

Torvon wrote:
Is your M - hold referring to the letter that they sent out to everyone, or did they actually tell you they are putting you on hold? If it's the former I don't think it's a negative sign, because everyone got one.

I got the email that said the're still reviewing my app

Yeah, I wouldn't take that as a good sign or a bad sign....just a sign. Pretty sure there are still a whole lot of people with decent / good numbers for M that got that letter and still haven't heard one way or the other.

notanumber wrote:

gladitsover wrote:assume that this was a freak cycle and next year my chances will be much improved??????

This. But also apply to a few more "safety schools" next year.

I really don't think this is a "freak" cycle. Sure, more competitive at the margins, but I think the natural year-over-year increase in competition will make up for most if not all of any decline after the freakiness of this year. During other recessions, apps shot up, then declined slowly, if I remember correctly.

i wrote about religion in my PS, how being a sikh has affected me......could this have had a negative effect.....i've read elsewhere on TLS to stay away from religion topics

gladitsover wrote:i wrote about religion in my PS, how being a sikh has affected me......could this have had a negative effect.....i've read elsewhere on TLS to stay away from religion topics

I think in general religion is a taboo subject, but in your case it may be a boon. Usually, when somebody is trying to work their religion into their application it's something along the lines of "Jesus loves me this I know."

As a Sikh, you're among the more unusual applicants, and they will probably view it in the light of added diversity.

Hmm imo, you should have emphasized being AA over being Sikh.

Na_Swatch wrote:Hmm imo, you should have emphasized being AA over being Sikh.

i wanted to....but it has always been a secondary or tertiary part of my life...didn't really have much to say about that

I think counting on the next cycle to be noticeably less competitive at the top schools relative to this one would be a mistake.

Stringer Bell wrote:I think counting on the next cycle to be noticeably less competitive at the top schools relative to this one would be a mistake.

+1. well said.

I does look as though you are not being treated as an AA, because it seems that you have not been given the usual 10 pt. LSAT boost (I know, 171 can only go up to 180). Still though, you have solid stats and you would add diversity in an important, valuable way.

You say that you applied back in October. Basically, although it is not talked about much on TLS, most law schools almost certainly do "triage" admissions, in which they sort completed applications into three piles: (a) fast track to "in" pile, (b) competitive pile, and (c) slush pile. If you had applied recently, then you could even be in the fast track pile at some schools right now. However, since you applied quite some time ago, it seems that you have been put into the competitive pile at some schools, and perhaps the slush at others (though it is hard to see that as happening in many).

You say you are being held at a lot of schools, but what that means will depend on when you applied, given the triage mechanism. My belief in the triage sorting mechanism is based on my own experience, and reading about lots of others' experiences, and is discussed in Montauk's book How to Get into Top Law Schools.

Man, y'all are way more pessimistic than I am.

I do agree, though, that one shouldn't assume that next year will be any easier.

That being said, I still think it would be smarter, if you don't get accepted anywhere this cycle, to not send out last-minute applications in desperation but instead to take a deep breath, improve your CV over the summer, write a stronger personal statement, question about getting stronger LORs and apply again next year to a similar set of schools but to also throw in a few more "safety school" applications.

IMHO you should stick to your guns about the schools you find it "worth it" to go to. If you don't get in this cycle, I would use it as an opportunity to work for a couple of years. If you still want to go to law school after that, then reapply.

It's easy to get caught up in the "I have to get in somewhere" mentality. But, if you had objectively determined the schools that met your qualifications to be "worth it" for the debt you would have to take on, then I would not just start throwing more applications into the mix.

gladitsover wrote:i wrote about religion in my PS, how being a sikh has affected me......could this have had a negative effect.....i've read elsewhere on TLS to stay away from religion topics

sat sri akal .... did you mark "AA" on your apps? if not, you're prob not being considered as a URM.

Throw apps to some lower T14s and I have a hard time seeing you not getting in anywhere

bceagles182 wrote:Throw apps to some lower T14s and I have a hard time seeing you not getting in anywhere

One would think an ED at UVA would be a sure thing, but OP said he wanted to practice in CA. I don't know how the bottom half of the T14s place out there.

Cale39 wrote:

gladitsover wrote:i wrote about religion in my PS, how being a sikh has affected me......could this have had a negative effect.....i've read elsewhere on TLS to stay away from religion topics

sat sri akal .... did you mark "AA" on your apps? if not, you're prob not being considered as a URM.

I marked AA, and my DS was about having exposure in three different cultures

and i definitely agree that i don't "need" to get in somewhere, i chose those schools because based on multiple factors (location, environment, job prospects) i would only go to those....CCN are probably my lowest choices simply because i hate big cities

do you actually not like the other schools? if so, i agree, get work experience or do a masters if you were planning that for after LS, then go for it again. if you just had an elitist leaning towards the ones you already applied to, get some more apps out there nowww

yeah--did you proof read your essays?? who did you get to write your letter of recommendations? this is why lawschool admissions at times isn't just about the numbers, there might be a problem with either your letter of recommendations and/or your personal statement....your numbers are too strong to go to a lower ranked school (especially with your background)......you should probably regroup and focus on perfecting your application. there is a problem somewhere in your application materials and its not the numbers given your URM status........goodluck

FuturehoyaLawya wrote:yeah--did you proof read your essays?? who did you get to write your letter of recommendations? this is why lawschool admissions at times isn't just about the numbers, there might be a problem with either your letter of recommendations and/or your personal statement....your numbers are too strong to go to a lower ranked school (especially with your background)......you should probably regroup and focus on perfecting your application. there is a problem somewhere in your application materials and its not the numbers given your URM status........goodluck

There is one mistake in my personal statement...a grammatical error that doesn't detract from the content...i should have caught it...but i don't think i'd be in this position over a small error like that.......had two profs and one former employer write my essays....i don't see how they could have written anything negative