Michigan c/o 2015 Applicants (2011-2012 cycle) Forum

[Pocahontas]

Checking in. I've finished my PS and DS. All that is left is my Why M and the LSAT on Oct. 1

Does anyone know if summer starters are still eligible for Darrow? What if you ED... still Darrow eligible? Or is it not likely?

[soj]

What if you ED... still Darrow eligible?

No. I'm surprised some ED admits actually got some money. Most schools force ED admits to attend at sticker.

I would guess that those people probably could have gotten more $ if they didn't ED.

[UnamSanctam]

What if you ED... still Darrow eligible?

No. I'm surprised some ED admits actually got some money. Most schools force ED admits to attend at sticker.

I would guess that those people probably could have gotten more $ if they didn't ED.

It's a really classy thing that Michigan does it, though.

[nids333]

Bottom post of page 2.

I think Essay Seven is the typical DS prompt.

Thanks!

[MumofCad]

Oh hey guys. Looks like I'm in for summer term. Stress for upcoming cycle = gone, as you know, I no longer have one. So, future classmates: sup?

Oh also, my mother congratulated me by sending a Michigan Law e-card. This is the world we live in.

I'm jelly

I'm super excited, don't get me wrong, but I think I'll always wonder "what if" about completing a regular cycle. Not that I feel at a major disadvantage for not trying my hand at a higher-ranked school, and I think Michigan is the right fit for me all around, but I will always sort of wonder if I could have managed to finagle some aid out of it.

Oh well. I'm going to my dream school without retaking/rewriting 14,000 essays and I get to just troll around the boards making fun of your anxieties for the next 10 months. Life is sweet.

Can you give me some reasons for Why Michigan is the right fit for you?

I love the look of the school. I am not opposed to living in Michigan either.

However, their website is really poorly organized IMO. It's much less informative, or at least difficult to find information on the school from it compared to the other schools I am looking at. I can't really see anything to recommend the school to me over any other school, and I'm bummed by it. What makes Michigan attractive to you? Anyone else please feel free to pipe in too!

[tmon]

Can you give me some reasons for Why Michigan is the right fit for you?

I love the look of the school. I am not opposed to living in Michigan either.

However, their website is really poorly organized IMO. It's much less informative, or at least difficult to find information on the school from it compared to the other schools I am looking at. I can't really see anything to recommend the school to me over any other school, and I'm bummed by it. What makes Michigan attractive to you? Anyone else please feel free to pipe in too!

I have some reasons for the Why Mich that might be different from others. Namely, personal ties. But that's combined with believing it's one of the better schools I have a chance at. Have you read the TLS profile on Michigan? It's a little outdated, but good info nonetheless:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/michigan-law-school.html
Not sure if that's really what you're looking for, but I hope it helps.

[03121202698008]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

[JamMasterJ]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

What would you say are some strong points for a Why Mich essay other than it being one of my top choices with great placement in my favorite city?

[03121202698008]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

What would you say are some strong points for a Why Mich essay other than it being one of my top choices with great placement in my favorite city?

Commitment to PI, collegiality of students, clinics (including that 2Ls can appear in court in MI...one of only like 2 states), student-run groups (food stamp project, family law project, etc), particular faculty you want to study with.

Seriously though...like 80+% of students come in with PI experience or a stated desire to do PI. 1L professors even joke about how everyone says that but then sells out. It seems to be one proxy Dean Z uses to keep our douche factor low (as one presenter put it).

[tmon]

Thanks for the info. That's really useful. Do you have much experience with the PI side of things? Might send you a PM with some questions if so.

[JamMasterJ]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

What would you say are some strong points for a Why Mich essay other than it being one of my top choices with great placement in my favorite city?

Commitment to PI, collegiality of students, clinics (including that 2Ls can appear in court in MI...one of only like 2 states), student-run groups (food stamp project, family law project, etc), particular faculty you want to study with.

Seriously though...like 80+% of students come in with PI experience or a stated desire to do PI. 1L professors even joke about how everyone says that but then sells out. It seems to be one proxy Dean Z uses to keep our douche factor low (as one presenter put it).

