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Root-Tilden-Kern

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:18 pm
by condor
Hey gang,

I've spent a while scouring old threads to no avail, so here goes...
Anyone else applying for the RTK scholarship at NYU? I can find very little talk about it other than the statements from NYU. In the official newsletter, bios of last year's winners are posted, and they are uniformly stunning. So if anyone on here is applying, do you care to share your non-profit/public interest work experience?

Not sure about the protocol for this. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I think folks might prefer to PM. If an open thread is the way, I'll post my work soon...

Also if anyone has the skinny on the selection process, that would be awesome. Is it numbers-oriented like nigh-on everything else, only with an extra component of public service tossed in for flavor?

Any old finalists still roaming the boards, please weigh in...

RTK

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:22 pm
by Andywebbers
<---------- also curious.

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:42 pm
by chris0805
I applied last year... never heard anything back, not even a rejection. From talking to other admitted students it seemed that most finalists were dream candidates.

These are the impressions that I got (not necessarily accurate, just what it seemed to me)

Most to half (but certainly not all) were URM

All to nearly all had LSAT and GPA (Read 178+, 3.9+) that were auto-admit at Harvard and most likely also got into Yale

All had beyond stunning experience. I thought I had really strong soft factors, but compared to RTK finalists/recipients it was as if I never left my house.

I'm not trying to be a downer (though that's probably exactly what I'm being). The fact is though, the RTK is the equivalent to a hypothetical law school that is far more competetive than even Yale could dream of.

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:45 pm
by Rosstafarian
Great.

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 6:45 pm
by condor
well damn. no dream am I. That was the impression I got as well. Thanks, chris!

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:12 pm
by chris0805
You guys should definitely still apply just because you never know. Also, don't lose too much hope... I wasn't a finalist for ANY of the PI scholarships I applied for (and I applied to a lot of them... some at lower ranked schools), and I still got some other $$ offers at pretty good schools.

Even if you don't, the debt you will accrue at an NYU caliber school is not debt that you will have to worry about. Live within your means, use the LRAP or work one year at a firm, and you'll be fine. :D

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:26 pm
by condor
since the app is already in, at least I don't have to debate the decision!

Whow knows, indeed...I wish I weren't so compulsively debt-averse!

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:38 pm
by condor
chris--
did you get cash from columbia?

If not, what took you there? I am very keen on Columbia. My girlfriend's family lives a block or so off campus. I love the area, but am worried about the school's somewhat corporate rep...

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:51 pm
by neskerdoo
condor, can you link us to these bios? i am very curious....

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:57 pm
by condor
they are inside the newsletter .pdf link from this page:

http://www.law.nyu.edu/depts/publicinte ... s/rtk.html

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:07 pm
by chris0805
I got very little (25K over three years) from Columbia, but I probably would have come even if they had offered nothing.

I was really impressed with the students, faculty, and administration at Columbia. I really loved it when I visited, and the school seemed perfect for my interests. That, and Morningside heights was a little easier of a transition from Oregon for me than the Village.

Since then, I've loved it. The public interest opportunities are excellent and endless. Seriously, you don't need to worry about the corporate rep at all. If anything, it might open up a few more opportunities since there might be less competition. I am in the Asylum Clinic. I have three homeless clients trying to get their benefits reinstated, and I have worked with a legal aid attorney on immigrants rights project.

The classes are well, as much as fun as you can expect from law school classes. And the atmosphere is really laid back.

Condor beat me to the link, but I'll add that the bios start on page 7

If you, or anyone else, wants more specific information about CLS, I can start a Columbia 1L thread in the choosing a law school forum