In a quick update, I have indeed begun law school at the University of South Carolina. After a summer of gratuitious fun, I'm ready to begin seriuos work again.
So far, I've been biding my time with daily reading and writing assignments. I don't have a job, although I desperately need money (financial aid office, here I come). I have, however, been doing volunteer work lately, which I'm always pleased about.
Hope to update more, but I'm filling this in between homework assignments. My life is very stressful at the moment, but I'm loving my new life.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Carolina Über Alles
After being put on the waitlist at Duke and Virginia, and after attending "Accepted Students Day" at South Carolina, I've decided to commit to USC for the fall.
At ASD, I learned a good bit about the environmental law program and the dual degree program with Vermont. Apparently, I'll have to spend my first law school summer in Vermont for a seminar in order to earn the degree. This sounds exciting, but expensive. I'll have to converse with USC professor Josh Eagle about my options within environmental law. In addition to my JD and the master's from Vermont, I'll also have to earn something called a MERM (MURM?), which is intended to help me with getting scientific concepts under my belt for work within the environmental community. This will definitely extend my law school study to four years.
In a bit of good news, I was offered a partial scholarship to USC, which helps to mitigate my costs, but doesn't come close to finishing the job. Admittedly, I have not been fastidious with outside scholarship applications. Loans, here I come.
Just finished directing my last play as part of my school's drama department. Had a great time, and am ready to focus more on my future.
At ASD, I learned a good bit about the environmental law program and the dual degree program with Vermont. Apparently, I'll have to spend my first law school summer in Vermont for a seminar in order to earn the degree. This sounds exciting, but expensive. I'll have to converse with USC professor Josh Eagle about my options within environmental law. In addition to my JD and the master's from Vermont, I'll also have to earn something called a MERM (MURM?), which is intended to help me with getting scientific concepts under my belt for work within the environmental community. This will definitely extend my law school study to four years.
In a bit of good news, I was offered a partial scholarship to USC, which helps to mitigate my costs, but doesn't come close to finishing the job. Admittedly, I have not been fastidious with outside scholarship applications. Loans, here I come.
Just finished directing my last play as part of my school's drama department. Had a great time, and am ready to focus more on my future.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Acceptance
I've been accepted to South Carolina, and Duke and Virginia have put me on the wait list. I may not hear a final decision from UVA or DU until May, which is also when South Carolina needs a final answer, so unless I hear a definite answer from one of those schools in the next month or so, it looks like South Carolina is my destination, which I'm pleased about. South Carolina will be a great school for getting into environmental law, and the possibility for a scholarship is still open. I completed my FAFSA and promissory notes today.
It's seeming more and more like I'm getting out of teaching at the right time. My school district is making more budget cuts, meaning teacher pay cuts, and the state of South Carolina is voting to cut education funding further, including five teacher furlough days for the 2010-2011 school year. Teachers, so far, are encouraging one another to write to their congressmen, but my gut feeling is that this will be ineffective. Non-union employees tend to think small in terms of sending a message to lawmakers.
Anyway, I'm looking forward more and more to starting law school in the fall. It seems like the right time, and I've finally got a place to go.
It's seeming more and more like I'm getting out of teaching at the right time. My school district is making more budget cuts, meaning teacher pay cuts, and the state of South Carolina is voting to cut education funding further, including five teacher furlough days for the 2010-2011 school year. Teachers, so far, are encouraging one another to write to their congressmen, but my gut feeling is that this will be ineffective. Non-union employees tend to think small in terms of sending a message to lawmakers.
Anyway, I'm looking forward more and more to starting law school in the fall. It seems like the right time, and I've finally got a place to go.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Update
I've been waitlisted at Virginia, and I have yet to hear from Duke or South Carolina.
Lot of disappointments lately, even in the political spectrum. Copenhagen was a nice swath of neutral gray on the political landscape, and the failure of health care legislation with the election of a Republican into the Kennedy seat in a gay marriage state is a harbinger for the way of climate legislation, seemingly dead in the water. Ugh. The failure of the 2008-elected political leadership is beyond pathetic. Very disappointed.
