rainking78 (2022-2023)

Views: 3425 User Since: 02/26/06

Application Information

F - Fee Waiver A - Attending W - Withdrawn D - Deferred
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# Law School Status Type $$$ Sent Received Complete Interview Date Decision Updated
#8 Chapman University Rejected Type: RA Sent: 08/01/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 02/14/06 Upd: 17 years
#7 Southwestern University School of Law Accepted W Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 04/01/06 Upd: 17 years
#7 California Western School of Law Accepted A Type: RA Sent: 01/12/20 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 02/09/06 Upd: 17 years
#5 Santa Clara University Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/08/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 04/01/06 Upd: 17 years
#4 University of the Pacific Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/08/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 04/24/06 Upd: 17 years
#6 Loyola Law School Waitlisted Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 05/20/06 Upd: 17 years
#6 Pepperdine University Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 04/04/06 Upd: 17 years
#4 University of San Diego Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 04/21/06 Upd: 17 years
#3 University of California Hastings Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 03/13/06 Upd: 17 years
#1 University of Southern California Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 03/14/06 Upd: 17 years
#2 University of California Davis Rejected Type: RA Sent: 01/07/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 02/24/06 Upd: 17 years
#9 Thomas Jefferson School of Law Accepted W Type: RA Sent: 01/09/06 Rec: -- Comp: -- Inter: -- Dec: 02/28/06 Upd: 18 years

Applicant Information

  • LSAT: -
  • LSAT 2: -
  • LSAT 3: -
  • GRE : -
  • LSAC GPA: -
  • Degree GPA: -
  • School Type: -
  • Major: -

Demographic Information

  • City: -
  • State: Indiana
  • Race: -
  • Gender: Man
  • Non-Traditional Applicant: Yes
  • Years out of Undergrad: -

Extra Curricular Information

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Additional info & updates

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5/20: Waitlisted at Loyola. "Committee impressed with your admissions file." You know, it's amazing the power we give these schools over how we feel about ourselves. Made me feel good, anyway.

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5/13: Flew out for Preview Day at CalWestern and to get apt. leases/fill out credit checks. Prof. Barton is, again, very talented...and humble. (He remembered me from sitting in on his class in March ?! This guy is good.) The fiancee and I are getting excited about the move! Law school is sounding better every day. "It's fun trying to convince 12 others of what you believe."

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4/24: Ding from McG. Ah, well. Low salary figures anyway.

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4/21: After weeks of nothing, USD ding. Damn. (Had a 3.0 index, too.) Oh well, they did appear the "soulless bureaucrats" others had mentioned (everyone I talked to via phone, before and after app, was not very pleasant--but then, if they truly do get a ridiculous number of apps for such a small class, I suppose it's understandable. Still not justifiable..). But I would've loved that 80% bar pass rate. If I end up at CalWest, I would likely apply for xfer, but no biggie. Don't need to be up on a hill looking down on the rest anyway. Would make my head too big.... plus I'm not a fan of heights.

Now, on to better things! I think it's up to CalWest or downtown LA w/ a sizable median/25-75 salary boost... More opportunities for the fiancee in LA, easier living in SD. Better library in LA, nicer people (seemingly) at CalWest. Hmmm.. so $/opp. versus quality of life...

Hey, there is the new(er) Dean--and new 2006 class sched.--at SW. Now they have fewer classes "to give you more time to study." Hmmm. Or more time for the overly-competitive students to prepare and wax you? Heheh... More challenge, anyway.

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4/8: Chapman letter: "We can't make a decision about you... your LSAT quite frankly sucks and we don't want to look like we'll take just anyone (anymore). We are trying to move up, UP, in the rankings, and we would rather you withdraw... or just go away. But we'll keep looking at your file every week in comparison with everyone else on the wl... we promise. And we'll keep passing you by." (can you hear that old Pharcyde track?...over and over...)

Yes, OK, fine, I'll admit that was paraphrased... but only slightly.

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4/6-ish: Called UoP to ask about status (in which they were very nice, I must say), and to tell them, "I'd love to be in your PT program... please take me! You've taken others like me! I want a McDegree too!" They said they will consider it, and it may make "a significant difference." Here's to that. Let's go, number 95.

