Top Law Schools

Just submitted my early decision app today! I visited the campus in August and was blown away. Ann Arbor in general just seems like such an incredible place to spend three years...

Who else hopes to find themselves in Ann Arbor come the end of May?

Dinho wrote:Just submitted my early decision app today! I visited the campus in August and was blown away. Ann Arbor in general just seems like such an incredible place to spend three years...

Who else hopes to find themselves in Ann Arbor come the end of May?

Congrats Dinho! Best of luck to you .

Dinho wrote:Just submitted my early decision app today! I visited the campus in August and was blown away. Ann Arbor in general just seems like such an incredible place to spend three years...

Who else hopes to find themselves in Ann Arbor come the end of May?

I'm almost there. Michigan is my number two right now, after stanford.
I'm retaking the LSAT in Oct., and if my LSAT doesn't pick up >or= three points then I'll submit ED to Michigan right before deadline.
No. 2 was Chicago, but I was really dissapointed in their course offerings.

Also, I've been told that EDing has no effect on merit based scholarships. True?

s0ph1e2007 wrote:
Also, I've been told that EDing has no effect on merit based scholarships. True?

I am considering EDing as well, as Michigan is my first choice by a pretty large margin, but I am concerned about this myself.

Michigan says one page for the two supplemental essays
My DS is 1.75 pages I would say though, and I think it would really harm it to make it shorter...
should I cut it anyways?

I'm glad to see the ED page started - I hope to see all of you at UM next summer! We've already started a Class of 2014 page that I hope you've seen.

s0ph1e2007 wrote:Michigan says one page for the two supplemental essays
My DS is 1.75 pages I would say though, and I think it would really harm it to make it shorter...
should I cut it anyways?

I called and asked if I could submit a third optional essay when I applied last year, and they allowed me to. I think they want to know all information that will be pertinent to their decision-making, so if you need an extra page to do that, then send it. Of course, if you post in the PS writing page, I'm sure some TLSers will let you PM your essay and advise whether it should be cut down. When possible, brevity is strength.

Right on, let us know how it goes (and good luck!). I'm having a hell of a time deciding where to ED (if at all). Mich and UVA both sound incredible- and since we have the same numbers, I'm anxious to see how it works out for you.

Entchen wrote:

s0ph1e2007 wrote:Also, I've been told that EDing has no effect on merit based scholarships. True?

I am considering EDing as well, as Michigan is my first choice by a pretty large margin, but I am concerned about this myself.

If it's not in the FAQs page, you can call them and ask. It's an extremely reasonable question. ED admits on LSN have gotten merit awards in the past, so ED merit awards do get made. I think the main downside in terms of aid is that you can't negotiate in the event a peer school would have offered you more, but since Michigan is one of the more generous T10s, I can't imagine that happening for more than a small handful of applicants.

beachbum wrote:Right on, let us know how it goes (and good luck!). I'm having a hell of a time deciding where to ED (if at all). Mich and UVA both sound incredible- and since we have the same numbers, I'm anxious to see how it works out for you.

UVA, however, didn't award merit aid to any of the 28 ED admits on LSN last year.

2ofspades wrote:

beachbum wrote:Right on, let us know how it goes (and good luck!). I'm having a hell of a time deciding where to ED (if at all). Mich and UVA both sound incredible- and since we have the same numbers, I'm anxious to see how it works out for you.

UVA, however, didn't award merit aid to any of the 28 ED admits on LSN last year.

Yeah, and the massive financial commitment (to either of these schools) is really giving me pause. I'm 170/3.4, so I don't anticipate getting merit aid from any of the T14- and I don't anticipate getting into schools as great as Michigan and Virginia without an ED. So the question is: do I put everything on an ED to M or V, or do I play it safe and attend a lower-ranked school (Vandy? WUSTL?) with (hopefully) a scholarship? Ugh.

In any case, sorry for hijacking your thread. You all can have it back now.

beachbum wrote:

2ofspades wrote:

beachbum wrote:Right on, let us know how it goes (and good luck!). I'm having a hell of a time deciding where to ED (if at all). Mich and UVA both sound incredible- and since we have the same numbers, I'm anxious to see how it works out for you.

