crossesfingers (2022-2023)

Applying straight from undergrad. No work experience, except for some fun jobs during the summers. A few volunteer positions and limited involvement in a few student organizations. Many of both pertain to medicine, as I spent a good deal of my undergraduate career trying to convince myself that that's what I wanted to do.

I'm so pleased about the Michigan acceptance that I've decided to abandon adcomm paranoia and open up my cycle (including retroactively, for the benefit of future applicants):

10-25-07: In at Duke via email; this means I'll officially be going to law school next year. Folder of materials arrived shortly thereafter.

11-28-07: In at Georgetown. A relatively nondescript letter in fact contained an acceptance, and a personal note from Dean Cornblatt.

12-13-07: Received a large envelope containing a purple folder from NYU. Flat-out shocked to be hearing this quickly. Though NYC was very low on my list (I considered not applying to either NYU or CLS), both NYU and NYC grew on me over the course of the cycle.

01-04-08: Letter (small, possible cause for worry) arrived from UVA informing me of admittance. No mention of Dean's scholarship. Though it's a great school, regional preferences/issues mean that $ would probably be necessary to draw me there.

01-10-08: "Deferral" email from Michigan. Though it's the subject of some controversy (on LSD), I consider this a deferral. It contained much the same language of my subsequent Penn "hold", and a respected LSDer indicated that the same email was used for deferrals last year. Having been complete for 2+ months, it was expected. Despite expectations, I am VERY disappointed. For those who are wondering, I did write Why Michigan. It contained information from campus/city visits and why placement stats fit my career plans nearly perfectly. Made the deferral that much more disappointing, because I believed it a very genuine essay.

01-11-08: Held at Penn. Never wrote Why Penn because I honestly couldn't figure out why. Having gotten into NYU, I'm not overly concerned. Withdrew a few days later.

01-17-08: Sent LOCI to Michigan via email. Contained my impressions of their class, and why I believe I'd be a good fit.

01-21-08: Held at Northwestern. With no WE to speak of, it's not a surprise (a law fair rep told me not to bother actually). I also didn't interview, and chose not to write an NU-specific essay. I applied because of a fee waiver, and the (unlikely) prospect of a full-ride/defer-for-a-year scholarship. Printed and sent in withdrawal card.

01-25-08: Status checker went to decision at Michigan.

02-03-08: Held at Chicago. ****.

02-??-08: Held at Columbia. Unsure when; I was out of the country for a couple weeks.

02-21-08: I'm not sure I've come across such a deferral-heavy LSN profile before. Not sure what that says about me.

2-28-08: $54k from Duke. Wasn't giving Duke a whole lot of consideration; now I don't know what to think.

3-24-08: $48k at UVA. Probably a new frontrunner; what can I say, money talks.

3-28-08: WL at Chicago. Was my top choice at the beginning of the cycle, but as loans approached, became less and less true. Would be a lot more disappointed had the UVA letter not arrived.

4-2-08: Michigan's admissions office offered a Dean's scholarship to remain competitive with UVA. With considerable personal factors pointing to Michigan, that's the end of it.