becomestairs (2022-2023)

- 3 years work experience, incl. stint as a brief writer at a legal advocacy group

- TIPS -

1. Solicit fee waivers! Sending a few e-mails to admissions departments can save you hundreds of dollars (and broaden your list of prospects).

2. Splitters: don't underestimate the importance of your PS and LORs. I've had multiple schools contact me for an interview, addendum, or other supplementary items to explain parts of my applications that only someone who took a fine-toothed comb to it would have even noticed. Unless you're safely above a schools LSAT/GPA medians, put in the effort needed to make your application a complete picture of what you've done, what you want to do, and what you're all about.

- ABOUT ME -

LSAT/GPA: A splitter, obviously...

WORK EXP: Worked at a Soc. Security advocacy group immediately out of undergrad, then had no full-time employment for about ten months. Closing in on 3 years at my current job in administration at a career college.

Feel free to ask me anything!

- PREDICTOR -

Admit:
Boston U. (87%)...ADMIT 2/7; W/D 4/15
Wisconsin (84%)...ADMIT 1/23
Notre Dame (80%)...WAITLIST 12/18; W/D 1/28
Indiana (76%)...ADMIT 12/31; W/D 4/15

Strong Consider:
Minnesota (67%)...WAITLIST 12/19; W/D 1/28
UCLA (66%)...ADMIT 12/7
Georgetown (56%)...ADMIT 1/26; W/D 4/25
Michigan (55%)...WAITLIST 2/22

Consider:
Northwestern (52%, ED)...HOLD 12/21; ADMIT 2/1; W/D 4/15
Virginia (50%)...ADMIT 1/24
Penn (40%)...WAITLIST 1/18; W/D 2/4

Weak Consider:
Berkeley (24%)...DENY 1/30

Deny:
Columbia (22%)...HOLD 2/19; RESERVE 4/12

- TIMELINE -

11/11/12 - First application sent off -- NU, including a Why statement. Spent an hour spell- and grammar-checking every square inch of every little thing. Felt like I was giving another baby up for adoption (JKJK).

11/15/12 - First big wave of applications going out..

11/16/12 - Penn and Columbia sent out (my reaches, obviously), and that's the end of it until I scrounge up enough money to apply to the non-fee-waiver schools.

12/4/12 - Contacted by GULC regarding a group interview, which suggests that I'm on the borderline there...

12/7/12 - Received my first decision: a congratulatory call from Dean Schwartz at UCLA! Stay strong, splitters:)

12/12/12 - Contacted by GULC regarding an alumni interview, which -confirms- that I'm on the borderline there. Also got my status changed to "Decision Made" on the Notre Dame status checker.

12/18/12 - Waitlisted at Michigan. Womp womp. (12/21/12: Just got an e-mail that said (paraphrasing) "what you are seeing is a data-entry mistake ... we haven't made a decision on your application yet. sorry!" Ahh, like this whole process isn't crazy enough already..)

12/18/12 - Waitlisted at Notre Dame. ...scary.

12/19/12 - Waitlisted at Minnesota. ...pretty terrible run over the last two days.

12/21/12 - Held at Northwestern. ahhhh.

1/7/13 - Received admission letter from Indiana, with $20k/year scholarship! Status checker originally said 'Decision Made' on 12/31, so I was a bit nervous about the super-quick turnaround time -- but it looks like those nerves were baseless:)

1/9/13 - Georgetown alumni interview today. Aside from the 'why law school' and 'why GULC' questions, it was all very informal.

1/18/13 - Waitlisted at Penn. Frankly, I was just glad to get word from any school about anything.

1/23/13 - In at Wisconsin.

1/24/13 - Got a call from the UVA Director of Admissions, who initially contacted me to "see if there was anything [I] want the admissions committee to know before they make their decision"... I told him, and he then asked me some other standard questions (why law, why UVA). At the end of the call, I asked him when I could expect to hear back from the committee, and he replied, "Well, I'm just going to mark that we've spoken... and I'd like to congratulate you on your admission to UVA!" I'm starting to believe that the content of my personal statement (PM me if you'd like more info on that) is causing some committees to want to just speak one-on-one with me to make sure I can back up everything I wrote. Anyway, easily the best day of the cycle so far:)

1/26/13 - In at GULC. I knew I had a good feeling about the alumni interview two weeks ago!

1/28/13 - Withdrew from waitlists at Minnesota and Notre Dame; even if I were eventually admitted, I just don't see any road that leads me to either of those places, and I'd rather not hog a spot that somebody else truly wants.

1/30/13 - The first school to ever accept me for undergrad is also the first to ever reject me for law school: Berkeley:(

2/1/13 - In at Northwestern, and my decision just got a lot harder.

2/4/13 - Withdrew from Penn.

2/7/13 - In at Boston U. Two decisions left...

2/13/13 - Updated w/ scholarships at UCLA and Wisconsin.

2/18/13 - UMich status checker was blank this morning. I don't know whether that's good or bad, but it probably means -something-. I just want these last decisions to come in so I can fully move on to the next phase of this process (trip planning and $$).

2/19/13 - Held at Columbia... tell me something good, Michigan!

2/22/13 - Aaaaand waitlisted at Michigan. I probably won't withdraw from there; I know I'll end up paying sticker even if I get in off of the waitlist, but just about everything I've learned and heard about the school has been positive, and I like the feel of the place overall. It was at #4 on my list prior to today. Time to plan my DC/VA/IN trip!

3/26/13 - Currently in the midst of the "wine & dine" phase. Visited GULC and UVA last weekend, and UCLA is in a couple of weeks. As financial aid packages have begun to trickle in, I've also started to request "scholarship re-evaluations" (fun!).

3/28/13 - Updated profile a bit.

4/11/13 - Negotiations aren't the barrel of fun I thought they'd be (why did I think that in the first place?!). I've actually gotten increased offers from four schools and only been denied an increase from one (Northwestern), but it's all starting to become a blur of giant numbers being thrown around. So, asking for more $$$ is definitely worth it and definitely works, but I'd recommend having target amounts in mind (e.g., "I will attend School X if they give me $Y, but will withdraw if they give me less than $Z"). The biggest lesson I've drawn from this stage of the game is that you've really got to take a holistic approach to the decision -- if your heart is truly set on one or two particular schools, then even an exorbitant scholarship from another school might not (and shouldn't!) be enough to sway you.

4/12/13 - 'Reserved' (waitlisted) at Columbia. Not stunned!

4/15/13 - Withdrew from Indiana, Northwestern, and Boston U. Even though it's the right choice, it's still a little uncomfortable saying, "No thanks, I don't want your $90,000" to someone.

4/25/13 - Withdrew from GULC. And then there were three.