NU Apps '11-'12 - Good Luck Hold Candidates!!!! <3 Forum

[Tiago Splitter]

Got the email a few days ago. 1 year deferral with 50k/year. Not sure how to feel.

Uh... you got rejected from Harvard, you should feel pretty good about getting a full ride from Northwestern.

"But I've got to wait a whole year! That's twelve months! I wouldn't be starting law school until age 23 which is obviously far too old!"

[Eugenie Danglars]

Aw, take it easy, folks. It's hard when your dream school passes you over.

Aqualung, NU is awesome, and it's even more awesome on a full ride. Give it a shot and maybe a visit, eh? The chiller atmosphere is palpable.

[JamMasterJ]

Got the email a few days ago. 1 year deferral with 50k/year. Not sure how to feel.

Clearly, you should feel terribly disappointed, and should tell us about how that feels. And you should probably let NU know how insulting you find their offer, and turn it down immediately. (Conveniently leaving that $50k in the scholly pool for those of us who might appreciate it.)


Dude, come on.

There's really nothing wrong with him/her having second thoughts about accepting a deferral. We don't know his personal situation. I highly doubt the "Not sure how to feel" was about the getting in, or the getting a giant scholly, and more about having to wait an extra year. And while I think waiting a year is almost always a good call, it's really not something that any of us can judge.

[Zelda]

Got the email a few days ago. 1 year deferral with 50k/year. Not sure how to feel.

Clearly, you should feel terribly disappointed, and should tell us about how that feels. And you should probably let NU know how insulting you find their offer, and turn it down immediately. (Conveniently leaving that $50k in the scholly pool for those of us who might appreciate it.)


Dude, come on.

There's really nothing wrong with him/her having second thoughts about accepting a deferral. We don't know his personal situation. I highly doubt the "Not sure how to feel" was about the getting in, or the getting a giant scholly, and more about having to wait an extra year. And while I think waiting a year is almost always a good call, it's really not something that any of us can judge.

+1

[thelawschoolproject]

Glad to see there's lots of needless bullshit happening in here.

Let's move on shall we?

Does anyone know if they do a faculty-mentorship program with students who are interested in their line of research? I know there are different clinics/programs, but is there a formalized one-on-one program?

[bdubs]

Glad to see there's lots of needless bullshit happening in here.

Let's move on shall we?

Does anyone know if they do a faculty-mentorship program with students who are interested in their line of research? I know there are different clinics/programs, but is there a formalized one-on-one program?

Once you get into your third year, you can do a course called "senior research" that is one-on-one mentoring by a faculty member of a long research paper. It's a self-generated course, so you just ask the professor you want to research with if they are willing to be your mentor.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/academi ... _research/

[thelawschoolproject]

Once you get into your third year, you can do a course called "senior research" that is one-on-one mentoring by a faculty member of a long research paper. It's a self-generated course, so you just ask the professor you want to research with if they are willing to be your mentor.

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/academi ... _research/

Thanks, bdubs. This is helpful, do you know what kinds of things people partaking in the senior research commonly do afterward? It looks like it may be more of an academic route than an advocacy one?

[bdubs]

Thanks, bdubs. This is helpful, do you know what kinds of things people partaking in the senior research commonly do afterward? It looks like it may be more of an academic route than an advocacy one?

I think that people who do senior research are more academically minded. Lots of them are trying to get their research paper published to set themselves up for clerkships or academic positions.

Most of the faculty (very close to all of the faculty) are academically minded and have very little advocacy experience. The clinical professors certainly have more, but I don't think that they can be advisers for senior research papers. If you want to get advocacy experience you would generally do it through clinics or one of the moot court competitions (we have a few).

[Eugenie Danglars]

Thanks, bdubs. This is helpful, do you know what kinds of things people partaking in the senior research commonly do afterward? It looks like it may be more of an academic route than an advocacy one?

I think that people who do senior research are more academically minded. Lots of them are trying to get their research paper published to set themselves up for clerkships or academic positions.

Most of the faculty (very close to all of the faculty) are academically minded and have very little advocacy experience. The clinical professors certainly have more, but I don't think that they can be advisers for senior research papers. If you want to get advocacy experience you would generally do it through clinics or one of the moot court competitions (we have a few).

