natalie34 (2022-2023)

volunteer work, leadership positions in undergrad, Taught ESL, foreign work experience, LORs from professors with whom I worked in their research labs.

Scholarships are for all three years.. most require top 40% of class or 3.0 GPA, FSU's has no GPA requirement and amounts to full in-state tuition scholarship.

I am not sure if I will follow the scholarship money or load on the debt to attend a higher ranked law school. If anyone has any advice I would be happy to hear it. I am interested mainly in international and environmental law, but realize how competitive these fields can be. I would be happy to live in FL, but am definitely looking for a change of scenary for law school. I am also interested in living overseas somewhere where I can practice U.S. law (such as the pacific islands), or work for the U.S. Government abroad. Hey, we all have our dreams. I am also a Peace Corps applicant who is hoping to defer law school, if and when I get that long-awaited invitation. If I do end up going to my nominated country and departure date, I will be enrolling in law school in Fall 2013.

Good Luck to everyone applying this year! Really exciting to finally be at this point.

10/21/10
First acceptance from a U.S. law school, Florida State University, via phone call from the admissions office. Should be receiving a package in the mail soon. Very happy and surprised at the hasty turnover.

11/01/10
In at Tulane via snail mail letter and 25,000 scholarship, renewable for each year. :)

11/19/10
Found out I am in at UF, Santa Clara and Washington and Lee. Feeling better about the rejection at UVA and getting out of an early decision contract.

Late November/Early December
Received a call from Alabama offering me an acceptance and scholarship of 22,500 per year which is nearly full tuition there! They sent a huge packet with information in the mail shortly after.

12/09/10
In at Miami via email and status checker! Waiting on one FL school... come on Stetson!

12/13/10
Call from Florida State Scholarship Committee with full in-state scholarship (17,000 per year) regardless of GPA or class standing. Pretty excited!

12/15/10
In at Stetson via email!

12/16/10
The long awaited EA response from Cornell was a deferral until Feb 1st. This, along with being deferred from Texas EA, is becoming an unwelcomed pattern. However, I am hopeful they see something they like about me, or else they would have saved me the torture and given a flat out rejection. Right?

12/16/10
Also, got a sweet T-shirt in the mail from Alabama! I plan to rock it while carrying my sweet Tulane tote bag. Decisions, Decisions.

12/17/10
Waitlisted at Illinois.

12/22
So excited to receive an email congratulating me on my acceptance to George Washington! It says acceptance packet will be in the mail, along with any notice of a scholarship (which I can only pray for!) Great early Christmas present! ALSO received an email from Miami telling me about a scholarship letter in the mail. Not sure how much it will be.

12/27
Letter from Miami, Dean's Merit Scholarship for 24,000 per year, renewable if I were to maintain a 3.2 gpa.

1/10 In at Maryland, no mention of scholarship info. Status checker changed to decision made on 1/16. Also realized my status at Pepperdine has changed to decision rendered on 1/7, hoping to hear from them tomorrow (fingers crossed good news and maybe scholarship). I would love to go there if I got a decent financial aid offer.

1/11 In at Pepperdine with Dean's Scholarship! Very excited about this one, although you have to stay in the top 1/3 of the class which I have heard many people do not achieve.

Mid Jan
In at Wake with 31,000 per year (top half of class) and 35,000 at Washington and Lee! Also full scholarship to Stetson! Stetson is in my home town and I do love it. Just not sure if I could go that regional. St. Petersburg is amazing though!

1/26
Invited to serve in the United States Peace Corps departing in April 2011. This is great news in that I can defer for law school and be able to start in 2013.. hoping my top choices let me do this.

1/27
In via phone call to University of Texas. This is by far one of my top choices and may trump any other scholarship offers. I adore Austin and UT. My uncle went there too, which is a plus. If they let me defer, I may as well send in my deposit.

1/31
In at Boston University via phone call!

2/4
In at Notre Dame via mail with a large package containing some very useful info about the school and South Bend. Dinged at Berkley via email wishing me luck and hoping I get into other schools. Expected.

2/8 (ish)
6,000 per year at UF, my alma mater. Not sure if this will be enough to sway me.

2/18 - Withdrew from Alabama, Maryland and Santa Clara. Probably will be withdrawing from a few more soon.

3/2 - Waitlisted from Vanderbilit and UCLA in the last week or two. Also withdrew from Stetson yesterday. Visiting Boston later in the Month and hopefully Tulane too.

3/8 In at Emory with 75,000 over 3 years!

3/25 Boston University ASW really impressed me. Loved the city and everything the school has to offer! Not sure about the lack of scholarship money and the cold weather though.

4/1 Notre Dame emailed upping offer to 30,000 scholarship (10 per year) which is really great. Problem is I had already withdrawn. Either way I love the idea of Notre Dame, but again the region is not ideal for me.

4/2 Tulane ASW went really well. I didn't feel like it was a perfect fit for me personally. New Orleans is a hell of a place to visit, however, I don't see myself going to law school there. I would want to run away and join a traveling street band. Love that city!

4/8 Waitlisted at USC today and found out I was placed on reserve at Cornell (Finally). Cycle officially ends today which is a good feeling. Visited Emory today (unfortunately not able to go to the offical ASD which will be tomorrow). Emory is amazing and probably my top choice. I leave for the Peace Corps in about 2.5 weeks though, so I think I may be reapplying in the future. Good luck to all!