bigs5068 (2022-2023)

Head Basketball Coach
Earned a Paralegal Certificate
College Basketball Player
Intern at Law Offices
Currently a Paralegal at New York City Law Department
Participant in Moot Court Program

I am actually from California and I just moved to New York a few months ago for the hell of it. Something to do before law school starts I guess. Just wanted to throw that in for people who consider the demographic information.

September 1-2008
I applied to Tulsa for the 2008-2009 school year in June 2008. I had taken the February LSAT and they were still accepting applications so I gave it a shot and within two weeks I heard back from them and was offered a $17,000 a year scholarship. I had always planned on going to school starting in 2009-2010, but I had to check out the school with such a good offer. The school was nice and the admissions people were really friendly, but I wasn't ready for law school at the moment so I withdrew and will be applying as planned for the 2009-2010 school year. I am praying to get into Santa Clara or USF, but with my numbers who knows, I hope it works out.

September 27-2008
I attended the LSAC forum in NY living here has some benefiets and I got 3 free waivers from going so that was awesome Michigan State, University of Oregon, and Franklin Pierce plus I found a couple schools like Golden Gate, Widener, Texas Wesleyan don't charge you an application fee if you apply before December 31st.

September 30th 2008
I have sent out 6 applications now I know most places haven't even started looking at the applications so this is going to be a long wait. I really want to go to Santa Clara or University of San Francsico, but I don't think I am getting in either I basically I just want to get into a school and have this over with.

October 2, 2008
I've sent out a few more over the past few days Michigan State, Franklin Pierce, and Santa Clara. Franklin Pierce has surprisnlgy good numbers. I never even heard of them until the LSAC forum but the more I learn about the more impressed I am.

October 7, 2008
I got a fee waiver from Marquette via e-mail for stopping by their booth at the LSAC forum. Marquette was a school I was considering so I am definetly adding it to my list. I just have to write an optional essay for them which is lame. I have already spent way to much time on my personal statement. Writing another essay is just going to be time-consuming, but it could be worse. Marquette's sports law program is supposed to be excellent and that would be a field of interest to me.

October 10, 2008
I haven't sent out an application in nearly a week I'm getting antsy! A few of them have optional essays or addendums that I want to make sure are done right Southwestern, Gonzaga, UOP, USF, and Cal Western. Once those apps go out I think I will be done 15 applications someone has to let me in hopefully.

October 14, 2008
Well I have gone complete at Santa Clara my top choice, University of Oregon, and Franklin Pierce. Oregon said they will not mail decisoins until February wtf? what can possibly take so long. Franklin Pierce said December and I applied to Santa Clara early action so hopefully I know what is up with them soon. Only time will tell I am still lagging on finishing the optional essays to finish of my cycle, but it's the middle of October so I got time.

October 31, 2008
Applied to La Verne yesterday it was free so why not right. I also got a fee waiver from Penn State apparently all my mail is going to my California address and that is why I am not getting anything. My Dad has been out of town for three weeks and he called me saying the mailbox was full of law school stuff so that is exciting. I am definetly going to apply to Penn State I don't understand how I can get in there with my numbers, but the LSAC meter seems to think I have a chance and a fee waiver is a good sign.

November 6, 2008
My girlfriend just moved to Chelsea in Manhattan and it has made me like living in New York a lot more. Living in the ghettos of Brooklyn did not leave a good impression on me. Since I am in such a good I decided to schedule a visit with New York Law School since it is two blocks from my work. I am not sure if I will even apply, since don't know how bad I want to stay in New York, but it will be an informative experience if nothing else.

November 10, 2008
E-mail from Dayton with a Fee Waiver even though I thought it was free to apply there anyways. It's funny nobody on Lawschoolnumbers was rejected from that school I thin I am going to apply if it is only 12 bucks can never have to many backups you know.

November 12, 2008
I visited New York Law School yesterday not my scene kind of everything I hate about New York crowded, impersonal, cocky students & administrators, pretty subpar facilities. Tulsa's moot court & library were 100x nicer than NY lw which surprised me. As I sidenote I don't like New York very much and there are definite positive for going to New York Law School. They gave me the list of OCI interviewers and it's pretty extensive. You could get a good job out of going there and a lot of lawyers at my work went there. It seems to be a very efficient school and could be a good fit for a lot of people just not me. I want a more personal school, Tulsa was super friendly I really wish that school could be in a state other than Oklahoma.

