Two notes:
First, if you delete schools as you get rejected, it really skews the numbers, and ruins the usefulness of this site for future applicants. The same applies to those who delete everything when they make a decision.
Second, how sad is your life if you "update" your profile 20 times a day just to get people to view it, in an attempt to be the most popular profile?
LSP Numbers:
Yale - Deny - 8% - Denied
Harvard - Deny - 95% - Waitlisted
Loyola-Marymount - Admit - >95% - Admitted - $87,000
San Diego - Admit - >95% - Waitlisted
Georgia State - Admit - >95% - Waitlisted
Tennessee - Admit - >95% - Admitted - $30,000
Louisiana State - Admit - >95% - Admitted - $85,728
Mercer - Admit - >95% - Admitted - $110,000
South Carolina - Unavailable - Admitted - $45,000
Stetson - Admit - >95% - Admitted - $90,000
SCHOLARSHIPS ARE TOTAL FOR 3 YEARS
Choked on second sitting for LSAT. Had average practice test score of 172...dunno, but pretty bummed. Say goodbye to the T14.
1/27: Trying to figure out why W&L waitlisted me so quickly (via email/online status checker)? One week?
1/28: Admitted @ UGA via email and online status checker
1/31: Admitted to Tennessee via phone call
Admitted @ Wake Forest via email/online status checker
2/1: Rec'd admission letter from Tennessee
Rec'd admission letter from UGA, including a Georgia Law sticker - nice touch!
2/2: Denied as a Woodruff Scholarship finalist at Emory :-(
Application at GSU held for a second review.
2/5: Still not sure about South Carolina. I am assuming (I know, I know) that I was accepted. All the online status says is "Decision Letter Mailed", but three days later, I still haven't received it (I live in SC). I applied to the joint JD/MELP program with Vermont.
Got a second acceptance letter from Tenn today, from the dean.
2/7: Just checked online status, Pepperdine says "Decision Rendered", do they do this to intentionally torture us?
2/8: Got my acceptance letter from South Carolina today. They offered $12,000/year (leaving $8,000/year for me to pay). Thinking of withdrawing the app, since the only way I would consider them would probably be a full ride or better.
Not sure why, but threw up one more Hail Mary to Michigan today.
Admitted at Mercer via online status checker.
2/9: Received a viewbook from Vandy today....odd
File changed to "Complete" at LMU status checker
Got email from Mercer saying I was rejected for their Woodruff Scholarship (full ride & $5,000/yr), but when I emailed to withdraw my app (I thought that the Woodruff was the only scholarship I was eligible for), the dean wrote me back telling me I was awarded a full ride this morning, just no stipend. Letter is supposed to be in the mail! At least now I know for sure that I can go to law school this year!!
2/10: Got super-pumped for about 5 seconds when I saw the email from Emory, but it was just a generic "We will be sending out decisions in a few days" email.
2/11: Received acceptance packet from Tennessee, and a letter from Wake Forest, but still no scholarship info from either of them.
2/14: Received scholarship info from U Tenn in the mail today; $10,000/year.
Received decision from Pepperdine - WAITLISTED! WTF???? Both my numbers are at or above their 75th percentile! I'm really starting to agree with GreedisGood; to some schools, non-traditional applicant = inferior applicant.
Finally got access to online status checker from Stetson, and Michigan sent confirmation of receipt of my app.
2/15: Received email confirmation of full tuition scholarship from Mercer, renewable all three years as long as I remain in "good academic standing".
Had a waitlisted candidate's phone interview with Brett Twitty from W&L...... unremarkable.
2/16: Received acceptance/scholarship info via snail mail from Mercer,
New UR date at UVA
2/17: Under review @ USC....FINALLY!!! Good Lord they are slow!!
2/18: Received scholarship info via snail mail from UGA, a tuition equalization scholarship for the first year (worth $17,806), and $5,000/year for three years.
Got a thank you note from Brett Twitty @ W&L; took about half an hour to decipher his handwriting!!! LOL
First ding of the cycle - denied @ Berkeley via email/online status checker. They were probably my best shot at top-ten :-(
2/22: Finally complete at 'Bama. Strange, the email came at 2am...
Status checker at Vanderbilt changed to "Decision Mailed"...got a knot in my stomach
Got an invitation to Mercer's Scholarship Reception...they're payin', I'm goin'!! I can check out UGA, Emory, and Georgia State while I'm there!
2/25: Waitlisted at Vandy via snail mail. Not surprised, but it still hurts.
2/28: Decision rendered at Loyola, according to status checker, now I have to wait for the letter in the mail.
Under review at LSU
3/1: Admitted at LSU via email/online status checker. Wish they were all that fast!!
3/2: Just got my scholarship offer from Wake Forest - $90,000 as long as I stay in the top 2/3!! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!
Sent scholarship negotiation emails to UGA and South Carolina.
3/3: Complete at Michigan, dated 3/1
Sent scholarship negotiation email to UTenn, received very nice response telling me that they just don't have that much money.