UVA, however, didn't award merit aid to any of the 28 ED admits on LSN last year.

Yeah, and the massive financial commitment (to either of these schools) is really giving me pause. I'm 170/3.4, so I don't anticipate getting merit aid from any of the T14- and I don't anticipate getting into schools as great as Michigan and Virginia without an ED. So the question is: do I put everything on an ED to M or V, or do I play it safe and attend a lower-ranked school (Vandy? WUSTL?) with (hopefully) a scholarship? Ugh.

In any case, sorry for hijacking your thread. You all can have it back now.

I clearly think EDing to Michigan is the best choice, but it also came down to Michigan and UVA for me and my visits to both really sealed the deal for Michigan. I loved Ann Arbor and the law quad, whereas I found Charlottesville much less enticing as well as way too hot and humid.

Also I'm not sure it's really accurate to consider going to a lower ranked school with a scholarship is the "safe" option. It appears those just outside the T14 have been hit particularly hard by ITE and with our stats I think scholarships are far from a sure thing.

Dinho wrote:

beachbum wrote:

2ofspades wrote:

beachbum wrote:Right on, let us know how it goes (and good luck!). I'm having a hell of a time deciding where to ED (if at all). Mich and UVA both sound incredible- and since we have the same numbers, I'm anxious to see how it works out for you.

UVA, however, didn't award merit aid to any of the 28 ED admits on LSN last year.

Yeah, and the massive financial commitment (to either of these schools) is really giving me pause. I'm 170/3.4, so I don't anticipate getting merit aid from any of the T14- and I don't anticipate getting into schools as great as Michigan and Virginia without an ED. So the question is: do I put everything on an ED to M or V, or do I play it safe and attend a lower-ranked school (Vandy? WUSTL?) with (hopefully) a scholarship? Ugh.

In any case, sorry for hijacking your thread. You all can have it back now.

I clearly think EDing to Michigan is the best choice, but it also came down to Michigan and UVA for me and my visits to both really sealed the deal for Michigan. I loved Ann Arbor and the law quad, whereas I found Charlottesville much less enticing as well as way too hot and humid.

Also I'm not sure it's really accurate to consider going to a lower ranked school with a scholarship is the "safe" option. It appears those just outside the T14 have been hit particularly hard by ITE and with our stats I think scholarships are far from a sure thing.

I appreciate the advice. I haven't been to able to visit either school, though based on my reading I'd say Michigan seems like a better fit. Just gotta overcome that fear of commitment (and of debt...)

When I went to visit over the summer, the woman told me that Michigan doesn't look at whether you were ED or not when they award scholarships. So I guess its a bit of a draw, you'll be locked in whether or not you are awarded one.

But I have finally decided, and I too will be submitting my ED app, hopefully in the next week!

almostfamous wrote:When I went to visit over the summer, the woman told me that Michigan doesn't look at whether you were ED or not when they award scholarships. So I guess its a bit of a draw, you'll be locked in whether or not you are awarded one.

But I have finally decided, and I too will be submitting my ED app, hopefully in the next week!

Of course they are going to say that. The reality is they do not need to throw money at ED applicants to entice them to matriculate so they will get little to no $.

almostfamous wrote:When I went to visit over the summer, the woman told me that Michigan doesn't look at whether you were ED or not when they award scholarships. So I guess its a bit of a draw, you'll be locked in whether or not you are awarded one.

But I have finally decided, and I too will be submitting my ED app, hopefully in the next week!

If you look on LSN, Michigan is incredibly formulaic when it's time to figure out who's getting Dean's Scholarships and what amounts. I haven't heard of anyone who applied ED and didn't receive a scholarship their numbers would have suggested with RD, though it's possible especially since I haven't met very many summer starters here yet and we don't really talk about this IRL. They also don't negotiate scholarships unless they've given you nothing and a peer school gave you something.