November 19, 2008
Dament man Chapman gave me a fee waiver via e-mail today, but that is one of the few schools I actually paid money to already. It was like 80 bucks or something wtf I want my money back!

November 21, 2008
In at Michigan State via e-mail I am f'ing stoked. It is a huge relief to get your first acceptance WOOO!!!!

November 25, 2008
Sent apps into Seattle and USF I am not going to apply to Pepperdine, because their app asks what your Christian Mission is. For some reason that pissed me off and I also don't want to spend the 50 bucks. It is still awesome to know I got into law school. The thought of Michigan State sounds pretty cool.

December 5, 2008
Why won't USF or Santa Clara let me in already what is their problem! If either of them let me in I will move to the bay area tommorow and get settled out there. I really wish law school would start sooner than August after a year and a half of the 9 to 5 I am over it get me a textbook have some professors get in my face something mentally challenging other than this retarded office job.

December 12, 2008
I just went complete at Drexel I applied there in September and everything was already done back then. I don't understand how it could have taken that long.

December 17, 2008
In at Widener by looking at my status checker it is weird they just sent me an e-mail saying I could check my status using their status checker so I did and it said I was accepted. Cool!

Then I looked on my status checker at Santa Clara and it said Early Decision sent on 12/15 what does that mean!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhh Acceptance with full scholarship plus a few thousand dollars for my troubles right? I couldn't possibly imagine it being anything else.

December 22, 2008
It is my birthday last day at my job and I moving back to California tommorow on top of that I just got into Franklin Pierce which is an option it has excellent numbers, but it is in New Hampshire..........I also did not get in Early Action at Santa Clara, but I may get in on the normal review I am expecting a rejection though. It seems like they just let anyone with over a 160 in.

December 29, 2008
So looked online and rejected at Drexel first reject ever what can you do though. I am back in California and it is f'ing awesome if USF or Santa Clara don't work Chapman may be my top choice if they let me in.

January 6, 2009
This year is off to a crazy start that is all I can say as a result of completly unrelated law school stuff. Now that all the crazy fun stuff is over and I am back in Cali with no job and 8 months to kill before school starts. I also got a 14,000 renewable scholarship from Widener which is cool. I wish I got it to somewhere else.

January 11, 2009
Waitlisted at Chapman kind of lame, but at least I didn't get rejected right.

January 15, 2009
Chapman is really starting to bother me they have sent me 3 packets to apply and gave me a fee waiver even though I applied in September and I paid for it. It is kind of annoying to get a mailing encouraging me to apply after I have alredy been waitlisted like really check your stuff out. It is still an option if I get in, but it bothers they don't check at all. I also got a really nice e-mail from a student at Widener, because I received a scholarship there it made me feel good and moved them up my list a little bit. I also might be moving to China for four months to teach English so I don't know how that will affect dealing with all the law school stuff etc, but I will figure it out.

January 21, 2009
So I had to go to the Chinesse Embassy in L.A. to get my visa and it turns out Southwestern Law School is a block away it was a pretty nice looking campus and the area wasn't as bad as I thought. I remember downtown L.A. being super ghetto, but maybe my last year of living in the brooklyn ghettos has made me realize it isn't so bad. I might apply to Southwestern I was pretty impressed with it.

January 31, 2009
In at Texas Wesleyan with a 25,000 scholarship the wording is confusing on my acceptance letter and I'm not sure if it is renewable every year or not. I will need to call the school tomorrow to figure that out and I'm also in at Florida Coastal. I think Steve Jones sent my admission packet to my Brooklyn House, because he sent me an e-mail asking if I knew I had been admitted. That is all for now.

February 4, 2009
Well I'm moving to China tommorow and I still have no idea what is up with half of the schools. Or at least the ones I really care about. If nothing else happens I guess I am MSU bound, the scholarship money at the other places is tempting though. I don't know if China will censor a lot of my internet or not so this may be my last post for awhile.

