Blossom : most engineering applicants can do well in LS admissions as long as they have a above median LSAT score, of which quant folks can do well. (Under the old LSAT, the easiest section to prep for was the Logic Games, which for an MIT grad, is an easy 6-8 LSAT points.) Yes, Eng types are generally applying with a lower GPA than Soft Studies, but they can make up for it in LSAT (as you mentioned previously, a so-called splitter.) Eng types can do well in the splitter competition bcos they are considered more employable – IP and other tech law. And since a small part of the rankings is graduate employment, they can get a tiny boost.
But a splitter will lose out to someone above both medians nearly every time (absent a big hook). Moreover, a Soft Studies major who is in the top quartile of (GPA+LSAT) would have to have be involved in some illegal activities not to be admitted. Heck, looking at Harvard’s classes from teh past few years (pre-covid), it has an extremely high admit rate for applicants above both medians – that where the Soft Studies (traditional liberal arts) majors fit in as first and foremost HLS has to hold its medians (if not raise them)… Engineers can get a marginal boost when competing for the splitter spots.
btw: when some of us say major don’t matter, all other things being equal, it does have a qualifier as it has to be a traditional liberal arts, engineering or business major. (Not sure Fashion Merchandising fits into those categories.)