Help with competing for T14

Comments

• conraddnoronha Alum Member

  September 2016 150 karma

  I am from India and competing of sorts. I don't know if that counts.
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  September 2016 27900 karma

  It's actually a really bad time to find these people, lol. School has just started and so everyone who has successfully worked their way into Harvard/Yale is pretty much unavailable for the next three years. So those of us currently in the admissions process will have to do the best we can:)
  
  Because of my GPA, I will not be competitive at Yale. If I score a 178 or better on LSAT, I can reasonably apply, but I would still not expect to get in. Yale accepts fewer than 10% of their applicants, and their applicant pool is among the strongest in the world. Every year they turn down loads of people that are perfectly qualified.
  
  Harvard is a huge school and they accept way more people. Because of this, some of the more typical admissions advice still applies.
  
  So in general, if your GPA and LSAT are above a school's median, you can probably get in as long as you don't write something really creepy in you PS or have some other kind of red flag in your application. The best thing to do in this situation is to play it safe with your application. These two numbers overwhelmingly determine what your prospects are likely to be. So the best thing you can do to work towards attending a top law school is to try and secure a GPA and LSAT score that are above the medians of the schools you'd like to go to.
  
  If you are a splitter- that is you have one of these numbers above the median and the other below the median- then things get a lot more interesting. You've got to use the rest of your application to really argue your case and convince admissions that you are a worthy candidate. Your numbers get you into the pool of applicants that will be seriously considered, but they do not alone get you through. Why should they admit you rather than this other person with similar stats? You need to provide them with a compelling answer to that question.
  
  Then there's applying when you're below both medians. This is always a long shot, but it certainly happens. From the previous admissions cycle, Yale's lowest admitted LSAT score was a 153. So you're never out of consideration until you get your rejection letter. That said, I can guarantee that the person who they admitted with the 153 is not just some random guy with a 153. This is someone who has done remarkable things. If you're below both medians, you have to give them something truly amazing to compensate for it. Even then, your odds aren't great.
  
  So basically, the better your numbers the easier a time you'll have. If you want to go to Harvard or Yale, your best chance in is to get the numbers.
• 1 Like

  Alejandro Member Inactive ⭐

  September 2016 2424 karma

  If your middle name were Garcia HYS would accept you in a heart beat
• Cant Get Right Yearly + Live Member Sage ⭐ 🍌 7Sage Tutor

  September 2016 27900 karma

  @Alejandro said:
  If your middle name were Garcia HYS would accept you in a heart beat
  

  HA!! I didn't even realize that!
• 1 Like

  alex.e92 Alum Member

  September 2016 239 karma

  Obviously numbers are the most important factor. Aside from that, I would focus on the little things (disclaimer: please take this advice with a grain of salt, because it is very anecdotal). My significant other is currently a 3L at a t10 school (Not YHS); however, many of his new colleagues at his firm are 3Ls at Y/H. From my limited conversations with them they have always emphasized how important they think diversity in my application is. Don't overlook seemingly small things like an unusual hobby you can list on your resume. Including "interests" in a resume is not something that I have ever done (that's just not a thing anyone does in my industry), but I know people who credit their interests/hobbies standing out as the factor that pushed them over the top and got them in. Or maybe you have an unusual life experience you can write about in your personal statement. Basically If you can find a way to stand out amidst a large pool of applicants in the mind of at least one person who reads your application, you might get in over someone with the same scores who is less memorable.
  
  Just my two cents.