Shuchong (2022-2023)

10/28 Working on supplemental essays (Why Penn, NYU Scholarship, Yale 250). And by "working" I mean, "staring at my computer in despair", 'cause I'm emo like that:)

11/12 Called Cornell today, because it's getting close to their early action deadline, they still hadn't completed me, and I thought maybe my Dean's Certificate had gotten lost in the mail (my Pre-Law adviser sent it out Oct. 14). They were very nice, looked in my file, and said they had everything and that my file was complete. Yay! So if anyone else is biting their nails wondering about early action at Cornell, maybe a phone call can solve your problems:)

11/13 Just got the Toby Stock email re: Harvard's phone interview. Shall try really hard not to make an idiot of myself.

11/18 Stock interview today. About 5 minutes. Didn't seem to go too terribly, though the guy in the cubical next to me was sort of laughing at me... hopefully that didn't come through over the phone:)

11/26 TS2. Yay! Glad to be in somewhere:) Even gladder that that somewhere is Harvard.

12/1 Have not yet applied to Yale, because the 250 is giving me some serious writer's block. I don't understand. Normally, I can't seem to stop talking/writing:)

12/4 In at Berkeley via e-mail.

12/8 I win! My Yale 250 is exactly 250 words. Now I'm fairly confident that I can get the application in before Yale gets flooded with apps from December LSAT takers:)

12/15 In at Cornell. Letter dated Dec 11, mentions a Dean's Scholarship and asks for a supplemental essay of 500 words. Guess I'm not done writing after all:)

12/24 In at Duke via email (why are they sending emails on Christmas eve?!?) Nice bit of news after having been stuck in the Seattle airport for two days!

1/16 Holy Cow! Stanford via email (they tried to call and didn't reach me, apparently). I have visions of beaches dancing in my head!

1/23 In at Columbia with a Hamilton. I have no idea what to do now. My parents make enough that I wouldn't get much aid at Harvard, Stanford or Yale (assuming I get in), so full tuition is a big deal for me. On the other hand, I don't want to sacrifice any opportunities (esp. academia) that additional prestige would give me. Guess I'm going to have to talk to some people and visit some schools and angst a bit more.

1/30 In at Chicago, via phone call.

2/12 Got a letter from Chicago, dated Feb 6, offering a $42,000 scholarship (over three years, so $14,000 a year). The letter also mentions paid Research Associate positions in international and comparative law.

2/20 Having just decided to take the Hamilton over Harvard and Stanford, I got admitted to Yale. I called my parents, and received probably the least enthusiastic congratulations ever:) Now, I have no idea what to do. The good news is, this is probably the best problem I've ever been faced with.

2/25 Withdrew from Harvard and Stanford. It physically hurt, by the way. Am in need of more lives, so that I can attend all these schools.

3/3 Attempt to withdraw from Harvard not exactly successful. I was emailed by someone in their office, who offered to put me in touch with students currently attending Harvard despite being accepted to Yale, and students attending despite being awarded the Hamilton. I'm impressed by the fact that they contacted me after I sent in my withdrawal notice, and impressed by the speed at which they managed to dig up people for me to talk to. Hence, I'm withdrawing my withdrawal. So much for making a decision anytime soon.

4/11 Withdrew from Harvard again. It didn't hurt as much this time around, b/c I went to Yale's Monday program and loved it. Can't see giving it up for anything other than full tuition at Columbia.

4/28 Sent in my seat deposit to YLS. Really really excited... except for when I think about loans. I'm kind of hoping maybe they'll go away if I ignore them:)