Top Law Schools

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:29 pm**

Why did you apply to Harvard and Yale with a 160 though??

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:36 pm**

You have a pretty good GPA, but with that LSAT it is normal. Softs and tons of involvement don't matter. Retake get a 170+ and go to a t14.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:37 pm**

abonda01 wrote:Why did you apply to Harvard and Yale with a 160 though??

Didn't you read? OP has a ton of involvement.

But seriously, I would say this is not normal. You should have been a lock for some of the schools that you were denied at. Marquette? Valparaiso? That's not normal for your numbers. I vote you post your PS.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:38 pm**

quick question--- is your posted GPA your LSDAS gpa?

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:39 pm**

metallaura wrote:Denied

Berkley
Valparaiso
Cincinnati
University of Michigan
Northwestern
Marquette
University of Washington
Case Western

Have not heard back yet from:

Baylor
Case Western Reserve
University of Chicago
Chicago-Kent
Cornell
DePaul
Harvard
Michigan State
University of Minnesota
Northern Illinois University
University of Oregon
University of San Diego
Santa Clara University
Temple
University of Wisconsin
Yale

Well, that's not very nice that Case is sending you so many mixed messages. In their defense, though, maybe you shouldn't have applied twice?

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:39 pm**

adevotchka wrote:
abonda01 wrote:Why did you apply to Harvard and Yale with a 160 though??
Didn't you read? OP has a ton of involvement.

But seriously, I would say this is not normal. You should have been a lock for some of the schools that you were denied at. Marquette? Valparaiso? That's not normal for your numbers. I vote you post your PS.

Yeah, I agree. A 3.78 and 160 should let you at least break SOMEWHERE in the top 50-60 if not a little higher.

Something's up. Did you apply super late? Did you not revise your PS? Did you...idk murder someone? You should have at least gotten into one of those places with money that you were denied at.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:40 pm**

adevotchka wrote:Didn't you read? OP has a ton of involvement.

But seriously, I would say this is not normal. You should have been a lock for some of the schools that you were denied at. Marquette? Valparaiso? That's not normal for your numbers. I vote you post your PS.

YP for those schools maybe? +1 on the PS.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:41 pm**

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:42 pm**

Also, I'll try to be helpful - Any chance one of your recommenders screwed you and gave you a negative one? Did you do something weird on your PS?

You should have gotten into some of these schools that you were denied at.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:43 pm**

metallaura wrote:I had a fee waiver so I just applied for the heck of it at Harvard and Yale.

I got a 160 in October and thought it was good enough to get into my top choice, Wisconsin. I WISH I would have retaken because I could have done better. Also not that I go to a Smaller State University.

Also, my current GPA is 3.874 but my LSDAS gpa is 3.78

Are you URM?

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:47 pm**

I dont know. Your numbers with "neutral" softs should have gotten you into some of those schools.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:51 pm**

I'm sorry I don't know what some of the acronyms you're using mean. OP? YP? URM? "softs"

Softs I assume means personal statement and resume and the like?

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:53 pm**

metallaura wrote:I'm sorry I don't know what some of the acronyms you're using mean. OP? YP? URM? "softs"

Softs I assume means personal statement and resume and the like?

OP - Original Poster
YP - Yield Protect, where schools WL/reject a candidate who they feel would not go even if admitted in order to increase their percentage of admits/enrollments
URM - underrepresented minority, generally black, mexican/puerto rican, and native american with a few others I'm not 100 percent sure on (and different schools treat differently, like Cubans)
softs - factors outside your numbers, like involvement, work experience, awards, etc.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:55 pm**

metallaura wrote:My LSAT is 160 and my GPA is 3.78 with a TON of involvement. Is it normal to be denied at so many schools? I know there are some that are no big surprise like Berkley or a few others where my LSAT is WAY lower than the median, but at schools like Valpo and Marquette I have an LSAT WAY above their median. Is it normal to be denied so much? I'm getting really nervous that I did something terribly wrong in my personal statement or something.

AHH please someone help me set my mind at ease.

