Top Law Schools

wealtheow wrote:Checking in! Not sure how long I can feasibly stay on the list, since I can't exactly move across the country a day before classes... but will hang on for now. I never did write a Why Berk or customize my app, so I'm wondering if now is the time. I know the e-mail says the wait list is ranked, but it made it sounds as though the ranking is not yet complete.

Ally Mcbeal wrote:

wealtheow wrote:Checking in! Not sure how long I can feasibly stay on the list, since I can't exactly move across the country a day before classes... but will hang on for now. I never did write a Why Berk or customize my app, so I'm wondering if now is the time. I know the e-mail says the wait list is ranked, but it made it sounds as though the ranking is not yet complete.

They have already ranked the waitlist. They rank it as they review.

wealtheow wrote:Last year's thread has some good info:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=176984

looks like it varies a lot from year to year.

Waitlist

TLS: What is the size of Boalt’s waitlist?

Dean Tom: “Usually the waitlist is anywhere from 200-300 applicants who are ranked by the admissions committee.”

TLS: Roughly how deep into the waitlist does Boalt go?

Dean Tom: “This year, not very deep. I think the deepest we’ve ever gone was a number of years back, we took about 40 people.”

TLS: Wow, not many.

Dean Tom: “No. This year it was 12. But, it varies from year to year, and this year, because I knew how good the people were on the waiting list, I intentionally admitted fewer people up front, thinking that I could go deeper into the waiting list. But, I wasn’t able to, because the yield rate was very high. A large percentage of accepted applicants decided to attend. ”

TLS: Good for Boalt.

Dean Tom: “Yeah, well, so much for my big idea.”

TLS: If one ends up on the waitlist, is there anything that you can do to increase the likelihood of admission?

Dean Tom: “No. There’s nothing you can do to improve your chances. And we tell people that when we inform them that they are on the waiting list. The waiting list is ranked by the faculty at the time the decision is made to waitlist them, because we believe the information is fresh in their mind and they’re best able to assign a waitlist ranking at that time.”

TLS: So saying that you’re still interested doesn’t matter?

Dean Tom: “Well, that helps us, but it’s not going to improve your chances or position.”

yeslekkkk wrote:Yeah, I've read that interview where they said 250-300. I would be really curious to know how many people they wait list in the current cycle. It just seems like law school applications are really different from a couple years ago.

cron1834 wrote:

yeslekkkk wrote:Yeah, I've read that interview where they said 250-300. I would be really curious to know how many people they wait list in the current cycle. It just seems like law school applications are really different from a couple years ago.

This seems sensible to me.

At the same time, I wonder if I should bother with a LOCI based on the above...

wealtheow wrote:Somehow missed this blurb the first time I read the e-mail (probably too upset for reading comp): Submission of additional materials or a letter of continued interest is not encouraged as these will have neither a bearing on your wait list placement nor on your admission.

So, definitely no LOCI. One less thing to do!