thgreyguy (2022-2023)

I wasn't particularly active group-wise in college, but did participate in some student theeater and a couple things here and there.

I studied abroad during Spring 03 at Tongji University in Shanghai.

During high school, I spent a summer in Costa Rica as a biology student.

I interned for a political consulting company during Fall 04 in DC.

During college. I was employed every semester for 10-20 hours a week.

In Spring 04, I passed the written U.S. Foreign Service Test and in Fall 04, I failed the oral test.

In college, I co-wrote a very minor newspapers column with a prof.

My grades were always consistent i.e. 3.3-3.8.

I also drank a lot.

Just after college, I scored an awesome summer job with the Child Support Division of the State's Attorney's Office (a district attorney's office every where, but in Illinois).

Currently, I am working for the Illinois Speaker of the House through the Illinois Staff Internship Program. Essentially, you serve as a full-time staffer and earn some free grad school credits as well.

Wrote an article about a death penalty appeal at the IL Supreme Court for a small local newspaper.

Took the LSAT :
June/2004-159
October/2005 -167

Letters of Rec

1 from a prof I worked with often
1 from the pre-law dean who I had class with and was quite chummy
1 from an ass. state's attorney (district attorney)

Personal Statement

I think it's pretty good.

11/14/05
I bitched to my friends.

11/15/2005-
Akron called and sent a large packet. While I was glad to be accepted somewhere, I do not intend to go to Akron.

12/01/2005-
Arizona mails its acceptance. Arizona sent a normal white envelope which was noticably thicker.

12/05/2005-
Temple sends acceptance letter. Temple sent a normal white envelope.

12/15/2005-
Illinois sent a normal white envelope for its 'hold list.'

I called the school for clarification and spoke with an ass. director of admin. We talked about the hold list. It is the list for students who are qualified, but may not be accepted for varying reasons. It is like the pre-wait list. A student can be accepted, denied, or put on the waiting list. One can either wait for the decision or supply more information. The director suggested an addendum abotu my LSAT scores, more resume info, and a more detailed explanation why U of I is my choice.

Thus far, I have sent an updated resume as well as the addendum.

12/27/2005-
Indiana mailed an acceptance letter in a normal white envelope. It also used a letter sized priority mail box to send a partial scholarship offer (25.5 k/3yrs)and a handwritten note from the ass. dean.

1/05/06
I bitched to my friends.

1/8/06
Recieve large, white booklet-sized envelope from Temple. Contained scholarship info and seat deposit info. 30k/3 yrs.

1/12/06
Ass. Director of Admin from U of Illinois calls. My appliation is off the hold list. The school is also now offering me $15k/3 years. This offers hope to people put on that horrible hold list.

1/13/06
Northwestern's online status check finally shows my app as complete.

1/14/06
Receive Illinois's admission packet in mail. Packet is white and magazine sized. Comes with admission letter, viewbook, seat deposit info, and various brochures.

1/19/06
Depaul sends large white packet with "Welcome to DePaul" written on the bottom front. Packet includes two page admission letter and a blue folder with apartment info, open house details, scholarship info (20k a year) and a brochure highlighting the strengths of the 2005 class.

1/30/06
DePaul sends a t-shirt. I am really fucking sold now.

02/01/06
Northwestern
Recieved e-mail saying a decision had been made. Waiting list! First not so good news so far.

Bitches man. Bitches.

2/01/06
I bitched to my friends.

02/02/06
Wis sends an e-mail saying my app is complete. Real long time, I gotta say.

02/03/06
Loyola sends a thick normal sized envelope with the school name, logo, etc. It includes an acceptance letter, scholarship letter, seat deposit letter, important dates letter, health law fellowship letter (asking to apply), and child law fellowship letter (asking to apply).

Loyola offered $16k a year, renewable for the 2nd and 3rd year with a 3.0 gpa.

02/12/06
Notre Dame sends e-mail apologizing for not including a letter explaining the provisional acceptance list (or something) in the mailing (I didn't get a mailing yet).

02/15/06
Notre Dame mails simple, thin letter sized envelope stating that I was

02/16/06

E-mailed a letter to Indiana requesting my application be reviewed again for merit aid due to UIUC's offer.

2/17/06

I reranked my law school list to cover include waiting lists, etc. WI is before IN under the idea that they could offer more money. ND is below Wash and UIUC because of the waiting list. UIUC moves up due to the scholarship money.

2/20/06
Visited UIUC. Their ass. dean out most of my concerns to rest. Sat in on a class....really enoyed it. Fuck, all roads lead to central Illinois

2/21/06
E-mailed from Dean Long at Indiana.

Indiana upps offer to 35.5k/3 years.

2/21/06

Wash U e-mailed with acceptance. Official letter is on the way. No notification of a scholarship.

2/22/06

Akron e-mails and offers full tuition scholarship.

02/24/06

Checked Georgetown's online status checker. It listed the last time of updating (02/24/06) and my file as complete.

02/26/06

Okay, so the plan to get off the NW wait list goes as follows.

