rejected at back up school! please provide reasons why... Forum

[twentythree]

I see no problem with this. At least nothing that would explain the rejection. I honestly think that this cycle is just really competitive.

Agreed. But lsb, you should probably unquote that so the OP can delete it if he wants

[joobacca]

i haven't reviewed grammar since 11th grade. i am an engineer. i rarely write.

you have a split infinitive. to thoroughly something... and you have a bunch of dangling modifiers (if that's what they're called... can't remember)

I certainly don't think that this PS would lead to a rejection

[lsb]

.

[iceberger]

the first image in my mind was Vietnam POW camps with that bamboo shafts under your fingernail torture technique thing....then i read the rest. honestly a good bit of the ps is stereotypical (finding love of law through your first political science course, highest grade in class, etc). I would say shifting into verse at the end of the ps was probably a -1 or so. But nothing that should have immediately disqualified you it think.....

[rwong11]

This has got to be the greatest thread ever. Maybe it's just because I'm tired...but I'm laughing my ass off over here.

here here.

[flhealth]

dude, i write the same way...i just know it sounds more awkward reading it than I would hearing it....its fine...nothing that should have dinged you

[iceberger]

whats your native language? yoda?

ouch!

[sbalive]

This is the 700 word (or so) version of my PS. I have 3 other versions: 2 pages, 3 pages, and a newly edited version.
I am aware that the following may contain flaws, points of awkwardness and weakness, etc. The question is... is it SO BAD that it caused my rejection from a (former) safety school.

It's not as good as a PS as it could be, but this isn't the PS forum - although, if you're planning to apply elsewhere, you may as well adjust it?

Anyway, here's the thing - you don't seem to have any work experience, right? And you're basing your desire to go to Law School on 1 class that you took as an undergrad... depending on what your transcript looks like, they may be worried that you don't have the skill set needed to succeed in law school - especially if your Letters didn't support that. You may have to think hard about what your Letter-writers wrote... you took a bit of a gamble by picking scientists who (a) don't know how to write law school Letters, perhaps (although it's not hard), (b) don't support your path, or (c) didn't realize that they had to say "even though rubies studied science, rubies can write and speak very well" or stuff like that.

If the economy didn't suck, I'd suggest work experience... Actually, one strategy would be to pick up a lab tech position at or near your current university and pick up a couple humanities classes from there (there may be tuition issues if you're at a private, but if you're employed by the university or a recent-grad it may not be an issue) and show you can get good grades in them. Maybe befriend one of the profs and have them write you a new Letter. I have no idea if it helps, but you could even study for the patent bar and pass it.

[flhealth]

I would rewrite but certainly doesnt explain the ding

[rwong11]

I think the anal line, which your teachers meant as a compliment, could be taken the wrong way, like you really are anal. I read in some admissions book that admissions officers are looking to accept people they'd enjoy running into in the hallway... not someone who is anal.

[crystalhawkeye]

Maybe seeing the word "anal" made them uncomfortable.

Yes, I thought about that too when writing it. All my other professors found it funny/not inappropriate.


Did it bother you?

No. But I'm not a Texan.

[tbx59]

This is the 700 word (or so) version of my PS. I have 3 other versions: 2 pages, 3 pages, and a newly edited version.
I am aware that the following may contain flaws, points of awkwardness and weakness, etc. The question is... is it SO BAD that it caused my rejection from a (former) safety school.



