Explanation of age in ps? Forum

[tliles]

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[USMCMatt]

Nineteen with a degree is still pretty good. Congrats on your accomplishment.

Your age may not need explanation, but think about the audience and your competition. You are going up against people who have lived more. Even four years of college after high school gives a certain amount of life experience that you probably dont have. Others, like myself, are much older and have done things like Peace Corps, military, raised a family, traveled the world as an adult.... you get my point? You have to be able to convince a committee that a kid (no offense but you are SUPER young compared to adcomm members) has something to bring to the table apart from book smarts.

[Kikero]

I applied last year when I was 19 (I turned 20 during my senior year, so not quite as young as you), and I believe it actually hurt me (the perceived lack of experience more than my actual age). If I had to do applications all over again, I would have put something about my age in my personal statement (proud of my achievement, whatever), but also tried to assure the law schools of my competency and work experience. As it was I didn't mention my age at all, other than as a birth-date on the application, and I had a very poor cycle for my numbers.

I don't mean to sound pessimistic though, there are people who actually start law school before they turn 20, so if you're smart about it, I'm sure you can make it a positive thing. Good luck.

[bigeast03]

I was 19 when I first applied last cycle, as well. I didn't explicitly mention my age one way or the other in my applications and I would probably say that my cycle panned out pretty much how I had expected for my numbers. However, I personally didn't feel like it was a good idea for me to jump into law school while being that young. I wasn't so much concerned about the admissions process, but I was worried (possibly irrationally, possibly not) that I would be passed over during OCI for my age and possibly perceived immaturity as a result. I also wasn't sure how that would affect social life in law school either. I ended up taking this year, got a job at a small law firm in my hometown, and had the time to retake the LSAT. I can 100% say that was the right choice for me. I feel a lot more secure having even just one year of real work experience, and it definitely changed my perspective a ton.

tl;dr: Didn't mention age in apps, didn't see any effect on my cycle either way. It's tough to say whether your age will be of any matter, but I think it's also important to think about how comfortable you'll be with your age in law school.

[rinkrat19]

I don't have any personal experience to bring to the discussion, but what the above posters are saying sounds reasonable. And I'd add that it seems to this 0L that a LOT of law school socialization and networking takes place in with drinks in hand. I was looking at Northwestern's orientation week schedule for last year and there were two events at bars and another cocktail reception at the school. Not to mention "bar review" which is apparently a major part of the social scene during the school year. Whether someone drinks alcohol or not is a different issue (you can socialize holding a coke just fine, IMO), but not being able to get in the door because you're under 21 might be a problem.

(OTOH, Northwestern may have more bar-related activities than other schools since the average age is a little higher.)

[Danteshek]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would not
consider you a peer.

[20130312]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would consider you a peer.

I would not, unless you came and got belligerently drunk with me.

[Danteshek]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would consider you a peer.

I would not, unless you came and got belligerently drunk with me.

That was a typo haha

[USMCMatt]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would not
consider you a peer.

That is an excellent point. I'm 32...what do I really have in common with a 19 y/o? lol

[20130312]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would not
consider you a peer.

That is an excellent point. I'm 32...what do I really have in common with a 19 y/o? lol

Apparently not alcoholism.

[USMCMatt]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would not
consider you a peer.

That is an excellent point. I'm 32...what do I really have in common with a 19 y/o? lol

Apparently not alcoholism.

Poor kid...he'll get there soon.

[tliles]

I can tell you that as your classmate I would not
consider you a peer.

That is an excellent point. I'm 32...what do I really have in common with a 19 y/o? lol

Apparently not alcoholism.

Poor kid...he'll get there soon.

Ha with all due respect, at 32, you probably have as much in common with a 19 year old as you do with the 24 year olds that make up a majority of law school classes. I'm female by the way, and unfortunately did not spend college in the corner of the library by myself but rather did the typical Greek life social thing. We may in fact have drinking in common. Although I'm definitely not an alcoholic, alcoholics attend meetings.

[20130312]

Ha with all due respect, at 32, you probably have as much in common with a 19 year old as you do with the 24 year olds that make up a majority of law school classes. I'm female by the way, and unfortunately did not spend college in the corner of the library by myself but rather did the typical Greek life social thing. We may in fact have drinking in common. Although I'm definitely not an alcoholic, alcoholics attend meetings.

No worries, I'm in denial too.

Out of curiosity, how did you graduate so young?

[tliles]

.

[USMCMatt]

Ha with all due respect, at 32, you probably have as much in common with a 19 year old as you do with the 24 year olds that make up a majority of law school classes.

Yup....not much in common with them either.

Didn't mean to call you a dude...I apply the masculine in a generic sense, of course.

unless you are in a big hurry to get into law school...take a little time a do something to enrich your life a bit. Not that it would make a difference with law school apps...but you should consider living a little at your age instead of wrapping yourself up in school. You have obviously worked very hard and you absolutely deserve a break. Go see Europe. Sleep in a nice safe park...kiss under the Eiffel Tower...ya know...LIVE IT UP! You'll thank me.

