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Key Dates and Checklist

Key Dates

• Oct.1: In 2012, we will begin accepting applications November 1.

• March 1: Application deadline.

• March 15: Financial Aid deadline.

• April 30: The Admissions Office will make every effort to send applicants a decision by mid- to late-April.

Checklist

• CAS

• LSAT

• Completed Application Form and fee ($75)

• Completed Yale 250 and Personal Statement

• Two letters of recommendation

Class of 2015 Reference Threads

• Applicants
• Accepted
• Waitlisted
• 3L Taking Questions

Yale Admissions Blog
Featuring Dean Asha's thoughts on the:

• Admissions Process
• Personal Statement
• Diversity Statement
• Yale 250

Yale 250

YLS requires one 250-word essay on a subject of your choice. Faculty readers look to this essay to get a glimpse of your character, intellectual passions, analytical abilities, and writing skills. The choice of a topic--personal anecdote, an academic subject, or current events--can be illuminating.

• Sample Yale 250s

Yale Decision Graphs

What a depressing scatter plot

WhiteyCakes wrote:What a depressing scatter plot

Fuck. I'll check into this thread. Anyone had any real thoughts about their 250?

.

bernaldiaz wrote:

WhiteyCakes wrote:What a depressing scatter plot

Fuck. I'll check into this thread. Anyone had any real thoughts about their 250?

"Dear Yale: Pleeeeeeeeeease!" 247 words to spare

bernaldiaz wrote:Fuck. I'll check into this thread. Anyone had any real thoughts about their 250?

I've tried out 3 topics so far. The first turned into a disoriented mess so I'm not using it; the second one is well-written but feels too similar to my PS (I used it as my GULC optional); the third is slightly less well-written and somewhat risky, but definitely adds something different to the app. I haven't decided whether to go with the second, the third, try editing one of them, or draft a new one.

Checking in! I have a reasonably well thought-out idea for my 250, but haven't really put anything on paper yet.

Checking in! My y250 is basically about why i like creative writing. Not quite law school specific, but it has personality

Just checking in. Good luck everyone!

Good luck everyone!

Hey guys, checking in!

Checking in

WhiteyCakes wrote:What a depressing scatter plot

I like the one 2.2 GPA with a 160 LSAT. That's some dedication to applications right there.

TripTrip wrote:

WhiteyCakes wrote:What a depressing scatter plot

I like the one 2.2 GPA with a 160 LSAT. That's some dedication to applications right there.

Maybe he/she lost a bet or something

Just checked LSAC and the electronic app info blurb says it's available on November 1st?! Isn't that pretty late, even for Yale?

This is my safety.

Anyone willing to swap 250's or have a look at mine? I recently banged out a first draft (instead of working on applications that have actually been released )

Checking in, though god only knows why.

pacifica wrote:Just checked LSAC and the electronic app info blurb says it's available on November 1st?! Isn't that pretty late, even for Yale?

That is weird. The website clearly states they'll be accepting applications on October 1st, so I guess if the app still isn't available on LSAC by then, I'll switch the date in the OP to November 1st.

pandamonium13 wrote:Anyone willing to swap 250's or have a look at mine? I recently banged out a first draft (instead of working on applications that have actually been released )

Sure. PM or e-mail me and I'll give it a look. I'd send you (one of) mine but I just had an idea for a new topic last night and I'd rather see if that turns out well first.

Checking in

Just wanted to say good luck to you all and if you have any questions that I can answer (I'm a 1L @ YLS), I'd be happy to (try to) help!

Checking in, my good people.

lizaregina wrote:Just wanted to say good luck to you all and if you have any questions that I can answer (I'm a 1L @ YLS), I'd be happy to (try to) help!

Hey, thanks for offering. I have a general question: Could you talk about your app a bit/why you think you got in? I know you might have no clear idea why you were picked, since Yale can be a bit of a crapshoot, but I just thought I'd ask. I'm sure you had a combination of outstanding factors.

I guess to start, I have no idea why I was accepted. My GPA was below the 25th percentile and my LSAT at median. Although, in my case, I definitely think there was some leniency in considering my GPA because I was doing multiple degrees at one time.

I know everyone talks about it being important, but my app definitely did NOT have a coherent narrative. My PS was about one of my summer jobs and what I learned (can't go into detail without outing myself but feel free to PM me) and my 250 was completely random and unrelated. In my opinion, however, my PS is one of the strongest pieces of non-academic writing I have ever produced and was also rather unusual, which I think definitely did me some favors. I think my letters of rec were strong as well, but I don't know how they factored in.

Overall, I would say that my app wasn't particularly "special" although it did have some unusual elements. In fact, I would say that the things that helped me most were, weirdly, that certain factors weren't held against me, namely my GPA & the fact that I'm a K-JD.

Anyway, feel free to ask me any more questions. Also, if the above seems like an incoherent mess, let me know and I'll try to explain further/in a manner that makes more sense.

lizaregina wrote:I guess to start, I have no idea why I was accepted. My GPA was below the 25th percentile and my LSAT at median. Although, in my case, I definitely think there was some leniency in considering my GPA because I was doing multiple degrees at one time.

I know everyone talks about it being important, but my app definitely did NOT have a coherent narrative. My PS was about one of my summer jobs and what I learned (can't go into detail without outing myself but feel free to PM me) and my 250 was completely random and unrelated. In my opinion, however, my PS is one of the strongest pieces of non-academic writing I have ever produced and was also rather unusual, which I think definitely did me some favors. I think my letters of rec were strong as well, but I don't know how they factored in.

Overall, I would say that my app wasn't particularly "special" although it did have some unusual elements. In fact, I would say that the things that helped me most were, weirdly, that certain factors weren't held against me, namely my GPA & the fact that I'm a K-JD.

Anyway, feel free to ask me any more questions. Also, if the above seems like an incoherent mess, let me know and I'll try to explain further/in a manner that makes more sense.

Thanks for your response! What you said does make a lot of sense, especially about the PS and the multi-degree. I'm putting off working on apps until after the October LSAT, but I hope you don't mind if I PM you after the LSAT to follow up on these questions.