Top Law Schools

Furiously lurking the various school decisions threads, it seems like this may be the case. Relation to drop in applicants?

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:Furiously lurking the various school decisions threads, it seems like this may be the case. Relation to drop in applicants?

Some schools seem to be starting earlier but releasing smaller batches? NYU started very early this cycle but hasn't done anything in nearly a week now. I think Cornell and HLS both also started early this year.

That's basically my theory. I'm guessing that schools are holding out in the hopes that they will end up getting more applicants with better numbers.

I have not heard a peep from anyone except duke through priority track process and I submitted all my apps in early november. I thought the first monday of december would yield at least something from about half of the schools i applied to, but sadly, this has not been the case.

TheJanitor6203 wrote:That's basically my theory. I'm guessing that schools are holding out in the hopes that they will end up getting more applicants with better numbers.

Also my thoughts.

And Philly, yeah they started early but there just haven't been nearly as many decisions by December as usual, it seems.

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:

TheJanitor6203 wrote:That's basically my theory. I'm guessing that schools are holding out in the hopes that they will end up getting more applicants with better numbers.

Also my thoughts.

And Philly, yeah they started early but there just haven't been nearly as many decisions by December as usual, it seems.

I don't know man, but it is killing me. I expected to already have decisions.

I think the late thanksgiving might have something to do with it, too

Maybe. I'm subscribing to the whole waiting on the full applicant pool due to declining applicants with good enough numbers to maintain top school medians theory. Because TT/TTTs are giving out acceptances right on schedule, if not more eagerly, whereas schools on the higher end are all waitlisting or just incommunicado. Given that it's almost mid-December that's just odd.

Schools need to internalize that apps and medians will decline and just accept me already. You can't do any better, Chicago. I'm all you got.

John_rizzy_rawls wrote:Maybe. I'm subscribing to the whole waiting on the full applicant pool due to declining applicants with good enough numbers to maintain top school medians theory. Because TT/TTTs are giving out acceptances right on schedule, if not more eagerly, whereas schools on the higher end are all waitlisting or just incommunicado. Given that it's almost mid-December that's just odd.

But if this were the case, shouldn't it also hold that most early applicants with good numbers should be snapped up right away? They seem to be acting slowly even for people with numbers around their medians and 75ths.

I kind of get the feeling that applications might be up this year...at least for the top 30 law schools. That would explain the timing/behavior of the admissions folks.

SparkyZZZ wrote:I kind of get the feeling that applications might be up this year...at least for the top 30 law schools. That would explain the timing/behavior of the admissions folks.

Not sure how that could be possible, considering the continuing double-digit declines in the number of LSAT takers. I guess there could be more people thinking "It's a buyer's market - may as well blanket the T20!", but I can't imagine any real increase in admission-worthy applicants to the T30 this cycle.

SparkyZZZ wrote:I kind of get the feeling that applications might be up this year...at least for the top 30 law schools. That would explain the timing/behavior of the admissions folks.

Doesn't seem like it, based on Spivey's thread over in the Admissions forum. He said most adcomms that he spoke to were concerned about applications going down ESPECIALLY in the top 14 (except YHS and WUSTL, the former will pretty much always be able to float by and the latter gave out full rides like candy last cycle). It's supposed to be the best year yet for applicants.

Schools are waiting on people that in the past would be WL'ed or rejected, and accepting people that would have been normally admitted in the past. Decline in number of highly-qualified candidates means right now we just see more waiting than usual, IMO. I do think next week will be a big one...

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wtrc wrote:Schools are waiting on people that in the past would be WL'ed or rejected, and accepting people that would have been normally admitted in the past. Decline in number of highly-qualified candidates means right now we just see more waiting than usual, IMO. I do think next week will be a big one...

I have been surprised that I haven't been rejected anywhere yet. My numbers are well outside of being T14 material but I applied to most of them anyways because why not and I haven't been rejected from a single school yet.

TheJanitor6203 wrote:

wtrc wrote:Schools are waiting on people that in the past would be WL'ed or rejected, and accepting people that would have been normally admitted in the past. Decline in number of highly-qualified candidates means right now we just see more waiting than usual, IMO. I do think next week will be a big one...

I have been surprised that I haven't been rejected anywhere yet. My numbers are well outside of being T14 material but I applied to most of them anyways because why not and I haven't been rejected from a single school yet.

Don't most rejections start in Jan, regardless of numbers?

abdistotle wrote:

TheJanitor6203 wrote:

wtrc wrote:Schools are waiting on people that in the past would be WL'ed or rejected, and accepting people that would have been normally admitted in the past. Decline in number of highly-qualified candidates means right now we just see more waiting than usual, IMO. I do think next week will be a big one...

I have been surprised that I haven't been rejected anywhere yet. My numbers are well outside of being T14 material but I applied to most of them anyways because why not and I haven't been rejected from a single school yet.

Don't most rejections start in Jan, regardless of numbers?

Buzzkill

Are more schools interviewing? That might be slowing down some.

It also might be that the pool of applicants on TLS/LSN is smaller and less active than in other years, so less admissions decisions are getting reported.

TheJanitor6203 wrote:That's basically my theory. I'm guessing that schools are holding out in the hopes that they will end up getting more applicants with better numbers.

Correct. If you have AWFUL numbers, you'll get rejected at a time the reflects the average throughout the past few years' cycles. Accordingly, if you have stellar numbers, schools will be jumping over each other to get you in and entice you to choose them.

If you fall anywhere in the middle... it's gonna be a long while because schools don't want to commit to potentially dropping the caliber of their admitted students before seeing the whole crop. So top schools won't reject you outright, they'll hold you until they need you. Brace yourself because this can be while you're packing for orientation for another school... we're talkin' deep into the summer.

Hold tight, y'all. Long winter ahead

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He's the kite we need right now but not the one we deserve. I agree with that assessment.

The Dark Kite wrote:

TheJanitor6203 wrote:That's basically my theory. I'm guessing that schools are holding out in the hopes that they will end up getting more applicants with better numbers.

Correct. If you have AWFUL numbers, you'll get rejected at a time the reflects the average throughout the past few years' cycles. Accordingly, if you have stellar numbers, schools will be jumping over each other to get you in and entice you to choose them.

If you fall anywhere in the middle... it's gonna be a long while because schools don't want to commit to potentially dropping the caliber of their admitted students before seeing the whole crop. So top schools won't reject you outright, they'll hold you until they need you. Brace yourself because this can be while you're packing for orientation for another school... we're talkin' deep into the summer.

Hold tight, y'all. Long winter ahead

Ah man

Well this is encouraging.

At the same time, glad to know that this has been a common trend this cycle and that it's not just my imagination.