Georgetown's admission for next year (06)

[edfromlockstock]

Hello,

   I, like some people on this website, received an admission offer from Georgetown for next year with a possibility for this year (a different sort of waitlist).

   Personally, I did not feel this decision reflected my credentials (i.e. LSAT 170, GPA 3.46 with an addendum explaining a heavy drop in GPA for one year, and pointing out that my GPA for the 3 other years was 3.81, Mexican-American, chair of the student judicial board). Besides that I have been accepted to historically more competitive schools. So I suspect that something is awry. I wrote to the Director of Admissions that offered me a warm and considerate response assuring me that the policy is honest and with the best intentions.

    The Director of Admissions also pointed out in her email, that my letter was the first negative response her office has received from those in this small group of deferred accepted students. Although I believe her, I was shocked. I will explain my reasons for discontent here, and hope that people in this small group, respond to why they did not share their discontent or why they are not discontent with the admissions policy at Georgetown.

1.   For one, this admissions policy affects next year’s applicants without them knowing it. Like myself, they will believe that they are applying for the full number of 1L spots at GULC when this in fact is not the case; those who decide to put off their legal studies in order to attend GULC will take a certain number of spots (of course I don’t know how many spots these are).
2.   Based on my credentials, I believe that they extend this offer to many more students that are in a typical waitlist at other top law schools; that is there is some numbers game that is behind this practice. This is also speculation but I feel their decision on my application warrants speculation.
3.   In the response to my email, the director said “It's a difficult situation when you have great applicants and only a dwindling and finite number of spaces, and we wanted to acknowledge the strength of your application”. The problem for me with this response is that their application deadline has been extended twice after I applied. When I applied their web page said that the deadline was Feb 1, it was then extended to March 1 and finally to March 15 (last I checked). Why would they extend the deadline if based on the number of spots they have offered, they can’t offer many more offers of admission? If, I who was complete in the 1st week of February didn’t get in, I suspect in order to get in now you would have to have Harvard line numbers. It seems to me unfair for those who applied past the original deadline because extending the deadline seems to send the opposite message; i.e. that they aren’t happy with the regular deadline application pool.

I hope that people here offer their view on the practice. As I said in the letter, I might be wrong. But it seems to me an uncommon and dishonest policy. I am especially interesting in reading the views of those who received the same offers.

Thank You

Lao-Tze

[dave303]

You have no intention of actually attending georgetown right? This is why they deferred accepted you, they know you are going to harvard/yale/stanford and giving you a spot will just take it away from someone who actualy wants to come.

[edfromlockstock]

I applied to Georgetown because it is a school I was and still am considering attending. Whether at the end what Georgetown offers in terms of programs in the areas I am interested in, is stronger or weaker than other schools is part of the decision making process.

If the reason is the one you discussed, I applaud Georgetown, though they have to be careful. Because they might exclude students like myself that considered attending Georgetown. Also, I applaud the administration of Georgetown for their considerate responses and warm attention they have given me.

[laestrella]

I think that the OP is absolutely correct.  I was placed on the Regular waiting list and didn't know what exactly the "Priority Waiting List" was.  I think that everyone should re-read what was written above.  Also please note that Georgetown's deadline was extended 3 times.  I had a very terrible feeling about this when I saw it change and the OP confirmed my suspicions.  I feel there is definitely a numbers game going on with them and I'm surprised that others aren't voicing their opinions.  Why would Georgetown have 2 waiting lists?  Why not just keep the priority waiting list?  And why are people who are on the regular waiting list not good enough to be in next year's class if Georgetown would like to have them in their 05 class "if space permits?"  It doesn't matter to me how this plays out, but something is definitely strange about their practices.

[Neub]

Correct me if I am wrong laestrella, but I think you are referring to the "preferred waiting list" when you say "priority". I just want to make sure, because I am on the preferred waiting list at GTown and I have seen no indication that this includes an offer of admission for next year.  I think edfromlockstock is in another type of group entirely, but this is just my assumption.

Can you help clear this up edfromlockstock?

[SuicideNixon]

anyone who gets priority waitlist for this year/acceptance next year from georgetown: simply send them a thoughtful email expressing you desire to go there and why you prefer it to other top schools. they will follow up with an acceptance letter. This is what happened to me.

[michaelduke]

anyone who gets priority waitlist for this year/acceptance next year from georgetown: simply send them a thoughtful email expressing you desire to go there and why you prefer it to other top schools. they will follow up with an acceptance letter. This is what happened to me.

Just curious, did they also offer financial aid? 

[SuicideNixon]

anyone who gets priority waitlist for this year/acceptance next year from georgetown: simply send them a thoughtful email expressing you desire to go there and why you prefer it to other top schools. they will follow up with an acceptance letter. This is what happened to me.

Just curious, did they also offer financial aid? 

not yet, but i havent filled out there financial aid form yet

[Lucy_Law]

I was admitted for Fall '06.  Didn't really think much of it, waited a couple of weeks and then e-mailed the Director of Admissions a one sentence e-mail asking if I needed to do anything further with regards to my application.  I got an acceptance for this Fall a week later...I don't know if the two are related?  Now I am awash in financial aid forms myself...sigh.

[hocuspocus]

anyone who gets priority waitlist for this year/acceptance next year from georgetown: simply send them a thoughtful email expressing you desire to go there and why you prefer it to other top schools. they will follow up with an acceptance letter. This is what happened to me.

This happened to me too, and I was telling the truth, but then UVA gave me money, so I'm not going to Georgetown.  I feel bad, but that's the way it goes, I suppose.