Applying this cycle, when is a good time to travel? Forum

[kazu]

I love traveling, and since I figure that I won't be able to travel a lot, if at all, once I go to law school I've been planning to do some serious backpacking for 2~3 months during my year off between undergrad and law school.

However, I'm not sure exactly when to go. Hoping that someone who's already been through the application process has some advice.


1) Go in November (November ~ February)
Pros: Serious incentive to get my apps in early, traveling will take my mind off obsessing over whether my apps went complete/under decision etc.
Cons: It'll be freezing (if I decide to go to Europe), I'll have less money saved up (currently have a decent full-time job, will be under a stricter budget while traveling and not much of a "cushion" to live off on when I come back & have to get another job somehow).

2) Go in March (March~May)
Pros: I'll have a lot more money saved up, weather will be gorgeous - I've always wanted to travel outside of the summer/winter breaks when everything is either sweltering hot or unbearably cold.
Cons: Things will get complicated for paying deposits (although I'm assuming I can have someone else do it for me), also for giving prompt responses if I end up getting accepted off of any waitlists... (I hear that they require you give a decision in a few days, at most?) Also, I think some scholarships require interviews that take place during this time? Do I also have to start looking for housing in May, or earlier?
-Basically, I won't be readily reachable, and I get the impression that April/May is a period when there might be numerous reasons a law school would need to get in touch with an applicant.


I will try to check my email every couple of days, if the situation requires (ie I'm waitlisted somewhere I desperately want to go) but obviously internet connection / reliable access to a phone might be out of my control. Anytime earlier than November will be difficult due to my job. I don't really want to go for the majority of the winter months (January & February) since traveling when it's that cold can be a pain - although I'm not sure yet exactly where I'll be going, but chances are it'll either be Europe or South America (where I guess the opposite applies and it'll be super hot in Jan~Feb)

I'll be applying to T6 with a couple of safeties in T10, if this matters at all.

[ajmanyjah]

If you go to Europe and have trouble getting access to internet (or for that matter, Japan, China, Korea) you should work on becoming more resourceful. I'd travel in the spring and before I go, figure out how you would rank the schools you want to go to. Pretty mechanical process to figure out how you'd respond to changes in application status then

[kazu]

If you go to Europe and have trouble getting access to internet (or for that matter, Japan, China, Korea) you should work on becoming more resourceful. I'd travel in the spring and before I go, figure out how you would rank the schools you want to go to. Pretty mechanical process to figure out how you'd respond to changes in application status then

I know that internet access is really easy to come by in Western Europe (although I don't know if that holds the same for Eastern Europe, since I've never been there even though I've been dying to go) but if I'm sightseeing all day I obviously won't have 24/7 access to my email, which would be the case if I didn't go. I also don't want to "skip" a day checking my email, maybe because I'm on an overnight train or I'm tired or I'm in a really remote area, etc., and then find out that, say, Stanford wanted me but they gave me a 48 window in which to decide that I missed. (Not that I would ever get into Stanford. A girl can dream though, right?)

[Haribo]

You don't have to worry about a 48-hour window to reply, at least not in March-May, and basically, anywhere in the world you can check your email every few days. Seriously - I updated my applications from the Syrian desert, heard back from Harvard in Egypt, was accepted into Columbia in India, and found out about Stanford, hmm, it was in April so somewhere between Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I never had any problems.

Worst case scenario, they'll have a question and there will be a delay of a few days before you reply, but that won't be make-or-break. Plus, sightseeing and being in an amazing place will take your mind off the applications you're still waiting to hear from 48 hour windows, etc, are when people are taken off of waitlists, and usually even then only in late summer.

If you want to visit Europe I'd go in the spring. For South America, it depends on where you want to go, but our winter is the best time to visit southern Chila/Argentina, whereas December-January in mountainous Peru (ie - Machu Piccu) would be rainy season, and very difficult to travel in if you get unlucky with landslides. South America will be much cheaper than Europe (although Argentina and Chile aren't as inexpensive as you might hope...) For three months in Europe you could probably pay for six months in South America (and a year in Southeast Asia!) so my suggestion would be to go to where you can travel longest

Anyway I just finished a massive world tour during application season (and, umm, then I deferred for another year to keep going) so my best advice would be to not worry about too much - things work out and admissions committees are generally understanding of communication difficulties if you're traveling.

