14

RESPONDING TO WAIT-LISTING, DENIAL, AND OTHER DISAPPOINTMENTS

—EXECUTIVE SUMMARY—

To optimize your chance of being accepted from a wait list,
bring relevant new material to the attention of the admissions office.

When reapplying to a school, start by understanding the reasons
for your initial rejection.

—Recognize that you will need to address these deficiencies
to warrant reapplying.

 

If you have followed our suggested approach, you have applied to six to ten schools. Only one or two of them are in the “likely” category and several others are very likely to turn you down. Prepare yourself for rejection by some of your choices. (In fact, if you get into every school, perhaps you have not aimed high enough.)

Nonacceptance comes in many forms. You may be put on an administrative hold, wait-listed, told to apply again at a later date after you have remedied a specific deficiency, or just rejected outright.

Your reaction should depend upon which of these categories applies and which school is in question. If one of your stretch schools says no, for example, you will probably react differently than if one of your likelies says no. Do not overreact, however, to any single school’s decision. The vagaries of the admissions process and the differences between schools mean that one school’s decision has limited predictive value in terms of what another school will do. (This is one of the reasons that we suggest applying to so many schools.)

RESPONDING TO AN ADMINISTRATIVE HOLD

An administrative hold means that the school was unable to make a decision on your candidacy within the typical four to eight weeks, so your application will be held over until a later (often, significantly later) date. This suggests that your candidacy is strong, but the school will not know if you are quite strong enough until it has seen more of the applicants.

Take the opportunity to send a short note reaffirming your interest in the program if the delay is scheduled to extend for more than about a month. If you have strong new information available—such as a promotion or a published thesis—by all means, communicate it to the admissions office.

RESPONDING TO WAIT-LISTING

Being wait-listed generally means that you will be admitted to the program only if someone who has been accepted chooses not to come. In fact, schools know that a certain percentage of their admittees will choose other schools or decide to wait a year or two, so they routinely admit more students than they can actually take. The “excess” number admitted, however, is often not sufficient to make up for all those who decline admission. The wait list is used to manage this situation.

The trouble with being wait-listed is that you may not get off the wait list and into the school until very late in the game. It is not uncommon for schools to call people on the wait list only days before the program’s start or, indeed, some days after the start. The lower down the candidate preference (ranking) list a school is, the more it is at the mercy of the wait-list decisions made at other schools, and thus the later it makes its own final decisions. Schools atop the list, such as Harvard, Yale, and Stanford, in effect make the first moves in this game. When they take people off their wait lists, many of these accepted candidates withdraw from the schools they would otherwise have attended (and at which they had already put down deposits). This second group of schools then goes to their wait lists, causing the third group of schools to lose some of their accepted candidates. This ripple effect does not conclude until classes are under way in the fall.

WAIT-LIST EXCEPTION

There is an exception to the general rule that a wait-listed candidate will only be admitted if a space in the class opens up. Some schools wait-list candidates they suspect will choose to go to another school. By so doing, the schools eliminate the likely impact on their “yield” statistics—the percentage of people who, having been accepted, actually enroll at the school. (Managing a school’s yield is part of playing the rankings game—controlling the school’s admissions statistics to get the highest possible U.S. News & World Report ranking.) The strongest candidates to the school, along with those whose personal ties or academic interests point to another school, thus sometimes receive wait-list treatment.

Do not despair if you happen to fall into this category. For one thing, schools that play this game are delighted to find that they have been overly cautious and that you actually want to attend their school. By communicating to them that you do indeed wish to attend their school, you are likely to be admitted forthwith. For another, by wait-listing you even though your credentials are strong, the school has indicated that it believes you will get into another top school.