Thanks for this. The collegiality is a huge draw for me.

[03121202698008]

Thanks for the info. That's really useful. Do you have much experience with the PI side of things? Might send you a PM with some questions if so.

I spent time in the military as a cop....that seemed to be sufficient. I've also heard of people that worked for NGOs, legal aid, psych services, etc. Anything that shows you care about other people. I'm in the middle of OCI research but send me ?s and I'll try to answer them.

[03121202698008]

To be clear, I'm not advocating you lie in your Why X. Just that you emphasize factors that show you'll fit in. Even BigLaw transactional lawyers help people by solving problems. Just show you aren't in it for the money/self-gratification.

I'd also emphasize any unique experience that will allow you to contribute to the class. For example, in 2013 we have 4-5 military vets, a guy who was in a Disney movie and the show Nip/Tuck, and a bunch of others that did awesome things but which I forget. The first day they spent like 5 minutes rattling off statistics about crazy things people had done. There's a reason >70% of the class has at least a year off between undergrad.

[freestallion]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

What would you say are some strong points for a Why Mich essay other than it being one of my top choices with great placement in my favorite city?

Commitment to PI, collegiality of students, clinics (including that 2Ls can appear in court in MI...one of only like 2 states), student-run groups (food stamp project, family law project, etc), particular faculty you want to study with.

Seriously though...like 80+% of students come in with PI experience or a stated desire to do PI. 1L professors even joke about how everyone says that but then sells out. It seems to be one proxy Dean Z uses to keep our douche factor low (as one presenter put it).

Thanks for the info. I'm one of those people with all PI experience and interest so I emphasized their clinics, human rights faculty and opportunities, externships etc. Their human trafficking program seems really top notch and the externship in South Africa sounds amazing. And the fact that you can represent clients in 2L is great too.

I haven't mentioned much about Ann Arbor or Michigan because I don't really have ties in that area or anything; do you think that would hurt? Mostly, I just talked about the professional opportunities.

[03121202698008]

Tip from current student: If you have any PI experience, or desire to do PI, make sure you emphasize that and Michigan's PI ties in your Why X. It's one of the things Michigan prides itself on.

What would you say are some strong points for a Why Mich essay other than it being one of my top choices with great placement in my favorite city?

Commitment to PI, collegiality of students, clinics (including that 2Ls can appear in court in MI...one of only like 2 states), student-run groups (food stamp project, family law project, etc), particular faculty you want to study with.

Seriously though...like 80+% of students come in with PI experience or a stated desire to do PI. 1L professors even joke about how everyone says that but then sells out. It seems to be one proxy Dean Z uses to keep our douche factor low (as one presenter put it).

Thanks for the info. I'm one of those people with all PI experience and interest so I emphasized their clinics, human rights faculty and opportunities, externships etc. Their human trafficking program seems really top notch and the externship in South Africa sounds amazing. And the fact that you can represent clients in 2L is great too.

I haven't mentioned much about Ann Arbor or Michigan because I don't really have ties in that area or anything; do you think that would hurt? Mostly, I just talked about the professional opportunities.

I think you're fine.

[cucullu]

Since a bunch of you are working on Why X essays, I thought I'd share couple things I did last year that I think made mine successful. My approach was [slightly] unconventional, but it worked for me. So, if the standard "Your program in Y is appealing to me because of my experience in Z...." isn't working for you, here's another way to approach a Why X...

1. I wrote mine in an informal, conversational style, and included a couple light jokes. (That may have been a little risky, but I think it came across as sincere, which is what I wanted.)

2. I talked about the REAL reasons I was excited about Michigan over many of its peers, which it turned out were not "professional" reasons. Specifically, I focused my "Why Michigan" on what I'd heard about the atmosphere of the school (campus-centric, everyone hangs out and is very involved with top-law-schools.com), the reputation for collegiality + mid-sized student body, and the fact that it was close (but not too close) to home. Nothing at all about specific programs. (Although, as I learned after I was admitted, there were definitely academic opportunities and clinical offerings specific to Michigan that I could have talked about!) In my opinion, the point of the Why X is to explain, in truth, WHY you actually do prefer X to other schools. Every school would rather admit people who really want to be there, so my guess is that the specific reasons probably don't matter as much as the face that those reasons are significant for you.

