I love this place… I was pretty sold on it to begin with, but my visit here has thoroughly reinforced my belief that it’s right for me… and I haven’t even been to the football game yet! :)

In response to my dad’s and (by phone) Andrew’s queries, Contracts really wasn’t that bad. The topic du jour — how contract law deals with software contracts whose terms are shrink-wrapped inside the package and thus can’t be read until after the product has been purchased — was actually quite interesting.

Torts, on the other hand (the other class I sat in on today), was relatively deadly. But overall I certainly enjoyed my day. The people here are very cool, the campus is beautiful, the atmosphere is incredibly friendly, and I can see myself being very happy and successful here. To be perfectly honest, my only regret is that I wish I could start now! :)

Notwithstanding the above title and all of this “cheer, cheer” enthusiasm, however, I will be wholeheartedly rooting tomorrow for USC (and for Heisman hopeful and former Becky Zak tutee Mike Williams), of course. :)

I’d say more about Notre Dame, but I’ve got to get to bed. And I’d say more about the Sox-Yankees game, but I don’t have the heart yet. Give me a few days… or months…

My first law class (of many?) at Notre Dame. I’m one of a couple dozen prospective students sitting in on a Contracts class.

In the space of about five minutes just now, I was admitted to UConn Law School and scheduled for my first job interview (or quasi-interview) of the summer. Not bad for two phone calls. :)

I am meeting with a guy at Carol O’Neil & Associates, a midtown law firm (or are they a staffing firm that serves a midtown law firm? I’m not sure; I think the latter, based on this), for this position, tomorrow at 2:00 PM. I’m not sure if it’s technically an interview or not; he also said there’s a “group interview” on Friday. But whatever, I’m treating it like an interview at any rate. I need to go to Sears this afternoon and buy a decent pair of slacks. :)

I applied for the job last night after seeing the ad on the New York Times website. See, the Times is still good for something — they have good Classifieds. :)

Going to Carol O’Neil will be the second major event of my day tomorrow; first, I am sitting in on a 10:00 AM constitutional-law class at Cardozo, touring the law school (again) at 11:00, and meeting with the career-services department at 12:30. Should be fun.

My mom, for her part, has an interview for a library position at Yale University tomorrow at 10:00 AM. This is her second interview there, so she’s hoping they may be about to offer her a job.

In order to get down to New York in time for these various appointments, I plan to take either the 11:30 PM or 12:45 AM Greyhound bus from Hartford tonight. I was planning to go earlier, but I have to be at home to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals on TV!

Anyway, that’s what’s happening tomorrow. As for UConn, they admitted me off their waiting list for Fall 2003 and then, at my request, deferred my admission to Fall 2004. That means my law school picture now looks like this:

Admitted for Fall 2004:
Notre Dame

Admitted for Fall 2003, deferred to Fall 2004:
UConn

Admitted for Fall 2003, but told I can definitely get a deferral to Fall 2004 if I want it:
Cardozo

Admitted for Fall 2003, applied for deferral to Fall 2004, no word yet:
Boston University

Admitted for Fall 2003, haven’t inquired about deferrals yet:
Fordham

Admitted for Fall 2003, did not make a deposit, lost my seat:
George Washington

Not bad.

A few hours ago, I was fully planning to hop on an evening Greyhound bus to New York, with the intention of getting to Belmont Park early Saturday morning and buying a general-admission pass ($2) to watch Funny Cide compete for the Triple Crown. I was literally two or three minutes away from walking out the door — my bags were packed and I was ready to go, as the song says — when I suddenly decided I didn’t want to go. I’ll be out of town the next two weekends (Becky’s birthday next weekend, my friend Josh’s wedding the weekend after that), and I have some good friends in Newington whom I haven’t yet touched base with since arriving home roughly a week and a half ago. I decided they’re a higher priority than a horse race, so I stayed here. I’ll watch the Belmont from the comfort of my living room. The view will be better anyway. :)

Regarding my present and future plans, which I promised to keep y’all updated on: I am now almost certain that I will not start law school until Fall 2004. I have come to really like the idea of working for a year; making some money appeals to me, of course, but more importantly, I’d like to beef up my résumé a bit, and virtually everybody who’s anybody says it’s better to take a year off before starting law school. So, that’s my plan. Notre Dame, as you know, already admitted me for Fall 2004, and Cardozo told me last week that I can definitely get a deferral if I apply for it. I am also going to apply for a deferral at Boston U. — and, if possible, at Fordham too (I just found out on Thursday that I was admitted there, from the waiting list). George Washington is off my list of options now, by the way, as I chose not to make a deposit there. (Their financial-aid policy is rather explicitly ungenerous.)

Delaying my entrance to law school by a year also means delaying my final decision about where to go for at least a while longer — and that means I can take more time to assess all my options and make a better-informed decision, which is a good thing. For starters, I am planning to sit in on a Cardozo class on Tuesday. I hope to eventually do the same at the other schools I’m considering. I also plan to apply for admission to a couple of schools whose deadlines I missed this year — Columbia and NYU, in particular — and maybe take a shot at a few I didn’t consider, like Northwestern and, hell, Yale. (Who knows?)

