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Best time to go to a Law School Fair?

tringo335tringo335 Alum Member

Hi all!

I was planning on attending the LSAC Forum next weekend but since I am not applying until this time next year, would it be more beneficial to meet admissions people at fairs next year? I feel like it would place me more at an advantage to have a conversation with them when I am applying because they actually might remember me if I (hopefully) made a good impression. Are there any perks to meeting admissions people a year before you apply?

Comments

  • Trust But VerifyTrust But Verify Alum Member
    432 karma

    IMO, I think the fairs are a little overvalued. They're great for fee-waivers, information booklets and getting admissions contacts but I personally feel that you can get all of that online. The benefit you would have would having a contact in the admissions alot earlier but it's still up to you to build that relationship. I went to the NYC fair yesterday, stayed for about and hour, signed those sign ins that were on the table (for fee waivers) and left. (Sidebar: The Columbia table looked like a line for a food truck lol). Your application and how you help or hurt the entering class seems to be the deciding factor in all of this.

    With all that being said, a law student may be able to answer this better.

    Namaste

  • maamedufiekmaamedufiek Alum Member
    34 karma

    I also plan on attending the next forum to help me build my school list. I think attending more than one forum will not hurt and each time you attend, you may be exposed to some new information.
    If you have the time and resources to attend this one, I'll advise you do so and attend one more next year.

  • TheMikeyTheMikey Alum Member
    4196 karma

    I say skip it this go around and go to one next year once you are ready to apply. There isn't much you can gain from these forums besides fee waivers, which is why I say go next year instead of now! :D

    I haven't been to one, but I heard all they really do is give you info you can easily find on their website, and that it's really only worth it for the waivers.

  • AlexAlex Alum Member
    23929 karma

    @TheMikey said:
    I say skip it this go around and go to one next year once you are ready to apply. There isn't much you can gain from these forums besides fee waivers, which is why I say go next year instead of now! :D

    I haven't been to one, but I heard all they really do is give you info you can easily find on their website, and that it's really only worth it for the waivers.

    Agreed. Go next year and get that waiver! Law school apps are too damn expensive lol

  • sakox010sakox010 Member
    edited October 2017 333 karma

    I think law school fairs can potentially be very valuable. There was a user on TLS that said he went to the DC forum and was able to talk to the Dean of UVA there. On top of getting a fee waiver, he had what sounds like a good conversation with the Dean that led to continued contact leading up to September.

    He applied to UVA on September 1 and got invited to an interview with the Dean that day, and was later admitted that same day. According to him, the Dean mentioned their prior conversations as being a factor in his early admittance. It seems like the majority of the people that get into UVA on the same day that apps open up have had some sort of prior conversation with the Dean.

    I'm planning on going to a forum next year and will most likely incorporate some of the conversations I have there with law school reps into my Why X essays.

  • NotMyNameNotMyName Alum Member Sage
    5320 karma

    Woah! I did not know this was a source of fee waivers! Good to know. Hopefully my score will get me that waiver anyway but maybe not for the reach schools

  • sakox010sakox010 Member
    333 karma

    @jkatz1488 said:
    Woah! I did not know this was a source of fee waivers! Good to know. Hopefully my score will get me that waiver anyway but maybe not for the reach schools

    A lot of schools give fee waivers, but it sounds like some schools pretty much won't give you any at the LSAC Forum no matter how strong your numbers are. From what I've heard from people that went to the forums with strong numbers (3.8+ GPA and 170+ LSAT), most of the T14s don't give fee waivers and tell the applicants to send an e-mail to admissions asking for a fee waiver or that they send out "unsolicited fee waivers" in waves of e-mails around the time that applications open up.

    However, certain schools like UVA, WUSTL, and Vandy have been said to give fee waivers at the forums, but like you said, these are fee waivers that your numbers can get you.

    It seems like certain schools like UPenn might be giving out fee waivers to increase the number of applicants that they can ultimately WL/reject (lol). I got a fee waiver from them for this cycle when my gpa and current LSAT score are below their medians.