Thanks

Admitted

Cleveland Marshal Law ($12,000 annual scholarship)
Lewis & Clark Law in Portland, Oregon (no scholarship)
William Mitchell College of Law, St. Paul, MN (75% annual scholarship)

Denied

Berkley
Valparaiso
Cincinnati
University of Michigan
Northwestern
Marquette
University of Washington
Case Western

Wait-listed :-l

Loyola Chicago
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa

Have not heard back yet from:

Baylor
Case Western Reserve
University of Chicago
Chicago-Kent
Cornell
DePaul
Harvard
Michigan State
University of Minnesota
Northern Illinois University
University of Oregon
University of San Diego
Santa Clara University
Temple
University of Wisconsin
Yale

I think some of these are actually pretty surprising..

Cincinnati, Case, Marquette, and Valparaiso (especially). Did you apply late?

OP= person who created the thread

URM= under-represented minority
YP= yield protection (when the school thinks you will get in somewhere better and denies/WLs you in order to "protect" their numbers)

Softs= work experience, PS, resume, LORS

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:57 pm**

Call some of the schools that you expected to get into and ask. In his interview Dean Pless, Illinois, said that if a student calls and is sincere he will tell them why they were rejected if it was something more than numbers. I would assume if you are polite about it one of the schools that rejected you would be willing to do that same. If you messed something up on your app, retake in June or September and apply again next year.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 2:59 pm**

It's never too late to retake. I have a fee waiver and am retaking in June just to try to get more scholarship money, and I have stats similair to yours. Hell, if I study my ass off like I'm doing and hit that 170+, I may very well withdraw and reapply next cycle. Worst case, I somehow do worse and still have my acceptance and scholarship money. The hell with it, retake in June and see how it goes, but only if you're ready and know you will do better. Just my thoughts.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:01 pm**

Thanks Neidermeyer519, good luck with your LSAT. I think I could do better.

yeah, I was surprised with Cincinnati since they even called me to try to recruit me.

I am a URM if you consider gay/lesbian URM. I think most schools like that as far as overall diversity goes, but it's not reported for any statistical purposes.

Yeah, and at 31 years old, I'm really not in a position to wait another year. I guess I could call Marquette and politely ask, since I am a WI resident so I don't think it was a yield issue.

Valpo might have been a yeild issue. They may have figured I would've got in somewhere better with my #s.

Ugh, this whole process is just frustrating.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:04 pm**

I would definitely call and ask!! You could post your PS to see if there are any red flags in it. Either way I would call a few schools and get some input on what the issue is.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:07 pm**

TommyK wrote:Also, I'll try to be helpful - Any chance one of your recommenders screwed you and gave you a negative one? Did you do something weird on your PS?

You should have gotten into some of these schools that you were denied at.

There's no way any of them gave me a negative. I had 3 professors who love me and the adviser of the student org I was president of, and I saw her letter, it was amazing. I don't think I wrote anything weird on my PS. I had a professor and a career advisor at my school both look at my PS and they made some suggestions and gave a "thumbs up" on the final version.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:08 pm**

I had the same numbers as you and broke into top 30. But, I also got most my apps out by mid-Oct.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:10 pm**

brose wrote:I had the same numbers as you and broke into top 30. But, I also got most my apps out by mid-Oct.

Edit: I also would suggest calling UIUC is Dean Pless says he'd tell you why you were rejected. Maybe there was something on your apps that wasn't caught by anyone before you sent it out.

Actually, I haven't been rejected at UIUC yet, I'm on the waitlist.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:11 pm**

Any criminal convictions? Those seem to derail some cycles.

Also, when did you apply? If you applied February or later, that certainly could be an explanation.

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:11 pm**

Honestly, this would be the most severe case of "late app syndrome" ever. Val is a forth tier school. Do those even YP? If they do, wouldn't OP just have been waitlisted?

Something seems fishy here. I say you post the PS. I wanna crack this case (and also kill time at work).

Posted: **Thu Mar 24, 2011 3:19 pm**

Srsly, post the PS. If there is something wrong, we can help you find it and you could possibly send a correction to schools before they can your other apps.

Any C&F issues? Did you forget to change the name of the school in a school-specific section of your PS?

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deleted. thanks for the advice Forum

deleted. thanks for the advice

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