Top Law Schools

Asking for advice since I just got outright denied ED at UVA so apparently I wasn't the candidate I thought I was. I was reasonably confident that I would be competitive enough to at least get on the WL, even though that's a soft deny.

Can these numbers get me in a T-20 school? What's the best school I would have a shot at ED?

USC & Illinois are "strong considers" according to lawschoolpredictor.com.

My impression is that GPAs below a 3.40 present a substantial hurdle for non-URMs in the top 17. Consider applying to WashUSt.L.

I've used LSP, but have heard that it is not as accurate regarding splitters such as myself.

Do you have work experience? If so, apply to NU.

Damn, they just denied you? And there's nothing wrong with your app? That's rough.

As far as your ED options... well, there's still GULC. And I believe Penn is open for a few more days, but if you got dinged at V...

Or just take the money and run at WUSTL.

Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

I would ED to GULC and if that doesn't fall through you're probably going to have to look below t14.

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Vandy is definitely worth an app- and make sure to interview.

Edit: Though you'll almost certainly get hit with sticker if you're admitted, so take that for what it's worth.

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Maybe. My buddy got WL -> in with those numbers. 50/50 maybe? The GPA is low.

It's too late to ED at Michigan and NU, so:

1) ED Penn by Nov. 15 (complete by Dec. 1, decision around Dec. 10)
2) If not accepted, ED Duke (submit by Jan. 7, complete by Jan. 14, decision by Jan. 31)
3) If not accepted, ED GULC or hold out for Cornell

I'd also apply to WUSTL.

WUSTL is gonna be your sure bet here.

rad law wrote:WUSTL is gonna be your sure bet here.

guhhhhhh. that's what i was afraid of.

no offense if it's your home, but i'm don't exactly consider the midwest my optimal place.

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Maybe the issue is your PS or recommendations? I've read in interviews with the Dean that UVA is relatively serious about recommendations.

plenipotentiary wrote:

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Maybe the issue is your PS or recommendations? I've read in interviews with the Dean that UVA is relatively serious about recommendations.

It could be that they already stocked up on enough 170+/3.0+ splitters.

mteevin wrote:

rad law wrote:WUSTL is gonna be your sure bet here.

guhhhhhh. that's what i was afraid of.

no offense if it's your home, but i'm don't exactly consider the midwest my optimal place.

None taken.

You don't have to go to WUSTL. There are plenty of strong regional schools around the country who would love to throw cash at your LSAT.

mteevin wrote:

rad law wrote:WUSTL is gonna be your sure bet here.

guhhhhhh. that's what i was afraid of.

no offense if it's your home, but i'm don't exactly consider the midwest my optimal place.

ha, I'm right there with you (and St. Louis is my home...). But I gotta believe you'll make it to GULC ED or Vandy RD- or (worst-case scenario) you might consider reapplying next cycle with WE/better softs.

i'm beginning to think i'm starting to believe the collective paranoia on this website about job prospects, and the t-14 or bust mentality. i have to believe that if i were to go to a top 25 school -- emory, gw, bc -- and place well within my class, i would have no problem finding well-paying work.

is it really as bad out there as 'they' say it is, outside the t-14?

mteevin wrote:i'm beginning to think i'm starting to believe the collective paranoia on this website about job prospects, and the t-14 or bust mentality. i have to believe that if i were to go to a top 25 school -- emory, gw, bc -- and place well within my class, i would have no problem finding well-paying work.

is it really as bad out there as 'they' say it is, outside the t-14?

IF you place well within your class...big if.

mteevin wrote:i'm beginning to think i'm starting to believe the collective paranoia on this website about job prospects, and the t-14 or bust mentality. i have to believe that if i were to go to a top 25 school -- emory, gw, bc -- and place well within my class, i would have no problem finding well-paying work.

is it really as bad out there as 'they' say it is, outside the t-14?

It's bad in the T14 too.

well, allow me to rephrase -- 3 years from now, is it likely that the sky will still be falling?

i'm not worried about placing well once i'm in school -- perhaps that's naive, but I know that I failed to live up to my academic potential in UG and those days are over.

mteevin wrote:i'm beginning to think i'm starting to believe the collective paranoia on this website about job prospects, and the t-14 or bust mentality. i have to believe that if i were to go to a top 25 school -- emory, gw, bc -- and place well within my class, i would have no problem finding well-paying work.

is it really as bad out there as 'they' say it is, outside the t-14?

I wouldn't give up on T14 just yet, you still have a shot at Penn/Duke/GULC with ED (see my post above). UVA receives like 35 apps per seat for nonresidents compared to 4.5 resident apps/seat, so it's not as predictable as TLS makes it seem.

mteevin wrote:well, allow me to rephrase -- 3 years from now, is it likely that the sky will still be falling?

Well more like a year and a half until 2L OCI. And we don't know.

i'm not worried about placing well once i'm in school -- perhaps that's naive, but I know that I failed to live up to my academic potential in UG and those days are over.

It's horrifically naive.

im_blue wrote:

mteevin wrote:i'm beginning to think i'm starting to believe the collective paranoia on this website about job prospects, and the t-14 or bust mentality. i have to believe that if i were to go to a top 25 school -- emory, gw, bc -- and place well within my class, i would have no problem finding well-paying work.

is it really as bad out there as 'they' say it is, outside the t-14?

I wouldn't give up on T14 just yet, you still have a shot at Penn/Duke/GULC with ED (see my post above). UVA receives like 35 apps per seat for nonresidents compared to 4.5 resident apps/seat, so it's not as predictable as TLS makes it seem.

I think Penn and Duke might be stretches. OP was dinged at UVA without even a waitlist, and Penn is notoriously more selective with applicants (being such a small class) and generally want at least a 171 to compensate for a low GPA, barring significant softs/URM/great story, etc. Duke is also very splitter-averse, and rather dislikes low GPAs overall. I think ED-ing GULC now might be more worthwhile - I know GULC has a late ED deadline, but applying late is never good for splitters either way.

whymeohgodno wrote:

plenipotentiary wrote:

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Maybe the issue is your PS or recommendations? I've read in interviews with the Dean that UVA is relatively serious about recommendations.

It could be that they already stocked up on enough 170+/3.0+ splitters.

I don't think so. If that were the case, I imagine they would have waitlisted him. I guess we'll see, though.

plenipotentiary wrote:

whymeohgodno wrote:

plenipotentiary wrote:

mteevin wrote:Yeah, double and triple checked UVA app, and got straight dinged. Still kinda in shock. Are these Vanderbilt RD numbers?

Maybe the issue is your PS or recommendations? I've read in interviews with the Dean that UVA is relatively serious about recommendations.

It could be that they already stocked up on enough 170+/3.0+ splitters.

I don't think so. If that were the case, I imagine they would have waitlisted him. I guess we'll see, though.

Something's bugging me about the outright ding. Something's gotta be up with this.