Is anyone else really deadset on one school

_oshun1_

I’m trying to write Why Xs for other schools and really struggling bc I’m not as interested in the faculty/clubs/clinics offered by other schools. I know I shouldn’t be thinking so much about extracurriculars during law school and the end goal is to get a job but I really want to make the most out of my law school experience and other coughs more conservative schools don’t offer the same opportunities. Anyone else facing this dilemma or am I the only crazy person who really wants to put all my eggs in one basket and just not go to law school until this school accepts me /facepalms

LSAT_Wrecker

Instead of focusing on a school's faculty/clubs/clinics, could you focus on the market a school serves as a "why X" reason? I'm really focused on 2 schools, each for very different reasons and have 1 "meh" school.

Leah M B

I very very much only would like to go to one particular school. But short of getting a lot of scholarship money (which looks iffy), realistically it may not happen. I don’t know if I’d want to push back yet another year just for this one school though. I definitely half-assed a few apps last year though because I wasn’t that excited about them. However I’ll say, after visiting a couple schools for their ASWs last year, it really made me realize that there are probably a lot of schools out there that I’d be happy at. It’s good to keep an open mind (and not half-ass apps lol).

Advice from Ron Swanson:

https://i.giphy.com/media/LwdtMSGiQ0Ako/giphy.gif

eRetaker

It's a bit difficult for me to be dead-set on one school since financial aid/scholarships matters so much for me yet they're much harder to predict than admission chances.

JPJ July2021

I get really excited about one school and then I'll change my mind.

Kermit750

I'm deadset on any reasonable school on my list that accepts me

Pride Only Hurts

Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

10000019

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:
Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

Using an acceptance as leverage for scholarships. Wanting to have backup choices.

Pride Only Hurts

@10000019 said:

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:
Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

Using an acceptance as leverage for scholarships. Wanting to have backup choices.

Is that a common method? If that's the goal then I can see where it can be valuable. Using an $80 investment to negotiate potentially tens of thousands in scholarship money.

Bamboosprout

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:
Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

I don't think he said he didn't see himself there. I think he only said that one school was better at everything, so he preferred that one school. If you really don't see yourself at a school, I honestly don't recommend applying. It is wasted effort, and honestly, I personally believe that if some top schools see that you applied to a lot of schools aimlessly, they will mark you down for that.

_oshun1_

@Bamboosprout said:

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:
Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

I don't think he said he didn't see himself there. I think he only said that one school was better at everything, so he preferred that one school. If you really don't see yourself at a school, I honestly don't recommend applying. It is wasted effort, and honestly, I personally believe that if some top schools see that you applied to a lot of schools aimlessly, they will mark you down for that.

^ thats p much my answer. I could see myself at many schools but I would love to go to one in particular. I’m def concerned with sending half assed Why Xs so I’m really trying research so I seem more enthused.

Leah M B

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:

@10000019 said:

@"Pride Only Hurts" said:
Honestly, if you don't see yourself at a school why bother applying? Serious question so anyone feel free to pitch in. I know blanketing the t-14 is a common strategy but if I'm not enthusiastic about what a school has to offer I'm not applying. Spent too much time and energy and money to not attend a school I'm excited about. (I would probably be happy at most t-14 schools but there are a few I know I won't be applying to.)

Using an acceptance as leverage for scholarships. Wanting to have backup choices.

Is that a common method? If that's the goal then I can see where it can be valuable. Using an $80 investment to negotiate potentially tens of thousands in scholarship money.

Yes, absolutely common. Acceptances and scholarships from "peer schools" that compete for each other's admits can help you to negotiate scholarships. Even just a T14 acceptance (w/no $$) could possibly get you more money at a T20 since you have options available. Also, I found last year that some schools I started out really not being interested in became more attractive to me later as I learned more about them. I didn't necessarily see myself attending every one of the schools I applied to, but I wanted to shoot my shot and see what happens. And it ended up opening my eyes to more possibilities.