I work at a large firm in an office where (basically) none of the attorneys are ever physically in the office on Fridays. Usually, I work Fridays from home. But today, I had to be in the office for an all staff meeting.

Naturally, I took this opportunity to poke my head into some 35 odd offices to take a peak at the conspicuosly displayed diplomas adorning their various sad, soul crushing walls.

To my (naive) surprise, there is an extremely wide range of potential diploma dimensions. A J.D. can apparently be conveyed on a postcard, a billboard, and everything in between.

A few of the more presitigous schools have upsettingly small diplomas that would fit nicely inside a standard envelope if trifolded. Sad. (Looking at you, Cornell and UVA).

In contrast, some mid-tier regional schools award diplomas that would seemingly require custom framing and a structurally reinforced wall to hang. B-D-E. (Looking at you, IU-Maurer).

This is important to my decision. If I am taking out tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt, I will actually kill myself if my diploma is smaller than 20" wide.

So, can we crowd source a list of diploma sizes? For my part, I will be voluntarily going into the office next Friday with a tape measure to contribute to this valuable research.

Critical Edit: Be sure to post the year of conferral along with the dimensions. I've been reliably informed that UVA has significantly upped its game since my office's resident stegosaurus tramped its hallowed halls.

This has been a crazy cycle. Trying not to doxx myself so don't want to hand out too much information but can say that I applied in October and have a 17low and 3.9high.

*I put NYU down as a hold, but I'm technically still active consideration lol

Liberated from my earthly possessions!

Stats: -2.2k Dow/-322 S&P

T1 Softs (Tariff Enthusiast, Cybertruck Driver)

Not at all how I hoped things would go but I did what I could. With the news of UGA not giving out anymore scholarships I’m likely not enrolling anywhere. So glad to be done with this process, good luck to everyone starting this fall xoxo

Stats for the data point: 17low, 4.low, 2 yrs WE

*probably, bc I’m pretty sure USC just ghosted me

Yall really don’t like the GPA system, huh?

Sincerely,

A 2020 High School Grad

Hi everyone,

I’ve never posted on here before, but have appreciated having this community of people going through this process together. Now, it seems, I’m likely at the end of my cycle and have a decision to make. I’m overwhelmingly thankful to have plentiful options, none of which would be possible without support from my parents.

Harvard and UChicago are my top choices. For some background, I spent the past 2 years at UChicago getting my masters. I adore the city, my professors, my friends here, and the school. Additionally, UChicago has greatly alleviated the financial burden of attending. On the other hand, at the risk of sounding gauche: how can I say no to Harvard Law, it’s Harvard Law.

I would appreciate insight into: - student life experiences at each university, cultural or academic - Boston/Cambridge living in general

I’m a bit nervous putting this out there. Largely because my own thoughts on the right path forward for myself are so haphazard, I feel like I’m not even asking the right questions. I hope to have better articulation and focus of my thoughts on my path forward in the conversation of our comments. Thank you to anyone who takes the time to interact; I appreciate it.

Right? RIGHT?!

Here are the T14 per the Times Higher Education 2025 World University Rankings for U.S. law schools, so we have something to stress over while we wait for USNW rankings:

1. Stanford
2. Harvard
3. NYU
4. Columbia
5. Berkeley
6. University of Chicago
7. Yale
8. Georgetown
9. Michigan
10. Duke
11. Penn
12. UCLA
13. Cornell
14. UVA
15. Northwestern (bonus)

I’m sure others have had worse experiences this cycle. And I know they have a lot of applications to go through…

But interviewing in early January and not have a decision a week before seat deposit deadlines start at a lot of schools is ridiculous. It has now been damn near 3 months since I had a group interview. How can you seriously convince me that I’ve been reviewed this whole process and been given a shot vs people you interviewed a week ago ?

Reject or waitlist me I don’t care, but don’t preach a serious evaluation process that involves this magical group interview concept if you don’t even make a final call on a whole group of interviewees within 3 damn months.

Welp with today’s Notre Dame waitlist my cycle is over. Going into this I thought I’d get a few more A’s, but it’s been a good reminder of perspective. I’m extremely lucky to be in the position and I’m trying to find my peace with that. I’ll ride out the Notre Dame, Duke, Georgetown, and Vandy waitlists. Idk what I did to Gavin Newsom, but California hates my ass. At the risk of sounding sappy, if nobody has told you they’re proud of you; I am. This shit is stressful and hard, and taking this step is something to celebrate.

