full image - Repost: [R&R] End of Cycle Recap (from Reddit.com, [R&R] End of Cycle Recap)
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[WARNING: This post is very long.]Hi Reddit. I am a frequent commenter on another account but I didn't want to post my cycle recap there because my username can be linked to my LSD account, etc. If you know who I am on there, please don't say anything since I'd prefer to keep my identity hidden, thanks. I only wanted to post this recap for the people who are considering R&R for the reasons I did, so they know what they're up against.Last cycle, I applied with a 165 and a 3.7high from a T20 undergrad. I had a lot of great offers with scholarships below the T40, but ended up choosing UC Irvine. Let it be known, UCI gave me literally $.5. It was not enough aid to justify the lack of an alumni network that would be able to place me out of California and into the NYC market in my preferred field of law. I ultimately decided to R&R because I felt like I could do better on the LSAT and find somewhere easy to place into NYC public interest.My dream school has always been Berkeley Law. Everyone who knows me knows I really have wanted to attend Berkeley Law. It's the best fit for the kind of law that I want to practice, I would have the greatest breadth of experiential opportunities, and I loved the location. I could go on and on why Berkeley is-- or was-- my dream, but that's not the point of the post.Last cycle, I was waitlisted from Berkeley on March 8, the last day the school released decisions. I was placed in the first quartile but unfortunately did not make it off the waitlist. I saw my friends from LSD make it off the waitlist and while I was happy for them, I was sad that it wasn't me. I realized when deciding to R&R that I had chosen UCI not necessarily because I was in love with the program, but because I felt like it would be the best path to transfer to Berkeley. I knew I needed to get a grip, and that I wouldn't even get aid if I transferred there, so part of me deciding to reapply was reaffirming my commitment to myself that I would end up at Berkeley in the fall. Which-- before you downvote-- I knew was really silly of me. I've further come to terms with that.I believed I could put up a better application in general, even to other schools that rejected me, so I took the LSAT in August. I was aiming for 172+, I was PTing 172+, but, due to reasons ranging from rough testing circumstances and generally not being at my best, I ended up with a 169. It's not a bad score, but not enough that I could easily get into any school where I really wanted to attend, especially with my GPA. After all, schools don't really care where you went, or the rigor of your academics--- their bottom line is their medians.I really thought that, with a 169, I was at least in the 25th percentile at most schools, and with my compelling backstory to law, I could get my outcomes up, especially at Berkeley. I knew it would be a rough cycle at that point, but I didn't want to take the LSAT again; I instead applied early and put a lot of care into my essays and other materials.This year, well, I was waitlisted from Berkeley again. Less than a year after I was disappointed the first time. I was also waitlisted from a bunch of other schools. I don't know where I'll end up with all the waitlists I'm on, but I put my best foot forward with LOCI (to the schools that wanted them) and resume updates.However, I wouldn't say my R&R cycle was for naught, or that I should have stuck with UCI. Overall, I'd say my cycle put me in a much better position for my future. I was accepted to Fordham and GW, which are arguably well-respected schools for the Northeast region, especially Fordham for NYC. I also got significantly more money from both schools than I did from UCI, so I won't be as in debt as I would have been if I didn't R&R.My final lesson I bestow upon you all, especially to those considering R&R, is that you can want for everything, but you are guaranteed nothing. If you R&R, you can dream big, work hard, put your best foot forward on all your applications, but you are not guaranteed a better result. In fact, no one is guaranteed a fair shot at a T14. I have friends with 3.9+ and 170+ that didn't make their dream schools, or the T14 at all. It could have been anything from missing the mark on an essay to just AdComms having a bad day when reviewing their applications. The most you can do is have hope that you will end up somewhere in which you can succeed in your future endeavors.Do I still hope I can get off the waitlist at places? Of course. On the other hand, I am happy with the results of my R&R, and I definitely have a difficult choice to make between the schools I'm seriously considering. I am grateful to have had the humbling experience--- not just once, but twice--- of applying to law school.Thanks to everyone who stuck with me on my journey, even when things got difficult. You all will do amazing things.https://ift.tt/4pfNaWq
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