Worst Cycle in History? EDIT: Somewhat poor cycle Forum

[holydonkey]

My sign is vital, my hands are cold and I'm on my knees looking for the answer. Are we human...

[09042014]

I mean, I get where you guys made that connection. but honestly what else was he supposed to call himself?

im not really on the OPs side here, but I think there are better ways to mock this situation then attack him for using the appropriate term to describe his volunteer work.

I'm not attacking him. I'm just defending the people who understandably misinterpreted the "soft" as he listed it.

Also, as an aside, I think merely "participating" in Dance Marathon one year doesn't really qualify as a soft--especially not one that warrants listing on LSN. My gut tells me that if a participating in a few volunteer events, coordinating Dance Marathon one year, and being in a frat make up the bulk of OP's softs, then that might partially explain his lackluster cycle.

I think listing that one thing as a soft might be worse than not listing anything. If you list nothing, the adcom doesn't think about charity at all. If you list participant in one charity event, well dam you are pointing out you don't do anything at all. You are bringing attention to how little you do.

But that doesn't explain the cycle. Softs don't matter.

[rockstar4488]

Yeah, I'm not criticizing based on the name or worthiness of the organization. I simply think that volunteer work based around one-time or infrequent events is a relatively weak soft. If I were an admission rep (which I am not), I'd want to see either a regular renewed commitment to volunteer work or a compelling reason why the work that you did do fits in with where you want to take your legal career.

Edit: Basically said the same thing as the previous two posters in regards to OP's softs.

[09042014]

Yeah, I'm not criticizing based on the name or worthiness of the organization. I simply think that volunteer work based around one-time or infrequent events is a relatively weak soft. If I were an admission rep (which I am not), I'd want to see either a regular renewed commitment to volunteer work or a compelling reason why the work that you did do fits in with where you want to take your legal career.

I'd only care if public interest was why you wanted to go to law school. The guy who wants to transactional big law doesn't need to have an interest in volunteer work.

[AngryAvocado]

I think listing that one thing as a soft might be worse than not listing anything. If you list nothing, the adcom doesn't think about charity at all. If you list participant in one charity event, well dam you are pointing out you don't do anything at all. You are bringing attention to how little you do.

But that doesn't explain the cycle. Softs don't matter.

If this cycle has taught me anything, it's that softs/essays do actually matter, and doubly so if you're applying late. Your first point, however, is credited.

[DanInALionsDen]

You can take something constructive from everything if you try.

Calling your volunteer work dancing, volunteering, raising money, whatever--don't you realize that there are other applicants out there that have done much more amazing things with their lives. Not to downplay what you did, I commend you for it, but it seems like a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years. There are many people who have done much more volunteer work than I have, and on much larger scales, and without discounting my own accomplishments/motivations, I can accept this fact. At the T10 schools, you are going against the best of the best when it comes to accomplishments--both service-wise, and academically.

I didn't explain the manner of the work in detail on LSN, I admit, although I did describe it in depth on my resume. You're making false assumptions though.

I was a "dancer" the first year, as most people are... in that year, my work was mostly limited to the one day, except for some fundraising on the weekends.

For the next two years I was a captain. The work for that position includes working the event itself, but mostly involved months of making contacts, reaching out to the community to raise awareness, sending out letters to department heads to try to get professors to attend, authoring and sending newsletters to "dancers" homes to encourage their parents to make donations, blah blah blah. That is to say that it was not "a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years," it was ongoing work, over a period of two years.

Of course I realize that many more people do much more intensive volunteer work.

[09042014]

I think listing that one thing as a soft might be worse than not listing anything. If you list nothing, the adcom doesn't think about charity at all. If you list participant in one charity event, well dam you are pointing out you don't do anything at all. You are bringing attention to how little you do.

But that doesn't explain the cycle. Softs don't matter.

If this cycle has taught me anything, it's that softs/essays do actually matter, and doubly so if you're applying late. Your first point, however, is credited.

I wrote one of the shittiest personal statements I've ever seen, and have little too no softs, and I did as well as can be expected.

If you apply late, they might matter more because its you, and 5 other people with your numbers competing for the same two spots.

[rockstar4488]

You can take something constructive from everything if you try.