Your situation will be complicated by the fact that most law schools will give you no indication as to where you fall on the list. In fact, most schools do not rank wait-list candidates. This is because admissions officers realize how many variables will not come into play until later in the game. There is no way for them to accurately assess how many—and which types of—wait-list applicants they will need. Depending on the initial yield, the wait list may not even be tapped at all. In another scenario, law schools may find that they are “short” in one particular category of student (say, economists or international students) and utilize the wait list only to fill in such gaps. Another reason wait lists are not ranked has to do with the priorities of the wait-list candidates themselves. Many will be accepted at other schools and drop completely out of sight. Admissions officers are often uncertain as to how many wait-list candidates are still actively interested.

It is for precisely this reason that you, as a wait-list candidate, must not remain silent. By making yourself a presence to the admissions committee, you dramatically increase your chances of being one of the lucky few they “tap” in June, July, or August. As you are likely to continue to augment your list of responsibilities and accomplishments during this lengthy waiting period, you should communicate them to the admissions office.

The information you will want to impart to the admissions officers might become available at different times. Thus, it is acceptable to send them more than one update for your file, but it is wise to limit your contact to two (or three) instances, unless you know for certain that they welcome your constant attention. Find out from the school at which you are wait-listed how it suggests you carry out your contact—whether it wants to receive one or two notices from you or whether it enjoys continuous updates and inquiries from its wait-listed applicants.

What information will be relevant to this process? How should you communicate your new information? Any new information should show you to be even more the dynamic leader, thoughtful and mature decision-maker, and so on, that the earlier chapters showed you how to portray. The one thing that makes your task easier at this point is that, having gone through all of the applications, you probably have a pretty good idea of where your applications were weakest and thus what sort of new information would be most helpful to your case. Knowing where your applications were initially weak means that you can be clever about bolstering these weak points in the months between the initial application and your follow-up communiqués. For example, if you know that one weak point is that your involvement in community and/or extracurricular activities has been virtually nonexistent, there is no time like the present to expand them.

A sound strategy, whether or not you have dramatic new information available, is to send a short letter to the admissions committee that provides any useful additional information you have—and that also restates why you think you would be a valuable contributor to their program, and emphasizes that you still very much wish to attend it. When a law school goes to its wait list, it wants to be able to make one call per available spot and fill that spot. It does not want to have to contact ten people to find someone still hopeful of attending that school. Neither does it want to have to track someone down, so be sure that you remain readily contactable throughout the summer.

ADMISSIONS DEANS DISCUSS THE KEY ISSUES CONCERNING WAIT LISTS

THE ADDITIONAL MATERIALS YOU SHOULD SUBMIT WHEN WAIT-LISTED

 

Wait-listed applicants definitely should interview if they haven’t already. They should also submit a letter of interest, detailing as clearly as possible why they want Northwestern. Additional recommendation letters seldom help because they tend to be pretty redundant. Consider retaking the LSAT in June; we have admitted several applicants due to significant score improvements. Don Rebstock, Northwestern

Sometimes I’m swayed by information about what competitors you got into. (We do like to beat them!) Of course, we check this if it’s hard to believe, so don’t lie to us. Admissions director who wishes to remain anonymous

It’s helpful if a wait-listed applicant submits a new recommendation that covers recent months. Elizabeth Rosselot, Boston College

It is certainly appropriate to update your transcripts, if you are still in college, or to add letters of recommendation. Ann Killian Perry, Chicago

If you are still a student, submit your most recent grades. If you have worked extensively with another professor since applying, a recommendation from him or her is a good idea. We offer wait-listed candidates a chance to interview, which we think is a very good idea. Interviewing shows an interest in Cornell as well as offering another vehicle to get to know you. Rick Geiger, Cornell

 

THE NEED TO STAY IN TOUCH

 

It is helpful for someone to show that he or she is still interested by maintaining contact, but be sure not to stalk us. Sarah C. Zearfoss, Michigan

The right type of communication is good. To start, if you’re still interested in the school, by all means send us a letter of continued interest. When we go to the wait list, we want to find people who are still definitely interested. If there are substantive updates—you get your last term’s grades, retake the LSAT, get a promotion at work, or publish a paper—let us know about them. They are clearly germane to your application. The flip side of this is to show some judgment. Make sure it is something worth updating us on, not just a memo you wrote at work. Josh Rubenstein, Harvard

