Law school applications

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have said it before, will say it again: top Law School admissions process is now like top undergrad process. Outstanding grades and test score are now the table stakes you need to even earn consideration, you need some kind of distinguishing characteristics on top of that to get in

People coming in here and saying, I had a 3.8 and 175 and got into Yale, numbers are all that matters, sound as out of date and misinformed as the grandparents who say a kid with a 1400 SAT should go to Princeton just like they did

DC '24 has 3 friends from their ivy headed to law school this fall after a gap year. All had 171+, all had at least 3.8 but none were "top10%" in their department recognitions. Going to UVA, Chicago and Penn for law, and all got in to at least one other T14. Another is going to Harvard fall 26 (ED/junior deferral, got in summer 2023, is a 3.95 top kid, got BSE in '24 and is working at a startup for 2 yrs). DC is going to a top ivy med school after doing a 4+1 (undergrad, MPH) and knows other '24 classmates starting a top med program this fall or already started right after the bachelors. There are multiple who went to phD straight from undergrad and are at Ivies, GT, Michigan, MIT for physics, engineering, math. Everyone on DCUM says undergrad doesn't matter but from the perspective as a parent with an ivy kid, they all seem to go on to great programs.

I can not imagine being a parent who knows the LSAT scores and GPAs of all of my kid’s friends. That is so weird. Maybe now that your son is graduating you can relax a little . . .

[Anonymous]

If you look at where law school kids attended undergrad, the undergrad of the law school is always the #1 feeder by a large margin.

I assume they all have the stats…but seems like maybe there is a boost.

I would imagine that if as an undergrad you take some classes taught by law professors and do well…that has to count for something if you then have them write a Rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you look at where law school kids attended undergrad, the undergrad of the law school is always the #1 feeder by a large margin.

I assume they all have the stats…but seems like maybe there is a boost.

I would imagine that if as an undergrad you take some classes taught by law professors and do well…that has to count for something if you then have them write a Rec.

Law professors don't teach undergraduates. As Taylor Swift would say, “never, like ever.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you look at where law school kids attended undergrad, the undergrad of the law school is always the #1 feeder by a large margin.

I assume they all have the stats…but seems like maybe there is a boost.

I would imagine that if as an undergrad you take some classes taught by law professors and do well…that has to count for something if you then have them write a Rec.

Law professors don't teach undergraduates. As Taylor Swift would say, “never, like ever.”

Sure they do..my kid isn’t even interested in law but took a law class on AI and Ethics at Penn taught by a law professor.

Lots of classes like that at many schools.

[Anonymous]

I may be wrong, but I believe that there is a system that considers the undergraduate institution and GPA and computes an expected LSAT. Meet or beat that number, and you’re good. Underperform, and you’re headed to a lower-ranked law school.

[Anonymous]

Cornell Law's admissions page states that Cornell undergrads who apply ED to Cornell Law receive an admissions boost; as a result, Cornell undergrad is the most represented school at Cornell Law by a very wide margin.

Research the average or median age of entering law students to assess the importance of post undergraduate degree work experience. This has always been an admissions factor at Northwestern's law school (average age 25), but not so at Cornell Law where the median age is 23 (lots of K-JD law students at Cornell).

Average age of first year law students is 24 at Yale, Penn, Virginia, and Duke which indicates/suggests that many are K-JD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone want to get into this miserable profession.

For all these people wanting to go to law school, do any have parents who are lawyers? I typically don't see it much unless in a small, family-owned firm in small cities or more rural areas. My kids have not even brought it up as a potential option, but I haven't encouraged it, either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have said it before, will say it again: top Law School admissions process is now like top undergrad process. Outstanding grades and test score are now the table stakes you need to even earn consideration, you need some kind of distinguishing characteristics on top of that to get in

People coming in here and saying, I had a 3.8 and 175 and got into Yale, numbers are all that matters, sound as out of date and misinformed as the grandparents who say a kid with a 1400 SAT should go to Princeton just like they did

DC '24 has 3 friends from their ivy headed to law school this fall after a gap year. All had 171+, all had at least 3.8 but none were "top10%" in their department recognitions. Going to UVA, Chicago and Penn for law, and all got in to at least one other T14. Another is going to Harvard fall 26 (ED/junior deferral, got in summer 2023, is a 3.95 top kid, got BSE in '24 and is working at a startup for 2 yrs). DC is going to a top ivy med school after doing a 4+1 (undergrad, MPH) and knows other '24 classmates starting a top med program this fall or already started right after the bachelors. There are multiple who went to phD straight from undergrad and are at Ivies, GT, Michigan, MIT for physics, engineering, math. Everyone on DCUM says undergrad doesn't matter but from the perspective as a parent with an ivy kid, they all seem to go on to great programs.

