If you look at my first post in this thread, I mentioned scattegrams based on LSAT/GPA and how there was a “strong correlation” between stats and decisions, but also exceptions. For example, I mentioned most abnormally low stat admits were usually URMs, and a good portion of abnormally high stat waitlists were internationals. I’m sure there are also outliers for other reasons. For example, some law schools like to admit a class with a wide variety of unique backgrounds and experiences. However, the scattergrams did not suggest that students with similar stats and URM/international status who attended “elite” colleges for undergrad had a higher admit rate than students who attended non-elite colleges for undegrads, as suggested by the original post.
What if 20 applicants came from Boise State and they had a higher GPA/LSAT than the Ivy students - would they get in b4 the Ivy students?
What you’re seeing is - that Ivy kids perform best - same way they performed best at undergrad - so they are getting the spots.
But if other kids somehow outscored them - would they get the spots?
No that is not what I am seeing…I am seeing a subtle but real preference for ones own undergrads.
@Data10 Yes you do state the obvious about URMs, but if you would do more analysis on the preference of shools for their own you would find that the numbers simply can’t be attributed to these other factors, they are just too many alumni admits.
What are people’s theories for why it would benefit Harvard Law to admit Harvard College undergrads at a higher rate than Yale or Princeton undergrads with the same numbers? All institutions act in what they perceive to be their own best interest. It’s easy to see from the outside why maximizing LSAT and GPA is in their interest (US News). It’s also easy to understand the bragging rights that come with URM enrollment and with fascinating backstories (“This year’s 1Ls include a submarine skipper, a trapeze artist, and an exonerated survivor of Death Row!”). But why would Harvard Law care if they have 70 Harvard College alumni in a class instead of 65? What interest would that serve?
For context, I’ve been advising law school applicants professionally since 1999, with the exception of the 5 years I spent on staff in the career office at Northwestern Law.
Yes, they would.
A comparison of average stats among Boise States undergrad applicants and Yale undegrad applicants for the year 2016 is below. Note that average applicant from Yale undergrad had a higher LSAT than anyone in all of Boise State undergrad. T14 law schools start at a median LSAT of 168 and go up to 173-174. Only 1 kid in all of Boise State undergrad scored the median LSAT for Cornell Law, and nobody scored the median LSAT for any T14 law school except Cornell. This obviously does not bode well for Boise State kids in T14 law school admissions.
Boise State – Mean LSAT = 150.8, Highest LSAT = 168, Mean GPA = 3.23
Yale – Mean LSAT = 168.9, Highest LSAT = 180, Mean GPA = 3.76
If by some miracle, next year the stats for Bose State and Yale were swapped and Boise state had a mean LSAT of 168.9, mean GPA of 3.76, with some kids scoring as high as a perfect 180; I think it’s a safe bet that Bose State would have a high admit rate to T14 law schools. I’d expect similar or above Ivies. However, this is all theoretical. Similarly it’s a safe bet that Yale would not do well in law school admissions if Yale kids had a mean LSAT of 150.8, mean GPA of 3.23, and nobody in the full class scoring above 168, like the Boise State kids.
I posted stats for Emory kids applying to Emory law earlier. The admit rate was for Emory kids applying to Emory Law 35/109 = 32%. The overall admit rate for students from all undergrad colleges applying to Emory Law that year was 1338/4316 = 31% – not a huge difference. Rather than having a high admit rate, the large number of Emory admits primarily relates to the majority of Emory undergrad kids choosing to apply to Emory law. Emory undergrad kids were more likely to apply to Emory law than any other law school. Do you think kids attending Ivies for undergrad will not have a similar large portion of students applying to their home law school?
I would not be surprised if some law schools do give a boost to applicants from their home school, but seeing an overrperesentation among matriculating students is not good evidence of this. To draw conclusions you need to have information beyond just number of matriculating students, such as admit rate for particular stat range.