  • shantiiix3shantiiix3 Alum Member
    6 karma

    @sakox010 said:
    I think law school fairs can potentially be very valuable. There was a user on TLS that said he went to the DC forum and was able to talk to the Dean of UVA there. On top of getting a fee waiver, he had what sounds like a good conversation with the Dean that led to continued contact leading up to September.

    He applied to UVA on September 1 and got invited to an interview with the Dean that day, and was later admitted that same day. According to him, the Dean mentioned their prior conversations as being a factor in his early admittance. It seems like the majority of the people that get into UVA on the same day that apps open up have had some sort of prior conversation with the Dean.

    I'm planning on going to a forum next year and will most likely incorporate some of the conversations I have there with law school reps into my Why X essays.

    Very true. I've gone to the forum two years in a row (I thought I'd be going law school last cycle but decided to retest and try for this cycle) and you do get to meet with valuable admissions members. I've met deans and assistant deans of admissions, along with directors of admissions, recruiters, advisors, and current students of the attending schools. I would have to agree and say going next year would be more beneficial. That way, the connections you may make are in close proximity to when your application is sent in.

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    Thanks guys! Great info. ... @shantiiix3 @sakox010 this is exactly what I why I was thinking it would be beneficial to wait. Kind of like when you go to a career fair and meet the recruiter and immediately apply in the hopes the recruiter will remember you when they say your resume come across.

    @jkatz1488 I also didn't even think about fee waivers! it definitely makes sense to wait and go next year

    Thanks again everyone for the help!

  • Trust But VerifyTrust But Verify Alum Member
    432 karma

    Update: Definitely wait for next year. Went to the NYC forum on Friday. I was there for an hour, just wrote my LSAC number on the schools that I liked clipboard and took an flyer. Got some fee waivers in person and the others will probably put it on my LSAC account. I learned nothing new. Oh yeah, try to speak to the student rep vs the Admissions rep, (In my Opinion). Students keep it real(er).

    Namaste.

  • TexAgAaronTexAgAaron Alum Member
    1723 karma

    Good post! I am planning to go to the Forum in Houston and didn't know such high valued contacts are there. In the same position application wise (next cycle) but will probably still go just for kicks.

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    @akeegs92 said:
    Good post! I am planning to go to the Forum in Houston and didn't know such high valued contacts are there. In the same position application wise (next cycle) but will probably still go just for kicks.

    Cool! Feel free to let me know how it is. Since we're in the DFW area, I opted not to make the drive. But if I lived in town I would go.

  • TexAgAaronTexAgAaron Alum Member
    1723 karma

    @tringo335 Will do!

  • subi ramisubi rami Alum Member
    33 karma

    I may sound silly but I am not a college student. How do I find out about these Law school fairs please?

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    @"subi rami" said:
    I may sound silly but I am not a college student. How do I find out about these Law school fairs please?

    Hey there you don't have to be a student to go. I'm not a student either. You can find the info on LSAC's website.

  • LauraC829LauraC829 Alum Member
    218 karma

    @"Trust But Verify" said:
    Update: Definitely wait for next year. Went to the NYC forum on Friday. I was there for an hour, just wrote my LSAC number on the schools that I liked clipboard and took an flyer. Got some fee waivers in person and the others will probably put it on my LSAC account. I learned nothing new. Oh yeah, try to speak to the student rep vs the Admissions rep, (In my Opinion). Students keep it real(er).

    Namaste.

    I was there on Friday too! I wrote my LSAC number on a lot of clipboards, how can we check whether these schools added a waiver or not? Thank you!

  • Trust But VerifyTrust But Verify Alum Member
    432 karma

    @LauraC829 Being that these reps are on the road for the next few weeks, I say within these few weeks. Some will be stingy but most will send them. On LSAC, I believe it would say "waived" but of course you still have to pay CAS $35 to send your application. Good luck.

    Namaste

  • Trust But VerifyTrust But Verify Alum Member
    432 karma

    Update: I been getting fee waivers from schools that I didn't sign their sheet but that were there. Email basically says "Thank You for attending the NYC forum".

  • tringo335tringo335 Alum Member
    3679 karma

    @"Trust But Verify" said:
    Update: I been getting fee waivers from schools that I didn't sign their sheet but that were there. Email basically says "Thank You for attending the NYC forum".

    Ah thats cool .... good to know.

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