report sexuality to LSAC?

[lava]

Does anyone know why LSAC asks about sexuality?  Is this data used by schools to add to diversity or is it just used for unidentified other statistical purposes?  Just curious...

[InVinoVeritas]

probably both.  LSAC definitely sends the information to schools and some schools react by sending applicants specific materials that attempt to recruit students on the basis of sexual orientation (race and ethnic-based data is used similarly).  i'm not sure exactly how sexuality factors into adcomm decision-making (i'm sure it depends on the school), but from my experience, it's definitely taken into account.

[gibbsale]

I imagine it is taken into account depending on the circumstances. Some people face major setbacks if they disclose their sexuality to their parents or their family discovers it regardless; that can mean being kicked out of their house, having their entire future disrupted, etc. On the other hand, some people (and I include myself in this category) have a relatively easy time of it, their parents are understanding and it does not set them back (at least not financially). That being said, I think it allows applicants to weed out law schools just as it allows law schools to find sexual minorities. I'm pretty certain that by checking on the box I avoided mail from a lot of Catholic, conservative and Protestant schools (save Notre Dame, which sent me a packet with a two page explanation of why they were not including "sexual orientation" in their nondiscrimination policy). All the better.

[InVinoVeritas]

it's funny you say that gibbsale because i got TONS of mail from all kinds of religiously affiliated schools.  for all of the mail i got promoting the GLBT environment at a school i got another piece of mail from regents, ave maria or other schools of their ilk.

[ramason]

Yeah, the schools definitely get the info.  A friend of mine last year checked that he was gay and he wound up getting letters from some oddball schools he had never heard of congratulating him for "coming out" in the law school admissions process.  I don't think it has any real effect on admissions decisions unless you make a bigger deal out of it though, because he wound up at a catholic university with a huge scholarship (Saint Louis U).

[gibbsale]

 That is strange. Perhaps your scores? I found it odd that I received anything from Notre Dame. I received one small card from Ave Maria, nada from Regent, Pepperdine, or the other weird ones...but I did receive gay-related information from Northwestern, Hofstra and a couple of others. But I still don't know that that disclosure made any difference in the admissions process; that information was not sent by LSAC to the schools I applied to, as far as I know.