Law school applications increase when there are popular law related television shows and when the economy is in a downturn. What better way to duck out of the job market for a few years and increase your chances of a good job when (hopefully) the economy is on an upswing again. This is especially true with regard to top-ranked law schools because people are even more concerned with post-graduation employment than usual. However, I also think it will encourage people to take scholarship offers and attend (relatively cheaper) public schools since loans and cash are problematic at this point.
See Brian Leiter's post today.
Showing posts with label Law School Admission Trends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Law School Admission Trends. Show all posts
A Crazy Year for Wait Lists, Deferrals & Holds
As I noted in a previous post, there have been some strange admission trends this year. Schools are waitlisting like crazy, and using "deferrals" and "holds" more than I've seen in the past 5 years. Here are some examples:
As I've said before, American is one of these schools (consistently waitlisting high 150s LSAT applicants this year).
University of Miami is among those issuing more "hold" decisions (or non-decisions) than usual.
Fordham's waitlist is usually a long one, and this year is no exception. The good news is that people have gotten into this school off the waitlist in the past. However, by the time they get around to it, most applicants are so happy with their scholarships from Cardozo or Brooklyn that they don't want to make the jump.
What does this mean for applicants? Don't be scared to send in a deposit to more than one school while you wait for some of the more lazy schools that haven't made an official decision on your file.
As I've said before, American is one of these schools (consistently waitlisting high 150s LSAT applicants this year).
University of Miami is among those issuing more "hold" decisions (or non-decisions) than usual.
Fordham's waitlist is usually a long one, and this year is no exception. The good news is that people have gotten into this school off the waitlist in the past. However, by the time they get around to it, most applicants are so happy with their scholarships from Cardozo or Brooklyn that they don't want to make the jump.
What does this mean for applicants? Don't be scared to send in a deposit to more than one school while you wait for some of the more lazy schools that haven't made an official decision on your file.
Online Forum for LLM Applicant & More Forum Thoughts
Following up on yesterday's post....
I am headed out for vacation tomorrow and in hopes of finding a light-hearted pre-holiday weekend post, googled "happy news about law school."
In doing so, I found an online forum that I thought was very useful for LLM Applicants. There's not a lot of information available for these applicants since law schools don't make information readily available about LLM admittees. . . (Just when you thought I was against all online forums and trying to quelch any discussion other than my own......by the way, does humor come across at all on a blog? I'm trying here....)
Regarding yesterday's post, I may have stepped a bit overboard when I stated that I've never seen a productive discussion on the two forums I mentioned. I admit I do not spend much time on these sites and most of what I see through my google alerts notifications tends to be on the nasty side. Just because I've never seen it, however, doesn't mean it isn't there. I am encouraged to learn of friendships made and useful knowledge gained. Obviously, we're all adults here and can use our own sense about whose advice is worth taking.
Thanks to all of my enthusiastic readers of yesterday's post, and for the readers who initially suggested that I address the issue . . . Happy Valentine's Day and President's Day Weekend. I'm off to see Barry Manilow so please forgive me if comments aren't posted until Tuesday.
My daughter is asleep on the couch and I'm going to tuck her in now... You know, I spent more time choosing a pre-school for her than I did selecting a law school for myself... And things worked out ok : )
(By the way, this is an exhausted rant and attempt at humor, please don't start sending me comments about my choice of law school or that things only worked out because I made law review...... I will, however, happily entertain comments telling me that I should stay out of the humor genre and stick to giving advice)
Good night!
Law School Discussion Driving You Crazy?
My readers know that I hate to be negative, but I've been asked to address my feelings on LawSchoolNumbers and Law School Discussion so here goes.
My major problem with these forums is that you can’t trust what people say because you don't really know where the advice is coming from. The people posting information are your competitors. They have an interest in intimidating the competition and spreading rumors. Even if members have the best of intentions, it’s still a case of the blind leading the blind.
Another reason I urge my clients to stay away is because the tone taken by writers on LawSchoolDiscussion is often arrogant, rude, exclusive, elitist and boorish. I haven’t seen a productive discussion on this site. I think it cultivates paranoia and I urge my law school admission consulting clients to stay away. (After all, what do you hope to gain by asking complete strangers to comment on your personal statement? Why show your goods to the competition?)
LawSchoolNumbers is an improvement; it still makes people paranoid and you still can’t trust what people say about themselves, but at least people are usually polite and civil to each other and it does help you organize your own information all in one place. Just remember, it’s not as anonymous as you think and once you start law school you probably won’t want people knowing what your LSAT score was….. When you meet someone at law school and mention playing soccer at X school undergrad, they will remember you….
If you want real information about law school admissions, there are better resources – call the law schools admission offices, a pre-law advisor, or a law school admission consultant. Read a book by a credible law school admissions expert, read blogs by law school admission counselors, and consult other credible sources.
Also, law school applicants spend an extraordinary amount of time on these sites when they could be doing something either productive or enjoyable. (Life is short – either do something productive to boost your chances for law school admission like volunteering for a good cause or reading a thought provoking book, or enjoy your time with friends and family because time will be short once you start law school).
I know there are law school applicants who live and die by these forums and they will probably say I have a financial interest in steering people away from the free advice available on these sites. However, I provide free advice to 5,000 law school applicants a month via this blog and do so in the hopes of providing insight and expertise without the paranoia ; )
LawSchoolExpert's 101st Post!!!!
I'm excited to report that the last post was my 100th Lawschoolexpert post! Thanks to all of my readers for your support, comments, and encouragement.
Two things today:
Please vote for Brett McKay's Frugal Law Student Blog as one of the top blogs for Lawyers in Training.