On the bright side, I'm looking forward to law school giving me the background I need to throw my own hat into the ring and effect some changes in these areas myself.
I'm doing my best to make the most of 2010. Here's to it.
Lot of disappointments lately, even in the political spectrum. Copenhagen was a nice swath of neutral gray on the political landscape, and the failure of health care legislation with the election of a Republican into the Kennedy seat in a gay marriage state is a harbinger for the way of climate legislation, seemingly dead in the water. Ugh. The failure of the 2008-elected political leadership is beyond pathetic. Very disappointed.
On the bright side, I'm looking forward to law school giving me the background I need to throw my own hat into the ring and effect some changes in these areas myself.
I'm doing my best to make the most of 2010. Here's to it.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Brief update
With school, I've been a bit busy to keep up with the environmental law front. It seems like the Boxer-Kerry bill is going the way of the health care bill (sigh).
Incidentally, I have applied to Duke, and I plan on applying to South Carolina next week, whenthe drama club I help sponsor has a break and I have some legit free time.
Incidentally, I have applied to Duke, and I plan on applying to South Carolina next week, whenthe drama club I help sponsor has a break and I have some legit free time.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
The application process
I've created my law school resume, and I've made the framework of my personal statement. It's time to apply to law schools!
I've gotten a good amount of fee waiver offers, even from decent-to-good law schools like Illinois and Notre Dame.
I've already applied to Virginia, which was not a school I considered in my initial planning for law school application. But when a school as prestigious as Virginia Law offers a fee waiver, it's hard to say "no." Aside from the cheap application, Virginia is also pretty close to home and is a prestigious choice. I will seriously consider Virginia if I am accepted (I am a little concerned that maybe my personal statement was too verbose).
I plan on applying to Duke, as soon as I pony up the cash. I don't think Duke will offer me a fee waiver, and their website explicitly says not to ask for a merit-based waiver. Duke remains a dream at this point.
University of South Carolina still hasn't opened for applications, and, thus, they haven't offered me a fee waiver. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of going back to Columbia and working for a degree in environmental law from Vermont, the country's top environmental law school.
Teaching seniors and having a senior homeroom, many of the students I teach are also going through the application/scholarship process. I feel like my experience is helping them along with their college search, and they are also helping me adjust to the process.
I've gotten a good amount of fee waiver offers, even from decent-to-good law schools like Illinois and Notre Dame.
I've already applied to Virginia, which was not a school I considered in my initial planning for law school application. But when a school as prestigious as Virginia Law offers a fee waiver, it's hard to say "no." Aside from the cheap application, Virginia is also pretty close to home and is a prestigious choice. I will seriously consider Virginia if I am accepted (I am a little concerned that maybe my personal statement was too verbose).
I plan on applying to Duke, as soon as I pony up the cash. I don't think Duke will offer me a fee waiver, and their website explicitly says not to ask for a merit-based waiver. Duke remains a dream at this point.
University of South Carolina still hasn't opened for applications, and, thus, they haven't offered me a fee waiver. I'm pretty excited about the prospect of going back to Columbia and working for a degree in environmental law from Vermont, the country's top environmental law school.
Teaching seniors and having a senior homeroom, many of the students I teach are also going through the application/scholarship process. I feel like my experience is helping them along with their college search, and they are also helping me adjust to the process.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
LSAT score is in!
I scored a 171 on my LSAT, which is higher than I'd scored on any practice tests. My score was in the 98th percentile. I'm very excited about the score. Hopefully, it's good enough to get a fee waiver at the University of South Carolina.
To go in depth a bit, it looks like my performance definitely slipped as the test went on. I did my best to stay focused, but I guess I still suffered some mental fatigue.
Very happy with my score, though.
To go in depth a bit, it looks like my performance definitely slipped as the test went on. I did my best to stay focused, but I guess I still suffered some mental fatigue.
Very happy with my score, though.
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