A Brief Reading Assignment…And Lucy Reigns…

A Brief Reading Assignment…And Lucy Reigns…

As you embark on the application process this year, there is one very important document you should read now, then read again when you begin to see admission offers appear in your mailbox (or in-box).  This 4-page Law School Admission Council document is titled The Statement of Good Admission and Financial Aid Practices and is a statement that all law school admission officers are expected to adhere to and abide by. Take the time to read through the document.  Print up a copy and keep it handy.  I’ve done the same – there is a copy always within reach on my desk.

The statement outlines the principles that guide our work as admission officers.  It keeps us honest and focused on fair practices concerning you rather than our own need to outfox or outwit other schools and climb the rankings ladder.  Admissions is a business – I get that – but let’s put the games aside and really help you make the best decision you can based on your own sense of “fit” and not by having law schools twist your arm and force a decision before you are ready to make it.  Hold us to the tenets expressed in the statement.  I hate the next statement I’m going to make because I shouldn’t have to say it, but I’m going to say it anyway.  Keep us honest.

When I hear from an applicant about a situation they’re facing, I silently say “Tsk, tsk, tsk…” and brace myself for the ensuing conversation and say “There is a statement you need to familiarize yourself with.”  When you read the statement, you will discover that a school cannot ask you to make a decision prior to April 1.  You will discover that you may accept any new offer even though you’ve accepted a scholarship elsewhere and paid a deposit.  You will discover that a school at which you’ve placed a deposit or confirmed your enrollment cannot require you to remove your name from another school’s waitlist.  Really?  Yes, so you need to take an active role if you find yourself in a situation that just doesn’t feel right.  Reading the statement is a very good way to start.  Now you know, but how do you go about “reminding” an admissions dean or director of this pesky issue?  I am keenly aware that this act of reminding is an awkward and uncomfortable situation.  I understand and I feel your pain, but you need to find your voice and be heard.  Take the bull by the horn, bite the bullet, etc., okay?

In reading over this post, I’m beginning to feel that it’s kind of a heavy topic.  Right?  So, let’s see if I can turn this around and end on a happy note.  Click here – Lucy is always good for a smile and she’s headed in the right direction, don’t you think?

2 Responses to A Brief Reading Assignment…And Lucy Reigns…
  1. Thanks for the heads-up on the typo!

  2. Glad you’re back to writing, Dean Deal!

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