Received email from UGA telling me that they are still making preliminary offers for scholarships, and aren't reconsidering any yet.
3/4: Finally got an email today telling me my app at Yale is complete. It's a longshot, but I think my 250 was strong.
3/7: Got my acceptance packets from Loyola and LSU. Loyola offered $29,000/year w/top 30% stip. No scholarship info from LSU.
Waitlisted @ UVA, no big shock there
3/8: Under committee review at Penn. Expecting the ding soon.
Under review date at Duke changed to 3/8
Another email from Emory, saying they are reviewing my file, and expect to have decisions by March 31. Didn't they send me this same basic email a month ago? If they wait 'til the 31st, they'll be off my list.
3/9: 'Bama application status changed from "Under Review" to "Pending"; I have no idea what that means.
Stetson status checker just changed to "Decision Made/Sent by Mail".
Got an email, in at Stetson.
3/10: Duke status checker changed to "Decision made; watch for e-mail"...pretty sure I know what that decision is :-(
And there it is, rejected at Duke.
3/11: Waitlisted at UCLA via email
3/14: Packet in the mail from Stetson. No scholarship info
3/16: Received scholarship info from Stetson via FedEx, $30,000/year, top 50% stipulation. Sorry guys, not gonna happen. I really expected a full ride plus stipend, so kinda disappointed. After looking at the official ABA data, Stetson offers full tuition or greater scholarships to 8.5% of their students. With 75th percentiles at 3.65 GPA, and 158 LSAT score, I have to figure that I am in the top 91.5%, soooooo??? BTW, to those who would say that some of those scholarships are diversity scholarships, Stetson should, according to their website, have considered me for diversity scholarships, based on my age.
3/17: Disappointing day. First, got an email from Stetson basically saying that what we offered is all we'll offer. Then, later today, got basically the same email from South Carolina. I can't believe, when I am a South Carolina resident, and miles above their 75th percentile, that USC couldn't do better.
3/18: Waitlisted at Michigan, not a huge surprise.
Just got an email from Emory, inviting me to their admitted students day, but I haven't gotten a letter from them yet accepting me...does this mean I'm admitted?
3/19: Checked my spam folder on a whim last night. Don't know why, but my acceptance to Emory went there (I've gotten everything else from Emory). I'm in, with a $75,000 scholarship. Still leaves $20,000/year for me to pay, but Emory is a dream school for me.
3/21: Received my packet in the mail from Emory.
New committee review date at Penn - 3/21
3/22: Denied at Harvard via email - you coulda knocked me over with a brick!
3/24: Email from LSU, informing me that I got a scholarship, but didn't tell me how much (they're sending a letter). With LSU's first seat deposit due on April 1, wouldn't it behoove them to tell me what they're offering?
3/25-26: Visited Mercer & UGA. I was very impressed with how welcome Mercer made me feel and with how little debt I would end up with; also, Mercer students seem very loyal and happy.
UGA was very nice, and I was extremely impressed with the faculty that I interacted with, and Athens seems like a really cool town. This isn't getting any easier!
3/28: Called LSU to inquire about my scholarship - full out of state tuition for three years. Letter came in the mail later same day. Scholarship DOES NOT include fees (about 1600/year).
3/30: Denied by Penn via email/online status checker; neither surprised, nor disappointed.
4/1: Waitlisted by Georgia State via online status checker...WTF!? I thought it was some sort of April Fool's prank! Honestly, I'm insulted by the offer, and sent an email letting them know (politely).
Sent back the seat de[posit form to LSU, withdrawing my app. Hated to do it, but I just don't see myself in Baton Rouge.
Accepted to UNC via email/online status checker. Now, will they make a scholarship offer before the seat deposit is due?
A conversation with a former District Attorney of a major city confirmed what I have suspected since early in this cycle; to some law schools, age is definitely a factor. Careful examination reveals that two such schools are Pepperdine, and Georgia State, and I suspect Washington & Lee. To future "mature" applicants, I recommend you don't waste your time.
4/4: Add one more to the "we don't take old people at our school" list - waitlisted at San Diego via online status checker. Yes, I'm at or above their 75th percentiles. Withdrew immediately.
4/5: After several emails back and forth, Dean Rosenzweig finally told me that there is no way that Emory will raise my scholarship. I'm really bummed, but the COA is still too high, even with the 75K. Cancelled my reservation for ASW, and withdrawing....very, very, sad.
4/6: Got an email from 'Bama today, telling me that they still have not come to a decision on my application, and asking me if I'm still interested. I gotta wonder, with one of my numbers at the median, and the other at the 75th percentile, what is the hold-up? My top ten waitlists, and comparable acceptances tell me that my application is not terrible, and my superior work/life experience (not bragging, I've just been alive twice as long as most L1s) should be a plus. There are people who complain about the boost URMs get, what about the hit that older applicants take at some schools?
4/7: New "In Review" date at USC, two months after the last one. How, exactly, does that work? I was "In Review" on February 17, but now I'm REALLY "in Review"? USC has got to be the slowest school out there! I figure I'll get the waitlist within a week.