3. For each of the reasons I gave, I gave a short explanation of an experience from my past or a statement about my current life that illustrated why that particular aspect of Michigan's campus life/ size/ location/ atmosphere was something I would enjoy. Basically, I tried to show how I would fit right in and be very happy there.

Good luck everyone!

[MumofCad]

To be clear, I'm not advocating you lie in your Why X. Just that you emphasize factors that show you'll fit in. Even BigLaw transactional lawyers help people by solving problems. Just show you aren't in it for the money/self-gratification.

I'd also emphasize any unique experience that will allow you to contribute to the class. For example, in 2013 we have 4-5 military vets, a guy who was in a Disney movie and the show Nip/Tuck, and a bunch of others that did awesome things but which I forget. The first day they spent like 5 minutes rattling off statistics about crazy things people had done. There's a reason >70% of the class has at least a year off between undergrad.

Thank you! This discussion has been a lot more helpful than the website. First thing I'm going to do if I end up at Michigan is set my husband on improving that website for all hapless 0Ls.

Are there alot of people that have been out many years though? I'm 29 with a family. One of the things that attracts me to different schools is finding a place we can be happy as a family. Hence, not even considering Columbia or NYU which otherwise have very attractive attributes purely as schools. I'm just curious if there are mainly people that took a token year off to do something in that statistic or if there are a significant number of people with serious WE, families, etc. Do you encounter people with PhDs and what not?

Happens that I am a PI person. And since I'm so ancient lol, I have already had the big paycheck waived in front of me and have proven my commitment to advocacy. I've started a successful non-profit, and turned down big $$$ from oil companies to consult in the ME. I guess I might ask my professional recommender to mention that. Its a running joke in our office anyhow, about whether I'm going to keep giving them the 50% coupon each year on my salary. Sounds like that might be a good thing to flag up in my applications to give weight to the commitment my PS professes.

[UnamSanctam]

To be clear, I'm not advocating you lie in your Why X. Just that you emphasize factors that show you'll fit in. Even BigLaw transactional lawyers help people by solving problems. Just show you aren't in it for the money/self-gratification.

I'd also emphasize any unique experience that will allow you to contribute to the class. For example, in 2013 we have 4-5 military vets, a guy who was in a Disney movie and the show Nip/Tuck, and a bunch of others that did awesome things but which I forget. The first day they spent like 5 minutes rattling off statistics about crazy things people had done. There's a reason >70% of the class has at least a year off between undergrad.

Thank you! This discussion has been a lot more helpful than the website. First thing I'm going to do if I end up at Michigan is set my husband on improving that website for all hapless 0Ls.

Are there alot of people that have been out many years though? I'm 29 with a family. One of the things that attracts me to different schools is finding a place we can be happy as a family. Hence, not even considering Columbia or NYU which otherwise have very attractive attributes purely as schools. I'm just curious if there are mainly people that took a token year off to do something in that statistic or if there are a significant number of people with serious WE, families, etc. Do you encounter people with PhDs and what not?

Happens that I am a PI person. And since I'm so ancient lol, I have already had the big paycheck waived in front of me and have proven my commitment to advocacy. I've started a successful non-profit, and turned down big $$$ from oil companies to consult in the ME. I guess I might ask my professional recommender to mention that. Its a running joke in our office anyhow, about whether I'm going to keep giving them the 50% coupon each year on my salary. Sounds like that might be a good thing to flag up in my applications to give weight to the commitment my PS professes.

Sounds like an admit to me.

[freestallion]

To be clear, I'm not advocating you lie in your Why X. Just that you emphasize factors that show you'll fit in. Even BigLaw transactional lawyers help people by solving problems. Just show you aren't in it for the money/self-gratification.

I'd also emphasize any unique experience that will allow you to contribute to the class. For example, in 2013 we have 4-5 military vets, a guy who was in a Disney movie and the show Nip/Tuck, and a bunch of others that did awesome things but which I forget. The first day they spent like 5 minutes rattling off statistics about crazy things people had done. There's a reason >70% of the class has at least a year off between undergrad.

