Traveling - Douchy? Forum

[kayljsh]

Why do you want to go to law school?

How long has it been since UG?

I am still in undergrad, I'm about to be a senior.

Without getting into really intense details I'm fascinated by the concept of ownership/privacy with regard to several biological phenomenon. Primarily the ability to patent (and profit off of) genes. As of right now large pharmaceutical companies are allowed to patent genes they discover, which personally I find absurd. An example: BRCA1 the gene closely associated with an increased risk of breast cancer is patented by a company called Myriad. They charge thousands of dollars for the test required to determine if you carry this gene. Obviously the law is what it is, but in my opinion it's absolutely ridiculous that a company can own the rights to knowing your own DNA. Currently there's a huge lawsuit led by the ACLU against them. http://scienceblogs.com/geneticfuture/2 ... inst_m.php

I'd like to be involved in cases like this. As well as the potential future legislation regarding privacy/genetics. As large scale genomic testing becomes increasingly cheap and therefore feasible/ popular, there is huge potential for discrimination based on things like the BRCA1 gene. Can insurance companies charge you more based on the mere possibility that your genes indicate a higher probability of developing certain diseases?

[Kohinoor]

Loving this thread right now.

+1 If this is wrong, I don't want to be right.

[bilbobaggins]

I'd take some time off if i were you. K - JD, no matter how much you've traveled, makes it tough to have perspective.

[sumus romani]

Dammit, I hate when I comment in a thread, thinking that it probably is serious, only to find the next day that it is a total flame

Shouldn've seen this one from a mile away.

[kayljsh]

Dammit, I hate when I comment in a thread, thinking that it probably is serious, only to find the next day that it is a total flame

Shouldn've seen this one from a mile away.

Haha what makes you think that? It definitely isn't, but I feel like my first post inspires way more flame suspicion that the later ones. Something I said?

[rockstar4488]

I read what I felt was an excellent PS on this site where the poster summarized his travels to China and his experiences with racism there.

[sumus romani]

Dammit, I hate when I comment in a thread, thinking that it probably is serious, only to find the next day that it is a total flame

Shouldn've seen this one from a mile away.

Haha what makes you think that? It definitely isn't, but I feel like my first post inspires way more flame suspicion that the later ones. Something I said?

Ha! I don't know, it just seemed like it all of the sudden given your comments in this thread. I'll bite.

Look, I would strongly recommend that you read How to Get Into Top Law Schools by Montauk (sp?). Basically, the list of things you want to write about, and more importantly, the way you want to write about them (e.g. travel, genetics, etc.) are bad PS topics. For example, it is okay to write about other cultures, but just the travel/passing through stuff won't cut it (semesters abroad are discouraged too). Also, it is okay to write about some area of law that interests you, but only if you have demonstrated a deep commitment to the issue, and not just something that you took a few courses in or, gasp, just read about. This stuff about Mendel's monastary is just Palin's seeing Russia from her house all over again.

You sound like a really interesting person, but you just haven't hit on anything near a good PS topic yet. My advice is still to pick up something quick and really commit yourself to it. If you have something real to say, the PS writes itself in few hours, with a few hours more of editing and proofreading over the next week.

[Hey-O]

Basically, the list of things you want to write about, and more importantly, the way you want to write about them (e.g. travel, genetics, etc.) are bad PS topics. For example, it is okay to write about other cultures, but just the travel/passing through stuff won't cut it (semesters abroad are discouraged too). Also, it is okay to write about some area of law that interests you, but only if you have demonstrated a deep commitment to the issue, and not just something that you took a few courses in or, gasp, just read about. This stuff about Mendel's monastary is just Palin's seeing Russia from her house all over again.

You sound like a really interesting person, but you just haven't hit on anything near a good PS topic yet. My advice is still to pick up something quick and really commit yourself to it. If you have something real to say, the PS writes itself in few hours, with a few hours more of editing and proofreading over the next week.

+1. That's what people are trying to get at. Your ideas are interesting, but adcoms don't care. They're just ideas. Did you build on it to get somewhere? How did you show a commitment to these ideas? Thinking is easy. Doing is hard.

[Kohinoor]

I read what I felt was an excellent PS on this site where the poster summarized his travels to China and his experiences with racism there.

Weird... I don't remember posting my PS here.

[tipler4213]

a

[northwood]

the department of state study abroad can be a good topic. Dubai would also be good.... take notes when you are away

[Hey-O]

I am interested in this question as well, although mine is a little different. I am very well traveled, but mine has not been vacations on my parents money. I visited ten countries with money I saved by working during high school on a trip i planned myself. I studied abroad in France for a semester while in college. I received a scholarship to study Arabic in Tunisia with the US Department of State, and I am about to do an internship/job in Dubai for 6-9 months during my gap year...is this PS worthy? What would I need to do to gear in a direction where it is a solid PS?

Done right this could be an great PS. Substantive travel is a good topic.

[worldtraveler]

I am interested in this question as well, although mine is a little different. I am very well traveled, but mine has not been vacations on my parents money. I visited ten countries with money I saved by working during high school on a trip i planned myself. I studied abroad in France for a semester while in college. I received a scholarship to study Arabic in Tunisia with the US Department of State, and I am about to do an internship/job in Dubai for 6-9 months during my gap year...is this PS worthy? What would I need to do to gear in a direction where it is a solid PS?

Pick one of those things and write about it. The rest should just go in your resume.