Also, please note that competition is increasing to get into law schools, even though applications numbers are down.....
P.S. Within 24 hours, I'll have a BIG Law School Expert Announcement - stay posted!!!!
Two things today:
Please vote for Brett McKay's Frugal Law Student Blog as one of the top blogs for Lawyers in Training.
Also, please note that competition is increasing to get into law schools, even though applications numbers are down.....
P.S. Within 24 hours, I'll have a BIG Law School Expert Announcement - stay posted!!!!
News for Law School Applicants in New York
Two headlines of note for my New York area law school applicants (and future applicants):
1. CUNY Law rebounds.
2. SUNY Binghamton is making a bid to create NY's Third Public Law School.
1. CUNY Law rebounds.
2. SUNY Binghamton is making a bid to create NY's Third Public Law School.
Not ready for the December LSAT?
One of my clients raised a good question today - What do I do if I don't feel ready for the December LSAT?
If this is your first time taking the LSAT, and you're planning to apply for Fall 2008 admission, then you need to weigh the pros and cons:
(A) If you don't feel ready to take the LSAT, then your instinct is probably right. You have a few options. You could take it and just see what happens and if it's halfway decent then you can apply. (Not a fantastic strategy and usually it goes worse than you expect and becomes something you have to later explain on your applications; plus, it's a huge ego-deflater).
(B) You could wait and take the February LSAT and apply to schools that offer a January 2009 start date. (This is an interesting option for those of you graduating in December who are preoccupied with everything else going on in your life right now).
Or (C) you can take the LSAT in February for Fall 2009 admission. If it doesn't go as you'd like, you'd still have the option of re-taking it in June. You'll be able to show your grades from your final year of college and submit your law school applications early in the cycle (August/September), thereby taking advantage of rolling admissions. You'd also hear back from a lot of schools pretty quickly.
So, that brings me to the topic of what to do in your year off before law school:
A lot of people go to a law firm, where they are a "paralegal", "legal assistant," or "file clerk." They think they will gain some significant insight into the legal profession this way and get an attorney or two to tell a law school how they brilliantly saved a case for the firm. Yeah, ummm, not going to happen. Really, you're just going to have a boring year typing with long hours. while busy lawyers bark at you. And, you'll be applying to law school while enduring those long hours. And, after all that, you'll have only spent three months at the firm by the time you apply. How outstanding a letter of rec do you think you're going to get?
Better ideas? Yes. Find your passion!!! Find something that will set you apart and help you find a niche. It can be anything from sky-diving instruction to teaching the viola. The key is to explore one of your passions. Plus, it's probably one of the last times in your life where you can spend your day doing something really fun, something you enjoy. And it's also probably the last time you'll be able to get away with only making $25,000/year.
P.S. If I've confused those of you who are relying on schools to accept your February 2008 LSAT score for Fall 2008 admission, let me explain: They may say they accept the February LSAT under their rolling admissions policy, but what they mean to say is: "We'll accept a February LSAT score that is above our 75th percentile, but really by then we'll have given away most of the seats in the class."
If this is your first time taking the LSAT, and you're planning to apply for Fall 2008 admission, then you need to weigh the pros and cons:
(A) If you don't feel ready to take the LSAT, then your instinct is probably right. You have a few options. You could take it and just see what happens and if it's halfway decent then you can apply. (Not a fantastic strategy and usually it goes worse than you expect and becomes something you have to later explain on your applications; plus, it's a huge ego-deflater).
(B) You could wait and take the February LSAT and apply to schools that offer a January 2009 start date. (This is an interesting option for those of you graduating in December who are preoccupied with everything else going on in your life right now).
Or (C) you can take the LSAT in February for Fall 2009 admission. If it doesn't go as you'd like, you'd still have the option of re-taking it in June. You'll be able to show your grades from your final year of college and submit your law school applications early in the cycle (August/September), thereby taking advantage of rolling admissions. You'd also hear back from a lot of schools pretty quickly.
So, that brings me to the topic of what to do in your year off before law school:
A lot of people go to a law firm, where they are a "paralegal", "legal assistant," or "file clerk." They think they will gain some significant insight into the legal profession this way and get an attorney or two to tell a law school how they brilliantly saved a case for the firm. Yeah, ummm, not going to happen. Really, you're just going to have a boring year typing with long hours. while busy lawyers bark at you. And, you'll be applying to law school while enduring those long hours. And, after all that, you'll have only spent three months at the firm by the time you apply. How outstanding a letter of rec do you think you're going to get?
Better ideas? Yes. Find your passion!!! Find something that will set you apart and help you find a niche. It can be anything from sky-diving instruction to teaching the viola. The key is to explore one of your passions. Plus, it's probably one of the last times in your life where you can spend your day doing something really fun, something you enjoy. And it's also probably the last time you'll be able to get away with only making $25,000/year.
P.S. If I've confused those of you who are relying on schools to accept your February 2008 LSAT score for Fall 2008 admission, let me explain: They may say they accept the February LSAT under their rolling admissions policy, but what they mean to say is: "We'll accept a February LSAT score that is above our 75th percentile, but really by then we'll have given away most of the seats in the class."
Law School Admission Trends
I ran across a great article in the Daily Bruin regarding the decreasing number of law school applicants. I have a feeling this will change next year because the economy/mortgage industry crashed too close to the deadline for LSAT registrations to make an impact this year. (Not that I'm an economist; this is just my hunch). However, it's also interesting to note that very competitive law schools (in this case, UCLA) is actually seeing an increase in the quality of the applicants they are admitting to law school - it's not necessarily getting easier to get in.
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