Should I bother applying to Yale? Forum

[risa]

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[shieldofachilles]

Ehh...i dont see y not. I mean i havent taken the real LSAT yet and Im not claiming to be an expert or anything on LS admissions but what the hell? It really depends on you. Do you think 96 bucks is worth knowing if you could get in to Yale? Do you want to live the rest of your life with that burning "what if?" I say throw em the 96 bucks and sleep at night (at least after the WL, accept/reject lol)...

[wert3813]

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[sinfiery]

Based on numbers, no.

Based on you making this thread, yes.

[Tom Joad]

YOLO

[risa]

Read up on Yale enough to know you should not submit that letter of recommendation from your boss.

Am I missing something? I know they prefer recommendations from professors but their admissions page specifically says "Letters from employers are also acceptable, particularly for applicants who have been out of school for several years." I'm 8 years out of undergrad... I would think that counts at "several years," no? And it's not like a big name who doesn't really know me writing a letter. I am one of his three paralegals so it's a very personal letter that discusses my professional work, academic potential, significant research and writing I've done for him, etc.

[post hoc]

if you have the money, i say go for it. there is a chance they will accept you, so make them tell you no. also, if you don't mind waiting a year, retake for a higher score -- you shouldn't waste that gpa.

[Doorkeeper]

YOLO

This. Do it.

[M458]

Read up on Yale enough to know you should not submit that letter of recommendation from your boss.

Am I missing something? I know they prefer recommendations from professors but their admissions page specifically says "Letters from employers are also acceptable, particularly for applicants who have been out of school for several years." I'm 8 years out of undergrad... I would think that counts at "several years," no? And it's not like a big name who doesn't really know me writing a letter. I am one of his three paralegals so it's a very personal letter that discusses my professional work, academic potential, significant research and writing I've done for him, etc.

There's a blog post from their Admissions dean that specifically says the number one thing that will MOST hurt your app is not submitting at least two academic letters of recommendation. If there is any way you can get two letters from past professors, and you want to apply to Yale, then I'd highly recommend you do so. I know it's tough (I've only been out of school for 2 and a half years and struggled with that 2nd letter...can only imagine what it's like being 8 years out), but when Admissions itself lays out the rules of the game, it probably is to your benefit to play by those rules.

[JamMasterJ]

retake, then maybe

[somewhatwayward]

Based on what you have said, I think you have no shot (numbers below both medians and no compensating wow factors). But you can't include everything in your post that will come through in your app. If you are willing to be out the app fee just to see, there isn't any harm in applying.

[guinness1547]

YOLO

Pro tip:This is the best way to start and end any personal statement.

[risa]

http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... ation.aspx

Ah yes, there is is. Unfortunately I really don't think a single professor from undergrad would remember me at this point. The best I could get would be someone I took two courses with who could look me up and speak to the fact that I earned good grades, which says little more than my transcript already reports.

I get a little hope from this asha blog post: http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... -this.aspx

Some of you may have been out of school for a while and did not have an undergraduate credential service like C.L. If you really don't have someone who can write a strong academic reference for you, the next best thing is to get a work reference that speaks to the kinds of things I mentioned above: writing, analytical ability, logical reasoning (those sound weirdly familiar from another part of your application...). The closer this is to the legal world, the better (e.g., a judge or lawyer), but other employers can give the same kinds of information.

But I agree is sounds like you are really shooting yourself in the foot if you can't submit academic letters. That said, it seems a little unfair to me if asha's blog is true (which I'd assume it to be) that they are not a little clearer about that on their general admissions page, since reading that I thought I'd be a-okay without professor recs given how long ago I graduated.

[PickledPanda]

Based on numbers, no.

Based on you making this thread, yes.

lol. This. Almost nice enough to vote No.

[Ti Malice]

Unfortunately I really don't think a single professor from undergrad would remember me at this point. The best I could get would be someone I took two courses with who could look me up and speak to the fact that I earned good grades, which says little more than my transcript already reports.

Do you still have any papers you wrote in undergrad, and for which you received very positive feedback?

[risa]

thanks for the feeback, y'all.

I decided I don't think I will apply. I applied to Harvard and Stanford which are also huge reaches but if I got into all three (hypothetically, of course!) I'd choose H or S over Y. And if I don't get into both H and S, then I don't think I'll have many "what if?" thoughts about Y. The lack of professor recommendations only makes my slim chances even more ridiculous at Y.

[radar714]

You need to ask yourself if you're the type of person that would rather throw the hail mary and fail, or the type that would rather not throw the pass. Obviously, there is a significant amount of empirical evidence that would suggest that you should not apply, but follow that evidence only if you are not always going to wonder "what-if".

Personally, I'd apply simply because I would rather receive a rejection letter than always wonder what could have happened if I had applied. I think its a personal decision that you need to make.

[CanadianWolf]

Apply, because even Yale admissions occasionally makes a mistake.

Or apply because you'll always wonder "what if" if you don't apply.

Or apply because you think that Yale needs the money.

[20141023]

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[M458]

I applied to Yale this cycle even though I am about 500% sure that I will be rejected. However, I had this empty feeling after applying to the other T14 and not Yale... much like back in middle school when I was playing the original Pokemon for the Gameboy and only had 149 of the 150 Pokemon. I applied in order to get that sense of "closure" to the application process that I could not otherwise get. Go catch'em all; after all, it's just $96.

Yale = Mewtwo. Go use that Poke Ball.

[CorkBoard]

YOLO

but no.

[Ohiobumpkin]

Should do NU with those years of work experience.

[lisjjen]

Should do NU with those years of work experience.

This, but also try it so you never look back with regret.

[Anonymous4444]

Based on numbers, no.

Based on you making this thread, yes.

+1

[willwash]

Seems like a huge long shot and possibly a waste of $96 but I'm curious... With a 169/166 and a 3.87 I'm below their 25th percentile for LSAT (171) and just below their median GPA (3.91). I graduated from a top-30 private liberal arts school in 2004, have 7+ years of paralegal experience in the area of public interest law I plan to go into, am fluent in Spanish (but not URM), and have excellent letters of recommendation, one of which comes from my boss who is among the top lawyers in the country in our area of law. But I still think I have a snowball's chance. LSN for the last few years seems to show only a smattering of URMs getting in with my LSAT score, but I recognize that's a small selection. 25% of their admitted students have below a 171, right?

I was accepted on the priority track to Duke and haven't heard from anywhere else yet.

Should I give it a shot?

Apply...if it doesn't work out, crush it at Duke for a year and transfer in.