Thank you! This discussion has been a lot more helpful than the website. First thing I'm going to do if I end up at Michigan is set my husband on improving that website for all hapless 0Ls.

Are there alot of people that have been out many years though? I'm 29 with a family. One of the things that attracts me to different schools is finding a place we can be happy as a family. Hence, not even considering Columbia or NYU which otherwise have very attractive attributes purely as schools. I'm just curious if there are mainly people that took a token year off to do something in that statistic or if there are a significant number of people with serious WE, families, etc. Do you encounter people with PhDs and what not?

Happens that I am a PI person. And since I'm so ancient lol, I have already had the big paycheck waived in front of me and have proven my commitment to advocacy. I've started a successful non-profit, and turned down big $$$ from oil companies to consult in the ME. I guess I might ask my professional recommender to mention that. Its a running joke in our office anyhow, about whether I'm going to keep giving them the 50% coupon each year on my salary. Sounds like that might be a good thing to flag up in my applications to give weight to the commitment my PS professes.

Mumofcad, stop worrying. I see your posts and I am sure you'll get into at least one of HYS and definitely the rest of the T-14. I'm sure you'll get in and then you can visit and see what you like more.

Also strange but I found their website awesome. I found so many programs there that I wanted to do and found it much more comprehensive than websites for CLS, Stanford, etc.

[03121202698008]

To be clear, I'm not advocating you lie in your Why X. Just that you emphasize factors that show you'll fit in. Even BigLaw transactional lawyers help people by solving problems. Just show you aren't in it for the money/self-gratification.

I'd also emphasize any unique experience that will allow you to contribute to the class. For example, in 2013 we have 4-5 military vets, a guy who was in a Disney movie and the show Nip/Tuck, and a bunch of others that did awesome things but which I forget. The first day they spent like 5 minutes rattling off statistics about crazy things people had done. There's a reason >70% of the class has at least a year off between undergrad.

Thank you! This discussion has been a lot more helpful than the website. First thing I'm going to do if I end up at Michigan is set my husband on improving that website for all hapless 0Ls.

Are there alot of people that have been out many years though? I'm 29 with a family. One of the things that attracts me to different schools is finding a place we can be happy as a family. Hence, not even considering Columbia or NYU which otherwise have very attractive attributes purely as schools. I'm just curious if there are mainly people that took a token year off to do something in that statistic or if there are a significant number of people with serious WE, families, etc. Do you encounter people with PhDs and what not?

Happens that I am a PI person. And since I'm so ancient lol, I have already had the big paycheck waived in front of me and have proven my commitment to advocacy. I've started a successful non-profit, and turned down big $$$ from oil companies to consult in the ME. I guess I might ask my professional recommender to mention that. Its a running joke in our office anyhow, about whether I'm going to keep giving them the 50% coupon each year on my salary. Sounds like that might be a good thing to flag up in my applications to give weight to the commitment my PS professes.

Our median age is like 25 and there are a lot of older people. I'm 28 and have never felt old. There are many of us that have significant WE (5+ years). The ones that took only a year off seem to have spent it in Africa with an NGO writing grant applications or similar. We have a college professor or two. Several ABDs or PhDs within the class. People that worked as engineers, etc. There are few (actually know of none but guessing) people that worked menial jobs prior.

A2 is one of the most educated cities in the US and has an exceptional school system. Someone with a PhD serving you coffee is not uncommon. An astronomical % of people have at least a bachelors. It has been ranked as one of the best places to raise a family (forget where). There are lots of parks and the city as a whole is very family friendly.

Edit: I agree out website isn't that bad. What were you looking for that you didn't find? Part of the problem may be that it's set up more for current students than admits.

[JamMasterJ]

Since a bunch of you are working on Why X essays, I thought I'd share couple things I did last year that I think made mine successful. My approach was [slightly] unconventional, but it worked for me. So, if the standard "Your program in Y is appealing to me because of my experience in Z...." isn't working for you, here's another way to approach a Why X...