Just anecdotes, but of the three people I know who are doing senior research, none plan to go into academia- two have firm jobs lined up and one is going into gov't. They are using it to fulfill the writing requirement and also just find out more about something that particularly interests them.

[Kring345]

Northwestern is one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. I applied on Sept 18 and havent heard anything since. Would it be reasonable to send in a LOCI? It would likely be an "update on my app" plus a traditional LOCI. There have been some significant changes to my resume since September.

Thoughts? I cant imagine it'd be a BAD thing. Perhaps a bit annoying would be worst case scenario.

Number-wise and WE-wise, I am in line for admission. But my optimism and patience is sometimes interrupted by bouts of (low to mild) anxiety.

[thelawschoolproject]

Northwestern is one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. I applied on Sept 18 and havent heard anything since. Would it be reasonable to send in a LOCI? It would likely be an "update on my app" plus a traditional LOCI. There have been some significant changes to my resume since September.

Thoughts? I cant imagine it'd be a BAD thing. Perhaps a bit annoying would be worst case scenario.

Number-wise and WE-wise, I am in line for admission. But my optimism and patience is sometimes interrupted by bouts of (low to mild) anxiety.

I'm pro-this.

If there are significant changes to your resume like you say, then it could help you. I don't think they are going to look at it as annoying, in fact, I suspect they'll look at your continued interest in a positive light.

[bdubs]

Northwestern is one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. I applied on Sept 18 and havent heard anything since. Would it be reasonable to send in a LOCI? It would likely be an "update on my app" plus a traditional LOCI. There have been some significant changes to my resume since September.

Thoughts? I cant imagine it'd be a BAD thing. Perhaps a bit annoying would be worst case scenario.

Number-wise and WE-wise, I am in line for admission. But my optimism and patience is sometimes interrupted by bouts of (low to mild) anxiety.

I'm not surprised. You have a 168 according to your profile, which makes you borderline. Although being a vet. will help.

An LOCI wouldn't hurt, but you probably won't know for sure if you get in until really late (think late March). There is a high likelihood that you'll end up on the WL and have to write another one or two anyway, so keep that in mind.

[JamMasterJ]

Northwestern is one of my top choices for a variety of reasons. I applied on Sept 18 and havent heard anything since. Would it be reasonable to send in a LOCI? It would likely be an "update on my app" plus a traditional LOCI. There have been some significant changes to my resume since September.

Thoughts? I cant imagine it'd be a BAD thing. Perhaps a bit annoying would be worst case scenario.

Number-wise and WE-wise, I am in line for admission. But my optimism and patience is sometimes interrupted by bouts of (low to mild) anxiety.

I'm not surprised. You have a 168 according to your profile, which makes you borderline.

An LOCI wouldn't hurt, but you probably won't know for sure if you get in until really late (think late March). There is a high likelihood that you'll end up on the WL and have to write another one or two anyway, so keep that in mind.

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

[bdubs]

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

Honestly, not sure what the deal is with your app. Something about it is making them hesitant, an LOCI could help or hurt depending on what it is. If you write an LOCI definitely have it read over and polished by a few people who you trust to know what they're doing. Try to identify what that weakness in your app is and see if you can find a way to address it.

[thelawschoolproject]

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

Jam, is there anything new you've been working on at all? I'm going to send an updated resume to a few of the schools that have decided to ignore me over the past three months.

[JamMasterJ]

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

Honestly, not sure what the deal is with your app. Something about it is making them hesitant, an LOCI could help or hurt depending on what it is. If you write an LOCI definitely have it read over and polished by a few people who you trust to know what they're doing. Try to identify what that weakness in your app is and see if you can find a way to address it.

I had my PS, Why NU, and resume read by about 10 people, most of whom are pretty involved TLSers. My interview went really well IMO. I think the only bad thing is possibly the fact that I don't really have much WE, and what I'm doing right now isn't the most exciting stuff. I don't have any clue what I could supplement my application with, other than letting them know that I'm still super interested in the school

Jam, is there anything new you've been working on at all? I'm going to send an updated resume to a few of the schools that have decided to ignore me over the past three months.

nothing worth mentioning

[coward]

I have an interview scheduled for this coming Tuesday (1/31), but got accepted on Friday (1/27) - anybody find themselves in a similar situation? How did it resolve itself?

Got lucky with a quick turn-around - applied at the beginning of January.

