What gives? Forum

jjones25 · Post by **jjones25** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:55 pm

So I've been accepted to four law schools in the 14-23 range, some even with $$$, but today I heard back from Boston College (27th), where I was waitlisted. My GPA and LSAT are both above their 75th percentiles, and I applied the same time I applied to the other schools (several months ago). I don't have any arrests or any other big negatives on my record lol So I'm just wondering, what gives? I've heard of schools rejecting overly qualified applicants who probably have better options in an attempt to make themselves look more selective. Is this just a case of a school putting rankings (ie their acceptance ratio) above getting the best students or do I have something else to worry about?

FuManChusco · Post by **FuManChusco** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 5:57 pm

1.) why do you care since you have better acceptances. there is literally nothing to worry about
2.) probably a YP

jjones25 · Post by **jjones25** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:02 pm

What's a YP?

And I know I shouldn't care, but it still sucks to be rejected from a place you had some interest in, especially when your stats say you should get in without a problem.

cool of law · Post by **cool of law** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 6:10 pm

You have nothing to worry about, or is there something you arent letting us know? ha

Yield Protect is basically what you noted about a school not wanting to offer you an acceptance to boost or protect their %s esp if they don't expect you to attend

jjones25 · Post by **jjones25** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:46 pm

cool of law wrote:You have nothing to worry about, or is there something you arent letting us know? ha

Haha no secrets. I just think it's odd that an institution that instructs lawyers, members of a profession that supposedly prides itself on a strong ethical code, would stoop to such levels just to raise their score a fraction of a point. It just makes me wonder about the ethics over at BC.

Then again, maybe everyone does it...

subtle · Post by **subtle** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 8:48 pm

jjones25 wrote:
cool of law wrote:You have nothing to worry about, or is there something you arent letting us know? ha
Haha no secrets. I just think it's odd that an institution that instructs lawyers, members of a profession that supposedly prides itself on a strong ethical code, would stoop to such levels just to raise their score a fraction of a point. It just makes me wonder about the ethics over at BC.

Then again, maybe everyone does it...

You act as if BC is the only school that YPs.

fatduck · Post by **fatduck** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:18 pm

i don't understand why you think a school should admit someone they don't expect to attend

jjones25 · Post by **jjones25** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:48 pm

Yeah, except for the part where I put "maybe everyone does it..." haha I am curious though, how widespread a practice is this?

And I applied to their school. Doesn't that indicate at least some intent to attend? I thought the admission process was about getting the best students, to reject someone bc their numbers are too high seems counter productive. lol

fatduck · Post by **fatduck** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:51 pm

because class sizes are limited. they can only accept so many applicants, or they risk being over-enrolled. if they accept a lot of applicants who are likely to attend better schools, they'll end up waitlisting applicants they'd really like to take, and risk losing them.

jjones25 · Post by **jjones25** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 9:55 pm

fatduck wrote:because class sizes are limited. they can only accept so many applicants, or they risk being over-enrolled. if they accept a lot of applicants who are likely to attend better schools, they'll end up waitlisting applicants they'd really like to take, and risk losing them.

Isn't that what the withdraw process is for?

paulinaporizkova · Post by **paulinaporizkova** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:01 pm

fatduck wrote:i don't understand why you think a school should admit someone they don't expect to attend

paulinaporizkova · Post by **paulinaporizkova** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:02 pm

jjones25 wrote:
fatduck wrote:because class sizes are limited. they can only accept so many applicants, or they risk being over-enrolled. if they accept a lot of applicants who are likely to attend better schools, they'll end up waitlisting applicants they'd really like to take, and risk losing them.
Isn't that what the withdraw process is for?

lolwut.

Cupidity · Post by **Cupidity** » Sun Mar 20, 2011 10:12 pm

I was waitlisted at BC, send a handwritten LOCI along with their "Keep me on the WL/withdraw" form and emailed admissions a loci as well.

I was accepted with $60,000k in June.

tttlllsss · Post by **tttlllsss** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 2:55 am

Yeah, if you send them a thoughtful LOCI that convinces them you would actually attend, they might let you in

However, BC admissions are pretty holistic and they sometimes WL/ding high #s who actually wanted to go

androstan · Post by **androstan** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:23 am

Santa.

Flett · Post by **Flett** » Mon Mar 21, 2011 11:46 am

jjones25 wrote: And I applied to their school. Doesn't that indicate at least some intent to attend?

Not always.

I received a BU fee waiver and used it knowing full well I wouldn't attend regardless of the decision. I just wanted to see what would happen and $12 was cheap enough to satisfy my curiosity. Many of the other schools I applied to were safeties which I would only consider attending if I struck out at every top school on my list. Also, I've heard that other applicants sometimes apply to a school in order to leverage a possible acceptance/scholarship against another school's offer.

I don't exactly find it unethical for schools to practice YP. Does it still suck? Yep. If you really are interested in this school that waitlisted you then start writing a LOCI and work to get off that waitlist. If a qualified applicant, like yourself, isn't willing to put in effort to get off the waitlist then the school likely guessed right about the applicant's intent to attend. Either way, best of luck.

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