PBandJMAN (2022-2023)

Post cycle explanations:

LSAT prep: I took the february LSAT, and I began studying in September. I did not take any prep class. I had a 90 min break between two MWF classes and I would go to the library and study on those days. The first month all I did was go through the Logical Reasoning questions and write out the conclusion, assumptions, and premises, and occasionally do a section for time. After a month of this the logical reasoning questions were all obvious. October I started doing logic games, usually untimed, just trying to figure them out. This pretty much was 3-5 hours per week for the first 10 weeks. I would also begin all of my study sessions going through and reviewing all the ones I had missed the previous session . I didn't mess with the reading comprehensions because I'm an English/History major and that is all I did for 4 years, and I assumed that doing the logical reasoning would have a carryover effect to the reading comp. My ideas about the LSAT changed when I took a full length Kaplan administered practice test the middle of November. I could walk in and score well on any two sections, my problem was that the LSAT is a marathon, not a sprint. After the third section I got a headache, my vision blurred, I couldn't focus. I ended up getting a 161 on the practice test, after almost 3 months of studying...not exactly T14 material. After this humbling experience I did only full length tests, sometimes as many as 6 sections at a time. Saturday mornings and wednesday nights, consistently through december and January. I graduated in December and had an abundance of free time in January, so I would sometimes do a full test 3x per week. By the time February rolled around I had done 20 full length tests, and the last 10 my score fluctuated between a 171-177, all good enough to be competitive at any school. The last two weeks before the test I did nothing, just relaxed. The night before the test I got 8 hours of sleep. TAKE AWAY POINT---START EARLY, HAVE A PLAN, BE DISCIPLINED, DO FULL LENGTH TESTS and if you're not confident on the day of the test, skip it and take the next one, there is no rush.

Start Early-- I had the benefit of the February LSAT, and I talked to people that I knew would write awesome LOR shortly after that. By the end of July all my LOR were in. I also started writing my personal statement the beginning of the summer. I did not want to rush this, time constraints are the enemy of creativity. This also meant that I could be in the first wave of applications and allowed me to get most of my acceptances by the end of the year.

Application strategy: I only applied to schools that I would be excited about attending. Any of the above schools would offer me the opportunity to pursue any aspect of law I found interesting. I don't have a 5 year plan beyond immersing myself in a niche of law that I enjoy doing.

WHY MICHIGAN:Largely Financial. The scholarship offer plus GI benefits amounts to making this financially sound. Beyond perhaps Big Law in NYC I don't think I will be at any disadvantage at Michigan compared to NYU/CLS, and I wasn't particularly interested in Big Law in NYC anyways. Everything I have read and heard about this school was, without exception, praise. I have no doubt I made the correct choice.

SOFTS: I was a reservist in the Marines for 6 years (0352), was a Non-Commissioned Officer, and an Iraq Vet. I also worked 20 hours per week during most of my undergrad career in a soul crushing restaurant job.

LOR-My platoon commander from Iraq was a Georgetown Law grad and wrote me an awesome Recommendation. I also got one from a history teacher who submitted my thesis on Vietnam war movies to be published. Both wrote glowing recs.

Pers Statement about resolving tribal conflicts in Iraq.

I wrote Why Michigan/UVA/Penn essays

I spent my entire cycle abroad, gallivanting across Egypt and India. I kept a blog at http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/postponing-adulthood/ check it out if you are interested.

11-17 packet from michigan with very nice letter. The relief of that first acceptance! haven't felt so elated since getting lsat score

11-30 in at Cornell via status checker and email

11/30 committee Review at UPENN

12/3-something has been mailed to my house from NYU, waiting to see what it is...

12/6-updated committee review at penn

12/11-finally received the purple envelope from NYU!!! I am calling the odds at 3-1 this is where i end up

12/22-got an email that I am in at PENN. Very relieved, I was freaking out as to why I had a 12/6 UCR date but was not getting a call or a rejection/WL when so many others were hearing back. Of course it amounted to me being neurotic, not anything based in reality. Very happy with this. Any $$$ would make this the most attractive choice thus far, I really liked Philly and it is the closest school to where I grew up. THen again I just get excited about attending whatever the most recent school to accept me is...

12/29--received mail from Michigan with $$$ offer to the tune of $22,500 per year!!! Wow, stoked about this!

1/4-really thought i had a chance at going 9/9. Damn you duke. Oh well i saw this coming and wasn't going to go there after the Michigan money anyway. Now my prediction for rest of cycle is WL at UVA, in at Chicago, WL at Columbia

1/10--prediction was already proven wrong, WL at Chicago. Will be interesting to see how the last two school's play out. Have a chance at UVA, even being non-URM OOS RD because I wrote a quality why uva essay. It is telling that I haven't been waitlisted there yet. Columbia is a crap-shoot, wouldn't be surprised if I got in or if I was rejected. Would take the Michigan $$$ over Columbia or NYU at sticker price. Right now only game changer would be competing $$$ offer from Penn, NYU, or if a miracle were to happen, CLS. After the Michigan offer, would not go to Cornell or Vandy even with a full ride.

1/26-in at columbia, shit this decision keeps getting tougher!

2/8 WL at UVA. Originally this was my top choice, though now I am sort of glad about it since I didn't need this decision to be any tougher. Right now It is between Michigan, Penn, NYU and Columbia. Money will be a decisive factor. Wouldn't necessarily prefer CLS or NYU over Penn or Michigan, from what I can tell they offer a distinct advantage if you want Big Law NY, but not for anything else (clerkships, academia, DOJ jobs etc..). I am not particularly interested in Big Law NY. In the event I get a competing offer from Penn, I would choose that over Michigan. I really like Philly, I want to practice in DC, and it would allow me to be close to my girlfriend in MD. Now it is time to wait for them to send out Deans Scholarship offers, since I wasn't invited to apply for any of the larger special ones.

3/7/11--Vanderbilt gave a combination Deans Schol, Leadership Schol, and a veterans schol. Shit. I am going to have to reject this, it isn't enough to sway me from Michigan. I am going to send in my first round of withdrawals today so Vandy and Cornell can give the $$$ to somebody else.

3/8-withdraw from Cornell and Vandy

3/11-Received financial aid from NYU... $0----will withdraw from there next week. Am pretty anxious about hearing from Penn. Am not expecting any $$$ from CLS so they are probably out too. As soon as I find out about money from Penn I should be able to make my decision. Would prefer Penn over Michigan for geographic reasons.

3/29- ready for the cycle to be over, just waiting on $$$ info from Penn. I think if I haven't heard from them by the end of next week I will commit to Michigan. Feel happy that there is a deadline on the horizon.

4/19--Visited Michigan for the first time. Loved the campus, though it snowed while I was there. I am sure this was the right choice, I was extremely impressed by all the people I met, the facilities, everything. Really happy with how my cycle turned out. Cycle is over