SMU 2010! Forum

[FunkyJD]

Negative. Still stuck on 2/3. I am hoping that it will change.

[texasforever]

another week of no decisions.. this is getting ridiculous..

[jgrin]

another week of no decisions.. this is getting ridiculous..

Worth the wait IMO. We'll know soon enough.

[HBK]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

[ladysixmonkey]

9:14 am. Thank God its raining in Texas (can put the Claritin away for a day). Let the anxious waiting begin. Ring, phone ... RING.

Never actually rained here. It went north. And the status didn't switch over to DR yet, either.

[Thirteen]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

I'll be there.

[FunkyJD]

9:14 am. Thank God its raining in Texas (can put the Claritin away for a day). Let the anxious waiting begin. Ring, phone ... RING.

Never actually rained here. It went north. And the status didn't switch over to DR yet, either.

It rained a little here this morning, but then it started teasing us.

No status change yet either. And I'm getting mighty nervous. Deposit at Notre Dame is due on Tuesday. I've e-mailed them to request more time, but if they don't grant it -- and I can only afford one more deposit -- what do I do if I don't hear back from SMU by then?

[ladysixmonkey]

9:14 am. Thank God its raining in Texas (can put the Claritin away for a day). Let the anxious waiting begin. Ring, phone ... RING.

Never actually rained here. It went north. And the status didn't switch over to DR yet, either.

It rained a little here this morning, but then it started teasing us.

No status change yet either. And I'm getting mighty nervous. Deposit at Notre Dame is due on Tuesday. I've e-mailed them to request more time, but if they don't grant it -- and I can only afford one more deposit -- what do I do if I don't hear back from SMU by then?

Perhaps you could ring Ms. Froneberger and chat with her about your situation. I suspect she could provide more information to you due to your specific predicament, especially because it seems you have your heart set on SMU being your next alma mater.

[FunkyJD]

I suppose. I sent in a LOCI a few weeks ago, and I made a phone call last week, I believe it was. I'm afraid of entering into stalker territory. Hopefully, ND grants my extension on Monday to give me some breathing room. If not, then I'll have no choice but to call.

[maxpayne]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

I'll be there.

I will be in attendance also. Anyone have an idea on the dress attire?

[Billy Batts]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

I'll be there.

I will be in attendance also. Anyone have an idea on the dress attire?

I would and did wear jeans.

[kalvano]

I will be in attendance also. Anyone have an idea on the dress attire?

I was overdressed in khakis. Wear jeans and a golf shirt, you'll be fine.

[matgugs]

Just wanted to let everyone know that at least one denial went out this week...mine

I went DR on 4/13 and got my denial in the mail today 4/17.

Since I'm sure it will be asked, 1) GPA:3.65 and LSAT: 159 and 2) I applied for FT

Good luck to everyone else

[Thirteen]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

I'll be there.

I will be in attendance also. Anyone have an idea on the dress attire?

I'll be in jeans, boat shoes, and a pastel polo shirt.

[JoeIcarus]

Any of y'all going to the ASD next Friday?

I'll be there.

Think I'm going too

[Sangiovese]

Just wanted to let everyone know that at least one denial went out this week...mine

I went DR on 4/13 and got my denial in the mail today 4/17.

Since I'm sure it will be asked, 1) GPA:3.65 and LSAT: 159 and 2) I applied for FT

Good luck to everyone else

Sorry to hear the bad news. Good luck with the rest of your cycle!

[nontradintexas]

The numbers are important, but I don't know about the impact on the actual classes. It could be, but... Not to be ranty here--It seems like nontrads in the pt program could go either way, depending on the dynamics of the specific class. Sometimes, more work/ life experience = more "I'm right/superior/important all the time" or "you're young and don't know anything but I do because I'm older" condescending or destructive behaviors or "books and ideas don't mean much; it's so-called 'real world' experience that's important." While I appreciate and respect where they are coming from, those viewpoints can be destructive in a classroom setting. Sometimes, more personal, familial investments = more excuses and arguing or trying to bully the teachers, especially in front of the class, to get better grades. They might look good on paper, but the personalities and habits that helped them obtain success outside of school can def get in the way at times in a formal or bureaucratic setting. Sometimes nts are desperate as they feel that this is their last big chance. Desperation makes people do awful things, behave in terrible ways, and they make poor decisions. I get that my anecdotal experiences with this probably don't mean much, but I have seen and heard this desperation, especially after the economic downturn.

But then again, sometimes the nts are amazingly insightful, offering nuanced perspectives and analysis, in addition to offering a collegial atmosphere in discussions, study groups and debates. At times, nts are fearless (more so than those fresh out of undergrad), interested, and intensely motivated. Some have a clear sense of direction (beyond the potential paycheck), sense of self-motivation, the know-how to get things done well and are highly motivating to others because they are competitive yet collegial. Each group of students can be so different from the next, even with the same or similar demographics; it really just depends on the class. I'm not trying to sound condescending...Since none of this goes into the rankings, it's difficult to get a sense of how the adcom assesses the nts to find out which ones are amazing in person, as well as on paper. I'm just ready to roll, though, no matter how it shakes out. Still keeping the fingers crossed.

Non-trad (obviously) 1L full-time student here - None of the non-trads in my section are gunners. Not sure about the other section, betasteve can weigh in there. If anything, the "wisdom of the experienced" equates to us keeping our heads down and our mouths shut, since we know how much we don't know. Most of the non-trads seem to take class seriously (perhaps a bit more than those straight out of undergrad) and treat school like a job. This doesn't necessarily manifest itself in d-bag behavior, but it does mean we're not out drinking 3-4 nights a week.