Calling your volunteer work dancing, volunteering, raising money, whatever--don't you realize that there are other applicants out there that have done much more amazing things with their lives. Not to downplay what you did, I commend you for it, but it seems like a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years. There are many people who have done much more volunteer work than I have, and on much larger scales, and without discounting my own accomplishments/motivations, I can accept this fact. At the T10 schools, you are going against the best of the best when it comes to accomplishments--both service-wise, and academically.

I didn't explain the manner of the work in detail on LSN, I admit, although I did describe it in depth on my resume. You're making false assumptions though.

I was a "dancer" the first year, as most people are... in that year, my work was mostly limited to the one day, except for some fundraising on the weekends.

For the next two years I was a captain. The work for that position includes working the event itself, but mostly involved months of making contacts, reaching out to the community to raise awareness, sending out letters to department heads to try to get professors to attend, authoring and sending newsletters to "dancers" homes to encourage their parents to make donations, blah blah blah. That is to say that it was not "a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years," it was ongoing work, over a period of two years.

Of course I realize that many more people do much more intensive volunteer work.

Once being promoted to captain, how many hours annually do you feel you dedicated to the dance party?

[DanInALionsDen]

You can take something constructive from everything if you try.

Calling your volunteer work dancing, volunteering, raising money, whatever--don't you realize that there are other applicants out there that have done much more amazing things with their lives. Not to downplay what you did, I commend you for it, but it seems like a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years. There are many people who have done much more volunteer work than I have, and on much larger scales, and without discounting my own accomplishments/motivations, I can accept this fact. At the T10 schools, you are going against the best of the best when it comes to accomplishments--both service-wise, and academically.

I didn't explain the manner of the work in detail on LSN, I admit, although I did describe it in depth on my resume. You're making false assumptions though.

I was a "dancer" the first year, as most people are... in that year, my work was mostly limited to the one day, except for some fundraising on the weekends.

For the next two years I was a captain. The work for that position includes working the event itself, but mostly involved months of making contacts, reaching out to the community to raise awareness, sending out letters to department heads to try to get professors to attend, authoring and sending newsletters to "dancers" homes to encourage their parents to make donations, blah blah blah. That is to say that it was not "a semi-isolated incident that happened once a year for a couple of years," it was ongoing work, over a period of two years.

Of course I realize that many more people do much more intensive volunteer work.

Once being promoted to captain, how many hours annually do you feel you dedicated to the dance party?

15-20 per week, except in the weeks immediately preceding that marathon. A little more then.

[rockstar4488]

I hope you managed to convey to the admissions people that you spent 1000 hours a year planning/participating in the event.

[DanInALionsDen]

I hope you managed to convey to the admissions people that you spent 1000 hours a year planning/participating in the event.

I don't want to be accused of overstating my work again. Planning and preliminary work starts at the beginning of october and ends at the beginning of april for captains. So it was 6 months on, 6 months off.

[Notor]

Don't see how getting money at a t14 qualifies one for the worst cycle in history, or even a somewhat poor cycle. This thread is part of the cancer that is killing TLS.

[Hey-O]

I wrote one of the shittiest personal statements I've ever seen, and have little too no softs, and I did as well as can be expected.

I think that's the point. You did as well as can be expected. Excellent softs mean that you can do better than what's expected. For me, most of my acceptances were pretty numbers based but I received better scholarship offers, and was wait listed at more reach schools, and I bet it is because of my strong personal statement and softs.

They're filling a law school class, not a stat sheet. Sure, numbers matter, but that doesn't mean that softs don't matter.

[mah2012]

I hope you managed to convey to the admissions people that you spent 1000 hours a year planning/participating in the event.

I don't want to be accused of overstating my work again. Planning and preliminary work starts at the beginning of october and ends at the beginning of april for captains. So it was 6 months on, 6 months off.

This thread was entertaining, now it's annoying. You asked for opinions, you're getting them. Go to Columbia or NYU if you get off the WL, otherwise go to Georgetown. 90k a year at a T14, after applying late and with less than spectacular numbers, is nothing to bitch about. Get over yourself.

[Generic20101L]

Just to clarify:

1) The title of the thread was a JOKE. The exaggeration was intentional. I think my cycle went poorly, but do not, in fact, think I had the worst cycle EVER.

