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March 10, 2020
List of Colleges and Universities who have cancelled classes (or moved online) due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 ) is at 150+ please see link

> It is likely that the vast majority of #colleges [https://twitter.com/hashtag/colleges?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] & #universities [https://twitter.com/hashtag/universities?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] in the U.S. will move courses online/ cancel classes in the U.S due to #COVID19 [https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID19?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw] As of yesterday this has happened fully in 22 nations and rising. It is occurring now too rapidly to track each school. — Spivey Consulting (@Sp

March 5, 2020
Spivey Consulting Group COVID-19 Update on the Impact to Law School Admissions

We continue to be asked from a variety of directions, both from schools and from applicants, about how COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will impact law schools, particularly as it relates to law school admissions.

December 12, 2019
Entering Class Data for Every ABA Law School

The link to all of the entering class data for every ABA-approved law school from the official 509 reports is here.

June 22, 2019
LSAC Updates

NAPLA Conference LSAC Slide Show A member of Spivey Consulting was in attendance at the Northeast Association of Pre Law Advisers conference these past few days. LSAC presented updates, and we have pictures of the slides to share, as well as other comments they made. - Notes and Takeaways July Test * They mentioned that 28,000+ registered for July, which was welcome since they were hoping for a large pool t

June 12, 2019
LSAT Retake Rules and You

LSAT retake rules as of 2019.

May 6, 2019
Create Your Own Law School Rankings (coming soon)

Learn how to make your own custom law school rankings.

January 28, 2019
2018/2019 Midpoint Cycle Update

An update from approximately 50% of the way through the cycle.

May 13, 2018
ABA On Track To Drop LSAT Requirement: What Happens Now

On Friday, May 11, 2018, an ABA council approved a proposal that formally removes the requirement that the LSAT be used for admissions purposes.

January 15, 2018
Brief cycle update as of 1/15

This was from today's one-hour Spivey Consulting internal conference call where most of our admissions team shared observations from speaking with hundreds of applicants on a daily basis and admissions deans each week. Thought I'd share a bit of it and hope it helps! * Top schools are maybe seeing even bigger increases in apps, from what we're hearing * As a result, decisions are coming out much more slowly compared to past years, particularly at the top 7 or so schools * E.g. right no

Podcasts

April 28, 2023
“Everything”

In this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about the widespread notion that, even beyond whatever specific and concrete challenges we each may be facing, there is an added factor of "everything" (in today's society, in life) that can sometimes feel crushing. Then he gives some advice.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

February 23, 2023
When Should You Reach Out to an Admissions Office, and How Should You Do It?

In this short episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses a question that tends to come up frequently this time of year—“Should I contact x law school's admissions office to ask for an update since I haven't heard back yet?”—then talks generally about when it can be advantageous to reach out to admissions, why, and how you should do it.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

February 10, 2023
The Rules of Reddit

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks about how online law school admissions discussion can affect (or not affect) your outcomes. Are adcoms on Reddit? Will they Google you? What sorts of online conduct can turn an admit into a waitlist or deny? Mike gives his thoughts on these questions and more from 15+ years following law school message boards.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

March 1, 2023
Why Is This Cycle So Slow—& What You Can Do About It

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike discusses the factors that have led to this historically slow-moving cycle—and how you can strategically leverage that knowledge to your advantage.

Mike references two of our other episodes in this podcast:

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

March 11, 2023
On Dream Schools

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Mike talks to Spivey Consulting's COO Anna Hicks-Jaco about a question from Reddit—one that we hear many times every year. "How do I stop being so attached to my dream school?"

This episode mentions several other interviews, including our episode with Dr. Guy Winch and our episode with Dr. Judson Brewer.

"Life teaches you how to live it, if you live long enough." –Tony Bennett

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Google Podcasts.

April 17, 2023
Interview with a Harvard Law Transfer Student

In this episode of Status Check with Spivey, Spivey Consulting's Derek Meeker interviews a Harvard Law 2L (and former client) who transferred from the University of Idaho. They talk about his background and story, his non-traditional path to law school, his initial 1L application, his transfer application (and what made it shine), the expectations vs. reality of transferring law schools, and more.

You can listen and subscribe to Status Check with Spivey on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, YouTube, and Google Podcasts.

Note: Discussion of Max's transfer admissions process begins approximately at the 32-minute mark.

Derek Meeker is a nationally respected professional among law school admissions and career services deans. His more than 20 years of experience include serving as Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid for the University of Pennsylvania Law School, as Recruiting Manager for global law firm Paul Hastings, and as an admissions reader for the University of Chicago Law School.

As Dean of Admissions at Penn Law, Derek evaluated and made the final decision on every J.D. application—over 6,000 per year. During his tenure, Penn Law received a record number of applications, increased selectivity, and expanded need-based, public service, and merit scholarship programs. As a consultant, he has guided hundreds of law school applicants through 10 admission cycles and has advised law schools on their admissions and career services strategies. He also has counseled law students on the big law hiring process, interviewing skills, and etiquette. He has spoken at dozens of colleges across the country and served on committees and panels for various professional organizations, including as a research assistant and Chair of the New Admission Personnel and Faculty Members Workshop for the Law School Admission Council (LSAC).

A first-generation college student from rural Ohio and member of the LGBTQ community, Derek is most proud of his legacy of increasing racial, sexual orientation, and socio-economic diversity at Penn Law and in helping to launch diversity scholarships at Paul Hastings. He also has served as a career mentor and writing coach to first-generation college applicants in the Los Angeles area.

A former practicing attorney, Derek holds a B.S. in Journalism and takes continuing education courses in the Writers’ Program at UCLA. He is passionate about writing and loves coaching students to be better writers. Derek is based in LA and enjoys acting, yoga, meditation, biking, and camping.