polisciapp

So you applied to law school...

Law school is completely different than grad school. No one in adcoms actually reads those personal statements. All they do is look at your LSAT and GPA.

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Thanks. Is the best way to find a place to go and look around the neighborhood?

Go.

Thanks for that info--it is helpful. I would like to live within walking distance (i.e., within 1 mile). Can I do that on $650 per month. When you said "2/3" miles do you mean two-to-three, or two-thirds?

So, what about Druid Hills? I'd like to live there, or somewhere close. I'm willing to have a roommate, but I don't want to spend more than $650

Anotherrealist, I am deciding between two similarly ranked schools (US News). School 1 is by far the best place to live in terms of location and cost. The academics are good, but the placement is not as good as Schools 2. School 2 places fairly well--or at least more consistently than school 1. But the location is less than desireable. The rankings we are talking about are 25-30 in US News, a difference I view as negligible. I think my concern stems from the varying placement of school 1 v. 2. Should placement be my guide at all times? School 1 offers the most in the way of living if I need a break from studying--and seems to be the best place to live--but the program's past placement concerns me.

Which are?

Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? Did you say 27k? That is insanely high, at least from what I have been told. Would you mind sharing the school? That is 10k more than my highest offer!

Not having a quant background really won't hurt you, or at least that what's I've been told my many profs--especially that the programs to which I have been accepted. Most profs won't go out and say it explicitly, but a JD from a top school definitely says something. Your publications may have an impact, depending on what you want to study. I think polisci is more quant focused, and programs DON'T want you write and research the same way you did in law school. I don't really know how grades will factor in, but if you go to HYS or even CCN, you probably don't have much to worry about, so long as you have above a 3.0. Like I said, though, that is a guess. Your letters will be fairly important--you want them to be as good as possible. Pick wisely. The most important element of your app is your SOP--BY FAR. Concentrate on this, rather than factors over which you have no control. A good SOP goes a long way.

The rec's will generally not be a problem. Your law school experience will show schools you can do an advanced degree; however, it's not something that is particularly important. The clerkship, also, is probably not that important. Law and courts is a field typically devoted to empirical and statistical studies, rather than law-school-oriented publications--such as law reviews. I had certain professors tell me that law school can sometimes raise questions about applicants because PoliSci profs have had bad experiences with some law students (re: "I already know how to do research"). That being said, your experience will place you above certain applicants, but will not siginificantly bolster your application the way attending HYS would. Enjoy your clerkship(s)--they will be very rewarding I'm sure.

*impatiently and with the pathetic urgency of someone who has been waiting four months* Anyone?

I disagree with this. I think Angelos is grossly overrated. I would head over to "Afternoon Delight" on E. Liberty. It has the best cinnamon french toast in town. There is another breakfast joint on main called "The Broken Egg," which I like a lot. Other than that, make a trip through the law quad and check out the law library. Both are very cool. In terms of living, it depends what you want to do. You can live almost anywhere--it's cheaper to live in a neighboring town, such as Yipsilanti, though. Most undergrads live close to campus. I'm not sure where all the grad students live, but lots of law students live in houses or apartments just a little farther from campus. I would recommend living as close to campus as you can reasonably afford since the winter walks outside are killer. Anywhere within a several block radius should do it. Driving in AA sucks because there is nowhere to park on campus--unless you finagle a pass, somehow.

I am one of those people (I received the email)--I was just wondering if you had any further (inside) information.