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4/4: Looking like we may hear from the rest of 'em this week. No love from Pepp/Dean Starr. Surprised? I'm not. I voted for Clinton anyway.

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4/1: OK--Stop reading LSN, sign off for two hours, and go see V for Vendetta. Simply brilliant.
..A veritable vernacular victory of a movie....

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4/1: ((April fools?)) Seriously, dinged from Santa Clara today, accepted to SW'ern!
Santa Clara (trad. thin, white envelope) kind of hurt: the one app that supposedly looks at the individual closely (did my picture scare you guys off that much?). But hey, I'm not into IP, and SoCal is fine with me. (Could anyone even afford to live in SiliValley?)

SW'ern (big white packet): "The Ad. Comm. ... concluded that your outstanding academic record and personal accomplishments clearly demonstrate your potential for success in law school." About damn time! No hate-o-rade served here. Nice to get a modicum of respect in light of horrible LSAT. ...Though I'm acutely aware this acceptance came far later than others--no doubt w/ better LSAT's... Ah well, at least they recognized.

"Scholarship awards are determined separately... and recipients will be notified shortly." That's what it's going to be about for me (see earlier review) re: SW'ern. Need the money.

...and yes, the magnet is cool.

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3/4--3/12: Tour of SoCal law schools (updated 3/21):

>> CWSL: The rumors are true, it's all about the people here. My reception was .. exceptional. My name was clearly posted as a guest, greeted by wonderful receptionist, and met with very nice AD of admissions. A very helpful, happy-to-be-there 3L then led a tour for a small group of us: The classroom bldg. is large, sufficient, but the older of the three; Moot Courtroom is beautiful w/ trad. styling. The admin bldg. houses faculty, fin aid, courtyard, etc.; faculty very accessible. The new law library bldg. is modern, very cool, smaller, but 4-story; open till midnight; great views of downtown on one side, I-5 and planes landing at nearby SAN on other (!). Some small nooks of private space and rooms to reserve. Overall, good place to study.
The class we sat in on, Prof. Barton's 1L Contracts: Wow, this guy is great. Held student attn., used humor when appropriate, and encouraged students in their responses ("yes, exactly", "no, --insert answer--but you're doing great"). WOW. But not too soft, though--still commanded respect. I've worked w/ prof.s for 4 years (TA/GA)--this guy is a great instructor. Hope I get him.
Oh, and the Career Center is supposed to be wonderful--EXCEEDINGLY proactive. I've heard this from multiple sources, including the 3L tour guide ("they did everything except get me my job for me"). Smaller room, but seemed like they had plenty of resources.

>> USD: *Arrived on a Sat./no formal tour offered that day, and thus did not see inside of law bldg. Due to school's ranking/rep., however, will def. go if offered.
OK, this is pristine. Mission-style arch., on a hill (mountain?!--yeah, it's up there) looking down on Old Town, etc. It's in an odd corner of SD, actually, bordered by interstates at the beach end of Mission Valley (but NOT next to beach). Very beautiful campus/aka, group of buildings and sports fields on hilltops. Attended teacher fair w/ fiancee at Jenny Craig pavillion on a Sat.; this college has everything, full campus, and all is well-kept, even if not brand new.

>> TJSL: Received acceptance upon return from trip, AT PERM. ADDY (as others have). Did not tour, but cool location near Old Town (outside of the state park area)--guess I just love Old Town. Likely will withdraw app. unless exceptional fin aid offer made... even then, though... I dunno, I will likely tour it next trip out.

>> Chapman: One word (or two if no hyphen): blue-blood. That's the impression given off in spades. Near heart of city of Orange (SMALL TOWN FEEL), but within easy reach of Block shopping malls, etc. Law bldg. on one side of main street, rest of campus on other; law bldg. takes up noticible percentage of land area of whole campus (10-15%?). Bust of Adam Smith on campus... def. politically right-leaning, but students--mostly white that I saw--do make campus more liberal through the arts, plays, etc. (I checked out the postings, listened in on a few conversations. )
Met w/ Asst. Director and briefly w/ AD; pleasant Asst. Director led tour. Everything NEW (10 years old and looks like fresh out-of-box). Great, stunning law library (new books), though law classrooms (again, very new--cannot overstate) look... plain. New tech. in the moot courtroomS. Toured rest of campus myself; good dining area, library, auditorium. Rest of campus bordered by dorms/layout easy to discern. Overall, very impressed. In add. to 3 law tracks listed, school will likely add 4th--Int'l Law. Summary: blue-blood (but not a bad thing, at all), up-and-coming (quickly) law school. Students have pride in campus. I felt VERY comfortable there--very 'homey', neighborhood-like feel to me (of course, that's a personal feeling, though); I think I could study well there. Lingering question--what do lawyers locally think of school's rep., given it's relative newness?

