Number of applicants affecting admission Forum

[Emma1]

Does anyone know if applications are up again this year? Hoping they are down somewhat based on reports that the number of people taking the October LSAT was down. Any word from any of the schools yet? It may still be too early to determine but am curious.

[glitched]

I saw some chart where it actually showed that the number of LSAT takers actually dropped for both June and October. It wasn't a significant amount and it might not be a good indicator, but it is what it is. You can interpret it yourself.

[Emma1]

I just googled that and it showed that the number of June 2010 test takers were up but the October 2010 group was down by around 10% (although it still is the second highest number of test takers ever) Oh well!

[ajw431]

FWIW, at an open house that I went to a few weeks back, the Dean of Admissions was saying that the number of test takers of the June and October test were both down this year.

[Spack]

LSAT takers aside, I have gotten emails from several schools I applied to citing the expectation of an increase of applications in the thousands. Not sure what their reasoning is, but it certainly has been making a different as far as who gets admitted right away versus waitlisted/deferred.

[deliriousxix]

I read somewhere that applicants are applying to more schools than before. Maybe that could be a reason for the discrepancy..?

[TommyK]

LSAT takers aside, I have gotten emails from several schools I applied to citing the expectation of an increase of applications in the thousands. Not sure what their reasoning is, but it certainly has been making a different as far as who gets admitted right away versus waitlisted/deferred.

Could also be the law school saying this to get candidates to apply sooner, rather than later. Kind of like QVC saying that the item they're selling is going fast so order now!

[HeavenWood]

LSAT takers aside, I have gotten emails from several schools I applied to citing the expectation of an increase of applications in the thousands. Not sure what their reasoning is, but it certainly has been making a different as far as who gets admitted right away versus waitlisted/deferred.

Could also be the law school saying this to get candidates to apply sooner, rather than later. Kind of like QVC saying that the item they're selling is going fast so order now!

I would totally watch QVC if they sold law school acceptances.

[northwood]

i would watch only if they had a contest to see who could be a better pitchperson. Make it tournament style. Top seeds get top schools. Tier 1 would be the first rounds. ( they are easier to pitch) . Championship round would be televised on the ocho, and would be another seeding. Top seeds get first pick of TTTT schools to pitch. Winner determined by number of callers asking to apply ( for each round)

[whymeohgodno]

LSAT medians will rise everywhere again

[HeavenWood]

LSAT medians will rise everywhere again

Oh well, on the off off off chance I'm screwed out of everywhere else besides W&M, I could get used to the idea of colonial Williamsburg. I wonder what my three-corner hat size is?

[Snape]

More people applying to more schools but less total applicants has no correspondence to higher lsat scores

[BrownBears09]

More people applying to more schools but less total applicants has no correspondence to higher lsat scores

Shhh... don't ruin their fun.

[Arbiter213]

I mean, I can see why it might make admissions committees depressed, since it would mean more work to have more applicants, but I'm not sure something intangible like "admission" can be said to be affected- does it really have emotions at all?

[AreJay711]

More people applying to more schools but less total applicants has no correspondence to higher lsat scores

Schools can get strategic and probably raise their medians even without an increase in the # of applicants. Like Michigan with a median of 169 but a 25th of 168 - it is hard to imagine they can't game their LSAT up to 170 if they wanted to.

Edit: Or an LSAT drain of sorts on non-t14 students that would have been above the 75% at other schools but select the t14 because of improved career prospects.

[stlisforlovers]

LSAT medians will rise everywhere again

Oh well, on the off off off chance I'm screwed out of everywhere else besides W&M, I could get used to the idea of colonial Williamsburg. I wonder what my three-corner hat size is?

+1

[Snape]

More people applying to more schools but less total applicants has no correspondence to higher lsat scores

Schools can get strategic and probably raise their medians even without an increase in the # of applicants. Like Michigan with a median of 169 but a 25th of 168 - it is hard to imagine they can't game their LSAT up to 170 if they wanted to.

Edit: Or an LSAT drain of sorts on non-t14 students that would have been above the 75% at other schools but select the t14 because of improved career prospects.

Not if they cant get enough people to attend with a 170--its simple math--if there are less applicants (and presumably less applicants for each score) but more applying to more schools and there are only so many 170s but more people with the same 170 applying to 10-15-20 schools then that one 170 can only attend 1 school--people applying to more schools but less total applicants will actually most likely lead to a decrease in medians and scores and most likley an increase in schools using the waitlist---if schools are all accepting the same folks at the top they will have to make room once those people choose their schools---And for a School like Michigan--with a rather large class and more people needed in the median---its unlikely they would raise their median this year without doing something drastic with scholly money to 170+ or lowering their other standards and admitting more people with 2.8 and 170 or basically accepting more "weak" 170 applicants

[thelaststraw05]

I just read this in the UVa. thread and thought it might be interesting to you. From a ding e-mail:

"We expect to receive over 7,500 nonresident applications and 650 resident applications for the 350 seats in the entering class. This is likely to be the most difficult year on record in which to gain admission to Virginia Law. This is especially true for nonresidents."

[glitter178]

I just read this in the UVa. thread and thought it might be interesting to you. From a ding e-mail:

"We expect to receive over 7,500 nonresident applications and 650 resident applications for the 350 seats in the entering class. This is likely to be the most difficult year on record in which to gain admission to Virginia Law. This is especially true for nonresidents."

hmm. that's terrifying but is it just fluff? do they say that every year or is that something brand new?

[Snape]

Every school says every year to the rejections it was the most difficult year in history---and often it is--but competitive and drastic rises in medians arent the same thing--also--UVA is free to almost anybody so why not give it a shot