Although it is helpful to keep in touch to show you are still eager to attend Yale, please do so in writing. Be sure to bring important new developments—such as new grades or a prize received at graduation—to our attention. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

Come August 1, many people who had said they were interested may no longer be, so expressions of continuing interest are important. It’s therefore appropriate to contact us two or three times during the summer. Rob Schwartz, UCLA

Not all schools feel this way, but I value contact. Stay in touch, send emails, and submit additional materials as appropriate. Anne Richard, George Washington Go beyond sending a postcard. Assuming that you’re interested, show it by being proactive—within reason. Rick Geiger, Cornell

There’s a balance to be struck: You need to remain in touch, so as to indicate continuing interest and to show that you are easily contactable, but should not contact us daily. Ann Killian Perry, Chicago

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF YOUR DESIRE TO ATTEND THEIR SCHOOL

 

This is huge. We often do not have many spots to fill, but we do try to fill them with applicants who sincerely want to be here. Jason Trujillo, Virginia

You should know that many applicants on the wait list make their enthusiasm for Yale very clear. It certainly does not guarantee their admission, but it never hurts. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

It’s critically important. When we go to the wait list, we go first to those we think will come if admitted. The goal is to admit one and get one. Anne Richard, George Washington

I suggest that you send us a fax or note every three weeks or so. It’s never a bad idea to help us understand your continuing interest in attending Duke. We review each wait-list candidate periodically, and take into account any new information. William Hoye, Duke

New information is less important than other things: (1) Make sure that we know how and where to find you during the summer, even if you are on the road or vacationing. We don’t have three weeks to wait to hear from you. (2) At that point, we are trying to gauge the level of interest of fifty applicants we are having trouble tracking down. Find a way to let us know that Georgetown is your number one choice (assuming that it is true). We want to make twenty offers to get twenty students, not sixty offers. Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown

No law school wants to extend several offers to fill each remaining spot during the late spring or summer, because it negatively affects their acceptance rates and yield ratios and, as a result, their selectivity profile in the rankings world. And all schools want to enroll students who have manifested a sincere and particular enthusiasm for enriching their community. Jim Milligan, Columbia

WAIT-LIST TIMING

 

We start out with at least five hundred on the list and cut it down progressively to seventy-five or one hundred in early July. We may keep a list of fifteen to twenty-five right up until the start of school. Anne Richard, George Washington

We review wait-listed applicants in early June, then again in early July, and finally in August. Nkonye Iwerebon, Columbia

We will probably never be able to go to our wait list before mid-June and quite possibly not until August, even though for many of these candidates the notice is terribly late. Monica Ingram, Texas

We only take candidates from the wait list when someone in the class gets sick or is otherwise precluded from attending. This is not predictable: It can happen at any time, including late in the summer. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

It’s particularly useful to keep in touch with us—and show that you remain available—at the end of the summer, when things happen quickly but most candidates cannot actually arrange to attend. William Hoye, Duke

Schools have a different sense of time than the candidate does. Serious wait-list activity for us occurs near the start of school. Candidates give up on the process by then, but should stick it out. We’re playing musical chairs at this point. Many candidates deposit at more than one institution; summers are the time things are sorted out. We’re like the airlines deciding how much to overbook. The closer we get to the time the plane takes off, the more we know about who’ll board the plane. Elizabeth Rosselot, Boston College

 

THE WAIT-LIST NUMBERS GAME

 

We have two wait lists, our priority list and our regular list. In an average year, around five hundred are offered places on our priority list, and twenty-five to fifty are admitted from it. Similarly, two hundred are offered places on our regular list, and ten to twenty admitted. Of course, the numbers admitted from our wait lists vary dramatically from one year to the next. Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown

We intend to put fewer than a hundred on the list and expect to accept between zero and fifteen in any given year. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

We wait-list between one hundred and four hundred students. We admit anywhere from zero to twenty-five students off the wait list depending upon the year. Monica Ingram, Texas

We invite from three hundred to four hundred to be on our list. We have accepted between zero and fifty in recent years. William Hoye, Duke

We usually have about three hundred on the wait list; in recent years, we have accepted between forty-five and fifty. Don Rebstock, Northwestern

We understand that being wait-listed is not the applicant’s first choice, but in recent years we have admitted wait-listed candidates. Also, this season members of the admissions office were available to meet with wait-listed candidates either in person or over the phone. (We do request that candidates schedule a call/visit to ensure someone is available for the meeting.) Renée Post, Penn

We offer wait-list status to as many as five hundred, but some will decline it. In recent years we’ve taken between thirty and seventy-five, generally starting in mid-May and ending in mid-August. Rob Schwartz, UCLA

In recent years, we’ve had about a hundred fifty ask to stay on the wait list. We cut the list down throughout the summer as the class firms up. At the end of the summer, we might have twenty left on it in case we have to go to the wait list during the first week of class. (In some years we’ve taken as few as zero, in other years as many as twenty.) Faye Deal, Stanford

 

WE’LL CALL YOU

 

We make every effort to keep applicants abreast of their status and to let everyone know where we are in the decision-making process. Outside of this, I’d definitely avoid calling the office to inquire about your status. We don’t rank our wait list and we make decisions on who to admit on a case-by-case basis as spots open up, so there’s really no information we can provide for you. Again, we’ll let you know as soon as we know anything. Josh Rubenstein, Harvard

RESPONDING TO DENIAL

The first thing to do when confronting a denial is to ask yourself how significant it really is. If you have already been accepted by a school you favor, the rejection is truly insignificant. If this is a school you very much wish to attend, however, a different reaction is appropriate.

SHOULD YOU EVER APPEAL A DENIAL?

If you have no truly dramatic new information to bring to the table, do not raise your blood pressure and that of the admissions committee by appealing a rejection. Admissions committees go to great lengths to give applicants a sympathetic reading of their files—with even the most marginal file being read by at least two and often three people—so you can count on the school’s having considered your application material fairly.

Some schools, on relatively rare occasions, will be willing to reconsider an application based upon presentation of important new information. If you have such information and wish to appeal, contact the admissions office and explain the situation. See whether they will entertain an appeal. If so, be sure to present convincing new information, reiterating that you do wish to attend this school and will contribute greatly if admitted. (If you are not absolutely certain that this is your number one choice, do not even consider putting busy admissions people to the trouble an appeal will involve.) Recognize, however, that the odds against being admitted will be very long, indeed.

ADMISSIONS DEANS COMMENT ON APPEALS

I would not appeal unless you have a new and higher LSAT score—something objective and substantial. We are not going to overturn a decision simply because there is a different reader. Jason Trujillo, Virginia

If a candidate who was not admitted feels that there is significant additional information that was not available to the admissions committee at the time of application, the candidate is welcome to request that the application be reconsidered. It is rare, however, that a decision is reversed. Kenneth Kleinrock, NYU

We have an appeal process in place. You need to submit a written appeal within thirty days of receiving notification of your rejection. But unless you can provide significant new information that was unavailable when you first applied, the initial rejection will be upheld. Monica Ingram, Texas

Often they look to bring new information to the table. They may ask us to consider them for the part-time program after we’ve denied them for the full-time program. However, we rarely change the initial decision—although it does happen once or twice each year. Anne Richard, George Washington

Although it is possible to appeal a rejection, only 1 percent of the time does it turn out to be worthwhile. If something truly significant has changed since applying, it is possible to turn a rejection into a wait-listing (never an acceptance). Don Rebstock, Northwestern

SHOULD YOU REAPPLY IN THE FUTURE OR SETTLE FOR A LESSER SCHOOL?