>> SW'ern: Located in heart of LA on Wilshire; can see court bldg.s downtown. First (and lasting) impression: security is TIGHT "due to transients around bldg...." Did I feel safe? Absolutely. Would I feel comfortable studying here at night? Probably. Beautiful library, tho.
Two bldg.s--Main w/ library and only 2 classrooms ("arch. of this unique, older bldg. does not allow for good lecture rooms"); other bldg. with admin/std. classrooms across street. Cannot enter main bldg. from front (Wilshire) or sides, must proceed through security--all gated. Plenty of parking (half of 'campus'). Beautiful library, classrooms basic. (Did not see moot courtroom/formal tour not until late in eve. and did not stay.) Summary: Ya gotta love the downtown city life.

>> Loyola/Pepperdine/USC: Would have visited, but ran out of time. Loyola on outer loop of LA. Pepperdine in Malibu--everyone agrees it's like 'Eden', but Dean Starr?!? And USC dinged me shortly upon returning home anyways.

Conclusion: It looks like sunny SoCal-- Hoping for Southwestern or USD! Good luck all!!

Visitor Comments

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hey
Saturday, December 31 2005 at 07:00 PM

hey, thanks for the blurb. I dunno man... those uc schools are pretty paticular in who they want (i.e number whores) so to see smeone with similar numbers given the thumbs down is very disheartening. also i highly reccomend applying to usd pt and switch to ft after the first semester. the numbers to get in pt are drastically lower. if you're going ot make a bit of a road trip here in socal i reccomend also visiting loyola. it is literally 3 miles down wilshire from southwestern.SW's campus is gorgeous, well the library is, the rest is industrial. its in koreatown, so lots of interesting places to eat around the area. usd and cal west's campuses are much to look at. but im sure you're visiting to answer your question rather than a site seeing tour. goodluck!

cal western
Saturday, August 13 2005 at 08:00 PM

as of right now it looks like Cal Western for me..the only other school I would attend if I got in would be UNLV. I am just SO excited that I actually am going to law school :)

Thanks
Tuesday, January 03 2006 at 07:00 PM

hey thank for the good vibes :) You applied to 8 of the same schools I applied to!!! And your #1 is my #1- USC. And congrats on cal western!!!! I wish you the very best of luck and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you!!!!!!!!! Good Luck and hopefully we will be Trojans this fall :) :)

Cal West
Saturday, December 10 2005 at 07:00 PM

hey. thanks for the encouragement! The girl I talked to said that she really liked Cal Western because of the location and the career center, which was really active in helping student line up jobs. I talked with her in early 2005 (Feb/March) and she already had a job waiting for her. It was in public interst law, which she said she really enjoyed. She seemed really content with her expereince and had only good things to say about Cal West. I had not heard of it until that point but her enthusiasm led me to research and apply. Speaking from experience, the city of San Diego would be a wonderful place to establish a law career. The weather, the proximity to Mexico, the proximity to LA, the beach, the nightlife, the job market, all good good good.Are you leaning towards Cal West? Congrats and good luck with the rest of your apps! janelle

amazing reviews.
Saturday, March 18 2006 at 07:00 PM

Hi there...thanks for writing such detailed descriptions of your visits. it really does help with the choosing process. good luck and hope the best for ya!

School Visits
Saturday, August 13 2005 at 08:00 PM

thanks so much for your details in your visits. I am going to CWSL in May, but I went to their reception in Phoenix last week and I have to agree they are the nicest, most helpful people I have ever been in contact with at a law school! And the career help part is true, there were so many alumni at the reception who had gotten their jobs through fellow alumni even here in Phoenix. I actually dont feel like I am settling for a "fourth tier" school anymore...

thanks
Monday, March 20 2006 at 07:00 PM

Your candor and thoroughness is much appreciated. Thanks for such a useful post. Good luck!

