hannah wrote:lilognl wrote:hannah wrote:
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Sorry for taking so long to answer back, I’ve been working on my senior thesis like a neurotic maniac! About your comments in the edit: Why do you assume that my numbers dwarf all of my accomplishments if you have no clue about what I’ve done? Also, I don’t understand why you’d think that numbers alone are enough to get into a school like NYU. It seems you’re misinformed. I have friends there and not one of them neglected to complete an internship or participate in meaningful extra-curricular activities before applying. It’s standard for any top-10 law school. So if all you’ve done is score well on your exams and work part-time on Einstein Bagels, you’ve dramatically lowered your chances of getting in. If you’ve done more than that, then hey, you might be joining my class.
On another note, when it comes to class sizes I don’t think UF is a winner. You admitted to sitting in an auditorium for half of your undergrad education (lower division). I went to school there for two years. I, too, know what it’s like to study at UF. Let’s say that, academically, UF offers the same content as any other school when it comes to lower division classes, so a community college student who had an enriched full-of-personal-attention general studies experience could transfer as a junior and make it more worthwhile.
“If you're talking about the run-of-the-mill undecided high school graduate who is heading to a Florida school for undergrad, UF is much, much better than anything else in the state.”
Well, then I guess I broke the mold. I was an undecided high school grad when I enrolled at UF and found out that it just wasn’t the best deal for me. To be honest I think UM is much, much better! You mentioned some rankings and while we do have to pay attention to them in dealing with our graduate school choices I don’t think it matters in undergrad. Graduate school admissions committees seem to agree, you will find grads from 3rd and 4th tier schools at Harvard Law, Stanford, and so on. That’s just one of the reasons why I don’t look at UF’s #49 as a defining factor in defining excellence within the state. To put UF on a pedestal in Florida cheapens the merits of other programs and schools which are just as great.
You said FIU isn't good but, frankly, I don't think it's bad for the run-of-the-mill undecided high school grad. They're probably teaching the same materials being covered in all other state schools. Being from Miami, I grew up with an aversion to FIU only because it was so easy to access (Total snob mentality). I thought that maybe if I ended up there, it meant that I failed to achieve something greater. But in retrospect, I really failed to -objectively- evaluate the quality of their programs. Heck, I didn’t even give it a chance.
I understand why you’d defend your alma mater but there’s really no need to explain your decisions. Chosen frivolously or not, it was still a very good investment. You felt it was right for you, and that just validates my point. The best school is the one capable to offer an enriching experience according to one’s own objectives. In one school Sam would be able to have strong academics in a small supportive environment while at another Mike could have a varied social life in a large campus and start his own entrepreneurial on-campus venture. Maybe if they were to switch places they wouldn’t grow and develop as much.
I think the trick is in the saying “Know Thyself”. The more we understand what we truly want out of something, and the more candid we are about evaluating ourselves, the better choices we’ll end up making. In the end, that’s what makes the best educational experience at the best school.
**BTW, this will be my last post on this tread.. Since this is completely unrelated to uf law apps. Good luck everyone!