Dear Hillary:
I just found out that I got rejected by my top choice law school. I’m devastated. I did get accepted, with partial merit scholarships to some pretty good regional schools. And I’m waitlisted at a Tier One Ivy. Deposits are due soon — what should I do? Do you think I will be able to transfer into the school I really wanted to go to?
T.
Dear T:
I feel your pain. This time of year can be a roller coaster of emotions for law school applicants. Here are a few some tips for getting through it, and moving towards a decision.
DON’T:
-Don’t beat yourself up over the rejection. After a day or two, try to focus on, and get excited about the schools you have been admitted to — I believe that things have a way of working out for the best.
-Don’t do nothing about the Tier One School where you are on the waitlisted. If you want to go there, email them to let them know you are still very interested, and keep in touch with them throughout the rest of the admissions cycle.
-Don’t make your final decision solely based on the rankings — while rankings can be helpful, they are not the only factor.
DO:
-Do try and visit all of the schools you have been accepted to in person, either at their open house admissions event, or on a day when you have set up meetings in advance with the departments you have questions for – career services, admissions, and any special academic program heads you want to meet.
-Do feel free to politely negotiate your merit scholarship offer if, after visiting, the school you like the best has not made you the best offer. Do find out what is the GPA/Class Rank requirement for maintaining the scholarship.
-Do check out the employment statistics for the graduates of the schools you have been admitted to — you can view them on the school’s web page, on the ABA site, or at employmentsummary.abaquestionnaire.org.
-Do calculate all the costs of attending each school you have been admitted to, so you can compare costs. If one of them is giving you a ten thousand dollar merit scholarship, for example, but another is in your hometown, and you would not have to pay rent, you might be breaking even. Think about the cost of rent in each school’s location, as well as the difference in tuition, room, and board.
-As to transferring to your dream school — it’s definitely possible, but you should know that transferring from one law school to another is not all that common or easy. Law school classes tend to be small, and not that many spaces open up. Transferring is often based on first year grades, so keep that in mind at whatever law school you decide to attend.
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Hillary Mantis works with pre-law students, law students, and lawyers. She is a Director of the Pre-Law Program at Fordham University, and the author of Alternative Careers for Lawyers. You can reach Hillary at altcareer@aol.com.