1. I wrote mine in an informal, conversational style, and included a couple light jokes. (That may have been a little risky, but I think it came across as sincere, which is what I wanted.)

2. I talked about the REAL reasons I was excited about Michigan over many of its peers, which it turned out were not "professional" reasons. Specifically, I focused my "Why Michigan" on what I'd heard about the atmosphere of the school (campus-centric, everyone hangs out and is very involved with top-law-schools.com), the reputation for collegiality + mid-sized student body, and the fact that it was close (but not too close) to home. Nothing at all about specific programs. (Although, as I learned after I was admitted, there were definitely academic opportunities and clinical offerings specific to Michigan that I could have talked about!) In my opinion, the point of the Why X is to explain, in truth, WHY you actually do prefer X to other schools. Every school would rather admit people who really want to be there, so my guess is that the specific reasons probably don't matter as much as the face that those reasons are significant for you.

3. For each of the reasons I gave, I gave a short explanation of an experience from my past or a statement about my current life that illustrated why that particular aspect of Michigan's campus life/ size/ location/ atmosphere was something I would enjoy. Basically, I tried to show how I would fit right in and be very happy there.

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for this. I think this approach is closer to what I'll be writing. Glad to see others have had success with it.


ETA: Instead of a why Mich?, can I just go into Dean Z's office singing the fight song?

[03121202698008]

Since a bunch of you are working on Why X essays, I thought I'd share couple things I did last year that I think made mine successful. My approach was [slightly] unconventional, but it worked for me. So, if the standard "Your program in Y is appealing to me because of my experience in Z...." isn't working for you, here's another way to approach a Why X...

1. I wrote mine in an informal, conversational style, and included a couple light jokes. (That may have been a little risky, but I think it came across as sincere, which is what I wanted.)

2. I talked about the REAL reasons I was excited about Michigan over many of its peers, which it turned out were not "professional" reasons. Specifically, I focused my "Why Michigan" on what I'd heard about the atmosphere of the school (campus-centric, everyone hangs out and is very involved with top-law-schools.com), the reputation for collegiality + mid-sized student body, and the fact that it was close (but not too close) to home. Nothing at all about specific programs. (Although, as I learned after I was admitted, there were definitely academic opportunities and clinical offerings specific to Michigan that I could have talked about!) In my opinion, the point of the Why X is to explain, in truth, WHY you actually do prefer X to other schools. Every school would rather admit people who really want to be there, so my guess is that the specific reasons probably don't matter as much as the face that those reasons are significant for you.

3. For each of the reasons I gave, I gave a short explanation of an experience from my past or a statement about my current life that illustrated why that particular aspect of Michigan's campus life/ size/ location/ atmosphere was something I would enjoy. Basically, I tried to show how I would fit right in and be very happy there.

Good luck everyone!

Thanks for this. I think this approach is closer to what I'll be writing. Glad to see others have had success with it.


ETA: Instead of a why Mich?, can I just go into Dean Z's office singing the fight song?

She wouldn't recognize it. She's self-admittedly football retarded.

[UnamSanctam]

ETA: Instead of a why Mich?, can I just go into Dean Z's office singing the fight song?

The way I picture law school is, on the day of orientation, us being greeted by the student body singing "Hail to the Victors" as they lovingly welcome us into their fold.

It could happen.

[JamMasterJ]

ETA: Instead of a why Mich?, can I just go into Dean Z's office singing the fight song?

The way I picture law school is, on the day of orientation, us being greeted by the student body singing "Hail to the Victors" as they lovingly welcome us into their fold.

It could happen.

I think I'd start crying .

[MumofCad]

Edit: I agree out website isn't that bad. What were you looking for that you didn't find? Part of the problem may be that it's set up more for current students than admits.

Thanks! This is really helpful.

Yes, the website isn't that bad, but it is totally set up for current students IMO. I am sure it has a lot of info. Its the navigation that is tricky for me. Some pages have 18 or so tabs on the left, none of which pertain to me. I didn't get the PI heavy interest reading through alot of the information either. I just gave it a cursory look last night and found it difficult to sift through the overload of options. I plan to revisit tonight.