Belakazu (2022-2023)

Views: 2814 User Since: 02/01/06

Application Information

F - Fee Waiver A - Attending W - Withdrawn D - Deferred
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# Law School Status Type $$$ Sent Received Complete Interview Date Decision Updated
#1 Harvard University Accepted Type: RA $14,000 Sent: 12/06/05 Rec: 12/06/05 Comp: 01/12/06 Inter: -- Dec: 03/15/06 Upd: 18 years
#2 Columbia University F Accepted A Type: RA $126,000 Sent: 11/23/05 Rec: 11/26/05 Comp: 12/09/05 Inter: -- Dec: 01/26/06 Upd: 18 years
#3 New York University Accepted W Type: RA Sent: 11/16/05 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 12/08/05 Upd: 18 years
#4 Georgetown University Accepted W Type: Sent: 10/28/05 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 12/05/05 Upd: 18 years
#1 Yale University Pending W Type: RA Sent: -- Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: -- Upd: 18 years

Applicant Information

  • LSAT: 176
  • LSAT 2: -
  • LSAT 3: -
  • GRE : -
  • LSAC GPA: -
  • Degree GPA: 3.76
  • School Type: Foreign
  • Major: Int'l Relations

Demographic Information

  • City: -
  • State: New Hampshire
  • Race: Non URM
  • Gender: Woman
  • Non-Traditional Applicant: Yes
  • Years out of Undergrad: -

Extra Curricular Information

Significant soft factors: leadership roles in public service, athletics, etc in college, which was at a 4yr foreign university (I am American). It's a pretty unusual resume, although I don't know if that's a + or -. A lot will depend on how familiar admissions is with my undergraduate institution, how much weight is given to the World Education Service evaluation of my degree, etc: I don't have a GPA or class rank.

Since graduation: 2 1/2 years work exp. in legal profession w/ 100+ hours pro bono work in the last year. I also volunteer teaching ESL 3 nights a week after work.

Additional info & updates

$$$$$$$------------------------------------------------------------
Received Hamilton Fellowship to Columbia - full tuition for three years, no strings attached. Am overwhelmed. Didn't even know it existed.

Nominated for Peter Jay Sharp Scholarship at Columbia - full tuition for three years, plus living expenses.

Received financial aid offer from HLS on 4/28/06 - right up to the deadline, but I applied pretty late.
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Withdrew from Georgetown
Withdrew from Peter Jay Sharp - flattered, but not ready to firmly commit to private sector.
Withdrew from NYU - sending best of luck to my friends on the waitlist.

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3/3 email from T. Stock. Waiting for the call...
3/4 ARGH! Missed the call.
3/6 ARGH! Missed the call, again.
3/6 1:30pm finally managed to connect with Dean Stock. Wasn't expecting a full-on interview and am feeling like I blew it. Helpful hint for everyone else: have good questions ready to ask about Harvard when he calls you, because that's the last thing he'll ask (even if you know the answers, at least have something intelligent to talk about). Don't be like me and fudge it: I sounded like a dolt.

Miracles DO happen! I"M IN TO HARVARD BABY! Wow, I have a tough decision to make.
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4/30 - Accepted the Colubia Hamilton Fellowship and dropped off my deposit check by hand at the Admissions Office. I'm still not crazy about the campus, I still haven't met any fellow students I really connect with, and I still have huge doubts about whether I'm making the right choice. My buddy TB who went to Harvard undergrad constantly telling me I'll regret not going to Harvard for the rest of my life isn't helping. But sometimes you gotta be a grown-up and face the fact that a house, providing for my family, and pursuing fulfilling legal work (without having to sacrifice one to finance the other) is going to be more important than getting the harvard alumni magazine in the mail once a year. (Or so I tell myself).

5/8/06 - Have had unsettling email correspondence with T. Stock, who suggested I reconsider my choice, but did not change my financial aid offer. This is not making it easier to emotionally let go of Harvard and I'm feeling very frustrated.

Visitor Comments

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Thanks!
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

Thanks ChuckD - I'm still nursing an appropriately bad champagne hangover! And yeah - it was EA not ED. Great future lawyers get the details right, eh?

Yale
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

Reuty, I took a long hard look at my motivations and decided they weren't good ones. Yale is an extraordinary opportunity, but it's not the one I'm looking for. I decided to bow out of the competition - why compete against people who REALLY want it? It seemed disrespectful to me to submit a halfhearted application.