February 8, 2009
I am in China I don't know why I am writing in this here, just killing time, but it is crazy how cheap everything is and they have the movies that are in theatres in America out on DVD and they are like two dollars it's crazy I got Defiance, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and others for like 30 chinesse dollars which is like 5 american dollars it is crazy I am going to buy so much cool stuff here.

February 18, 2009
In at La Verne via e-mail with a scholarship, but it doesn't tell me how much it is for. I am curious if it is a huge scholarship I may consider it.

February 18, 2009
Just got an e-mail from my dad telling me I got rejected from USF it stings man, but I kind of expected it. Not sure what I am leaning towards still waiting to hear from some more, but right now it is probably Michigan State.

March 9, 2009
26,500 per year scholarship at La Verne that is a lot of money and I am really considering it espeically since it is in California. I wish it was a better school or I could at least visit it. AHH maybe I need to leave China earlier.

March 26, 2009
Paid first seat deposit to MSU and applied to FIU yesterday. I never noticed FIU before, but looking at how cheap it is only 9,000 once you are a resident which takes one year so it is essentially a 30,000 guaranteed scholarship that I can't lose somehow, plus I think I would really love Miami. Looks like it is between MSU and FIU unless Santa Clara or Oregon come through I am still just waiting for those two, but expecting rejection.

March 27, 2009
I got an e-mail from Santa Clara saying sorry for the delay in getting back to you, but by the end of April you will either be admitted or waitlisted. Which is strange I have re-read the thing a million times, because I have been expecting to get rejected from there. I am excited, because it has been my top choice, but I don't know what to make of it.

April 21, 2009
My old boss sent LOR's to Chapman, Santa Clara, and Seattle it is a good recommendation but who knows if it will help at all. Chapman did not accept it, because I already have 3 LOR's and it has to go to LSAC for them to receive it. So that is a bummer I feel like Chapman I have a more realistic shot of getting off the waitlist and that letter could have helped. Not much I can do though.

May 8, 2009
Well I am on the waitlist at 3 of my top choices but looks at the moment my options are FIU and MSU and I really don't know which one to choose. If anyone can offer insight into either school I would really appreciate it!

May 21, 2009
Checked Status of Seattle Rejected after being Waitlisted. I had a good letter of recommendation sent in to, but what can I do. Well just two more waitlists or choosing between FIU and Michigan State.

June 1, 2009
Well even though I paid deposits at both MSU and FIU I have chosen MSU. Sent an e-mail to FIU telling them I won't be attending so hopefully someone can get off the waitlist from there. MSU just seems to be more up my alley and they give me a friendler vibe or something I can't explain it. Maybe the waitlists will come through, but if not I am happy with MSU.

July 6, 2009 Visited Santa Clara today hoping that it might give me a chance to get off the waitlist. It went okay thought it couldn't hurt Chapman will be next. Then I got a 1,500 one year scholarship at MSU if I chose to enroll in the alternative scheduling option. It is still full time just most of the classes are in the late afternoon early evening. It seems strange I don't understand why that offered that, but it is 1,500 bucks so I am considering it.

July 15, 2009 Visited Chapman it was beautiful there! That school is so nice marble hallways beautiful classrooms etc. I was much more impressed with Chapman than Santa Clara, but we will see if it gets me off the waitlist.

August 3, 2009
Well everything has been turned upside down in the last few days. My fiance got a 90,000 a year job in San Francisco and her parents have an unoccupied house in SF they said we could live in for free. So with all of these developments in the Bay I e-mailed Golden Gate to see if they still had a spot open for me. They did and I got to keep my 16,000 scholarship so now I will only be paying half of my tuition for the first year of law school since living expenses etc are taken care of. It was a hard decision because I kind of had my heart set on MSU being part of a Big 10 school and the midwest tempted me, but California is where I belong. I have been traveling like crazy the last 2 years and I am ready to be back in my home state. I know there is a lot of negative publicity towards GGU, but after taking the tour and talking to a lot of alumni l think it will all work out. Thought it is not the most highly ranked I think law school is what you make of it and I'm sure I will succeed. If anyone applying to schools next year has any questions about GGU feel free to e-mail me. Wish me luck!