Even now, the pain inflicted by the slender bamboo stick still resonates in my mind. Oldest of six, I was given the most responsibility and was appointed as “overseer” of my four cousins and sister. While a price accompanied this authority, maintaining it was not a duty I shirked or surrendered. As a mediator I evaluated disputes between the younger ones. There were times when I favored one child over another, but I never intentionally deviated from supplying a fair outcome. No one escaped my grandfather’s wrath in the rare instances the situation grew outside my governing. I can still picture the line we formed, oldest to youngest, when he delivered our punishments on the palms of our hands. Years later I would acknowledge this nurturing as the foundation of my character.
Those childhood concerns were soon replaced by the demands of adulthood and the ultimate quest for a personal purpose. In college, I developed a predilection for chemistry and was a laboratory assistant for several courses. Supervising underclassmen in an environment of acids and bases revealed my capacity to maintain a calm demeanor and a quick mind in the midst of turmoil. My ability to thoroughly observe and objectively analyze all facets of a situation have been cultivated and refined through the rigors of science.
Many of my peers yearned to practice medicine, yet I found caring for the ill as unappealing as I thought it remarkable. When asked “why medicine,” my colleagues declared it the right path. Though doubtful, I secretly wished that I too could see the light. I began my internship at The University of Texas – Houston (UTH) with great anticipation for professional enlightenment. Though I acquired an immense respect for scientific research, it pulled me further away from what I thought was in store. The solitude of a laboratory was not what I truly aspired to attain; I simply missed personal interaction in an intense and varying environment.
In search of another career route, I embarked on an inward quest as well as an outward one. I was coincidentally introduced to two intellectual property attorneys through my laboratory supervisor from UTH. In addition to their personal experiences and valuable guidance, they also provided me with a greater insight to law school. When I learned that both lawyers held doctorate degrees in molecular biology prior to their law studies, the uncertainties I had concerning my academic background evaporated.
I registered for my first political science course, The American Court System. The first day disclosed that I was the only non-political science major in the upper level course, but I need not have worried; I achieved the highest grade on the first exam. That I could excel in a discipline, far removed from the accustomed, was not most significant. I have become enthralled by the dynamics of the courtroom and its actors. I have discovered the true essence of an adversarial court system: one that depends on the cooperation of all legal persons involved, one that strives for stringency as much as it does for flexibility, and one, though certainly flawed, that attempts to sustain harmony while often settling for less than desired outcomes.
Paired with a taste for controversy, my inquisitive nature has annoyed my closest friends and family without end. Hurling inquiry after inquiry, I never ceased to be skeptical before surfacing as a believer. Various professors describe me as “anal” (short for analytical), an attribute I proudly admit to possess. My habitual probing of statements and ideas permits examinations of other possibilities as opposed to easy acceptances.
While others are romanced by the marvels of a utopia, I am a strict believer of balance and revel in the beauty that appears as chaos. Good cannot exist without evil, light without darkness, or law without disorder. This concept dwells securely in my core. To ignore the path for which I was tailored is to renounce the person I am. While some view my previous choices as an unnecessary detour, I appreciate them as the northern lights that have lit the way.
After countless stops I have arrived at somewhere foreign yet familiar.
In the form of five innocent voices, I am reunited with my calling.

whats your native language? yoda?

is yours rhetorical?

great fuckin response - forward this over and have it added to your file

[jeisner]

LOL @ ANAL.

I'm so immature.

[lsb]

This is the 700 word (or so) version of my PS. I have 3 other versions: 2 pages, 3 pages, and a newly edited version.
I am aware that the following may contain flaws, points of awkwardness and weakness, etc. The question is... is it SO BAD that it caused my rejection from a (former) safety school.

It's not as good as a PS as it could be, but this isn't the PS forum - although, if you're planning to apply elsewhere, you may as well adjust it?

Anyway, here's the thing - you don't seem to have any work experience, right? And you're basing your desire to go to Law School on 1 class that you took as an undergrad... depending on what your transcript looks like, they may be worried that you don't have the skill set needed to succeed in law school - especially if your Letters didn't support that. You may have to think hard about what your Letter-writers wrote... you took a bit of a gamble by picking scientists who (a) don't know how to write law school Letters, perhaps (although it's not hard), (b) don't support your path, or (c) didn't realize that they had to say "even though rubies studied science, rubies can write and speak very well" or stuff like that.

If the economy didn't suck, I'd suggest work experience... Actually, one strategy would be to pick up a lab tech position at or near your current university and pick up a couple humanities classes from there (there may be tuition issues if you're at a private, but if you're employed by the university or a recent-grad it may not be an issue) and show you can get good grades in them. Maybe befriend one of the profs and have them write you a new Letter. I have no idea if it helps, but you could even study for the patent bar and pass it.

How much did the last recession (i guess that would be 2002) influence the numbers of the next cycle. Did most school's medians jump a lot the following year? If no, then it's safe to say that people don't simply get rejected during a bad economy because of their numbers.

[jeisner]

How much did the last recession (i guess that would be 2002) influence the numbers of the next cycle. Did most school's medians jump a lot the following year? If no, then it's safe to say that people don't simply get rejected during a bad economy because of their numbers.

March 2001 - November 2001

[sbalive]

oh, and besides my advice above on how you should go about resubmitting next year... consider applying for a JD/MS in Chemistry... that way you can get into patent law + might be easier for someone with your background. (For biology you need a PhD.)

