Does anyone have any advice for increasing the chance of getting off of a waitlist?  My acceptances for this year are not so good, and with rejections from Temple, Villanova and Drexel, I'm hoping I can move off the Rutgers WL so I don't have to relocate or take a year off entirely.  I know that sending a LOCI or something is usually a good idea, but the only thing I could offer is that my final semester senior grades were excellent, and the GPA I've maintained for the last two years is considerably higher than the cumulative GPA I was forced to advertise to the schools I applied to.  I think that is a strong indication that the upward trend in my academic progress is likely to continue in law school.

(EDIT - Cumulative undergrad GPA moved from 3.27 to 3.30, but semester GPA was high 3.6 with Dean's List, where it's been for two years.  Had a couple bad semesters at the beginning that hurt me.)

Failing that, would I have better chances if I offered to attend the part-time programs?  As terrifying as spending an evening in Camden is, I can't imagine seats are as competitive.


Thanks for the input,

AMK

As a PA resident from outside the Philadelphia area, I'm trying to find schools in the area that I have a good shot of being accepted to with my crappy LSAT scores and poor GPA.  I just got my score today, and it's only a 153, exactly what I deserve for the four days of study time I put into preparation for the test.  Please don't flame me about it, I assure you I've heard enough about it already.  My GPA isn't very high either, sitting at a 3.27 as of this writing, and probably 3.35 by the time I graduate in May.  I am almost 100% positive I could score 160+ pretty easily on the LSAT had I put proper time into studying for it, but because of my age (25) and my family circumstances (orphan, only child), and massive ($75,000) undergraduate debt, I don't think I can afford to support myself if I took time off to "try again next year."

That being said, Drexel is my first choice as the only school in Philadelphia I may have a shot at getting into since my stats aren't high enough for Penn, Temple, or Villanova.  I can't find reliable information on Drexel's standards for admission, and what I do find seems to be all over the place.  I do provide diversity because of my background (deceased parents, foster care) and I have a *glowing* letter of recommendation from a professor that's convinced I'm the best writer he's had in a class in thirty years of teaching.  Also, Drexel's deadline's a good deal later than most schools so I don't know that I'd be in a bad position applying this late.

I'd also like opinions on whether or not anyone thinks I should even waste the time on applying to Temple, or if I should resign myself to Widener if I want to go to school in the Philadelphia area.  Though I do plan on rooming with my best friend from high school who is still completing his undergraduate degree at Temple, and Widener is still nearly forty minutes away from the city, so it would be one hell of a commute. 

So that's my question.  Think I have a shot at Drexel?