The Ivey Files blog contains advice and tips to help students navigate the college and graduate admissions process and plan successful careers.
I am writing an addendum for a disciplinary probation proceeding. The infraction was described by the judicial proceeding as: “used outside sources on an assignment without proper attribution.” The assignment was to “imagine myself as a curator for an art exhibit,” and to record myself giving a tour in which I should discuss certain paintings – their form, style, origins, etc.
The intent was not to deceive, but rather I was careless in completing an unfamiliar assignment.
For some prospective law school students, the most stressful part of the application process isn't the Personal Statement or the LSAT. It's answering a question like this: Are you currently under indictment, or have you ever been convicted, placed on probation, or given a deferred adjudication or diversion program for a criminal offense?
This week we're sharing tips and tricks specifically around the questions on the Common Application (or any other college application) that require really short answers. We're defining that as an answer not much longer than a text message or a tweet. You should be able to own these — they are tailor-made for your generation!
Every law school application I know of asks about some mix-and-match of criminal disclosures. This post is all about helping you figure out what the key words in the disclosure questions are, and how to figure out what a particular school is asking you to disclose. (They are law schools, after all, so the precise language they use does matter.)
Now that your senior year is underway, it's time to line up the third parties who are your key allies in the application process: your recommenders. Recommendations make a difference, and it is up to you to make sure that the recommendations you get will make a positive difference for you and influence the admissions officer in your favor.
At a recent LSAC forum, I met a guy who is a refugee and is currently in the middle of the law school admissions process, as am I. He is studying for the LSAT, but having much trouble due to English being his second language. I offered to assist him in preparation for the LSAT. I have been working with him on this, but he has recently asked me to review his personal statement, and I am unsure of the ethical constraints in such work.
Have you summoned up the courage to ask a professor or an employer for a recommendation, only to have that person say, "Sure, send me a draft and I'll sign it?"
That happens a lot, mostly with professional recommenders, but sometimes too with professors. It puts applicants in quite a pickle.
Because it's so common, applicants often turn around and ask if we can help them with those recommendation drafts.
From now until the end of December, it is all about cranking out the applications. This week you start running the college application marathon. Thanks to the work you’ve done over the last three weeks, you are ready to go. Congratulations! This week, you’ll get started on the Common App, while continuing to make progress on other application related tasks.
Applying to college requires you to make some big decisions. This week you need to make some of the biggest of the big decisions. You need to decide where you are applying to college, and where, if anywhere, you are going to apply early. Read on for your full list of to-dos for the week, along with tips and tricks for getting it all done.