As for the present: I don’t have a job yet, but that’s partly because now that I’m thinking about a year-long position instead of just a summer job, my standards are a bit higher. Whereas I previously just wanted any 9-to-5 weekday office job, now I want something that looks good on a résumé, too. I’ve applied to some New York law firms that are seeking college grads, since that would be a great foot-in-the-door, and I will also probably apply to some journalism jobs as well. (I hear the New York Times has a couple of openings. Heh.) I hope to have something, or at least some interviews, by the end of next week. Of course, I hoped that last week too. But we shall see. :)

My hope is to work in the city, living (at least for now) in my family’s northern Manhattan apartment. (I might eventually get a place of my own, but as long as my parents are letting me stay in their place rent-free, it has a distinct financial edge. And it’s not like they’re there very often, so it’s almost like having my own place.) I’ve already moved some of my stuff (microwave, posters, lots of electronic equipment, some clothes) down to the apartment, and I’m almost ready to begin using it, instead of the Newington house, as my primary base of operations. Unfortunately, my always temperamental Dell laptop died again on Tuesday, and looks to be (probably) beyond repair this time, so the one thing I don’t have in New York is a functioning computer. This makes job-hunting rather more difficult, since it becomes impossible to e-mail out résumés or surf online job boards without going to Kinko’s and spending a fortune.

But I was planning to get a new computer anyway — partially funded with graduation gift money, partially with my own savings — so that plan now has merely taken on greater urgency. I’m trying to decide between an iBook and a PowerBook. (Yup, that’s right, I’m going over to the dark side. Nothing serves as a better advertisement for Macintosh than owning a Dell with Windows 98.) I am hoping to buy possibly as soon as late next week, or perhaps early the following week.

What else is happening in my life? Well, I’m missing Becky and Toby a lot, for one thing. (They’re in Buffalo now; Becky and her dad are flying to Arizona later today to spend a week house-hunting.) Becky and I, by the way, have redefined our relationship as a friendship instead of a romance — and, yes, that’s a fancy way of saying we broke up, but somehow “broke up” implies more of a sudden, abrupt, and bitter split than ours is, so I think the euphemism works better in this case. Anyway, all of that aside, I miss Becky a lot. I can’t wait to see her… and Toby!… when I go visit next weekend.

My neverending love and affection for Becky notwithstanding, I am now officially single, which is frankly a bit disconcerting. It strikes me that I know absolutely nothing about the dating scene, since Becky is the only girlfriend I’ve ever had, and we never really “dated” per se — we just sort of coalesced into a monogamous unit. :) Not that I’m averse to dating. I’m just not entirely confident that I know how to do it. And I’m not sure New York City is the easiest place to learn, though perhaps that impression comes from watching too many “Sex and the City” reruns with Becky. Anyway, I suppose I will learn the ropes at some point. But, uh, I don’t necessarily promise to keep y’all fully updated on that. Blogging has its limits. :)

Other news… well, you know about my new cell phone with its nifty camera. That’s been a pretty exciting development. Less exciting, but also important, is that I’m in the process of switching my banking from B of A to Fleet (which has branches in Newington and New York… as well as Boston, in case that becomes relevant).

And then of course there is my parents’ retirement from state service, the ramifications of which are still emerging. My mom has a job interview at Yale on Tuesday for a one-year position in the library there. My dad plans to do some serious fishing and relaxing, I think, before considering re-entering the employment market. (Note to self: Consider whether “serious fishing and relaxing” is a contradiction in terms.)

Well, there you have it… the update on my life. It’s not the most exciting, but hey, it’s what I got. I’ll try to keep you informed as the situation warrants.

There’s nothing like seeing this headline on the New York Times front page two days before commencement:

Graduates Lowering Their Sights
In Today’s Stagnant Job Market

I guess that’s why I’m going to law school. :)

Roughly two hours before my last undergraduate final exam begins, I finally heard from the tenth law school out of ten than I applied to. I’ve been wait-listed at American University.

Earlier in the day, I found out from my dad (who got the letter in Connecticut) that Fordham had wait-listed me, too. A week or so ago, I got the same news about UConn. That completes the roll call.

So, here are the results:

Admitted for Fall 2003:
George Washington
Boston University
Cardozo (Yeshiva)

Admitted for Fall 2004:
Notre Dame

Wait-listed for Fall 2003:
Notre Dame
Boston College
Fordham
UConn
American U.

Rejected:
U. of Michigan
Georgetown

Now, the fun part: I actually have to decide where I want to go. :)

Of course, I’ll be waiting to hear, or not, from those wait-list schools. But I’m thinking it’s probably Cardozo (which is offering me a full scholarship) or Notre Dame (which is offering me $15,000, plus a year to earn money in the mean time).