Anyway, good luck to everyone who applies and I hope to see you in Ann Arbor next year.

Hi all. I'm retaking in October and hoping to get much closer to my 169 PT average. If I do, I will probably ED. Just curious, do all ED'ers start in the summer? The UMich webiste says that the summer start begins the last couple days of May I believe. The only problem I have with that is that I am getting married in June. That would be a major problem since I would need to get married, do the honeymoon thing, etc. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing ED and coming in the Fall?

Burgstaller04 wrote:Hi all. I'm retaking in October and hoping to get much closer to my 169 PT average. If I do, I will probably ED. Just curious, do all ED'ers start in the summer? The UMich webiste says that the summer start begins the last couple days of May I believe. The only problem I have with that is that I am getting married in June. That would be a major problem since I would need to get married, do the honeymoon thing, etc. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing ED and coming in the Fall?

All EDers start in the summer and everything I have seen suggests they're not very flexible about EDers...

Dinho wrote:

Burgstaller04 wrote:Hi all. I'm retaking in October and hoping to get much closer to my 169 PT average. If I do, I will probably ED. Just curious, do all ED'ers start in the summer? The UMich webiste says that the summer start begins the last couple days of May I believe. The only problem I have with that is that I am getting married in June. That would be a major problem since I would need to get married, do the honeymoon thing, etc. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing ED and coming in the Fall?

All EDers start in the summer and everything I have seen suggests they're not very flexible about EDers...

+1. Any news on the ED, Dinho? It's really early for decisions (guess we've been spoiled by all these UVA EDs and Duke PTs), but ya never know. The anticipation is killin me. And FWIW, I think I'm gonna ED to Duke.

Good luck guys and gals. Hope to see you in the summer.

beachbum wrote:

Dinho wrote:

Burgstaller04 wrote:Hi all. I'm retaking in October and hoping to get much closer to my 169 PT average. If I do, I will probably ED. Just curious, do all ED'ers start in the summer? The UMich webiste says that the summer start begins the last couple days of May I believe. The only problem I have with that is that I am getting married in June. That would be a major problem since I would need to get married, do the honeymoon thing, etc. Has anyone ever heard of someone doing ED and coming in the Fall?

All EDers start in the summer and everything I have seen suggests they're not very flexible about EDers...

+1. Any news on the ED, Dinho? It's really early for decisions (guess we've been spoiled by all these UVA EDs and Duke PTs), but ya never know. The anticipation is killin me. And FWIW, I think I'm gonna ED to Duke.

Haha I got a "we have received your initial materials" email that also told me not to expect a status checker for another three weeks, so I'm not obsessing just yet. If I recall correctly Dean Z and company don't even start reviewing applications until November. The bunch of UVA ED acceptances getting in does make me jealous, but I know I made the right decision with Michigan. Good luck with Duke!

Ann Arbor in general just seems like such an incredible place to spend three years...

I am considering UMich, and plan to visit late this month or early October. Dinho, were you able to sit in a class or talk to any admission staff when you were there?

tbldc2009 wrote:

Ann Arbor in general just seems like such an incredible place to spend three years...

I am considering UMich, and plan to visit late this month or early October. Dinho, were you able to sit in a class or talk to any admission staff when you were there?

Yeah you can do both, the admissions staff has been very nice and helpful in all my interactions with them. I also recommend getting their self guided tour materials (they were at the reference desk in the library), that way you can explore a bit on your time.

thanks Dinho. I will look into it, and hopefully make my decision soon. good luck to everyone.

Michigan is definitely my first choice but I'm not sure whether to ED or not just because the possibility of a scholarship at another school. Michigan at sticker vs Duke or Cornell with money isn't quite as decisive. Still, hope to see you Ann Arbor -- maybe in the summer!

AreJay711 wrote:Michigan is definitely my first choice but I'm not sure whether to ED or not just because the possibility of a scholarship at another school. Michigan at sticker vs Duke or Cornell with money isn't quite as decisive. Still, hope to see you Ann Arbor -- maybe in the summer!

Good luck.