1. Submit Resume
Turns out they never had it!

2. Submit graduate school transcripts
As part of the job, we had a free grad class at the University of IL at Springfield. I will siubmit the transcript for that course (I got an A)

3. Extra letters of rec
I will submit more letters of rec from state reps, especially one is a NW alum.

4. Addendum
I will submit an addendum about my job caz I didn't know what I did at the time of application.

5. Submit my journalism pieces?
Maybe. They aren't very good, but hey...

02/27/06

Letter from Wash U. Acceptance, tuition deposit info...no scholarship info. It appears people on LSN generally receive it with the official letter. If that is the case...goodbye Wash U.

02/28/06

Reordered list again to reflect waiting lists, scholarships, etc.

University of Illinois...again.

03/01/06

E-mailed Wash U asking when scholarship letters are sent out

Response: Scholarship letters are sent separately and I would be receiving some scholarship.

So...yay.

03/05/06

Withdrawal from Arizona and Temple via e-mail. I should withdraw from Akron, but hey, who knows, I might need that one.

03/06/06

Received a medium sized box (about the size of a laptop bag) from Wash U. It contained a large amount of brochures, school info, etc. This is one stop shopping to know about Wash U Law School.

Unfortunately, it contains no info about scholarships. Still waiting....grr

03/10/06

I called Wash U to cancel a visit. I asked about the status of my scholarship letter and the person checked to see if it was possible to reveal over the phone. 18k a year! If Wash can make it more like 20-22k a year, i will go there over U of I.

i reordered the list to reflect the changes.

3/10/06

Wisconsin sends a hold letter in a normal letter sized envelope. That makes no sense because its other peer schools accepted me with money. I can only think that I applied too late

3/14/06

E-mailed/faxed a letter to Wash u asking them to review my application for additional scholarship consideration...basically the same letter from indiana

03/17/06

Visited Wahs U again for a little meeting and a student led tour.....

I got a bad vibe from thr admin staff. While they seemed nice, the answers to my questions were less than satisfactory. They made it seem like the joint degree process would be problematic i.e. unless you do one they aleady designed. I find that to be intellectually narrowing. My interests vary and I don't want to be somewhere that will be inflexible to that.

I will follow up with more questions through e-mail, but I felt much more comfortable with the "We'll work it out so you can do whatever you want" attitude at UIUC.

03/18/06

e-mailed withdrawal e-mail to depaul. I'll hold on to Loyola for a city school.

03/20/06

e-mailed withdrawal e-mail to akron

03/23/06

Receive first letter of rejection from U of C. ..rejection. I had one coming though. I've had entirely good luck.

Letter came on thicker paper (thus a slightly thick normal envelope). However, the ass dean. did actually sign her name. That was nice.

03/26/06

Corresponded with an ass dean at Wis. Sent-email signifying my withdrawal.

03/27/06

Removed Wisconsin from my rankings

03/29/06

Yale mails rejection letter in yellowish letter sized envelope. Much shorter and not nearly as nice as Chicago's... Geez, Alito and Ashcroft's schools rejected me. Tear* Whatever will I do ;)

04/03/06

Michigan e-mails saying I have been put on the waitlist. I feel pretty excited.

04/03/06

Georgetown online status check changes to "decision."

04/06/06

Receive W & L's waiting list letter and immediately send a withdraw e-mail.

04/07/06

NYU rejection comes. Eh, I wasn't planning to go any way.

04/08/06

Sent in first seat deposit to Wash U. I may send the first one into U of I as well, but I am wavering on that. Wash U by a nose right now. After all, it is $500 at U of I. It is also about time for a decision.

04/12/06

Sent e-mail to Paul at U of I's admissions office explaining that

1)I'd like more time or a smaller deposit
2)Wash U's scholarship offer makes its cost similar to U of I's.

Paul wrote back within the hour and halfed the deposit and increased by merit scholarship to 12k per year.

Paul is bad ass.

04-30-06

Harvard...snap.

05-01-06

Withdrew from Loyola

05-03-06

Hm. Wash U said they won't be increasing my schloarship at this time....

Fuck.

5-10-06

Wash U reconfirms it.

05-16-06

Fuck it. I think I am going to go to Wash U, unless NW or Michigan come calling.

05-31-06

Sent in my final deposit for Wash U.

06-03-06

ND sent a letter saying I'd be on the B wait list, which is the secondary one.

06-15-06

Michigan sent an e-mail saying
a. They have been shrinking the wait list, but I am still on it
b. They will be sending out a few acceptance e-mails in the next 5 days
c. After the first round of wait list acceptances, Michigan will be preparing an even smaller waiting list.

I actually think I am going to get in, one of those feelings.

6-15-06

NW sent an e-mail with a wait list update saying

a. I have been put on a shortened wait list of about 300 (the old list was about 700)
b. Their 2006 class is currently complete, but some spots will likely open up.

I have a feeling I will not get in here.

07/14/06

NW sends e-mail acceptance. I live a charmed frickin' life.

07/24/06

Fin aid appeal shot down by NW

07/25/06

Withdrew from Wash U and Michigan