Why does Georgetown have group interviews?
I got emailed and asked to do a group interview with the Dean of Admissions from Georgetown. I have over the 75th percentiles for LSAT and GPA. I’m wondering how to interpret this. I’ve been told it’s because they could be trying to YP, or that they could be looking at me for scholarship money. What does everyone think?
By saying you have been told, you mean just like people’s conjecture? Georgetown didn’t give you any reasoning for the interview, am I interpreting this correctly?
I hope this email finds you well. I’m contacting you today to invite you to participate in a video-conference group interview for Georgetown Law.
We are determined to try our best to get to know better as many of you as we possibly can. In an effort to do so, and in addition to the individual interviews that take place around the country through our Alumni Admissions Interview Program, we have added some group interviews in limited locations and for select applicants to our schedule this admissions cycle.
While, of course, we would prefer to interview every applicant in one on one and in-person, with the number of applications we receive, we simply can’t. We have tested out group video-conference interviews with select applicants, and found it was a terrific way to get to know some of you a little bit better. Right now, I’m reaching out to select applicants who have indicated ties to the greater xxxx area to see if you’re interesting in participating in a video-conference interview.
To give you a little information, the interview will last one hour, will take place with a group of approximately 8 – 15 applicants, and will be conducted by me. I will be hosting from Washington, DC on the following date and times.
If you participate, you will join me via video-conference from a law firm in xxx. specific location TBA.
If you’re interested in participating in one of these group interviews, please R.S.V.P to this email and indicate the interview you would like to attend. Spaces are limited and interview slots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. After we hear from you, we will be in touch with additional details.
Please know that your application will in no way be disadvantaged if you’re not currently in the metro Los Angeles area or if you are unable to participate for any other reason. I hope to meet you in person soon.
Best,
Andy
Andrew Cornblatt
Dean of Admissions
Georgetown Law
This is the exact email. I’m not really sure how to interpret it.
It’s not borderline, because I got in without an interview. 3.84/169. It has to be one of the first two if you’re over 75th.
I’m also borderline I think and I got the same invite. Something tells me they are testing out a new technology to see how well it works and have some kind of random system to pick people to participate. Nothing like a nice a captive audience to use for testing out something new.
Same invite, above median LSAT and above 75th percentile GPA. I’m pretty sure it’s a YP issue - I couldn’t make either of the times they offered for the group interview and a few folks in the Georgetown thread suggested that something in my app must make me a borderline applicant, so I emailed the admissions office to let them know I was really interested in the school but couldn’t make any of the times and wanted to see if there were any other interview options. The admissions staffer who wrote me back suggested that the group interview wasn’t really important at all, but they would make a note in my file of the fact that I at least reached out and tried to set up a time. I feel like I definitely wouldn’t have gotten that response if they saw me as a borderline candidate FWIW.
I’m pretty sure they’re using interviews for all three purposes (probably less so for scholarships).
ETA: borderline numbers, invited for individual interview.
None of the above. I think the dean is telling the truth when he says in the email it’s just an effort to show that admissions not just a numbers game (whether that’s true or not is another story). There is absolutely no way they could use your behavior in the interview to determine whether you deserve a scholarship.
My acceptance was postmarked the day after my group interview. I wish I had saved myself the stress and told them I couldn’t make it.
I actually visited Georgetown on Friday and spoke with dean of admissions. I asked him about the interview process. Basically if you seem like an interesting candidate or you had something that stood out in a positive way, the interview will be a way for them to get to know you. If you get an interview, he said 90% of the time it means they want you.
I posted this in another Georgetown interview thread but it’s probably helpful for this one as well.
This information was distributed directly from Georgetown:
Admissions Decisions for Interviewed Applicants for 2008:
39% put on Preferred Waitlist
37% Admitted
7% Denied
17% General Waitlist
If you’re numbers are above both 75%tiles, I’d guess YP (i.e. they want to see how much interest you really have in Georgetown). HTH.
It actually surprises me that that many were waitlisted. My interview was really casual and she basically acted like I was already accepted. I wonder what the distribution is based on when the interviewed applicants applied in the cycle.
(member of the 7%)
How quickly did you guys hear back? When I had my interview a couple days ago, my interviewer said they’d make a decision really quickly and get back to me
I’m wondering about this too. Was just invited for an individual interview. GPA is nearly at 75th, and LSAT is significantly higher than 75th.
Some of these splits are really high for Georgetown interviews:
http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=172918
3.91, 171
173/3.88
please let this be true. BRB, jizzing my pants over the thought of being T14 secure.
don’t worry, i am above both stats and i had to do an individual interview with an alumni. i think it was a yp thing but i got in about two weeks later.
…
shhh. I’m going to assume it means ‘THEY REALLY REALLY WANT YOU’ 
i got into Gtown w/o an interview and my stats are both over 75th…in addition, i didnt even write a why gtown essay…so for me at least, the interview seems to be random…not yp, not borderline…