Interning at a Political Campaign Forum

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AdamSmithsGhost

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Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by AdamSmithsGhost » Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:09 am

Hi,

Recently it just so has happened that I've gotten involved in a political campaign as an intern. I'm doing it because I find it interesting yet now that I am a couple of months in I am curious - what does an internship at a political campaign look like in regards to law school admissions? When I apply to law school I am just wondering if it's something I can even put on my application. I wouldn't want to take away anything that I've done from my applications but should I be worried that if I wasn't interning for 'the right party/candidate' that it might hurt my admissions chances? Also as a soft, how does it rank? A space-filler or an actually solid extracurricular that the admissions council would appreciate? I looked through the search engine but couldn't find much info on this topic.

Thanks!
Last edited by AdamSmithsGhost on Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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bjsesq

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by bjsesq » Thu Aug 18, 2011 2:11 am

Kind regards? Adam smith's ghost? ffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

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TTH

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by TTH » Thu Aug 18, 2011 8:08 am

It won't take anything off the table if you volunteered for the wrong party. Maybe if you volunteer for an asshat like Michelle Bachman, though (just kidding). It also won't be much of a soft. Approximately 98% of law students have been inovolved in politics at some point.

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mrtoren

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by mrtoren » Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:16 pm

TTH wrote:It also won't be much of a soft. Approximately 98% of law students have been inovolved in politics at some point.
Quoted for emphasis. Politics and law go hand-in-hand. Anyone can volunteer for campaigns and a lot of law students do. Its nothing exciting or uncommon or particularly difficult to accomplish, so its not weighted much. Its definitely worth throwing on your application because it shows you keep yourself busy, but it won't add any boost.

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vanwinkle

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by vanwinkle » Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:27 pm

AdamSmithsGhost wrote:Hi,

Recently it just so has happened that I've gotten involved in a political campaign as an intern. I'm doing it because I find it interesting yet now that I am a couple of months in I am curious - what does an internship at a political campaign look like in regards to law school admissions? When I apply to law school I am just wondering if it's something I can even put on my application. I wouldn't want to take away anything that I've done from my applications but should I be worried that if I wasn't interning for 'the right party/candidate' that it might hurt my admissions chances? Also as a soft, how does it rank? A space-filler or an actually solid extracurricular that the admissions council would appreciate? I looked through the search engine but couldn't find much info on this topic.

Thanks!
1) As noted, there are a number of people who are interested in both law and the politics. This is common. Concern yourself not with such things.

2) It's mostly a space-filler. A single internship really just says "this person did something, instead of nothing, over a certain time period". It's better to have Done Things with your time, but a single internship doesn't really say much about you. The only way it would help more than a little is if it fit in with some bigger picture (i.e., a resume full of similar activity and a PS about how your interest in this activity is why you want to go to law school). Otherwise, it's just proof you did more with your free time than just unlock achievements in Portal 2.

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Samara

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by Samara » Fri Aug 19, 2011 3:35 pm

vanwinkle wrote:
AdamSmithsGhost wrote:Hi,

Recently it just so has happened that I've gotten involved in a political campaign as an intern. I'm doing it because I find it interesting yet now that I am a couple of months in I am curious - what does an internship at a political campaign look like in regards to law school admissions? When I apply to law school I am just wondering if it's something I can even put on my application. I wouldn't want to take away anything that I've done from my applications but should I be worried that if I wasn't interning for 'the right party/candidate' that it might hurt my admissions chances? Also as a soft, how does it rank? A space-filler or an actually solid extracurricular that the admissions council would appreciate? I looked through the search engine but couldn't find much info on this topic.

Thanks!
1) As noted, there are a number of people who are interested in both law and the politics. This is common. Concern yourself not with such things.

2) It's mostly a space-filler. A single internship really just says "this person did something, instead of nothing, over a certain time period". It's better to have Done Things with your time, but a single internship doesn't really say much about you. The only way it would help more than a little is if it fit in with some bigger picture (i.e., a resume full of similar activity and a PS about how your interest in this activity is why you want to go to law school). Otherwise, it's just proof you did more with your free time than just unlock achievements in Portal 2.
Wait, are you telling me that adcomms aren't going to be impressed if I know the lyrics to "Still Alive?"

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vanwinkle

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by vanwinkle » Fri Aug 19, 2011 4:46 pm

Samara wrote:
vanwinkle wrote:
AdamSmithsGhost wrote:Hi,

Recently it just so has happened that I've gotten involved in a political campaign as an intern. I'm doing it because I find it interesting yet now that I am a couple of months in I am curious - what does an internship at a political campaign look like in regards to law school admissions? When I apply to law school I am just wondering if it's something I can even put on my application. I wouldn't want to take away anything that I've done from my applications but should I be worried that if I wasn't interning for 'the right party/candidate' that it might hurt my admissions chances? Also as a soft, how does it rank? A space-filler or an actually solid extracurricular that the admissions council would appreciate? I looked through the search engine but couldn't find much info on this topic.

Thanks!
1) As noted, there are a number of people who are interested in both law and the politics. This is common. Concern yourself not with such things.

2) It's mostly a space-filler. A single internship really just says "this person did something, instead of nothing, over a certain time period". It's better to have Done Things with your time, but a single internship doesn't really say much about you. The only way it would help more than a little is if it fit in with some bigger picture (i.e., a resume full of similar activity and a PS about how your interest in this activity is why you want to go to law school). Otherwise, it's just proof you did more with your free time than just unlock achievements in Portal 2.
Wait, are you telling me that adcomms aren't going to be impressed if I know the lyrics to "Still Alive?"
It's one of those negative-implication things. They assume everyone does and you get dinged if they find out you don't.

minnbills

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Re: Interning at a Political Campaign

Post by minnbills » Fri Aug 19, 2011 6:32 pm

TTH wrote:It won't take anything off the table if you volunteered for the wrong party. Maybe if you volunteer for an asshat like Michelle Bachman, though (just kidding). It also won't be much of a soft. Approximately 98% of law students have been inovolved in politics at some point.
I was at a "careers in law" fair at the university of minnesota a while back. Each senator and rep from mn had a little booth for internships. Klobuchar and Franken's booths were swamped. I didn't see anyone approach the bachmann booth for the duration :lol:

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