Not sure if there is a different vibe in the evening classes. I know there are more non-trad students there, but I'm pretty sure there is also a fairly sizable number of students who are straight out of undergrad and going part-time.

[nouseforaname123]

The numbers are important, but I don't know about the impact on the actual classes. It could be, but... Not to be ranty here--It seems like nontrads in the pt program could go either way, depending on the dynamics of the specific class. Sometimes, more work/ life experience = more "I'm right/superior/important all the time" or "you're young and don't know anything but I do because I'm older" condescending or destructive behaviors or "books and ideas don't mean much; it's so-called 'real world' experience that's important." While I appreciate and respect where they are coming from, those viewpoints can be destructive in a classroom setting. Sometimes, more personal, familial investments = more excuses and arguing or trying to bully the teachers, especially in front of the class, to get better grades. They might look good on paper, but the personalities and habits that helped them obtain success outside of school can def get in the way at times in a formal or bureaucratic setting. Sometimes nts are desperate as they feel that this is their last big chance. Desperation makes people do awful things, behave in terrible ways, and they make poor decisions. I get that my anecdotal experiences with this probably don't mean much, but I have seen and heard this desperation, especially after the economic downturn.

But then again, sometimes the nts are amazingly insightful, offering nuanced perspectives and analysis, in addition to offering a collegial atmosphere in discussions, study groups and debates. At times, nts are fearless (more so than those fresh out of undergrad), interested, and intensely motivated. Some have a clear sense of direction (beyond the potential paycheck), sense of self-motivation, the know-how to get things done well and are highly motivating to others because they are competitive yet collegial. Each group of students can be so different from the next, even with the same or similar demographics; it really just depends on the class. I'm not trying to sound condescending...Since none of this goes into the rankings, it's difficult to get a sense of how the adcom assesses the nts to find out which ones are amazing in person, as well as on paper. I'm just ready to roll, though, no matter how it shakes out. Still keeping the fingers crossed.

Non-trad (obviously) 1L full-time student here - None of the non-trads in my section are gunners. Not sure about the other section, betasteve can weigh in there. If anything, the "wisdom of the experienced" equates to us keeping our heads down and our mouths shut, since we know how much we don't know. Most of the non-trads seem to take class seriously (perhaps a bit more than those straight out of undergrad) and treat school like a job. This doesn't necessarily manifest itself in d-bag behavior, but it does mean we're not out drinking 3-4 nights a week.

Not sure if there is a different vibe in the evening classes. I know there are more non-trad students there, but I'm pretty sure there is also a fairly sizable number of students who are straight out of undergrad and going part-time.

I’ll speak for Section 3. No gunners and lots of civility/mutual respect. For the most part, your non-trads in Sec. 3 are highly motivated people. Frankly, you have to be to work full time and then go through the evening program. If anything, it humbles you. By most reasonable standards, I’d like to think that I’ve been successful prior to coming to law school but when the guy to my left has a Ph.D. and teaches during the day and the guy to my right owns a chain of retail stores, it humbles you pretty darn quickly.

I’ll echo NTT in saying that the biggest difference is that there is a lot less socializing with the non-trads. The 10 to 15 minutes before class and the walk to the parking garage after class are when you catch up on the goings on of life. FWIW, SMU rotates its professors through the evening program and I asked one professor if he noticed a difference between the PT and FT students. He stated that if you mixed exam answers from his PT students with those of his FT he couldn’t tell which was which, but he did note two differences:

1. The questions in class are different b/c the working PT students are trying to apply what they are learning in class to the facts of their specific job.
2. He’s never seen a working PT student “wasting time” around campus.

[da87]

This week could be the week!

[raoul79]

This week could be the week!

I really hope so... They had a batch of acceptances on 4/20 last year....

Still sitting on 4/7 complete (after being complete 1/20)... I applied FT/PT... Degree field is set to: JD Evening...
Really hoping to get in....

[da87]

This week could be the week!

I really hope so... They had a batch of acceptances on 4/20 last year....

Still sitting on 4/7 complete (after being complete 1/20)... I applied FT/PT... Degree field is set to: JD Evening...
Really hoping to get in....

From what I have read so far, it seems that the people whose degree fields changed to "JD Evening" were accepted into the PT program...hopefully it is the same for you!

[FunkyJD]

I wonder, do they make calls on Mondays? Some schools do. It would be a nice way to start off the week.

[ladysixmonkey]

Thank you, nouseforaname123 and nontradintexas. If admitted, I would be a nontrad, too. Are you including law school activities in "being social" or are you saying that the nts are only social in law school related activities/orgs but not much else? Thank you for the clarification.

[nontradintexas]

Thank you, nouseforaname123 and nontradintexas. If admitted, I would be a nontrad, too. Are you including law school activities in "being social" or are you saying that the nts are only social in law school related activities/orgs but not much else? Thank you for the clarification.

Good question - non-trads are definitely active in student organizations and activities. I also know purely social activities like bar review are welcoming to non-trads, I just don't know any that go. I don't feel like the younger students treat me any differently from the other students, but I just don't have the same interests as a lot of them. There's not a great deal of socializing done outside of school namely because I tend to be at home with my family or studying at night, so it's really a matter of self-selection.

On this topic - Barrister's Ball was Friday night, and quite a bit disappointing. Essentially we rented an upscale sports bar, turned it into a nightclub, and played music so insanely loud that anyone who wanted to have a conversation was driven outside. Not what I expected, but I do know that a lot of people had a good time.

Re-reading that, I sound old. I guess what I'm trying to say is: I expected something different than a club, so my expectations let me down. If you like the club scene, it was a great time.

[EBGB]

So, my numbers are right at the bottom of the FT 25-75% for LSAT and GPA. Do you think being a non-trad speaks in my favor as an applicant?