The Official December 2015 Study Group Forum

gamerish · Post by **gamerish** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:21 pm

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Thelaw23 · Post by **Thelaw23** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:32 pm

How necessary are the why essays?

You would think half a year of my life studying for the LSAT would be enough for them.

McJimJam · Post by **McJimJam** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:35 pm

Thelaw23 wrote:How necessary are the why essays?

You would think half a year of my life studying for the LSAT would be enough for them.

I'd do it for safety (yield protection and all that) and reach schools, or at least your top choices. Don't feel its necessary to do one for every school (also probably pointless for HYS).

slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:47 pm

Thelaw23 wrote:How necessary are the why essays?

You would think half a year of my life studying for the LSAT would be enough for them.

I tried asking in a separate thread about this, but no answers =(

I'm writing the Why essays for Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, and Penn. I've heard that they give much more $$$ to people who write these.

I kind of hate that Cornell REQUIRES you to write 3ish sentences about why you want to go there. Obviously, I want to go there because Cornell, T14, jobs. The end.

Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:54 pm

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Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:57 pm

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McJimJam · Post by **McJimJam** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:59 pm

Phoenix97 wrote:
slizerd wrote: Blegh same here. Finished my PS, DS, and Why Michigan last night. I've officially run out of interesting things to say about myself.
Is U of Michigan your first choice?

I went there for Undergrad and it was the best time of my life. The campus is gorgeous, resources are amazing (especially the Law library which I used sometimes). Ann Arbor is a wonderful town. I can't say enough good things about that place. lol

My entire Why Mich? would probably be about that library

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gamerish wrote:Anybody wanna critique the first draft of my PS? I'd like as many eyes on it as possible and I'd rather not submit it in the PS section since it could out my name. Please be ruthless.

Also gamer I'd be willing to read.

slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 2:59 pm

Phoenix97 wrote:
slizerd wrote:
gamerish wrote:
SirArthurDayne wrote:What are you guys doing regarding applications. Have you completed them and are just waiting to take the test or are you doing it afterwards?
I just did my first draft of my PS last night but I'm finished with everything else. Hoping to submit apps to several schools this week.
Blegh same here. Finished my PS, DS, and Why Michigan last night. I've officially run out of interesting things to say about myself.
Is U of Michigan your first choice?

I went there for Undergrad and it was the best time of my life. The campus is gorgeous, resources are amazing (especially the Law library which I used sometimes). Ann Arbor is a wonderful town. I can't say enough good things about that place. lol

It is ABSOLUTELY my first choice, I've been googling facts about Ann Arbor all morning and have been basically useless in terms of productivity haha. I'm glad to hear you liked it so much, that just makes me more excited! I'm trying super hard for the Darrow; my app is ready to go now but the thing is I only have one LOR on it now. My other recommender says they'll have the letter to me by no later than a week from today. I'm wondering if I should just send it in now (since they only require one LOR) and then send the second letter as soon they submit it. What do you guys think?

slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:02 pm

Phoenix97 wrote:
slizerd wrote:
Thelaw23 wrote:How necessary are the why essays?

You would think half a year of my life studying for the LSAT would be enough for them.
I tried asking in a separate thread about this, but no answers =(

I'm writing the Why essays for Michigan, Duke, Northwestern, and Penn. I've heard that they give much more $$$ to people who write these.

I kind of hate that Cornell REQUIRES you to write 3ish sentences about why you want to go there. Obviously, I want to go there because Cornell, T14, jobs. The end.
Also, for UMich: Write a diversity statement if you haven't already. Even if you're not a URM, talk about your unique perspective as the child of immigrants parents, any cultural separations you experienced growing up, etc.

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gamerish · Post by **gamerish** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:08 pm

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ugg · Post by **ugg** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:08 pm

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Thelaw23 · Post by **Thelaw23** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:17 pm

University of Michigan looks identical to Hogwarts... It's my next preferred choice after NYU and CLS, but I'm just trying to stay in New York since I live and was raised up here.

Damn, so I guess diversity statement it is. One Russian in Brooklyn...

What are some good topics to write about being an immigrant?

Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:18 pm

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pleadthafif · Post by **pleadthafif** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:19 pm

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Mint-Berry_Crunch · Post by **Mint-Berry_Crunch** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:21 pm

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Thelaw23 · Post by **Thelaw23** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:21 pm

pleadthafif wrote:I never know whether to write about things I would consider adversity growing up which some people probably just see as white-people problems.

And I feel like writing why you're better because you're 'diverse' and from another country (for example) is kind of like saying I'm better than all you regular Americans.

Thelaw23 · Post by **Thelaw23** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:22 pm

Mint-Berry_Crunch wrote:My understanding was that Why X essays are basically free points for your application if you can come up with a not crap reason for why you want to go there.

There is not a single law school outside HYS where I would have a not crap reason for going there.

As stated a few posts before, T14, job, money, prestige, laughing at my friends who didn't go to graduate school.

slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:23 pm

pleadthafif wrote:I never know whether to write about things I would consider adversity growing up which some people probably just see as white-people problems.

I dont think the adversity itself is as important as how you handled it, what you took away from it, etc. If you show how it affected you and caused you to grow that's more important than having something super tragic happen

ugg · Post by **ugg** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:26 pm

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slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:28 pm

theugg wrote:I really don't see why you'd want to write a diversity statement for Michigan if you don't really have something to write about ?? Idk. Maybe there's some common knowledge that Michigan is different and wants a diversity statement even if you're not very diverse.

I'm definitely doing a Why X essay, though.

I think Phoenix was saying that specifically to me, because I had mentioned my parents being immigrants a while back. I wouldn't force a diversity statement lol

slizerd · Post by **slizerd** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:30 pm

Phoenix97 wrote:
slizerd wrote:
Phoenix97 wrote:
slizerd wrote:
gamerish wrote:
SirArthurDayne wrote:What are you guys doing regarding applications. Have you completed them and are just waiting to take the test or are you doing it afterwards?
I just did my first draft of my PS last night but I'm finished with everything else. Hoping to submit apps to several schools this week.
Blegh same here. Finished my PS, DS, and Why Michigan last night. I've officially run out of interesting things to say about myself.
Is U of Michigan your first choice?

I went there for Undergrad and it was the best time of my life. The campus is gorgeous, resources are amazing (especially the Law library which I used sometimes). Ann Arbor is a wonderful town. I can't say enough good things about that place. lol
It is ABSOLUTELY my first choice, I've been googling facts about Ann Arbor all morning and have been basically useless in terms of productivity haha. I'm glad to hear you liked it so much, that just makes me more excited! I'm trying super hard for the Darrow; my app is ready to go now but the thing is I only have one LOR on it now. My other recommender says they'll have the letter to me by no later than a week from today. I'm wondering if I should just send it in now (since they only require one LOR) and then send the second letter as soon they submit it. What do you guys think?
Good first choice.

Another recommendation: If housing/money is a concern, look into the ICC of Ann Arbor. There are a bunch of cooperative houses run [largely] by students. Housing, food, cable, internet, and even some food for around $600/mo. I lived in a huge co-ed house with a bunch of other students...one semester, the house I lived in had students from seventeen different countries. I made lifelong friends (I met up with a few of them while studying abroad in Europe), gained a broader perspective, and just became a better person in general by virtue of having to live with different people and learning to adapt to so many personalities, backgrounds, religions, age groups, etc.

My first semester, I became good friends with a girl who threw a cup on beer on an obnoxious new English guy who was studying abroad...but then they become friends, then started hooking up, then started dating, then he moved back to England...buuuuut they stayed in touch, visited each other a few times...then this spring (four years later) they got married and are settled happily in England.

But there were some downsides: House would sometimes get pretty messy, sometimes there would be shit show house members, drama between people with personalities who clashed, people hooking up/dating and it becoming awkward for the entire house, aaand you may end up with a room mate.

Okay. That is my last pro-Michigan rant...back to studying.

(GO BLUE)

Ha! I love that story!
I'm moving wherever I end up going with my SO, and I think he'd take issue with being back in a dorm type environment =( Otherwise that sounds like it'd be fun!

Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:32 pm

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Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:35 pm

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ugg · Post by **ugg** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:35 pm

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Phoenix97 · Post by **Phoenix97** » Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:36 pm

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