The question of whether to reapply is of course a complicated one. If you got into one of your top choices, you might wish to attend it this year, instead of waiting, hoping that you will get in next year to your very first choice. The situation is more difficult if you got into your eighth choice, but none of your first seven choices. If you realistically think you will be a stronger candidate in the near future, then it might be a good idea to wait and reapply with your improved credentials.

The important thing here is to analyze in what way you will, or could, be a stronger candidate. Cast a critical eye over your file. Look at it from the perspective of this book, analyzing each component fully. Was the component a relative strength or weakness for you at School X, given what the competition was probably like? If it was a glaring weakness, can you do something to improve it? Chapter 8 analyzes in detail what you could do to improve your credentials. If the fault in your application was not the application itself, but your credentials, consider what strategy you will employ to improve them. Ask yourself whether a successful effort will significantly change the nature of your candidacy. Also ask yourself whether you are being realistic in thinking that you can do what you are contemplating.

ADMISSIONS DEANS DISCUSS REAPPLICATIONS

DEBRIEFINGS

 

If an unsuccessful applicant writes us between June and September, we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their files. Don Rebstock, Northwestern

Our time is limited, so we can’t respond to all requests for feedback. To the extent that we have time in August, we will give some general feedback about a file, but we cannot give specific suggestions as to what should be done differently. We cannot tell rejected applicants why they were rejected. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

I’ll review a file with a denied applicant; we’re pretty open door about this—anytime other than our February through April crunch period. Anne Richard, George Washington

We’re always willing to discuss a decision we’ve made. Ours is a holistic rather than a formulaic approach, however, so we are unlikely to say that “according to our algorithm, you need to add five points to your LSAT score to get in next time.” Todd Morton, Vanderbilt

Our decision to deny someone admission is rarely based on any one or even a few specific deficiencies in an applicant’s file. Rather it reflects the numerical realities of selecting a class of 360 from a pool of 8,500-plus. Thus, I find it hard to give advice in this context. Jason Trujillo, Virginia

I am happy to speak with denied applicants after our season has ended. I review each element of the application, comparing them with the norms of both the entering and previous year’s class. Where applicable, I suggest areas which can be improved. Monica Ingram, Texas

I try to help counsel them, especially regarding reapplying. Of course, it’s rarely just one thing that was lacking in their application. William Hoye, Duke

DOES A REAPPLICANT START WITH A BLANK SLATE?

 

Reapplicants do not have to overcome a prior application: They simply face a blank slate. Rick Geiger, Cornell

Yes. In fact, I try to make sure the first reader on the file the second time around was not involved in the decision-making process during the first time around. Jason Trujillo, Virginia

If an applicant has applied within the last two years, we include the old application in the file. Megan A. Barnett, Yale

We don’t hold it against people that they didn’t get in when they first applied. We focus on this year’s application: We rarely scrutinize closely the prior year’s material. Sarah C. Zearfoss, Michigan

There is no black mark against them. They start with a clean slate. Anne Richard, George Washington

Reapplicants start with a completely blank slate. Their previous application has no bearing on a current application. Monica Ingram, Texas

When looking at a reapplication, we use the original application to help us focus on what has changed in the meantime. For example, perhaps there has been a change in job, title, responsibilities, etc. We keep old files on applicants for three years. Reapplicants should interview if they didn’t last time. Don Rebstock, Northwestern

The decision we make on your file this year has no bearing on future decisions. Most people, however, don’t do anything to change their applications. Edward Tom, Boalt Hall (Berkeley)

 

WHAT MUST A REAPPLICANT DO TO SUCCEED?

