Law School Discussion

Boalt Hall apparently offers a merit based matching scholarship to students who received scholarships from any school on the following list:

Columbia University                         
Cornell University                             
Duke University
Georgetown University
Harvard University
New York University
Stanford University
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
University of Pennsylvania
University of Virginia
Yale University

That is every school in the top fourteen except for two - Boalt and Northwestern.  Why Boalt isn't on the list is self explanatory, but why is northwestern left off the list?  They are the only school that offered me an acceptance package upfront, I declined every other school before I was even offered financial aid packages bc i knew i wouldn't be going there no matter what the offer, and I wanted to free up spaces for people on the waitlist. Now i'm kicking myself for not having dragged it out a little longer.  Anyone know why northwestern is left off of this list?  Any ideas on what I should do?  Thanks for the help.

-Raul

if anyone could give me comments on this optional essay before i send it, i would greatly appreciate it.....i'm not sure if it strikes the right chord, or if its better to send nothing, let me know what you think.  it's only a page, even though it looks longer than that here.  thanks for your help

Growing up as an Assyrian has left me permanently scarred.  But it is not the type of

scar you are embarrassed of because it was the result of hitting your head on the corner

of a table in front of a large group of people (I have one of those also); it is more

like a scar you earn from crashing your motorcycle.  It is a unique scar, a scar I tell

stories about, a scar I am proud of.  I have been a teacher for the past twenty-two years

of my life, trying single handedly to inform humanity about the cause of my scar.  People

look at me and think I am Mexican, Greek, or just another terrorist without the turban. 

I try and explain to people that the Assyrians are the Christian minority in Iran, but my

Christianity never seems to make me more acceptable.  I am still an outsider.  The

Assyrians as a people have been outsiders for generations.  We have no country; we merely

migrate to foreign nations bringing with us little more than our traditions and our

language to form tight-knit communities.  When discussing who the Assyrians are with

friends I have my own little speech prepared highlighting the contributions we have made

to the advancement of written language and mathematics, but describing the way it feels

to be of a nationality with no nation is never easy. 

     Having such a large close family has taught me to accept my responsibility to teach

the world about the Assyrian culture, history, and heritage.  I am extremely proud of my

Assyrian ancestry, mainly because my grandmother has kept the Assyrian spirit alive

within me.  My grandmother immigrated to this country at the tender age of 55, bringing

with her much more than just the ability to cook dolmades.  She brought with her the

Assyrian customs and traditions once practiced in a village that lacked electricity.  My

grandmother has kept these traditions alive, teaching her grandchildren the art of making

almost any dish have an authentic Assyrian flavor by adding spices like turmeric and

saffron.  I have noticed that these Assyrian spices are reminiscent of the Assyrian

people themselves. These spices have a sharp, distinct, and powerful flavor that stands

out, no matter what they are mixed with.  Like these spices, I have seen firsthand that

the work ethic, devout family values, and extreme loyalty almost inherent in Assyrians

stand out in American culture.  I appreciate the differences between my cultures, but I

relish in bridging the gap.  I will bring with me to law school a unique perspective – a

minority with no homeland, but with extremely strong roots and convictions.  My culture

has provided me the traditional values and character necessary to make my grandmother

proud, but I look to the University of Michigan School of Law to provide me the tools

necessary to succeed in the legal field. 

When a school like Stanford says they want a paper "around" two pages, do the admissions people mind if its three or are they bothered by anything that wastes more of their time than necessary?  i've edited my three page paper to two and a half, but it'll take serious magic to get it down any further.  any advice would be greatly appreciated. 

anyone know the difference between boston university and boston college?  i don't have the money to apply to both, i like boston a lot and would love to go to a school in the area.  boston university is ranked higher i know, but not by much, and these things change a few points every year, so does anyone really know anything about the different schools faculty/clinical programs/real reputation nation wide?  thanks for the help you guys.   

Raul

Hey everybody, i'm waiting to see if i get any application fee waivers and i'm wondering which schools sent them out. if anyone who received one could post which schools sent one out i would really appreciate it.  so far i've received one from

university of michigan
indiana university - bloomington
lewis and clark

that's about it, thanks for your help, good luck everybody.