Chapman
Wednesday, August 24 2005 at 08:00 PM

Fellow teacher? Thank you for all your comments about the schools. I am going down to LA next week to tour as well. What did you mean by "blue-blood" at Chapman? Conswervative. Ive never heard that term before. I wish I could say that Cal West has been great to me, but they havent returned phone calls or emails. I applied in early October and still no word though I clearly am within their range of acceptance. Perhaps I will see you at one of those schools!

CWLS and the like...
Wednesday, August 24 2005 at 08:00 PM

I worry about the pass, but they didnt give me enough time when they accepted my deferral to get them the money. I also wanted to run through the process in a much more organized way. I hacked through it last year not knowing what I was doing. Its worked out for me financially. I bought a place two years agi here in Portland that has done well. I didnt want to sell last spring when proces were going up up up... Now they have leveled off and I am more comfortable selling and moving on. My email, if it isnt on here already is bcensoni@hotmail.com (Im from East Lansing, MI originally. The Midwest is a great place to grow up in and an even better plce to move on from. Good luck)

Security at Southwestern
Sunday, September 18 2005 at 08:00 PM

I think you're making a grave error by going to CW over SW. There has been now crime at SW. The school is well known in CA and Cal Western is the place to go if you have no other options. Don't be fooled by how nice they are on a visit. They just want to sel themselves to you. I may not end up at SW if I get into USD, Pepperdine, or Loyola, but I might actually consider SW oever Pepperdine. George Mason is high on my list as well. I know I sound like I'm rambling on, but re-think. Most CW folks didn't get in to Southwestern.

My typing
Sunday, September 18 2005 at 08:00 PM

My typing is full of errors. Sorry!

Southwestern
Tuesday, January 03 2006 at 07:00 PM

WOW! Congrats on SW!!!! To be honest, everyday I question my choice to go to Toledo, I'm from L.A and I have lived here most of my life, leaving just seems so surreal... if Southwestern comes through, I dont know what my choice would be... Have you been up to Pacific?

THANKS
Tuesday, January 03 2006 at 07:00 PM

Thanks for the good vibes!!!! Good luck to you too with the rest of your apps!!!!!!! Question- why would you pick McG over USD?

pacific
Friday, January 13 2006 at 07:00 PM

i got accepted on friday of last week, so you should probably hear from them this week. it looks like we applied at the same time. i want to do part time there because i can teach history at junior colleges in sac. i'd rather go somewhere better, but if i have to go there so be it. supreme court justice kennedy teaches an intl law course in vienna every year; i dont think that would suck too badly. and if you go pt there, you can always transfer full time. good luck. i also applied to loyola, i just forgot to put it up.

mcgeorge
Friday, January 13 2006 at 07:00 PM

maybe it wouldn't hurt to call mcgeorge and find out why such a delay. but i applied pt, so maybe it was a lot easier to process (due to the smaller applicant pool).

thanks
Monday, April 17 2006 at 08:00 PM

Thanks for the advice! Let me know if you end up going there! It seems like a great school and it's nice to hear that the people are friendly. Best of luck to you and I may hit you up with some questions! Thanks!

cal west
Saturday, March 18 2006 at 07:00 PM

Nice write up on CWSL. I just got in to CWSL and am seriously considering it over Gonzaga. Do you know anything about the attrition rate? Do they cut out the bottom 30%? Thanks for the info and congrats on Southwestern!

Would you be willing to go to Loyola PT?
Tuesday, January 03 2006 at 07:00 PM

I see Loyola is admitting more people from the waitlist (which I'm also on) into their PT program... would you attend if they offered it? Did you check off that box in the WL letter??

Southwestern
Tuesday, January 03 2006 at 07:00 PM

Are you considering them at all? or would you pick Cal Western over them?

Southwestern vs. CalWestern
Wednesday, August 16 2006 at 08:00 PM

If you want to work for Big Law, Southwestern has a way better reputation. Summer Associates land spots at all the big firms in the LA area, plus, their network is awesome. People in LA who know about law school, know this school is very under rated. I have a good buddy graduating from CalWestern. Mid-size firm offers have trickled in, but it looks like he is going to the SEC for a few years/experience. Both schools are solid, but Southwestern has the better rep.