Boston U., which might yet give me some financial aid, is also a possibility — it better be, because I made a $200 deposit there to keep my options open. :) GW is probably out, because their financial aid policy is not too great.

Anyway, that’s where I stand. Gotta go study now.

The suspense is over: Georgetown Law rejected me. “More than 12,000 applications… difficult decision of turning down many well-qualified candidates…” blah blah blah. Reminds me of the note I got from an eighth-grade crush that began “You’re a great person…” :)

(more…)

Up until now, this website has been almost silent on the question of my post-graduation plans. I have chosen to remain largely mum on the topic because, earlier this year, I was simultaneously applying to both law schools and journalism internships, and since my URL is listed on my résumé, I didn’t want to tip my hand in either direction, lest a potential employer or admissions officer see something on my site that might negatively impact my chances.

Now, however, it appears almost certain that I will be attending law school, probably beginning this fall — unless the Kansas City Star comes calling (more on that later) — and so I see no reason to keep my public in the dark any longer. :)

I applied to ten law schools. They are, by U.S. News rank: #7 University of Michigan, #14 Georgetown, #22 (tied) Boston College, George Washington, and Notre Dame, #28 Boston University, #31 Fordham University, #40 UConn, #55 American University, and #57 Cardozo (Yeshiva University).

I applied rather late in the game, so I still haven’t heard back from some schools. Here are my results so far:

Accepted: Cardozo (with full tuition scholarship), George Washington, Boston U.

Put on waiting list: Notre Dame, Boston College

Accepted for Fall 2004: Notre Dame (with $15,000 fellowship)

Rejected: Michigan

Decision made, result unknown, letter in the mail: Georgetown

Haven’t heard anything yet: Fordham, UConn, American

At the moment, I would say Cardozo is the front-runner, if only because I can go there for free. However, I am seriously considering Boston U., too. I only heard from George Washington today, so I haven’t had time to fully digest that one yet. But, they are highest-ranked school I’ve been accepted to for this fall, so I suppose I shouldn’t dismiss them. (Their financial-aid philosophy is not exactly generous, however. They figure Stafford loans should cover the first $18,500 of a student’s financial need, and then we can start talking about grants.)

Complicating things severely, Boston U. wants a $200 deposit from me by — oh — today. This while I wait to hear from four schools (including my “dream” choice, Georgetown) and while I try in vain to decide between schools on the other side of the country that I won’t be able to visit until almost a month from now.

I will probably give BU their deposit, though if I get an acceptance letter from Georgetown tomorrow (it was mailed out Friday evening, but they don’t divulge admissions decisions over the phone or e-mail, so I’m waiting with bated breath), that might change. We shall see.

All of this begs the question: what about Becky? Well, her plans are already set: Becky begins her graduate studies at Arizona State University in the fall, seeking a Ph.D. in history. (I’m so proud of her!) Now, you may have noticed that my furthest-west law-school option is… Notre Dame. So, if I do go to law school in the fall, it will be nowhere near Becky.

Where does that leave us? I don’t exactly know. There remains the possibility that I could live with Becky in the Phoenix area next year, get a job, and apply to law schools in the Phoenix area for Fall 2003, with Notre Dame as my “backup” option. But, with at least one East Coast school offering me free tuition, that doesn’t seem the most likely option at the moment. Again, though, we shall see.

As for my summer plans, they remain equally up in the air. I interviewed for an internship at Legal Affairs magazine in New Haven, a law-journalism hybrid close to home that would be ideal. But I haven’t heard anything yet. There is also the possibility that I might be offered a “one-year position” at the Kansas City Star, but that is highly speculative at this point. We shall see.

If the Star offers me something, I would probably try to defer my admission at my law school of choice, or else attend Notre Dame in Fall 2004. Or, I might be converted back to full-time journalism by a wonderful experience at the Star, and give up on law school altogether. Who knows? Only time will tell.

I do know this, however. The next few weeks will be crucial in determining my future plans. And, unlike during the last few months, I will try to keep this website updated with the latest developments.

Becky and I are leaving in a couple of hours for Phoenix, Arizona, where we’ll be spending Spring Break with her parents — and watching the NCAA Tournament, and most likely the outbreak of war, on their big-screen TV. :)

Becky has a campus tour of Arizona State University scheduled for tomorrow, which is why we’re leaving so early. She has already been accepted to grad-school programs (to study the history of medicine) at Arizona State and Notre Dame. I, meanwhile, have applications pending at eight : Notre Dame, Michigan, Boston College, Boston University, Fordham, George Washington, Georgetown, and American U. This weekend, I plan to apply to two more — Yeshiva’s Cardozo school, and UConn — to make it an even ten.

Meanwhile, in far more important news, two dozen monkeys have escaped a Louisiana research center, and have taken refuge in a forest. They are being lured out with bananas and oranges.

You can’t make this stuff up.

The Empire State Building is barely visible from 20 blocks away on a snowy and foggy afternoon in New York on Jan. 6. I took this picture after touring Cardozo law school; I also visited Columbia and NYU.