Saying "No" to this Cycle: Collected Stories Forum

[Wiggly]

...

[Gucci Mane]

I'm not going either. I ended getting a very tempting scholarship offer from two T6 schools, but I decided it still wasn't worth the money in the end, especially with numbers that could've gotten more. Like a lot of ya'll I'm getting shit from family and friends about my decision. If only everyone was as rational and informed as TLS.

[WaltGrace83]

I'm not going either. I ended getting a very tempting scholarship offer from two T6 schools, but I decided it still wasn't worth the money in the end, especially with numbers that could've gotten more. Like a lot of ya'll I'm getting shit from family and friends about my decision. If only everyone was as rational and informed as TLS.

HA! I can imagine it now...

*phone rings*

"Mom...I got into HARVARD!!!!!!"
"Did you apply for the Ruby at Chicago?"
"Ummm......no?"
"Well how are you going to finance the education?"
"I was just thinking.....loans?"
"mmmm....I don't know. 250k sounds scary. Have you considered retaking for a Hammy? Are you absolutely SURE you want Biglaw? What if you hate Big Law? You know that you will be there for awhile."
"But its Harvard...I got into Harvard!!!"
"Yea, that's great. I think you might want to sit out a cycle and work on your apps a little bit. I heard that applications will be down again next year so we might want to gun for a lower T14 full ride. Maybe a Dillard or Levy."

[Gucci Mane]

I'm not going either. I ended getting a very tempting scholarship offer from two T6 schools, but I decided it still wasn't worth the money in the end, especially with numbers that could've gotten more. Like a lot of ya'll I'm getting shit from family and friends about my decision. If only everyone was as rational and informed as TLS.

HA! I can imagine it now...

*phone rings*

"Mom...I got into HARVARD!!!!!!"
"Did you apply for the Ruby at Chicago?"
"Ummm......no?"
"Well how are you going to finance the education?"
"I was just thinking.....loans?"
"mmmm....I don't know. 250k sounds scary. Have you considered retaking for a Hammy? Are you absolutely SURE you want Biglaw? What if you hate Big Law? You know that you will be there for awhile."
"But its Harvard...I got into Harvard!!!"
"Yea, that's great. I think you might want to sit out a cycle and work on your apps a little bit. I heard that applications will be down again next year so we might want to gun for a lower T14 full ride. Maybe a Dillard or Levy."

Haha, it would honestly be great if parents were like that. Forget the full rides, my parents were shocked when I told them that I'd take a scholarship from NYU ("that fashion school?") over sticker at HYS.

[Otunga]

I'm retaking in June and looking to do a legal internship over the summer. I have solid offers I'm considering, but the retake could change the whole ballgame.

[Marshmallow]

I'm retaking in June and looking to do a legal internship over the summer. I have solid offers I'm considering, but the retake could change the whole ballgame.

good luck, Otunga!

i've been thinking lately that i'll take the June lsat... but... NEXT June

[alecks]

I'm having second thoughts about law school altogether. For the past three years I've been talking about going to law school, and this is the first cycle I've actually tried. I'm trying to be honest with myself in saying that I latched onto this idea of law school bc I thought it would be a safe way to be successful in my industry, but I'm questioning the decision entirely.

I was PTing ~169 but got a 161, which got me with a full ride at a TTT in LA... I've been studying for a retake in hopes I can do better next year but have suddenly had a change of heart. The more I read about big law / debt / unhappy lawyers the less this profession sounds like a good idea. Furthermore, I'm not certain I want to spent a career working insane hours and doing contracts for artists that I would probably wish I was helping out in other ways... (if I can even get a job as a music lawyer)

I've put all my eggs into this law basket, and I'm working a job I'm not happy in, and also, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do if I don't go to law school. I make decent money for watching YouTube half the day so at least I've got that going for me. I'm ready to go jump into the ocean now!!!!!!!!

[iiibbystar]

I'm having second thoughts about law school altogether. For the past three years I've been talking about going to law school, and this is the first cycle I've actually tried. I'm trying to be honest with myself in saying that I latched onto this idea of law school bc I thought it would be a safe way to be successful in my industry, but I'm questioning the decision entirely.