4/8: Received snail mail acceptance letter from UNC today; still no mention of scholarship money. I can't pay their $250 seat deposit (due April 15) without knowing what they're offering.
And there it is, the waitlist from USC.
Denied at Yale via email, snail mail to follow :-( It was the ultimate reach.
4/12: Just got a call from 'Bama (they keep odd hours) in with a full ride!!
Aside from scholarship negotiation, and barring a waitlist offer, my cycle is over.
4/13: Sent my first seat deposit to UGA. I figure it's worth the $50 to see if they will up my scholarship.
I also went ahead and sent my acceptance card to Stetson. If they offer you a scholarship, you don't have to actually pay the seat deposit, so I figured, why not keep that option open?
4/15: I guess I withdrew from UNC today. By that I mean that I didn't send my seat deposit. After chasing people from the admissions office by phone and email for the past couple days, they informed me that they have already allocated all of their scholarship money, and that I should make my decision under the assumption that I will not receive any scholarship money. Sorry, not paying full price anywhere except top ten.
Later in the day, Dean States called from UNC, and apologized for the lack of communication. he extended my seat deposit date to 5/9.
4/27: USC extended my seat deposit date to 5/9 to see if they might be able to offer me any more scholarship money.
5/3: Got a call from Pepperdine, saying that they are going to their waitlist, and asking if I'm still interested. I told them to go ahead and consider me. What the heck, why not?
5/4: Got an email from W&L, telling me that they have accepted a few candidates off of their waitlist, and may be accepting more in the future; it gave instructions for remaining on the waitlist, and increasing your chances. I sat down and wrote Mr. Twitty an email, voicing my concerns that they may be discriminating against non-traditional applicants.
5/5: Got my answer from W&L, not in the form of an email, but in the form of Mr. Twitty withdrawing my application for me. Sent the following to the law school dean, and the university president:
Dear Dean Grunewald,
My name is XXXX XXXXXXXX, and my LSAC identification number is L00000000. Below is a copy of an email that I sent to Brett Twitty, Director of Admissions, on May 4, 2011. I am sending it to you, and others, because of the response, or lack thereof, I received from Mr. Twitty. One of the reasons for my interest in Washington & Lee Law was the honor system of which I have heard so much. Mr. Twitty's decision to ignore my concerns and simply mark my application as "withdrawn" is not what I would consider an honorable response to what is, in my opinion, a serious concern. Mr. Twitty did not even bother to answer my email at all; I found out about the withdrawal of my application through the school's online status checker. I do not know what response I expected, or was hoping for; but I believe that, at the minimum, a response of some kind was warranted. Thank you for your time.
Dear Mr. Twitty,
Thank you for your email contact. I have done a considerable amount of research since I first received my waitlist decision from Washington & Lee, and what I have found leads me to believe that Washington & Lee is not the law school for me, as I do not believe I would be particularly welcome there. I'm sure you are aware of the many sites out there utilized by law school applicants; I know that they are anecdotal, but they do offer a reasonable statistical sample. Applicants to Washington & Lee with numbers similar to mine have, on average, been offered between $60,000, and $120,000 in scholarship money, with one glaring exception - non-traditional students. Non-traditionals have, in many cases, been either waitlisted, or denied admission outright.
I understand that there are law schools that, for some reason unknown to me, prefer not to admit older students; this fact is indisputable. I would urge you to re-examine this practice, whether it is done consciously or not. Before you tell me (or yourself) that this is not happening, I recommend that you look at the applicants that you have accepted off of the waitlist recently, and back in February, and see how their academic records compare to mine, or to other non-traditional applicants who have either been waitlisted or denied. I am certain that Washington & Lee is a fine institution, and I hope that this prejudice is inadvertent; but I have good reason to believe that, inadvertent or not, it does exist. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
5/6: Just got off the phone with Dean States at UNC (very nice guy), told me that they are over budget on scholarship offers. I reluctantly withdrew my application.
5/9: Spoke to USC today (they had given me an extension on the seat deposit), they offered me $3,000 more per year (still leaves $5,200/year), said they might be able to offer more after the second seat deposit deadline. I have until close of business 5/11 to decide if it's worth the $500 gamble.
5/11: Just got off the phone with USC, hated to do it, but had to let it go. Getting closer to a decision...
5/23: Got a call from Cordell Faulk today, offering me admission to UVA. I was floored; but I don't know that I can justify $70,000/year COA, when I have full-tuition offers out there. Am I crazy to pass this up?
5/24: Called Dean Faulk at UVA, thanked him for the offer, and withdrew my application....goodbye T10
Got a call from Stetson telling me that they cannot increase my scholarship this year, but if I attend, and if I am in the top 15% of my class, they will increase it to full tuition for years two and three.....hmmmmm
6/6: After a final attempt to get UGA to increase my scholarship, I had to withdraw my application. Hope it helps someone else!
Retook the LSAT today, not sure why, but it was free.
6/7: Withdrew from Stetson today.
I'm sure you'll be getting in a lot of places. Georgia is a great school!