lrark13 (2022-2023)

I had decent softs, lots of internships and work experience considering I'm a traditional student. My personal statement was pretty strong. I didn't write optional essays for any school that I applied to.

11/07 - All my applications are in and now I wait.

11/14 - Verbal admission from UA Fayetteville over the phone. Scholarship letter is in the mail :)

11/16 - Got accepted to Duke via email! Two acceptances in a row is a great way to start off the cycle. Being accepted at a top-notch school this early is really comforting. It will also help soften the blows of the rejections that are certain to come later, haha.

11/23 - Received my scholarship offer from Fayetteville today. $5500 a semester. Tuition and fees totals about $6250, so it's a little shy of a full scholarship. Plenty of room for negotiation, though, once I get my offer from UALR and I find out what other schools I get offered admission to. The only problem I have is that it carries a top 20% renewal stipulation after the first semester, which is a total non-starter as far as I'm concerned. Unless that can be negotiated downward to top 50% (good standing would be better), there's no way I'll take it. It's definitely a riskier bet than I'm willing to make.

12/10 - Accepted at UALR via status checker. I hope I don't get YP'd out of a Bowen Scholarship.

12/12 - Just got my letter from Bowen. In with Bowen Scholars Award, which covers tuition and fees for all three years. The renewal requirement is only top 50%, which is a lot better than Fayetteville's. Super excited!

12-14 - In at Vandy!!! Got my black box in today. My cycle is going great so far. Cornell seems likely to give me a decision soon, especially since I'm EA, so I hope I get good news from them as well.

12/15 - In at Michigan via status checker!!! Wow I didn't expect to hear from them so soon. That makes me 5/5 :)

12/18 - Deferred from Early Application by Cornell. I'm a bit surprised, as I didn't think that I'd have any trouble getting in there.

12/19 - Logged into the Michigan admitted students page and saw a $22500 per year scholarship offer. Wow. Just wow. Did not expect a dime from any school in the top ten. Went ahead and withdrew from Cornell in light of this news.

3/05 Haven't updated in forever because there hasn't really been much good news. Got a few WL's, a hold from Columbia and Penn if I remember correctly, but I did get good news this weekend. Vandy gave me $35k a year plus an extra 5k. Wow. That's insane. Really makes my decision tough.

4/25 Had quite a few WL's and a ding from Stanford. Withdrew from Michigan and they called me the next day to offer me $40k a year if I would reconsider. Wow.

More importantly, after a Skype interview with Vandy yesterday, I was offered the Law Scholars award, which pays for tuition plus a $5k yearly stipend. I was completely surprised. That definitely sealed the deal for me. Vandy it is.

The people in the administration at Vanderbilt are seriously the nicest bunch you will ever meet. Just saying.