2) My GPA is a 3.77. The 3.13 kid was someone else who was posting about his situation. Employ some critical reading skills before attacking me for a GPA that isn't even mine.

3) Although the title of the organization I worked for is "Dance Marathon" my role in it did not involve dancing in anyway. It involved community organizing and outreach, raising awareness, securing sponsorships, etc. I'm assuming most people here actually understand this, but are pretending not to because they are pissed off about this issue addressed in point 1.

4) Title edited to accommodate for the apparent tendency of TLSers to read everything as absolutely literal.

No, you definitely said 3.13, and have edited your OP 5 times including today. It's whatever though. You're e-embarrassed, it's ok.

[dk8]

I think listing that one thing as a soft might be worse than not listing anything. If you list nothing, the adcom doesn't think about charity at all. If you list participant in one charity event, well dam you are pointing out you don't do anything at all. You are bringing attention to how little you do.

But that doesn't explain the cycle. Softs don't matter.

If this cycle has taught me anything, it's that softs/essays do actually matter, and doubly so if you're applying late. Your first point, however, is credited.

yep. i watched people with my exact numbers get scholarships at places i was dinged and wled. not complaining though, outside of my lsat my application isn't all that great.

[DanInALionsDen]

Just to clarify:

1) The title of the thread was a JOKE. The exaggeration was intentional. I think my cycle went poorly, but do not, in fact, think I had the worst cycle EVER.

2) My GPA is a 3.77. The 3.13 kid was someone else who was posting about his situation. Employ some critical reading skills before attacking me for a GPA that isn't even mine.

3) Although the title of the organization I worked for is "Dance Marathon" my role in it did not involve dancing in anyway. It involved community organizing and outreach, raising awareness, securing sponsorships, etc. I'm assuming most people here actually understand this, but are pretending not to because they are pissed off about this issue addressed in point 1.

4) Title edited to accommodate for the apparent tendency of TLSers to read everything as absolutely literal.

No, you definitely said 3.13, and have edited your OP 5 times including today. It's whatever though. You're e-embarrassed, it's ok.

I never said 3.13. Go to my profile and check the original post if you want.

[dk8]

Just to clarify:

1) The title of the thread was a JOKE. The exaggeration was intentional. I think my cycle went poorly, but do not, in fact, think I had the worst cycle EVER.

2) My GPA is a 3.77. The 3.13 kid was someone else who was posting about his situation. Employ some critical reading skills before attacking me for a GPA that isn't even mine.

3) Although the title of the organization I worked for is "Dance Marathon" my role in it did not involve dancing in anyway. It involved community organizing and outreach, raising awareness, securing sponsorships, etc. I'm assuming most people here actually understand this, but are pretending not to because they are pissed off about this issue addressed in point 1.

4) Title edited to accommodate for the apparent tendency of TLSers to read everything as absolutely literal.

No, you definitely said 3.13, and have edited your OP 5 times including today. It's whatever though. You're e-embarrassed, it's ok.

I never said 3.13. Go to my profile and check the original post if you want.

i'll second this. op has taken his lumps already for things he actually said. let him be

[elaw86]

evanxlee wrote:
make a deposit at GULC, wait it out on the others, and if nothing comes your way or you absolutely hate DC re-apply in october.

to make you feel better, my cycle went:

(applied mid-jan, 3.83/170/2009 berkeley grad/currently lead paralegal at a boutique class action/real estate/consumer protection firm in san diego)

Duke: WL
U of San Diego: In (no $)
Berkeley: out
BU: WL
GULC: out
UCLA: in (no $)
hastings: WL
NYU: out
BC: WL
Chicago, Columbia, U$C, Harvard: No response.

Caveat: my GPA reports at 3.13 because of a semester I had to leave due to hospitalization RIGHT before finals, resulting in straight F's. .. the infamous berkeley bureaucracy wouldn't help me out with it, so i wrote a lengthy addendum. Oh, and my PS was about IP/entertainment law.

So yeah, your cycle wasn't terrible. mine, on the other hand.....

Here's the person with the 3.13. (read entire post)
Still not feeling to bad for someone with $$ to GULC...

[lovelyannalove]

I love it when a thread gets spicy enough to take my mind off of the wait/decision/annoyance of the cycle!