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https://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=244083
Not true. Schools state very specifically what they want you to disclose, some require sealed records and some explicitly don't (e.g. Harvard). Read the requirements carefully for each school.yot11 wrote:Even though your record is sealed, you will still have to disclose what happened in your law school applications.
I was speaking generally. Yes, there are some schools where you are explicitly told that sealed records need not be disclosed. This is not the case with every school.swampman wrote:Not true. Schools state very specifically what they want you to disclose, some require sealed records and some explicitly don't (e.g. Harvard). Read the requirements carefully for each school.yot11 wrote:Even though your record is sealed, you will still have to disclose what happened in your law school applications.
You're really lucky the state you committed those offenses allowed you to be considered a juvenile and that the judge actually adjudicated you as a juvenile, rather than as an adult. In my state, the armed robberies would definitely have been prosecuted as an adult (even the attempted robbery at 14 might have been prosecuted as an adult). Here, you'd probably serve most of your life in prison for the 3 armed robberies with a gun alone. It'd be awesome if you manage to become a lawyer lol. You could be like this dude:a93212 wrote:Here's my situation:
I had a drug problem when I was a teenager and ended up stealing to support my habit. I was charged with Attempted Robbery in the 1st degree when I was 14, and the judge sealed my record. I was also charged with 3 armed robberies (with a gun. Yes, I know, it looks terrible) when I was 17, but the judge sealed my record and granted me Youthful Offender status, due to the fact that I rehabilitated myself.
I dropped out of high school due to the drug problem, but once I cleaned myself up, I got my GED, attended community college and graduated with a 3.97 gpa, am attending a four-year college and am currently maintaining a 4.00 gpa. It will be 6 and a half years since the incident by the time I apply to law school. I have been scoring in the mid 160s and anticipate an increase to at least the high 160s (167+). My question is as follows: Withstanding my situation and past, do I have a shot at a T14 school (NYU, PENN, Cornell, Columbia GTown) if my numbers are stellar and I write a really great personal statement about how I overcame obstacles? Or will my past hinder my chances at admission, even though my record is completely sealed? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Serious comments only, please.
this cycletvu wrote:Congrats! That's amazing, did you apply this cycle or last?a93212 wrote:just wanted to update this- I just got accepted to Georgetown. Hopefully this is the first of many acceptances.