What does Non Traditional mean for adcoms?

[Roxy]

It sounds like we've had similar kooky starts to a law degree If you saw my whole resume, you'd laugh. But, yes, I definitely embrace my "versatility"... and hey, I can make really pretty briefs and exhibits or something, right?

I will hope to get the same good news from GW, tho these days just about any news would be good, being right on the cusp for all these schools makes me jittery, esp. with a weird background, and I've got to start thinking about what/where/how to move my whole life here soon!

[Roxy]

ha ha ha, just went and checked my email and got the email from GW funny. you must be my good luck!

yay!

[AH]

sorry to be random, when'd you guys send in/go complete?

CONGRATS roxy!

my file is with the committee so i am wondering when to expect.

Besz of luck to all your non-traditional applicants!

[Roxy]

at GW? I sent in the beginning of Dec., they never sent complete notice, so I finally called late Dec and they said it was complete, so not sure exactly. Sometime mid-Dec., I guess?

Good luck to you!

[queencruella]

Congrats Roxylaw! Now it's time for GULC to send you the acceptance! I'm a little sub-par for that, but you just may make it in.  There's nothing wrong with versatility- I am working for this guy now freelance who gave me some jobs about 4 years ago writing continuing education courses for a certain profession in which I have no experience whatsoever. It's not like it is hard to read scholarly journals/studies to write the courses, but it's definitely a "huh?" moment on a resume. 

arhodg- Sent mine into GW 11/16, just got a response Friday.

[Roxy]

I'm hoping to maybe squeak in there... but not holding my breath (or worried too much, would love to get out of the city and be somewhere more rural, even if lower-ranked).

It's so nice to know others out there are as random as I am, I've done something similar to what you are doing, too... I think some part of my PS said something like "I've had to become an expert in topics ranging from blah to blah in order to speak or write coherently on them..." I think that's a great LS skill!

[SkullTatt]

To answer the OP's original question, based on my own experience applying to 22 schools, I believe that non-trads are looked at strictly along the numbers as is everyone else.

Maybe if you have a super-high LSAT (170+) things will be different; mine was only 165, which is within the range of many T14's, but when you count my low UGPA (3.21) it's not enough. Which means they are looking at my UGPA earned 10+ years ago in concert with my LSAT.

It also could be that if you have exceptional life experience (like being a physician or a VP at some company) that counts for more. I thought I had solid job experience (technology career) and volunteer experience (years at many different groups, founded a small GLBT organization in my area.) But I guess not!

Anyway, I got in everyplace where I was 50th percentile or above for the school's GPA/LSAT index, got waitlisted at a place where I was at about 48th percentile, and rejected at other places. (Oh, yeah, and I also got into one place where I was at around 45th percentile, but that might be because I applied binding ED by accident -- oops!)

Anyway, though I had hoped for a higher-ranked school, I am pretty excited to be going to GW since I knew that with my low GPA, according to the #'s, it should be the best school I would get into. And guess what, it was! Plus I got scholarships at local schools where I was 75th percentile or above, which is also something I had hoped for.

Maybe if your longer life experience gives you more to write about in terms of hardships overcome (as we all know, adcomms love those) you will increase your chances.

Just throwing stuff out there and my two cents... and I guess there is still a chance that I will get into some higher-ranked school in the next couple months. Not really holding my breath on that...

[SkullTatt]

so then, the schools who say that diversity is such a big issue (not talking urm diversity here) are just blowing smoke?

It's hard to say. I mean, when schools get 6,000 applicants for 600 seats, maybe they are able to find diverse, non-trad, handicapped candidates who fit all the qualifications AND have a 3.75 UGPA. Maybe I am not giving the schools enough credit.

Further down the food chain the schools probably overlook more in terms of numbers to get the diversity they need.

[queencruella]

I think you are right- research and writing about areas that are not familiar to you is critical to success in law school. I got thrown into one project having to do with nuclear decontamination and boy was that a quick learning curve. However, when I was getting my master's degree in education and had to take the measurement/research classes, I was leagues ahead of my classmates because I was so used to that stuff already. I didn't actually address that job in my PS though- not enough room and it wasn't my most recent job.  They can see it on the resume though.  

As for looking at strictly numbers, I disagree.  If that were the case, you wouldn't see people with high numbers getting held at Harvard while other people with much lower numbers are getting accepted.  

[upNdown]

I mentioned the running and the tri stuff in the application under the activities section (and I listed marathons that I've run).  However, my PS was more about why I'm now thinking law school, or rather, why I've always thought law school, but am now ready.  It started off with a story about an incident that happened when I was younger (labor strike against my family's company), how that influenced my decision of schools and what to study (possibly obvious now with the info I've given), why I didn't go to law school after undergrad and why I'm now ready and what I want to do with it....

Sounds like a good decision.  I don't think non-trads are allowed the luxury of a 'fluff' PS about surfing or spelunking or even marathoning.  I think we nontrads HAVE to do two things in our PS's , regardless of what the schools ask for. 
1) Explain our lives/work experience since undergrad
2) Justify our decision to return to school. 

And I think being nontrad means something to some schools.  If it didn't, I wouldn't have gotten in anywhere.  I know Suffolk isn't exactly T14, but I garuntee you that they wouldn't have taken me 10 years ago. 

Good luck.