[dakure]

Really? You guys wouldn't hang out with him because he's 19? You guys are weird as shit.

[thelawschoolproject]

This is....absurd.

People are people. I'll grant that life experience plays a considerable part into what builds relationships, but regardless of who is sitting next to me in my law school class I'm going to consider her/him a peer, because they are going through the same kind of inane hell as I am. It's about having general respect for one another.

I have things in common with 19 year olds and I have things in common with 32 year olds, but I'm neither age. I fall somewhere in the middle. I try not to base my judgment of people off of their birthday, but for the values and knowledge they hold.

A person isn't a number, a skin color, or a gender. Jesus.

ETA: To the OP...carefully consider the reason(s) you'd want to include your age in your PS. If it's just to say "Hey, I'm young, but I did nothing great" then maybe not. The adcomm is going to see your age. They'll know you're younger than most applicants. Maybe it does warrant some explanation but really consider what you want that explanation to be and how you want to frame it such that it positions you at an advantage.

[USMCMatt]

Really? You guys wouldn't hang out with him because he's 19? You guys are weird as shit.

She.

[tliles]

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[Lil Kev]

Law schools need more 19 year old girls.

[tliles]

Ha with all due respect, at 32, you probably have as much in common with a 19 year old as you do with the 24 year olds that make up a majority of law school classes.

Yup....not much in common with them either.

Didn't mean to call you a dude...I apply the masculine in a generic sense, of course.

unless you are in a big hurry to get into law school...take a little time a do something to enrich your life a bit. Not that it would make a difference with law school apps...but you should consider living a little at your age instead of wrapping yourself up in school. You have obviously worked very hard and you absolutely deserve a break. Go see Europe. Sleep in a nice safe park...kiss under the Eiffel Tower...ya know...LIVE IT UP! You'll thank me.

I certainly don't mind being called dude, I just figured I'd clarify gender anyhow. I appreciate the advice, and if taking off for a year were plausible, I might do it. However, there were real family issues that pushed me into school a bit early and for my own sake I'd like to finish all of my schooling before taking a break. It's a bit of a complicated situation but I truly don't think I'll do poorly for not having taken an additional year or so off, I've managed well so far.
Btw, based on your name I assume you are/were a marine. My boyfriend is stationed on Pendleton .. Semper Fi

Completely just reread my first sentence and realized the awesome level of awkwardness I managed there. I think the original intention was, it's the internet, male/female, whatever, it's an online post, just thought I'd throw my gender out there anyhow.

[Flips88]

Ha with all due respect, at 32, you probably have as much in common with a 19 year old as you do with the 24 year olds that make up a majority of law school classes.

Yup....not much in common with them either.

Didn't mean to call you a dude...I apply the masculine in a generic sense, of course.

unless you are in a big hurry to get into law school...take a little time a do something to enrich your life a bit. Not that it would make a difference with law school apps...but you should consider living a little at your age instead of wrapping yourself up in school. You have obviously worked very hard and you absolutely deserve a break. Go see Europe. Sleep in a nice safe park...kiss under the Eiffel Tower...ya know...LIVE IT UP! You'll thank me.

I certainly don't mind being called dude, I just figured I'd clarify gender anyhow. I appreciate the advice, and if taking off for a year were plausible, I might do it. However, there were real family issues that pushed me into school a bit early and for my own sake I'd like to finish all of my schooling before taking a break. It's a bit of a complicated situation but I truly don't think I'll do poorly for not having taken an additional year or so off, I've managed well so far.
Btw, based on your name I assume you are/were a marine. My boyfriend is stationed on Pendleton .. Semper Fi

There's no break once you graduate law school. If you work big law, you'll be working 55-60+ hour weeks. If I were you, I'd take a low stress job, start saving up, and do some traveling.

[tliles]

There's no break once you graduate law school. If you work big law, you'll be working 55-60+ hour weeks. If I were you, I'd take a low stress job, start saving up, and do some traveling.

I didn't mean to imply that I think I'll be getting a break immediately after graduation. I do want to work for a large firm for at least a while and I recognize the time commitments associated with that.

[ilovesf]

I'm 24 and one of my best friends in LS is 20. He has a fake ID so it isn't too weird, we still go out to bars and everything. At first I thought it was kind of weird, but it isn't something that anyone thinks about anymore after the first week or something. If anyone won't be your friend or something because you're a couple of years younger than they are, those people probably aren't worth much of your time anyway. If I were 20 though, I wouldn't be in such a rush to go to LS. I'd definitely take at least a year off to travel and save money.

[Kikero]

I'm a little puzzled with all the people (ok, 3) saying take time off to travel/make money. I agree with the idea (and I'm glad I'm taking a year off between UG and LS) but isn't traveling around sort of the opposite of saving money?