I can not imagine being a parent who knows the LSAT scores and GPAs of all of my kid’s friends. That is so weird. Maybe now that your son is graduating you can relax a little . . .

DP. For students and parents who believe that these things are important, they never let up. They are playing an education pedigree race, that will become an employer pedigree race, spousal pedigree race and, ultimately, a wealth race. Everyone is looking at and judging each other, sometimes in a friendly way (i.e. everyone wants/hopes their friend group over time will prove exceptional, which is just another reflection on one’s own greatness), but potentially in a judgmental way, if one falls off course (and out of the friend group).

There are many people who will achieve status and money outside those narrow notions of pedigree, but for those focused on it, the brass ring is pedigree in education, job, spouse, and wealth. If one is also interesting, handsome, and charismatic, you’ll be at the very top of everyone’s invite list.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can actually make it harder if lots of undergrad alums are applying. Law schools value diversity of undergrad institution, so they they don't tend to admit a lot of folks from any one undergrad, including their own.

I don't think this is true at all. Undergrads from the same university were heavily represented at my T14 law school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harvard has ED. Two students from kid’s ivy got it. Lots of others went to similar top schools, some ED but some regular. The largest group of top kids got into the same ivy law. They all like their own to an extent anf ivies like other ivies or ivy+ undergrad

No ED at Harvard.... so much misinformation on here....

They have a special JD program application for juniors in college who if accepted, are expected to defer a year two and then go to law school.

https://hls.harvard.edu/jdadmissions/apply-to-harvard-law-school/junior-deferral-program/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would anyone want to get into this miserable profession.

For all these people wanting to go to law school, do any have parents who are lawyers? I typically don't see it much unless in a small, family-owned firm in small cities or more rural areas. My kids have not even brought it up as a potential option, but I haven't encouraged it, either.

Same! 2 lawyer family here, and the kids are running away to other professions. Irony is they would actually be good at it, but they have no desire and we're good with that.

Growing up seeing your parents stressed out and working all the time has an impact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have said it before, will say it again: top Law School admissions process is now like top undergrad process. Outstanding grades and test score are now the table stakes you need to even earn consideration, you need some kind of distinguishing characteristics on top of that to get in

People coming in here and saying, I had a 3.8 and 175 and got into Yale, numbers are all that matters, sound as out of date and misinformed as the grandparents who say a kid with a 1400 SAT should go to Princeton just like they did

DC '24 has 3 friends from their ivy headed to law school this fall after a gap year. All had 171+, all had at least 3.8 but none were "top10%" in their department recognitions. Going to UVA, Chicago and Penn for law, and all got in to at least one other T14. Another is going to Harvard fall 26 (ED/junior deferral, got in summer 2023, is a 3.95 top kid, got BSE in '24 and is working at a startup for 2 yrs). DC is going to a top ivy med school after doing a 4+1 (undergrad, MPH) and knows other '24 classmates starting a top med program this fall or already started right after the bachelors. There are multiple who went to phD straight from undergrad and are at Ivies, GT, Michigan, MIT for physics, engineering, math. Everyone on DCUM says undergrad doesn't matter but from the perspective as a parent with an ivy kid, they all seem to go on to great programs.

I can not imagine being a parent who knows the LSAT scores and GPAs of all of my kid’s friends. That is so weird. Maybe now that your son is graduating you can relax a little . . .

It's freaking weird and sad.

[Anonymous]

My ds is applying but doesn't really want to "practice law". He is more interested in international relations and business.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No back door.

You need the stats and you need to convince them that you really want to be in law school. Lots of NYU undergrads will apply.

You also need to have a compelling story and be unique in some way. They don’t want a class full of UMC white suburban kids. They want a diverse class in every way.

It’s tough out there. My Phi Beta Kappa/174 kid never even got a response from their NYU law school application and was waitlisted or rejected from every other T13 they applied to.

Wow, is this real? Where did they get in?

[Anonymous]

OK but what if they don't care about t14?