nontradintexas (2022-2023)

10 years in workforce, 3 years in management for a state agency.

I'm only applying to schools in and around Texas as I do not want to move my family too far.

Attended a regional (T4) law school for a semester 10 years ago, dropped out due to family reasons. Explained all this in academic addendum attached to each app.

Took June 08 LSAT, decided to retake in October as I scored well below what I was averaging in practice. Score improved by 12 points.

3 LOR - all work

Worked through undergrad (30-40 hours/wk)

09/20/08 - Submitted my first apps! Wow, what a scary thing to do.

Several schools are requesting a letter of standing from my previous school, so that may slightly delay my march to "complete" status.

10/24/08 - Oct LSAT back - 172!!! Huge jump from my previous score, cannot be happier that I decided to buckle down and retake.

11/10/08 - I've decided the waiting game sucks, especially since I've started to see acceptances for Baylor and UT on message boards. Still waiting to go complete to 3 schools because my previous school hasn't sent a letter of standing yet. Ugh.

11/13/08 - Received confirmation from previous school that letters of standing mailed. Should be getting closer to complete!

11/14/08 - I'm going to law school! Acceptance letter from St. Mary's in small beige envelope. Now just waiting for eight more...

11/20/08 - Acceptance #2 - in at Baylor for both Summer and Fall! Received an email for each, and the promise of a letter.

12/04/08 - Online status checker for Tx Tech changed to "decision rendered" effective today.

12/05/08 - In at Oklahoma via a nice phone call from recruitment specialist. Thanks OU!

12/06/08 - In at Texas Tech via snail mail, small white envelope. Included with acceptance was Regent's Scholarship for full tuition and fees. That definitely makes Tech attractive.

12/09/08 - Received email from UT - being held over for consideration with regular applicant pool and should have an answer by mid-April. Yuck. At least I wasn't auto-denied.

12/11/08 - Received snail mail Dean's scholarship offer from St. Mary's - $10k/yr renewable for all three years provided I stay in top 25%.

12/15/08 - Snail mail from OU - received in-state tuition which will adjust with any tuition increases. Works out to $10k/yr based on current tuition.

01/02/09 - Complete email from STCL - all apps complete now! Email noted that they will not begin to review until after 02/15 deadline...hmmm, seems a bit late in the game.

01/04/09 - In at U of H - notified by email. Email states a letter will follow and included a link to the accepted students site.

01/06/09 - Rec'd fee waivers from UCLA and Columbia. If only they were located in TX...

01/07/09 - Rec'd full tuition scholarship from Baylor via snail mail, must maintain 2.6 GPA (approx top 2/3 of class). This brings them right back into play.

01/09/09 - Withdrew from St. Mary's, OU, and Baylor (summer only, kept acceptance for fall with scholarship). Hope someone can use the $$.

01/29/09 - The long drought for info is over. In at SMU via phone call! Acceptance packet to follow in the mail on 02/02.

02/17/09 - Emailed a LOCI to UT today. I honestly don't know what this will do for my chances, but I was much too anxious with the lack of activity. (Emailed because I called the admissions office and was told that was how they preferred to receive them.)

02/17/09 - Decision rendered at Wesleyan via status checker. Actual decision mailed.

02/19/09 - Acceptance packet from Wesleyan, along with $25k scholarship - $12,500 first year, the rest over the next two years provided I stay in the top 25% of the class.

02/25/09 - Withdrew from Tx Tech and Wesleyan, freeing up $$ for someone else.

02/28/09 - Received smailmail scholarship info from SMU - $24k per year as long as I remain "in good standing."

03/05/09 - Received waitlist email from STCL. Hmmmm...almost seems as if they doubt I will attend there. Odd that the email and my status checker indicate waitlist for the Spring semester (which started 2 months ago) when I only applied for fall. Withdrew.

03/10/09 - Waitlisted at UT. Very much expected based on recent activity. Will send another LOCI this week or early next week.

06/18/09 - Still riding the UT waitlist, but planning on SMU if not accepted. Really more stress than anything else right now.

08/09/09 - I'm calling it finished for my cycle. Technically still waitlisted at UT, but I've signed a lease on an apartment in Dallas, so it's SMU for me! Can't believe how this went, in more ways than one. I'm glad I don't have to do it again...

08/21/09 - And now it's official...received an email today from UT that the waitlist has been "disbanded", which seems an odd choice of words to me. No matter, it was my first class day at SMU, and I survived being called on!

Footnote: I never would have believed that my cycle wouldn't officially end until the day I started school. Nearly 10 months after I submitted my application, I received an answer from UT. Crazy. Best of luck to the class of 2012!