 

We suggest you take a good look at the timing of your application: Applying late in the process could put a candidate at a strategic disadvantage. Next, look at the application itself: Does it convey who you really are? Fine-tune the aspects that are not suitably reflective of you. But do not stop there. Look to improve whatever substantive areas you can: Revise or redraft the personal statement; if a new recommendation letter will convey new information, the candidate should consider including an additional recommendation; update us on what you’ve been doing. Nkonye Iwerebon, Columbia

They should approach the process with a 100 percent clean slate. They should generate a new personal statement, secure additional letters of recommendation, update their résumés, and provide any additional academic credentials. Without saying so, they should make the case as to why their application should be successful this time (whereas it wasn’t last time). Renée Post, Penn

There are three ways to improve your chances. You need to transform yourself or your application—or apply earlier in the process. Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown

Reapplication is certainly possible, but it is interesting how few people make major changes to improve their chances. Perhaps five people in this year’s first-year class are successful reapplicants. Don Rebstock, Northwestern

We receive many reapplications, but few reapplicants have substantially improved their credentials in the interim. Admissions committees are relatively consistent in their judgment, so people who haven’t improved their candidacies will again be denied. Elizabeth Rosselot, Boston College

It is rare to go from a no to a yes, not so uncommon to go from wait list to a yes. Andy Cornblatt, Georgetown

The answer to this will vary with the individual circumstance, of course, but at a minimum, I expect to see something different in the reapplication. Even if someone has some fabulous new LSAT score, I expect to see an updated résumé and/ or a new essay and/or an additional recommendation. You know that the application didn’t work out the first time around, so you should be putting some effort into presenting new information—even if the essential problem the first time around was, say, a late application and a competitive season. A new application with no new information looks perfunctory and unenthusiastic. Sarah C. Zearfoss, Michigan

Then consider the application itself. Did you write polished, persuasive essays? Did your résumé highlight your achievements and career progression in a highly readable format? Do you have reason to doubt that your recommenders wrote assertively and well on your behalf? If you interviewed, did it go well? If the answer to any of these questions suggests that you have an opportunity to improve your application substantially, what will you do to make the improvements? Are you being realistic in thinking that you will put in the necessary time and effort?

Do not be lazy if you choose to reapply. Rewrite your personal statement(s) and other essays to take advantage of your performance since your initial application, in light of what you have learned was wrong with that application. Consider using new recommenders, based upon their knowledge of your recent performance. If you use the same recommenders, have them rewrite their recommendations, incorporating new information about you to the extent possible.

APPLICATION DEBRIEFINGS

Some schools are willing to tell you—at least in a general way—why they rejected you. Schools are most receptive to such inquiries during their slow periods, which are typically late spring and early fall. A school that is willing to discuss your rejection is doing you a real favor, so be ultra-polite in dealing with its representatives.

If you are defensive or hostile—natural reactions to being told you have been rejected—you will elicit less useful information from them than you might have if you had been appreciative and welcoming of their input.

Beware, however, of what even these very helpful schools will say. They do not wish to offend you, nor do they wish to have your lawyer get involved. As a result, there are commonsense limits to what they are free to say. Thus, confidential matters, such as what was written about you in recommendations or said about you by your interviewer, may be off limits. (And no matter what, remember to thank your debriefer. A suitable handwritten thank-you note would be appropriate.)

If the school you most wish to attend does not offer any feedback, consider learning what you can from those that do and apply what you learn to your target school. In addition, check your application against the relevant chapters and examples of this book and ask an appropriate, objective person (perhaps your admissions consultant) to provide feedback, too.

OTHER OPTIONS

If schools that you want to attend have rejected you (for the moment), do not give up on getting a law degree. If you seriously want a law degree, there are probably a number of schools that can help you meet your needs. Most people who have investigated schools carefully, including those who produce the school guides and rankings discussed in Part I, sincerely believe there are more than fifty quality law programs in the country. So even if you applied to an unrealistic set of schools this time around, cast your net a bit wider or reapply to schools you narrowly missed this time.

For those of you who are positively determined to attend your preferred schools—and cannot be convinced to go elsewhere—there are a few other tactics you may wish to employ. The following chapter will discuss them in some depth.