DS about IDF service - too late? Forum

[Mista Bojangles]

I served as a sharpshooter in the Israeli army, and was deployed on the Gazan border until honorable discharge about two months ago. I applied to schools back in September (no, it wasn't easy to do apps while in the army), applying to the T6 and hoping for HYS - numbers are 3.8/179.
I'm an American with no Israeli citizenship and no formal ties to Israel, and I volunteered in the IDF with the intention to return to the US permanently after service. I realize this gives me a highly unusual profile, for better or for worse.

While applying I strongly considered writing a DS (I know they are generally for URM applicants, but figure my background is unusual enough to justify adding one) but didn't - mainly because I didn't quite feel prepared to evaluate what my army experience meant to me as I hadn't yet been discharged and was in the middle of a difficult deployment.

Now I've been discharged and have had a couple months to reflect. Is it too late to send a DS to the schools I'm still waiting on? I'm in at all of CCN (and know I'm quite blessed to have these options already) but on hold at H and silence from YS. Any thoughts appreciated.

[mattviphky]

Did you mention your service in your Personal Statement?

[Mista Bojangles]

Yes, my PS was essentially a narrative about a certain kind of experience I've had in the army. But I intentionally kept the focus relatively narrow. Didn't discuss why I volunteered to begin with, didn't discuss how the army has influenced my life's path (and career ambitions), and didn't explicitly discuss its larger meaning for my identity as I head into law school - these last two seemed particularly important, but again, didn't quite feel prepared to address them at the time.

[Natasha]

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[bp shinners]

Yes, my PS was essentially a narrative about a certain kind of experience I've had in the army. But I intentionally kept the focus relatively narrow. Didn't discuss why I volunteered to begin with, didn't discuss how the army has influenced my life's path (and career ambitions), and didn't explicitly discuss its larger meaning for my identity as I head into law school - these last two seemed particularly important, but again, didn't quite feel prepared to address them at the time.

That's unfortunate, as it sounds like that would have made a truly amazing personal statement. You're essentially looking for a second chance to write the PS now that you've had time to reflect.

Luckily, your numbers are great and you're waiting to hear back from the two schools that I think would actually not mind getting an update on the situation. If you haven't sent a LOCI into HLS yet, I'd send one in with the updated essay attached. As to YS (especially Y), just get in contact with their office and explain the situation. They're pretty happy to help you through a situation like this, and they're very holistic. Coming straight out of service and applying like that, they'll probably want to hear how the situation has impacted you now that you've had time to reflect.

In short, send in an update to HLS as a LOCI, and talk with YS about sending in an update about your life (since this is a major change).

[InterArma]

Not precisely on topic but -

If you have any questions about life as a veteran at HLS, or as an IDF veteran at HLS (or just about HLS in general), feel free to PM me, Mista Bojangles. I'm currently a 1L there, and I was in the Nahal during the early 2000s. Good luck on your cycle, wherever you end up.

[justinp]

Just a quick note-- diversity isn't just racial diversity. Schools care about geographic diversity, experiential diversity, ideological diversity, and so on. They care less about these things than they do about racial/socio-economic diversity, to be sure, but these kind of factors definitely can help an application (pretty marginally, obviously, but that's not nothing).