Congrats to those already in, and good luck to everyone waiting.

[coward]

Called - interview is now unnecessary, but they are happy to still do it.

[JamMasterJ]

Called - interview is now unnecessary, but they are happy to still do it.

If it's on campus, I'd cancel the interview, but visit and try to get a quick meeting with someone in admissions, then do a tour of the school. The atrium is so nice and the classrooms make you feel like you're in the Paper Chase.

[Mr. Somebody]

Is there actually reason to get worried or are people just being impatient? It seems to me a lot of RD decisions have not been made and they've mostly been working on the ED deferreds.

I tend to agree that they shouldn't have hard language on their status checker if its not a hard deadline (every other school AFAIK qualifies their timetables) but I expect to hear soon so I doubt it matters.

[Samara]

Is there actually reason to get worried or are people just being impatient? It seems to me a lot of RD decisions have not been made and they've mostly been working on the ED deferreds.

I tend to agree that they shouldn't have hard language on their status checker if its not a hard deadline (every other school AFAIK qualifies their timetables) but I expect to hear soon so I doubt it matters.

I think people are just getting impatient. No one's been waitlisted yet, so no need to panic yet. Get impatient and freak out? Sure. Just no panicking.

[coward]

If it's on campus, I'd cancel the interview, but visit and try to get a quick meeting with someone in admissions, then do a tour of the school. The atrium is so nice and the classrooms make you feel like you're in the Paper Chase.

Unfortunately it's via Skype, but I think I'll still take it (I'll visit in March). I've already rearranged things for work and it'll be a nice opportunity to make a personal connection at the school and learn a bit more about the place.

And to the extent that it's still an interview, never hurts to get some more experience.

[bdubs]

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

Honestly, not sure what the deal is with your app. Something about it is making them hesitant, an LOCI could help or hurt depending on what it is. If you write an LOCI definitely have it read over and polished by a few people who you trust to know what they're doing. Try to identify what that weakness in your app is and see if you can find a way to address it.

I had my PS, Why NU, and resume read by about 10 people, most of whom are pretty involved TLSers. My interview went really well IMO. I think the only bad thing is possibly the fact that I don't really have much WE, and what I'm doing right now isn't the most exciting stuff. I don't have any clue what I could supplement my application with, other than letting them know that I'm still super interested in the school

I wasn't necessarily saying it had anything to do with your PS or other application materials being unpolished, just that you should be sure to write a very well thought out and thoroughly edited LOCI if you do one.

If I were you, I would just wait it out. The time for LOCIs is after the initial decision is rendered. I think it would be pretty unlikely for you to get an outright rejection, so you might as well wait and see whether you get accepted late or waitlisted before writing it.

[JamMasterJ]

I don't have anything to add to my application. I've already written a pretty extensive Why NU, interviewed on campus, and don't have anything to update the school with. Would there be anything that I could send them to show continued interest? And would that be a good idea?

Honestly, not sure what the deal is with your app. Something about it is making them hesitant, an LOCI could help or hurt depending on what it is. If you write an LOCI definitely have it read over and polished by a few people who you trust to know what they're doing. Try to identify what that weakness in your app is and see if you can find a way to address it.

I had my PS, Why NU, and resume read by about 10 people, most of whom are pretty involved TLSers. My interview went really well IMO. I think the only bad thing is possibly the fact that I don't really have much WE, and what I'm doing right now isn't the most exciting stuff. I don't have any clue what I could supplement my application with, other than letting them know that I'm still super interested in the school

I wasn't necessarily saying it had anything to do with your PS or other application materials being unpolished, just that you should be sure to write a very well thought out and thoroughly edited LOCI if you do one.

If I were you, I would just wait it out. The time for LOCIs is after the initial decision is rendered. I think it would be pretty unlikely for you to get an outright rejection, so you might as well wait and see whether you get accepted late or waitlisted before writing it.

Thanks

sigh

[Eugenie Danglars]

If I were you, I would just wait it out. The time for LOCIs is after the initial decision is rendered. I think it would be pretty unlikely for you to get an outright rejection, so you might as well wait and see whether you get accepted late or waitlisted before writing it.

I would agree with bdubs here. I know the admissions office folk can get annoyed with too much paperwork. Plus, if you sent it now and get waitlisted anyhow, you're really up a creek.