08/18/2009
Got rejected at Santa Clara I applied almost a year ago and it took them 10 months to reject me. I knew they were going to, but it was like really you couldn't have told me months before I know it just pissed me off to get keep that door open for so long. When I went to visit they had a smug attitude I have really gotten a little dislike for that place now. It was my number one choice, but after dealing with them I really have a lower opinion of the place. Golden Gate is going really well though, I don't know what I expected I saw horror stories on a bunch of different websites and didn't know what to expect, but the professors are great and everyone is really supportive. The buildings aren't as beautiful as some of the campuses I visited, but living in San Francisco is awesome and a lot of the 2L's and 3L's I have met have great internships to. I am happy with the decision and I think it is going to be a great three years.

1/5/10
I got my grades from the first semester 3.1 I'm pretty satisfied and happy with my experience at GGU. All the negative comments I saw online and stuff appear to have false and I am really glad I choose a school in San Francisco opposed to a higher ranked school in a city I didn't want to live in.

April 5, 2010
Well I have gotten three job offers for this summer all paying pretty well. GGU has been great and I am really happy with my choice. Anyone reading B.S. on the internet saying all these terrible things about tier 4's ignore them. The reality is if you put in the work things will out.

June 8, 2010
Got my second semester grades 3.4 pretty f'ing sweet and I keep my scholarship. I even have the option to transfer I imagine, but I have no desire to. GGU has been great and I have just started my internship with a bunch of people from Hastings, Santa Clara, USF etc we all ended up in the same place I just have less debt. I guess my 1L really goes to show that law school is what YOU make of it. Don't listen to U.S. news or what other people say it really is up to you.

June 25, 2010
A few weeks into my internship I will be doing a jury trial all by myself if you take evidence in the summer after your 1L you can be certified by the bar in California to argue in court so I recommend anyone from any school do that. GGU is still awesome and I am really glad I choose it. If anyone reads this profile know the rankings mean very little if you work hard, our a cool person to be around, and just have confidence you will do fine in the legal field no matter what school you went to. That is my perception up to this point in legal education.

September 12, 2011
Finished a summer job I enjoyed and I passed the MPRE, which is great news! Finishing up the third year and still pretty satisfied with GGU. Will never know whether Michigan State or GGU was the "right choice," since I can never know how MSU would have turned out, but I have made a lot of good friends, gotten good experience, and had great professors at GGU. They could do some aesthetic things better. It would be awesome it looked like USF that place is immaculate don't know anything about the actual school, but every time I drive by I am impressed. GGU & Hastings are ugly no other way to put it, but they get the job done for starting a legal career.

May 30, 2012
Obtained my J.D. finished in the top 10% which is pretty cool. I had a lot of good experiences at GGU made a journal, was on a mock trial team lost to Georgetown a Texas Tournament, but free trip and had a lot of great internships.

Received a few job offers from small firms, but heavily contemplating opening my own thing not sure right now I need to study for the bar and it is INTENSE. Only two weeks in and I think if you pass California no matter what school you went your in good shape it is by far harder than anything that happened in law school.

I remember freaking out about my decision three years ago, but GGU worked out for me. Made a lot of good friends with students, good relationships with professors, and San Francisco is awesome. Good luck to anyone who chooses the law school path whether it be at GGU or elsewhere!

November 17, 2012
Passed the bar first try and almost everyone I know from GGU passed. Been a long law school journey, but with the completion of the Cali Bar the chapter is closed feels great to be a licensed lawyer or esq!

I hoped this profile helps future 0L's understand law school and GGU and if anyone ever has any questions about anything feel free to contact me periodically check this site.

January 21, 2013

Well started this year as a licensed attorney and am working at a job I really enjoy. The first week I was in the paper twice, had a press conference, etc. It is a government job as a City Attorney so not that high paying, but it is pretty exciting to me and what I was hoping for when I went to law school.

So in the end I went to a Tier 4 school, but I everything worked out the guy I work with who has the same job as me went to Berkeley he is a great guy, but a Tier 4 grad and a T14 grad are working together at the same job, same pay, same responsibility. Again just work hard, be helpful, take advantage of opportunities, and things can work out. I certainly had numerous doubt along the way, but nothing worth getting is easy. Good luck to any 0L's out there!