9/21/07 - I know UCLA is a reach for me but I'm hopeful. I've got some strong soft factors and my LSAT showed improvement from the first to the second test. I've got a good GPA but again, it is hampered significantly by my early performance. I'll just have to write a kickass personal statement and hope for the best. I'm going to submit for the early acceptance program in hopes that it helps my chances.
9/23/07 First draft of my PS sucks. Its a framework though so Ill build on it from there. I just found out that UCLA is 2 pages, double spaced, 12 point font. Are the freaking crazy? Im barely going to be able to fit my name on there. Well maybe Ill post it when Im done and its submitted in case someone wants to read it.
10/5/07 Draft 6 of my PS and Im about 50 hours into it. Ive never agonized more over two pages. Im trying very hard to squeeze every strength I can while still making it on-point succinct and readable. I think Im failing pretty badly right now. Im still at 4 pages single spaced. I hate law school and Im not even there yet.
10/6/07 Got rid of my car today. It was a lease and costing me way too much. I loved that big beautiful SUV. Now Im in a 10 year old 4 cylinder clunker that my wife gave to her mom a couple of years back. Its got 120K miles on it. Good news is that Ill be saving huge amounts of money this year and law school is far more accessible without the big car note I had previously. UCLA offers a commuter shuttle so I think Ill take advantage of that when I go.
10/8/07 Im working like a dog right now, 70 hour weeks to save up enough to cut back to very minimal time while in first year. At this rate I should be able to take the first and second year off and maybe even get a job in a law office that pays less that my current job for year 3. I love it when a plan comes together.
10/10/07 - I just got back from the Chapman open house. My BS is from Chapman so I know the school well. The area is great and the law school, which is right across the street from the main campus is nice too. I think Chapman is doing everything right to bring itself up in the rankings. They are buying a stellar faculty and trying to be more selective about whom they let in based on numbers. They say their target is to be a tier 2 school. My one concern is that after meeting the students, I'm not sure how intellectually challenging it will be. The students were all very nice and outgoing but the student body seems to be made up primarily of the pretty people from high school and college. Also, they just don't seem as bright as I would like or as driven as other students from more prestigious schools. With UCI's law school opening next year, I'm afraid that may make it so that Chapman never gets higher than tier 3 but you never know. I'll apply and if I don't get UCLA, maybe Chapman will make a financial offer that will remove my doubts.
10/15/07 Submitted applications to 3 of my 4 schools. Still working on stuff for UCLA. Thats my first choice school so I want to wow the shit out of them with my app, especially since my numbers don't tell the whole story. The nice part about desparately wanting a reach school is that whatever happens with the other schools is hardly a concern until I get word from my reach.
10/18/07 I just submitted my UCLA app. I was so nervous I could hardly hit the submit button on the LSAC online store. Its done though so now all I have to do is wait.
10/24/07 Chapman has asked me to submit an adendum to my application explaining the reason my second LSAT score is so much higher than my first LSAT score. Frankly, I'm a bit unmotivated to do any more writing at this point but it could lead to money so I'll do it. I just have to get my self hyped up to do it or else my work product will look very poor.
12/1/07 UCLA is now officially complete. The rest of my apps went complete some time in November. Now I'm just waiting. If anyone has any useful comments on things that I can do to up my chances (that are legal) I'm all ears.
12/19/07 UCLA sent me a small white envelope and inside was a small white form letter with a small word. Denied. So sad :-( I wallowed in self pitty for a few hours and then got over that shit and decided that I really wanted to go to Loyola anyway :-)
1/21/08 SWLaw sent be a big white envelope with the best news I've gotten in a long time, accepted!!! My status on their web site still shows as pending though so for anyone who is keeping track using that site, it's not updated too often.
6/9/08 - So after all of that, I'll be going for my MBA. I just couldn't see spending the first three years of my career in law doing document review. Good luck to all you other future lawyers!
Thanks for the encouragement. Do you have to stay in the LA area? Is that why you're only applying to those schools? Which one is your first choice? Thanks for that information on Chapman. Due in part to its location, I also suspect the student body may be composed of the rich kid types you described. Good luck!!!!