Arrivaderci Academia
It occurred to me that there are no longer any current Boalties who were around when Dean Ortiz (she'll always be Dean O to me) was our Dean of Student Services. I don't know the current Dean of Student Services, but I just simply cannot imagine anyone filling the big shoes that Dean O left behind when she became the inaugural Dean of Admissions at UCI. I can write a very lengthy, gushing letter about all the greatness of Dean O (not to mention the institutional memory she brought to the law school), but this is not the place.
This post is simply to congratulate her on her new venture, a law school application consultancy. So three cheers to Dean O's new gig, and if there are any law school applicants out there, I can't think of any one better equipped to advise on the admissions process.
This post is simply to congratulate her on her new venture, a law school application consultancy. So three cheers to Dean O's new gig, and if there are any law school applicants out there, I can't think of any one better equipped to advise on the admissions process.
Labels: 0L/1L Advice, DO, Law School
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 2:26 PM
22 Comments:
The law school application process is the easiest thing ever, you know exactly where you are going to get into based on your numbers. What a worthless service... 3k to 5k is almost criminal. Worst of all, this is just another thing that will increase the number of wealthy and decrease the numbers of poor people. It's sad to see someone from our institution furthering the goal of making higher education only accessible to the richest.
So it's worthless and it's going to systematically change who gets in?
I, for one, am extremely disappointed in Dean O. 3:25 is correct. This kind of service either doesn't help at all (which should be the hope--that law school admission comes down to merit factors) or, to the extent that she actually CAN help her customers, she's providing it at a high price that will really only benefit wealthy people. Perhaps I am most disappointed because I always thought of Dean O as a friend to diversity. You shouldn't need to (or be able to) BUY the secret to law school admission--and the people who can afford her prices already had a distinct edge in the application process.
Her acts may be legal, but I find them an unethical attempt to essentially extort money from nervous applicants. Especially some of the services she's offering. Writing a letter requesting a deferral for $550?! How can she even imply, in good conscience, that a pre-law student needs professional advice to draft such a thing?
I know these kinds of consultants exist, but I will not congratulate Dean O on becoming one.
"Friend to diversity?" Ha. Dean O ia a friend to Dran O. She has always struck me as a self interested self promoter. Think about the story she tells everyone -- everyone -- about how she got through law school. She milked that for all she was worth.
I know Armen likes her, but I was glad to see her leave Boalt. Irvine can have her.
those are very steep prices. it's part of the endless creep of increasing prices, increasing services, increasing pre-admission and post-graduation costs of succeeding in the legal profession.
I probably won't care enough in 3-5 years to look this up again, but if I were to do so I'd be shocked to learn that this company is still around. I just can't believe there's a market for this kind of service, no matter how nice Dean O may have been.
Also, to answer Armen's question, the new dean of students...doesn't have many fans in the student body, to put it likely. That said, the director of student services is a total badass.
erg, lightly*. That's what I get for posting before 10 a.m.
The prices for this service are SHOCKING. It gives me a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that some nervous applicant will come across the website for this and think that he/she should maybe pay for this just-in-case-it-helps, when the vast majority of people can figure out how to apply to law school perfectly well enough on their own. It's pretty disappointing that Armen would endorse this.
$750 to figure out how to handle being on a waitlist??? I was on a waitlist, and you know what I did? I WAITED. For free. Did not send the school any materials or call or anything. And I was offered admission the first day they took names from the waitlist.
Hot Damn, those are some pricey applications! How about having a friend, family member or respected professional contact read over your apps and taking them out to lunch or a drink for thanks? Isn't that how 99% of applicants do it?
It is frightening to think that there is an actual market for these services. $500 an application where most of the materials are identical!? Paying for this service should disqualify you from attending a top law school simply for lack of common sense and wastefulness. Weird endorsement indeed Armen.
Does anyone have an idea of where 9/20 7& and the rest HH's (11/20) would place a rising 4L in terms of class rank? Also, should I mention my class rank in the CA-essay portion of the Bar Examination if I can do so tactfully?
Most of the time, I read stuff on here and realize "I just don't know what law school is about, I guess," and continue my life in merry ignorance, but 12:35 made me feel like I'm a fine arts student. I don't understand what those combinations of words mean at all.
9:48,
I don't know if I agree with you. Most students I know have a vaguely positive impression of the current dean of students, Dean H. We don't get to interact with her that much, but she seems pretty nice.
I have to stand up for our current dean of students. Every time I have had some administrative question to ask she has been both friendly and helpful. Also, she constantly gets dumped on all day with people coming to her crying about grades, tuition, employment as if it is somehow her fault.
For all the crap she hears, I would probably start yelling at some student and lose it and get fired. So I really like her, and I have no idea why someone would not.
Dean O had nothing to do with the Boalt admissions process, so I don't know from where her "expertise" comes.
Um, did everyone at Boalt just get a Linked In request from Dean O? I have never met her and found the request . . . odd.
oh man this service is embarassing. what a joke!
btw, while Dean H. didn't sit outside at a table in the hallway, I always found her quite accessible and as helpful as could be.
I'll chime in to say I also have no problem with Dean H. Any frustrations usually are b/c of Berkeley bureaucracy, not how she is handling the matter. I find her pretty receptive.
Is the book store open in the summer? Does anyone know?
Anyone interested in starting a google group for Boalt Alums who are unemployed.
I am currently in that boat, and thought a group where we can all share tips and vent might be helpful.
Let me know
Job group = Done.
I never really felt the Dean O love, but these comments are harsh. She's just filling a market niche. Her rates are in line with other services. -'08 grad
i'm criticizing the particular market that rewards that particular (overpriced) niche, not Dean O personally.
Post a Comment
<< Home