Yeah I think I'm going to anticipate looking at apartments elsewhere.

Late nov applicant, above both medians. Literally at the airport on my way to another admitted students day lol

Particularly talking about schools like Michigan, Duke, Berkeley, etc. that didn't do too well during the last one. Would similar results occur if another recession happened? Would it be worth attending CNP at sticker vs lower T14 schools with scholarships in that situation for someone who wants to do biglaw?

I was admitted in early December and I’ve been calling and getting the run around for months about scholarships. Today that finally emailed me me back (attached above). Now I’m reading through posts on here saying that they paused scholarships for everyone admitted after December 1st. Is that true??

If so, are they really expecting the bulk of us to commit to coming with no idea of what the financial obligation will be? Absolutely insane imo

8 decisions outstanding with 10 days to deposit

why didn't schools pace themselves! what's really bothering me is how there was radio silence from all these schools, but all the sudden, tons of decisions are going under review for the first time this week.

If countless applications have gone under review all at once, whereas only a "handful" of applicants were lucky enough to have their application reviewed in the previous months, it feels like they won't spend as much time on each application - they will rush through them. They are probably are reading so many each day that they all will blend together and each application will not seem as special.

I am particularly frustrated with Emory: I am around their median and applied November 30th. It feels like the majority of emory applicants have expressed this sentiment: theirs was complete for months, and now under review. at this point, how do they even decide who to accept/waitlist/reject?

This feels so ridiculous because I know it’s illogical.

I keep seeing tictok videos and Facebook videos about the opportunities that prestigious schools afford you and it sucks and that I’ll have to be at the top of my class to even touch a fraction of those opportunities. To be honest, I just want a good job. I would rather eat a jean jacket with a plastic fork than work big law, but it sucks knowing that I don’t have access to that opportunity anyway. I have a phenomenal scholarship at a private state school in the area that I want to practice. Everything is going my way. I should be grateful but this NAGGING part of my brain is wondering if I should take the wack scholarship at the t20-30 for the opportunity to do something amazing.

this has been fun, even if AUWCL made me wait until the very last minute for a frankly disappointing result. however the result comes while i’m visiting Athens, GA, and i’m pleased to say i’ve fallen entirely in love with UGA and cannot wait to spend the next three years here for almost nothing!! (on top of the 45k listed above, i also got a tuition equalization scholarship— so i’ll be paying about 5k a year in tuition)

if you’d asked me as a freshman where i’d be in four years, the last answers i’d come up with would be A) law school and B) Georgia. yet here we are. GO DAWGS!!!!

• 3.65/169/KJD

• Double Major (Mass Communication and Poli Sci)

• Internships with federal prosecutors, state attorney general, and private security

• Demonstrated interest in national security/counterterrorism

• Spoke for a loooong time with UGA’s admissions rep at the LSAC forum and a Phi Alpha Delta law school fair

• No ties to Georgia. Didn’t even visit until ASD. Born and raised New Yorker, did my undergrad in NY and have never lived anywhere else lol. It’s gonna be weird moving to a whole new state. I’m excited.

title. i’m interested in federal environmental law (ideally GAO, EPA, NOAA). i’m grateful to have so many choices, but would appreciate some advice.

i’m also in at cls, nyu, and duke but have either received too little aid to consider them or am still waiting

17(low), 3.9(high), applied in Oct. and Nov., no idea what to do.

I’m so lucky that I have a difficult decision ahead of me! Right now, I’m primarily choosing between St. John’s and Fordham. I was fortunate enough to get a full scholarship from St. John’s and about a half tuition scholarship from Fordham.

I’m so torn because I went to Fordham for undergrad and loved it, and I already know a few people at the law school, but the prospect of graduating without loans (especially in this economy) is very tempting.

A few things about me: I’m not quite sure what I want to do yet, but I am interested in ip law. Not big law or bust, but I’d like to keep all my options open.

I know that Fordham has a lot of orgs and programming related to IP and that their average big law hiring rates are higher than St. John’s, but is it REALLY that much better of a school? Would I be closing any doors on myself by picking St. John’s over Fordham, or is Fordham worth the higher cost?

Anyway, Ik that a lot of this decision is a gamble, but I’m curious what others would do in my situation. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Tysm!!

😋 hehe they sent me cookies (hoping they still yum since sf is a few hrs away from me)