This question on fee waivers was submitted to me:

• ...if I get a fee waiver from [a] school, what are my chances of actually getting in? Obviously they must think I am somewhat qualified, but when I look at the statistics for a particular school, my LSAT/GPA are on the low end (or off) their 25/75 mark.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if your numbers are below a school's 25th percentile then you're probably a bit of a pawn in the admissions game the school is playing in order to look better to the US News law school rankings system.

Here's the scoop, taken from a editorial piece in The Badger Herald (University of Wisconsin's newspaper):

• If you’ve ever received a fee waiver from a law school, the waiver is often times little more than a metaphorical game piece. Fee waivers are another way law schools game the rankings. Take a closer look at the methodology section of the U.S. News rankings. The most weight is given to “selectivity” and “quality assessment.” The selectivity ranking is composed of the school’s median LSAT score, GPA and rejection rate.

In other words, there is some evidence that schools give certain candidates fee waivers to encourage more unqualified applications and increase rejection numbers. This makes the school look better in the category of "selectivity" in the US News ranking.

Kind of harsh, but welcome to the competitive world of law school admissions. Send in your application because its free. Maybe your intangibles will overwhelm admissions. But don't get your hopes up.

More links on law schools gaming the admissions system in order to look better to US news rankings:

Leiter Reports: More Evidence of Top Law Schools "Gaming" the U.S. News Ranking System?

Orin Kerr: Cooking the Books for the U.S. News: Juicy Stories Wanted

PrawfsBlawg: The Economics of Admission

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*I am a law student. That means I don't have all the answers. I may be lacking knowledge in certain areas, namely the real world practice of law. But I have done a lot of research into the law school process as a whole and I am currently living through law school. I am also surrounded by a lot of smart and experienced people with unique insight into the law school world who either work at CALI or with whom CALI have close relationships. I hope that you seek others' opinions and insights in addition to mine in order to make an informed decision.