I got pwn3d by the DEC 05 LSAT. I overtested with Testmasters and peaked at 179 (from a 157 2 months earlier) the week before the LSAT. Then I proceded to panic and take 2 more tests the week of the LSAT and my score went lower and lower each time I tested. Bleh. I DO recommend testmasters, however, just don't wear yourself out...
I think that the strongest part of my application is in my soft factors. I speak Japanese (I was a translator there for a year and studied it for 4 years in college), Chinese (studied 4 years in college), and French (studied abroad during high school, kept up through reading and communications since) , as well as a little bit of Fijian (thanks to an internship for a summer there) . So I have a lot of international experience, which I hope to apply to international environmental law. I also mentioned in all my apps that I would like to do a concurrent MA/PhD in Environmental Public Policy while undertaking my JD studies.
Any trolls who insist that I.E.L. [yep, that's right, an acronym!] isn't legit can leave thier ridiculous tirades below.
I went to three schools in the past 5 years (American U., D.C. [still an eagle at heart, i think] for year 1, then a community college for a year due to financial constraints, and then to UCLA for the past three).
I have focused by energies here at UCLA on learning all I can about environmental law and public policy in China. I am graduating from UCLA with two BAs and a concurrent MA, and the MA work is specifically about the relationship between Chinese culture and Chinese environmental law and public policy.
I post all this information so to give encouragement to three groups of people:
1. Those still waiting to hear back from thier futures. Much love. Keep breathing.
2. Those who went to community colleges at some point and transfered to higher universities and are applying to T-14s. Doing years 1 and 2 at a CC is the smarter idea anyway, as the classes are the same as higher universities. However, for a comparative outlook, check below for rants below to refute this statement, as there undoubtedly will be a few who insist CCs are worthless.
3. Those who want to study environmental law but have recieved advice from people who say not to or that it is not worth it. It is; social action to fight global warming is inevitable, EVEN IF global warming is not caused by anthrogenic changes (which it is; Michael Crichton can kiss my slowly warming butt). With such great minds, you would think that those who want to study corperate law or tax law at top institutions would realize that they have the opportunity to change more in this world than the size of thier wallets...sheesh.
Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to vocalize my support for AA, because I realize that my education is more than my teachers, for I know that I will be affected by the life stories of my classmates as well. The more people who have had social experiences radically different than my own, the better, as far as I am concerned. But then again, neither of my parents went to college, so I am sure that this fact alone disqualifies me from consideration as an equal as far as the few but vociferous racist elitests who lurk these boards are concerned...
Boalt: email 4:33 PM
Yale: thin letter; not enough room for my dreams. recieved 3-11, postmarked 3-8. dejected, cause this means that i was in the early group of post-new years submit rejects. retaking LSAT in summer and reapplying as transfer student.
L & C: no money. thanks for the offer but no thanks.
Stanford: Waitlisted. I'm happy with that. Honestly, I don't think I would have gone anyway (money reasons), but it does feel nice to know that I'm #2's #2. Thanks Stan, maybe I'll apply for a transfer.
Harvard: Waitlisted after a long wait.
Decided to take a year off between my MA and JD, so I got an internship with the NRDC in Beijing. I'll attend Boalt in the fall of 2007 and apply to transfer to Yale after one year. To everyone who has taken the time to read all this, good luck. Don't let LSAC get you down.
for the comments. i am indeed interested in pursuing env'l law but don't know much about the programs at different schools. probably will just get a JD because paying for 3 years of school seems so much better than 4 years.