Economy and law school admissions -- tougher?

[XxWaitlistedxX]

I don't think people are waiting to get laid off before they start considering Law School.  Most people fear an unstable work situation and most companies are cutting back now, so it's the best time in a long while to hide away for 3 years in law school.

[imchuckbass58]

Harvard is up 5-6% to date, Chicago is up ~5%:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/admissions/2008/12/19/year-in-progress/

http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/adayinthelife/2009/01/what-is-up-in-the-admissions-office.html

Consensus seems to be there's a lag that will hit next cycle.

[bloomlaw]

Harvard is up 5-6% to date, Chicago is up ~5%:

http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/admissions/2008/12/19/year-in-progress/

http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/adayinthelife/2009/01/what-is-up-in-the-admissions-office.html

Consensus seems to be there's a lag that will hit next cycle.

this doesn't prove that applicants are up. It only proves that applications are up.

[sheltron5000]

Hey, I just had a new thought. Does anyone think that with all the layoffs in biglaw, that we'll see more see more downstream matriculation?

I'm thinking that people might consider the job market more seriously and find all those scholarships more tempting.

Thoughts?

[LawDog3]

All I know is, recent college graduates, people whose career progression makes sense for law school and reapplicants from last year should get preference over any lamebag who has recently lost a high-paying Wall Street position and seems to just want to ride out the storm. I hope law schools are doing the responsible thing and really checking these applications for that, b/c it is going on. It's not fair to the applicants who are really into this and want to be attorneys. 

Personally, I would also love to see a cap on the number of law schools an applicant can apply to and the number of cycles an applicant can apply in. Maybe three years (max) in any five years, with a 12 school limit per year (that's fair, right?). Then we'll find out who really wants to be lawyers. And people would take more time, prep better for the LSAT (or whatever exam is instituted) and turn in higher quality applications.

Most of all, maybe the weak links (people who shouldn't go to law school or people applying for the wrong reasons) would get weeded out. Plus, the admissions committees would not be as overworked and could scrutinize each applicant better. It might also allow schools to interview applicants, something they would all love to do.

[sheltron5000]

All I know is, recent college graduates, people whose career progression makes sense for law school and reapplicants from last year should get preference over any lamebag who has recently lost a high-paying Wall Street position and seems to just want to ride out the storm. I hope law schools are doing the responsible thing and really checking these applications for that, b/c it is going on. It's not fair to the applicants who are really into this and want to be attorneys. 

Personally, I would also love to see a cap on the number of law schools an applicant can apply to and the number of cycles an applicant can apply in. Maybe three years (max) in any five years, with a 12 school limit per year (that's fair, right?). Then we'll find out who really wants to be lawyers. And people would take more time, prep better for the LSAT (or whatever exam is instituted) and turn in higher quality applications.

Most of all, maybe the weak links (people who shouldn't go to law school or people applying for the wrong reasons) would get weeded out. Plus, the admissions committees would not be as overworked and could scrutinize each applicant better. It might also allow schools to interview applicants, something they would all love to do.

No offense, but I really don't care. Most successful people will be successful at whatever they want to do. Most people who lost wall street jobs were not responsible for this mess, I don't wish them ill and I welcome their competition (as long as I get in where I want). I think most adcomms look for a diverse class anyway so there were always going to be a few wall streeters at any T1 schools. Some of the ones who lost jobs wanted to be lawyers, but worried about the money anyway. Whatever.

My question still stands: are scholarships more tempting to elite applicants this cycle?

[imchuckbass58]

Sheltron I think your point is probably valid -- anecdotally I know law schools are expecting an increase in financial aid requests. I think it's mitigated by a couple of things:

--While applicants might be thinking more about the job market, they're still not probably thinking as realistically as they should

--There might be a tendency to assume/hope the job market will be better when current 0Ls are applying for jobs

Nonetheless, I think on the margin you're probably right, though I wouldn't expect a huge effect.

[zippyandzap]

My question still stands: are scholarships more tempting to elite applicants this cycle?

Or are they less tempting because people want to go to the best school they can to make sure they have jobs?

I can see it either way.  I'm facing the question right now- UCLA/BU with full tuition or NYU at sticker?  Hopefully the 2nd half of my cycle will give me a clearer picture.

[AmyWaxFanClubPresident]

Blantant Obama Administration trolling.  Regulate the free-market of law schools apps, its not fair because people who really want to be lawyers have a "right," screw bankers.... I didn't realize change was coming this quick.  Jesus.

All I know is, recent college graduates, people whose career progression makes sense for law school and reapplicants from last year should get preference over any lamebag who has recently lost a high-paying Wall Street position and seems to just want to ride out the storm. I hope law schools are doing the responsible thing and really checking these applications for that, b/c it is going on. It's not fair to the applicants who are really into this and want to be attorneys. 

Personally, I would also love to see a cap on the number of law schools an applicant can apply to and the number of cycles an applicant can apply in. Maybe three years (max) in any five years, with a 12 school limit per year (that's fair, right?). Then we'll find out who really wants to be lawyers. And people would take more time, prep better for the LSAT (or whatever exam is instituted) and turn in higher quality applications.

Most of all, maybe the weak links (people who shouldn't go to law school or people applying for the wrong reasons) would get weeded out. Plus, the admissions committees would not be as overworked and could scrutinize each applicant better. It might also allow schools to interview applicants, something they would all love to do.

[sheltron5000]

Blantant Obama Administration trolling.  Regulate the free-market of law schools apps, its not fair because people who really want to be lawyers have a "right," screw bankers.... I didn't realize change was coming this quick.  Jesus.

All I know is, recent college graduates, people whose career progression makes sense for law school and reapplicants from last year should get preference over any lamebag who has recently lost a high-paying Wall Street position and seems to just want to ride out the storm. I hope law schools are doing the responsible thing and really checking these applications for that, b/c it is going on. It's not fair to the applicants who are really into this and want to be attorneys. 

Personally, I would also love to see a cap on the number of law schools an applicant can apply to and the number of cycles an applicant can apply in. Maybe three years (max) in any five years, with a 12 school limit per year (that's fair, right?). Then we'll find out who really wants to be lawyers. And people would take more time, prep better for the LSAT (or whatever exam is instituted) and turn in higher quality applications.

Most of all, maybe the weak links (people who shouldn't go to law school or people applying for the wrong reasons) would get weeded out. Plus, the admissions committees would not be as overworked and could scrutinize each applicant better. It might also allow schools to interview applicants, something they would all love to do.

Wow, I thought it was off-topic and inane, but you came off as totally hostile and angry.

Bad day?