[sbalive]

How much did the last recession (i guess that would be 2002) influence the numbers of the next cycle. Did most school's medians jump a lot the following year? If no, then it's safe to say that people don't simply get rejected during a bad economy because of their numbers.

March 2001 - November 2001

--LinkRemoved--

[Veritas]

Honestly, the PS is run of the mill. Rather disjointed and slightly lackluster, it might have hurt.

Perhaps you just weren't what this school was looking for in an applicant. Maybe they felt that you desire to medicine really outweighed your desire to pursue law (esp. if all your recs were science related).

Maybe this is some kind of sign.

But, just move on and see how the rest of the cycle goes. Such is life.

[lsb]

How much did the last recession (i guess that would be 2002) influence the numbers of the next cycle. Did most school's medians jump a lot the following year? If no, then it's safe to say that people don't simply get rejected during a bad economy because of their numbers.

March 2001 - November 2001

--LinkRemoved--

Thanks for ruining my day.

[rubies]

oh, and besides my advice above on how you should go about resubmitting next year... consider applying for a JD/MS in Chemistry... that way you can get into patent law + might be easier for someone with your background. (For biology you need a PhD.)

I actually indicated that I will apply to Texas Tech's JD/MS in Biotechnology.. lol but yeah, we have the same idea. =] thanks.

[OperaAttorney]

Honestly, the PS is run of the mill. Rather disjointed and slightly lackluster, it might have hurt.

+1

Did you write a diversity statement?

[Richie Tenenbaum]

I'm still confused on why the PS referred to anal as meaning analytical, when anal stands for anal-retentive and is better described as someone who is obsessive about details or a control freak. The last few sentences might have been a turn-off as well. But an any case I really am not sure how the PS could be the major component that was to blame; overall it seems fine. The one danger is maybe you just don't seem like a person set on law, based on your background and your "coming into the light" story consisting of talking with 2 lawyers and taking 1 class. Besides it being your recommendations, that's all i got.

[YellowRose]

Hey! I really enjoyed reading this post. I am currently an undergraduate student at Texas Tech and I actually have a straight answer for you. Although I did like reading through all the guesses. Texas Tech (TTU, haha not TT?) is a conservative close-minded school, where money and religion speak the loudest. I worked in the Chancellor's office for several years, and have spoken to him about how over 50% of TTU law spots are reserved. Are you the son of a big Lubbock cotton farmer who donates thousands to the scholarship fun? Was your mom in the same sorority as the admissions dean's wife when they attended TTU in the 70s? Do you worship with his grandkids at the Baptist church on Broadway on wednesday night? Does your dad golf with the right people?

No? Then your chances are immensely diminished. Lubbock is a small place; Tech is even smaller. Everyone knows someone who knows someone who can get them in. If you didn't, that might be your reason. I'm not saying you can't get in without some connections, but it's a lot harder.

Also, the admissions people at the TTU law school know that the TTU undergraduate grades are inflated. If you attended Texas Tech (I'm not sure if you mentioned it), your GPA is middle of the road.

I wouldn't cry over it. I took a class at the law school a few semesters ago and the professors reminded students that complete sentences have both a subject and a verb! It's not a great school. I'm sure you can do better.

Wreck'em Tech!

[worldtraveler]

The PS is awkward but not completely terrible. I've seen a lot worse. OP do you have other targets/safeties that you applied to? It could be that this school just didn't think you were a good fit, or didn't think they were one of your top choices. If you get another rejection from a target/safety, then really start thinking about what went wrong. Until then, I don't think you really need to worry.

[sbalive]

oh, and besides my advice above on how you should go about resubmitting next year... consider applying for a JD/MS in Chemistry... that way you can get into patent law + might be easier for someone with your background. (For biology you need a PhD.)

I actually indicated that I will apply to Texas Tech's JD/MS in Biotechnology.. lol but yeah, we have the same idea. =] thanks.

Well, good call, you're on the right track. As the poster about T-Tech indicates, some schools have local issues (maybe they preferentially recruit their UGs through blended programs, which would affect LSAT medians and make you less of a sure thing, maybe they have massive nepotism, the JD/MS has different standards, who knows). But IF you're unsatisfied by your cycle or only get into South Texas, my advice is that you take a tech job after graduation, take a humanities class over summer & fall (good to get a Letter, show you can write, and actually practice the kind of writing/reading you'll have to do in Law School), study for the LSAT, try to score in the mid-160s, and try again - it'll be a more competitive year, but you'll also be a far more competitive applicant and have some excellent opportunities. Good luck!