I was PTing ~169 but got a 161, which got me with a full ride at a TTT in LA... I've been studying for a retake in hopes I can do better next year but have suddenly had a change of heart. The more I read about big law / debt / unhappy lawyers the less this profession sounds like a good idea. Furthermore, I'm not certain I want to spent a career working insane hours and doing contracts for artists that I would probably wish I was helping out in other ways... (if I can even get a job as a music lawyer)

I've put all my eggs into this law basket, and I'm working a job I'm not happy in, and also, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do if I don't go to law school. I make decent money for watching YouTube half the day so at least I've got that going for me. I'm ready to go jump into the ocean now!!!!!!!!

Hey Alecks,

I can completely relate to what you said in your post. It's exactly how I feel right now, except I haven't taken the LSAT or applied yet. Like you, I've been talking about going to law school and have been planning for it for at least 3-4 years now. But, now that I've set the process in motion by studying for the LSAT (already invested 8 months into it), I'm starting to question if this is really what I want. I can't say I have other options right now...but somehow, all these realizations I have about debt and the magnitude of it all is making me doubt myself. And, likewise, I just don't know what I can do besides law school right now. It's what I wanted for so long that I can't think of what else I can do, or where to start over.

[Wiggly]

...

[Otunga]

I've opted to pursue computer science. If I don't like it, or am not very good at it, law schools need the student loan system. I'm still retaking the LSAT in June and pursuing an internship.

[Marshmallow]

I've opted to pursue computer science. If I don't like it, or am not very good at it, law schools need the student loan system. I'm still retaking the LSAT in June and pursuing an internship.

Congrats! I've actually got a few job and volunteer interviews lined up and it's made me re realize I've made the right call.

It's done. I pulled out entirely today. Here's to next year.

Good luck! It sounds like you can only do better the next time around.

[alecks]

I'm having second thoughts about law school altogether. For the past three years I've been talking about going to law school, and this is the first cycle I've actually tried. I'm trying to be honest with myself in saying that I latched onto this idea of law school bc I thought it would be a safe way to be successful in my industry, but I'm questioning the decision entirely.

I was PTing ~169 but got a 161, which got me with a full ride at a TTT in LA... I've been studying for a retake in hopes I can do better next year but have suddenly had a change of heart. The more I read about big law / debt / unhappy lawyers the less this profession sounds like a good idea. Furthermore, I'm not certain I want to spent a career working insane hours and doing contracts for artists that I would probably wish I was helping out in other ways... (if I can even get a job as a music lawyer)

I've put all my eggs into this law basket, and I'm working a job I'm not happy in, and also, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do if I don't go to law school. I make decent money for watching YouTube half the day so at least I've got that going for me. I'm ready to go jump into the ocean now!!!!!!!!

Hey Alecks,

I can completely relate to what you said in your post. It's exactly how I feel right now, except I haven't taken the LSAT or applied yet. Like you, I've been talking about going to law school and have been planning for it for at least 3-4 years now. But, now that I've set the process in motion by studying for the LSAT (already invested 8 months into it), I'm starting to question if this is really what I want. I can't say I have other options right now...but somehow, all these realizations I have about debt and the magnitude of it all is making me doubt myself. And, likewise, I just don't know what I can do besides law school right now. It's what I wanted for so long that I can't think of what else I can do, or where to start over.

in the same boat, good to know I'm not alone. I'm almost 75% sure I'm going to pursue other things for now. I've been out of school for 2 years already and I would really like to start my "career", whatever that may be. ugh.

[Gungnir]

I'm having second thoughts about law school altogether. For the past three years I've been talking about going to law school, and this is the first cycle I've actually tried. I'm trying to be honest with myself in saying that I latched onto this idea of law school bc I thought it would be a safe way to be successful in my industry, but I'm questioning the decision entirely.

I was PTing ~169 but got a 161, which got me with a full ride at a TTT in LA... I've been studying for a retake in hopes I can do better next year but have suddenly had a change of heart. The more I read about big law / debt / unhappy lawyers the less this profession sounds like a good idea. Furthermore, I'm not certain I want to spent a career working insane hours and doing contracts for artists that I would probably wish I was helping out in other ways... (if I can even get a job as a music lawyer)

I've put all my eggs into this law basket, and I'm working a job I'm not happy in, and also, I honestly don't know what I'm going to do if I don't go to law school. I make decent money for watching YouTube half the day so at least I've got that going for me. I'm ready to go jump into the ocean now!!!!!!!!