Congrats
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

Oh - and congratulations to you, too! What an all-star roster of schools. Good luck with Yale - I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you!

dont worry
Friday, January 20 2006 at 07:00 PM

i thought i fell down on the question portion of the interview with TS too. i blabbered for a minute about why i had no questions, then asked a very obvious one. i wouldn't sweat it.

Toby Interview
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

The more I think about some of the dumb things I said... urgh. How I could I drop the ball at the last minute like that? Oh well. How long did you have to wait after your interview before you heard back from HLS?

Harvard Acceptance
Wednesday, January 25 2006 at 07:00 PM

First off, congrats on your other acceptances. I saw your profile and thought I would respond...TS called me back 1 week to the day to notify me of my HLS acceptance. Good luck!

Choice
Wednesday, January 25 2006 at 07:00 PM

Right now, I think I am leaning toward Columbia. I too wasn't all that impressed at the visiting day, but I think that it is better for me than Yale because it is more connected to the business (not just corporate law) world and seems to have better corporate law and IP professors. As far as Harvard goes, it is simply too large for my tastes and the money at Columbia is just too much to pass up for a school that is not all that much better in the corporate arena. If I were only a tiny bit more interested in pursuing something in academia or the public sphere I wouldn't hesitate to go to Yale. I would appreciate any thoughts you have because I am still trying to decide. Good luck with your upcoming acceptances!

Columbia
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

Doe, I think I'm in a similar frame of mind. I feel like Columbia strikes a good balance between theory and practice; the highlight of the visiting day for me was the discussion of emerging trends and the panel on innovative teaching methods. I also like the new Dean (and everyone else seems to, too) and I feel like the law school is on the ascendancy, rather than resting on its laurels. But ultimately, I don't think I can refuse the money, even if I wanted to. I work in a multinational law firm and I see too many people chained to jobs they hate by the debt they incurred going to places like HLS and Columbia. An ivey law degree may open doors, but ivey debt slams them shut again. I'm just thrilled to have the freedom to now consider low-paying but high-excitement legal jobs in public interest, prosecution, etc, which I previously thought were unrealistic.

congrats
Tuesday, September 06 2005 at 08:00 PM

yourself. see you there.

That said...
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

Damn, I wish the full ride was at Harvard. It really hurts to give it up.

Harvard v. Hamilton
Sunday, December 18 2005 at 07:00 PM

I'm actually leaning towards Harvard right now; I was at both visiting days this month (I think we may have had lunch together at Columbia in fact), and I really was a lot more impressed by Harvard's presentation and resources. I was a little disturbed by, for example, the fact that Jeremy Waldron, whom we saw speak in one of the panels, turns out to be leaving for NYU next year. Have you visited Harvard yet? Either way, it's really really hard to turn down that kind of money. Or to turn down Harvard. Sort of silly to be so freaked out over a wonderful decision, isn't it? But I don't think we can help it....

Tough Choices
Monday, December 12 2005 at 07:00 PM

Hey Bela -- Sorry for the slow reply. I don't check this site very often. I agree it's a very tough choice. The good part is that there's no bad option! Both are great ways to go. I am going with Columbia. Email me if you want to hear my thought process.

Alright...
Tuesday, January 31 2006 at 07:00 PM

...it's decision time. I'm done with all this hemming and hawing. Thane, Doe - thanks for the advice and comraderie making this choice. It's been nice knowing I'm not the only one mulling over the decision. Will I see you at Columbia in August?

CLS
Monday, January 09 2006 at 07:00 PM

The choice was between Georgetown and Columbia. Harvard was not a finalist because a)I went there as an undergrad and wanted something new and b)CLS and GULC are better for public international law. Columbia had better facilities because the building and classrooms felt newer than at GULC, I liked the CLS library more, and everything was on one campus (GULC and the main campus are in two different places)--a matter of convienence since I want to take some classes outside law school.

CU in NY
Monday, December 12 2005 at 07:00 PM

You made the right choice! I will see you at Columbia in August.

Glad to see you came into the fold...
Wednesday, January 25 2006 at 07:00 PM

Sorry I didn't respond earlier; I haven't been on the site for a few weeks. Congratulations on making your decision and I hope to see you next year!