A few questions about my app Forum

[parsi]

So I am about to finish sending off my law school apps within the next couple days. My LORs were finally received.

I currently have a 3.9 and a 171 LSAT, I worked 30/hrs a week throughout my whole undergrad besides freshman year plus did the fraternity thing

Firstly, I sent in my transcript already, but my fall grades haven been released and my GPA did go down, but will this affect me since Im sending my transcript with the higher GPA?

Secondly, I was not able to get LORs from 2 faculty members. I got one faculty (TA), and my employer who ive been with for years.
I also got a letter from a practicing lawyer in california who has done some high profile cases (haidl case in OC), but was just recently allowed to practice law again after being suspended for 3 years. The letter doesn't say anything very specific, more along the lines of "since im a lawyer, i know who will make a good lawyer" type of letter.

Should I send this third letter as well or would it not benefit me? Also, will I be hurt by not having a second faculty letter?

Lastly, I am applying to these schools, HS, CCN, Upenn, Umich, Uchicago, UCLA, USC, Berkeley, Duke, and Georgetown

Personally, I want to go to NYU or Berkeley...Not too worried about scholarships even tho i have no money

You guys think I can get in even though my apps are so late?

[quetzal_bird]

Why would you be unable to get letters from two faculty members? At the top schools, I think it will hurt your application. I would not submit a letter from the attorney.

[arism87]

I agree about not submitting the letter from the attorney.

FWIW, I only submitted on faculty letter (Why? Because I went to a big state school where 200 other people were in my classes and never planned on law school). It doesn't seem to have hurt me at all so far (in the same range you're looking at), although I've also been out of school for 2 years.

[Kilpatrick]

I think Cornell is really the only school that is adamant about two academic LORs. If the employer is someone who knows you well then I'm sure it will be fine. The one from the lawyer would probably be unnecessary.

You are applying late but not so late that you will be shut out with those numbers. Just get those apps out right away.

[parsi]

I never really got to know any of my professors...I would just go to class, get an A, and move on to the next one--especially with working 30 hrs a week, I never really spent much time worrying about school..I asked a couple of professors but they both said no.

Should I add an addendum talking about my LORs?

I am of Jewish/Zoroastrian Persian decent, should I reference this?

[arism87]

I never really got to know any of my professors...I would just go to class, get an A, and move on to the next one--especially with working 30 hrs a week, I never really spent much time worrying about school..I asked a couple of professors but they both said no.

Should I add an addendum talking about my LORs?

No

I am of Jewish/Zoroastrian Persian decent, should I reference this?

If it's relevant/important to you?

[weejonbu]

I never really got to know any of my professors...I would just go to class, get an A, and move on to the next one--especially with working 30 hrs a week, I never really spent much time worrying about school..I asked a couple of professors but they both said no.

Should I add an addendum talking about my LORs?

No

I am of Jewish/Zoroastrian Persian decent, should I reference this?

If it's relevant/important to you?

Um... I think he's being sarcastic...

[arism87]

I never really got to know any of my professors...I would just go to class, get an A, and move on to the next one--especially with working 30 hrs a week, I never really spent much time worrying about school..I asked a couple of professors but they both said no.

Should I add an addendum talking about my LORs?

No

I am of Jewish/Zoroastrian Persian decent, should I reference this?

If it's relevant/important to you?

Um... I think he's being sarcastic...

*Shrug* you never know. I've seen worse.

Although rereading, I see your point.

[parsi]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

[krad]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

Your parents practiced Zoroastrianism? That's pretty rare these days... Are they from Iran? I think you could craft an interesting DS (diversity statement) around this if it had a profound impact on you and not just your parents...

[Kilpatrick]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

Yes you can throw this in a diversity essay, why not. Focus more on you and not your parents though.

[NZA]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

Your parents practiced Zoroastrianism? That's pretty rare these days... Are they from Iran? I think you could craft an interesting DS (diversity statement) around this if it had a profound impact on you and not just your parents...

Persia and India, mainly. It's a nearly extinct religion, though...I'm willing to bet that OP's parents moved out of Iran in 1979 after the Revolution.

[krad]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

Your parents practiced Zoroastrianism? That's pretty rare these days... Are they from Iran? I think you could craft an interesting DS (diversity statement) around this if it had a profound impact on you and not just your parents...

Persia and India, mainly. It's a nearly extinct religion, though...I'm willing to bet that OP's parents moved out of Iran in 1979 after the Revolution.

This is exactly why I was surprised to see this popping up.

[NZA]

This is exactly why I was surprised to see this popping up.

I'm curious about this myself...OP! Explain!

[BrownBears09]

I also got a letter from a practicing lawyer in california who has done some high profile cases (haidl case in OC), but was just recently allowed to practice law again after being suspended for 3 years. The letter doesn't say anything very specific, more along the lines of "since im a lawyer, i know who will make a good lawyer" type of letter.

IMO, this is a waste of an LoR. Not only does is a "weak" letter in terms of endorsement, but it's from a relatively high-profile and recently suspended lawyer.

[JJDancer]

Do not submit the third letter from the attorney. Terrible idea.

Try to get another TA or prof but might as well go with the employer letter now that it is getting later in the cycle.

Also Zoroastrianism is rare but a good DS isn't about how rare you are, but rather your experiences/how you contribute so if you can write a compelling essay, DO IT.

It's not nearly extinct in the sense that someone needs to "prove" they are practicing (if that's what some of you meant). Know a handful of Zoroastrian families in my state (though that might be because I am Indian).

[parsi]

I wasnt trying to be sarcastic... a lot of law schools do ask for to attach an addendum if you feel you can add to the diversity of the school. Obviously, being half jewish wont help me too much because, though the overall jewish population is small, that same problem is not found in law school.

however, being of zoroastrian descent does put me in a very small category of peoples. I was thinking of attaching an addendum describing the conflicts found being raised this way, particularly how both my parents were estranged from their family because their spouse was not of the same religion

Your parents practiced Zoroastrianism? That's pretty rare these days... Are they from Iran? I think you could craft an interesting DS (diversity statement) around this if it had a profound impact on you and not just your parents...

Persia and India, mainly. It's a nearly extinct religion, though...I'm willing to bet that OP's parents moved out of Iran in 1979 after the Revolution.

Yes, both my parents left Iran just prior to the revolution. My mother is of Jewish-Iranian descent, and has 5 siblings. She is an outcast from the family because she married a non-jew. My father is a practicing Zoroastrian, but he was not put in the same hardships as my mother because of his choice in spouse.

Seeing my mother's side of the family, I feel I have learned a great deal about the emphasis people put on religion and their ability to easily disregard a loved one for not having the same attitude toward religion