[kazu]

I updated my applications from the Syrian desert, heard back from Harvard in Egypt, was accepted into Columbia in India, and found out about Stanford, hmm, it was in April so somewhere between Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I never had any problems.

Oh wow - that sounds amazing!!! Thanks for all the great advice. Did you have someone back home who was "authorized" to make decisions on your behalf (paying deposits, contacting law schools etc.) or were you fine doing it all by yourself?

[sophia.olive]

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[Haribo]

I updated my applications from the Syrian desert, heard back from Harvard in Egypt, was accepted into Columbia in India, and found out about Stanford, hmm, it was in April so somewhere between Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. I never had any problems.

Oh wow - that sounds amazing!!! Thanks for all the great advice. Did you have someone back home who was "authorized" to make decisions on your behalf (paying deposits, contacting law schools etc.) or were you fine doing it all by yourself?

I had all the materials sent to my parents' house and gave my dad power of attorney. In most cases I contacted the law schools myself, but sometimes I had him do it. I think he paid the deposit also.

[hawkeye22]

I will try to check my email every couple of days, if the situation requires (ie I'm waitlisted somewhere I desperately want to go) but obviously internet connection / reliable access to a phone might be out of my control.

It shouldn't be as long as you aren't camping in the middle of a jungle/desert. I was in Cambodia, Burma, Egypt, etc. and got quite reliable access to internet.

[dominkay]

I had a friend who spent two months traveling the summer before law school, and it worked fine for them (of course, they had already settled on a school before they left). Why is the summer not an option?

[kazu]

It shouldn't be as long as you aren't camping in the middle of a jungle/desert. I was in Cambodia, Burma, Egypt, etc. and got quite reliable access to internet.

Haha, yeah maybe I'm being paranoid. I just wasn't sure how common internet cafes / public-access wifi is worldwide. Plus I get nervous when I don't have constant access to my email - usually this doesn't matter when I'm traveling, hopefully going through the admissions process won't make me overly nervous and not able to enjoy myself

I had a friend who spent two months traveling the summer before law school, and it worked fine for them (of course, they had already settled on a school before they left). Why is the summer not an option?

Plane fare, accommodation etc,. is usually more expensive since it's peak season. Also the weather usually isn't the best... (Europe is super hot, it'll be monsoon season in the majority of southeast Asia etc.) Since I have the chance to travel (almost) whenever I want this year, figured I might as well take advantage of it.

Thanks for the input everyone!

[deadhipsters]

I'm going to Spain, Morocco, and France starting in January for 3 months... I am anticipating missing all my acceptances. But, I will have everything sent to my parents house and have my blackberry with me to check for any voicemails. Additionally, I am planning on changing my BB email address to one specifically for law schools, so that the only emails I will receive and get billed for under international rates will be pertinent to my admission.
Also, get your applications out early.

Side note: I cannot wait to travel and quit my shit job.

[kazu]

I'm going to Spain, Morocco, and France starting in January for 3 months... I am anticipating missing all my acceptances. But, I will have everything sent to my parents house and have my blackberry with me to check for any voicemails. Additionally, I am planning on changing my BB email address to one specifically for law schools, so that the only emails I will receive and get billed for under international rates will be pertinent to my admission.
Also, get your applications out early.

Side note: I cannot wait to travel and quit my shit job.

ME TOO!!!

Yeah, I'm definitely going to try to get my apps out ASAP. Hopefully by early October - I have nearly everything ready, just waiting on 1 LOR and am in the middle of writing my PS.

Unfortunately I don't have a blackberry. Maybe I should get one just for this?

[deadhipsters]

Haha. Maybe... They're fun. I have a feeling my plan is going to end up getting expensive, though. I'd get a iphone or a droid if I had a choice. I ended up w/ this thing for work, which I am currently posting on, rather than working... Take that job! But yea, I hear att has good international service, so its something to think about.