Top Law Schools

Traditionally, my numbers make me a competitive applicant and I believe the rest of my application was also strong (this is part of the reason it took me so long to submit). I applied before the deadline, but not too far before the deadline, at Harvard, Columbia, and Chicago - among other schools.

It's now May 3rd and I haven't received a decision from any of the three. I've been UR at Harvard since 3/1. Complete at Columbia since sometime in March. Complete, but not UR, at Chicago in April. No rejection, no WL.

Yes, I am well aware that I should have submitted my applications earlier, but I certainly expected to have received SOME semblance of a decision by the end of April. What does this lack of a decision mean? I'm about to deposit at NYU if I don't hear anything in the next 12 hours or so.



EDIT: I didn't post this thread to bemoan the schools' admissions practices. I just want to know if I should be expecting anything other than WL/ding.

Nothing good, usually. Sorry. But there's always a chance.

Most deposit deadlines are fast approaching or have past already. If you haven't been accepted yet, your odds are very small. I would deposit at NYU at the last possible moment, and consider the other schools as waitlists that could possibly, but are unlikely, to have a spot open.

Hope for the best, but its probably not good. If you really want these schools and you think you can get in next year, take a year off and apply as early as possible next fall.

Your GPA is a bit low, good, but low for top schools. You also applied extremely late. Really, Really late. That is always a mistake. I would plan on living the Grenwich Village for 3 years, no shame in that either.