Hey Alecks,

I can completely relate to what you said in your post. It's exactly how I feel right now, except I haven't taken the LSAT or applied yet. Like you, I've been talking about going to law school and have been planning for it for at least 3-4 years now. But, now that I've set the process in motion by studying for the LSAT (already invested 8 months into it), I'm starting to question if this is really what I want. I can't say I have other options right now...but somehow, all these realizations I have about debt and the magnitude of it all is making me doubt myself. And, likewise, I just don't know what I can do besides law school right now. It's what I wanted for so long that I can't think of what else I can do, or where to start over.

in the same boat, good to know I'm not alone. I'm almost 75% sure I'm going to pursue other things for now. I've been out of school for 2 years already and I would really like to start my "career", whatever that may be. ugh.

Me too. Almost certainly sitting this cycle out after having already taken a year off, and I'm seriously re-thinking law school and my life goals in general. The sunk costs of the application process are difficult to overcome, and I don't have any other direction, but those are not good reasons to go to law school.

[Marshmallow]

eeeeeeee second interview today post-withdrawing! nervous/excited. i've been spinning the whole applying-to-law-school-but-wanting-to-take-some-additional-time-to-explore-non-profit-work thing in what i hope is a positive way, and i think others have been very receptive to it. just wanted to share an update. good luck to everyone who has popped in here over the weeks!

[crazycanuck]

Friend posted this on facebook the other day.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/cult ... annot.html

Worth a read for anyone not sure about whether or not they want to work at a firm or if you're not sure what you want to do with your "career".

TLDR: Don't go to law school if you don't want to work in a firm.

That’s sensible, considering that human resource managers outside the legal world treat a J.D. as the scarlet acronym. “Generally, I imagine they’re going to be too expensive with not enough relevant experience to justify the salary,” says Maureen Chu, an HR and operations manager in D.C. She believes that law school gives candidates a competitive disadvantage. “It’s lost time. Whatever you learned in law school is not useful to what we need. So every other candidate has three years on you.”

[furrrman]

I'm glad this thread is here.

Anyone think its crazy to put law school off a year for SO? Basically I'm in a new-ish relationship (5 months) but am very happy right now. To start law school at this point (anywhere, even local) I feel would put a huge strain on it and I don't know what would happen.

I'm also currently uncertain about where I want to work. If things work out with SO, I would want to stay in the area (socal). If things didn't, I would want to target an east coast city (NYC, DC). I feel like these are questions I need to answer prior to starting, as they will definitely impact my school choice as well as decisions like where to summer.

I also have reason to believe my apps would do marginally better next cycle if I got them in earlier. This alone isn't reason enough for me to sit out (I don't expect a drastic improvement), but it is a nice bonus.

Thoughts, advice?

[Gungnir]

I'm glad this thread is here.

Anyone think its crazy to put law school off a year for SO? Basically I'm in a new-ish relationship (5 months) but am very happy right now. To start law school at this point (anywhere, even local) I feel would put a huge strain on it and I don't know what would happen.

I'm also currently uncertain about where I want to work. If things work out with SO, I would want to stay in the area (socal). If things didn't, I would want to target an east coast city (NYC, DC). I feel like these are questions I need to answer prior to starting, as they will definitely impact my school choice as well as decisions like where to summer.

I also have reason to believe my apps would do marginally better next cycle if I got them in earlier. This alone isn't reason enough for me to sit out (I don't expect a drastic improvement), but it is a nice bonus.

Thoughts, advice?

Unless you think you really lucked out with your offers this cycle, not much harm in sitting one out imo. Make good use of the time, try to get some relevant work experience. Study and retake if it will help. Also, figuring out what region you want to shoot for is critically important in choosing a school. LS isn't going anywhere (well, a good number of them should, but that's beside the point).

[bjsesq]

I'm retaking in June and looking to do a legal internship over the summer. I have solid offers I'm considering, but the retake could change the whole ballgame.

I think you should just follow the fucking buzzards.

[Pragmatic Gun]

I withdrew my app from my accepted law school. I'm still on two T6's reserve/waitlist, but I won't accept them if they decide to condescend to me and take me. Next year, d00ds. Re-taking the LSAT in September, working for some ca$h, and doing community activism to beef up my resume. I'll make it rain next year. $$$$

[Mack.Hambleton]

Officially checking out. KJD/early graduate and I don't want to rush into law school before I know what I'm doing and am more prepared. The nine or whatever waitlists helped push me over the edge, but I think it's a good decision regardless of my offers.