$$$

Over the last few days, I've been trying to recount the amount of money spent towards anything law school related since my decision to pursue a J.D. Honestly, it makes me a teeny tiny bit sick to my stomach. Being that I am solely responsible for not only supporting myself, but also my child, I have to be extremely discerning about where I choose to spend the dollars I earn. It is not to say that I regret any of it, because I don't, but it is to say that anyone who is thinking about making a decision to pursue a J.D. degree needs to take into account that doing so is far from cheap.

***

At this point I know of the expenses I've already incurred such as, a KAPLAN prep class, application fees, LSAC report fees, travel expenses (should you choose to visit various schools), my seat deposit, my security deposit for housing, deposits for utilities, postage costs for external scholarships, and moving expenses. I know there will be additional expenses once I get to College Town and am trying to plan accordingly.

***

Then there's that situation where you aren't allowed to work during your first year. Honestly, the concept on its face is a bit foriegn to me because I was one of those people who worked full-time, sometimes with overtime, and carried a full undergrad schedule. It was alot, but I made it work and was pleased with the results. Initially, I thought I would buck the trend and get a little job anyway....but after talking to several law students, it became clear that being hard-headed probably wouldn't serve me well in this situation. "So, you mean to tell me that I'll have to rely solely on LOANS TO LIVE?!?!?!?" The thought still makes me shudder...just because it's not the way I've been used to living.

***

So, now I'm working on adjusting my spending habits. I anticipate doing things like clipping coupons, cooking more often (YIKES!), staying FAR away from malls and other shopping centers, and creating a budget that I can hopefully stick to. At this point, I look at it as a challenge. I always LOVE a good challenge!

Law Preview

I first heard about Law Preview (www.lawpreview.com) while reading "Law School Confidential" (a book I would recommend to all 0L's and anyone who is considering attending law school). It's basically a mini law school boot-camp that provides an overview of the subjects taught in the first year of law school. It takes place over the course of six days and they have classes all summer at various law schools across the country. Now, like anything else that has to do with law school and law school prep, this course isn't cheap. However, some super sleuthing allowed me to come across a need-based scholarship that would cover most of the cost of the class. Aside from filing out the application and providing supporting documentation, the only requirement is that once you become an attorney, you "pay it forward" and provide legal assistance to three needy people, free of charge. How great is that?!?!

***

After reviewing the website, reading the testimonials, and even emailing one of the students that attended the course, I became convinced that it would be something that would definitely give me an edge. I feel as though I need all the help I can get and I want to have a certain level of confidence once the "games" begin. Not to mention, if you attend the course, you get discounts on your first semester books AND free study aids.

***

So a couple of months ago, I sent in my application for the scholarship and imagine my delight a couple of days ago, when I received an email saying that I was chosen for the scholarship! I'm sure it's going to be a hectic week, full of lots of work, but I'm really excited to attend and will definitely make the most of the information I receive.

***

I will definitely provide a play-by-play of the course. I think it will be interesting!

Place to Live?...CHECK!

So, it seems that each step thus far in the process of preparing for law school comes with its own set of issues. This week, I had to deal with the complications that came with securing a place to live. After making a visit a couple of weeks ago, I was settled on our future home. This time I even submitted my application BEFORE leaving town (didn’t want to make that mistake twice). I emailed the woman who showed me the property to make sure she had everything she needed to process my application and it looked as though things were moving along pretty smoothly. That is, until I received the lease agreement. The rental amount on the lease was 25 bucks more than what she initially told me. So after an email and two phone calls, she tells me that her owner assigned all of the units that rented for the price we discussed and the more expensive units were all she had available. I respond by telling her to remove my application because I wasn’t interested. I mean, I’m on a budget and the most irresponsible thing I could do is accept a price that was outside of my budget. Besides, I had other options.

About an hour later I get a phone call from the owner of the property. She was interested in what happened to make me withdraw my application. I told her the situation, I found information on the internet that quoted a specific price, emailed her property manager who confirmed the specific price, viewed the property with the manager who once again confirmed the specific price, but then I end up with a lease locking me in with a different price, which I didn’t plan on paying. The owner was really nice in explaining that basically her property manager screwed up. The price on the lease is apparently what the unit rents for presently, and the price I was quoted might have been a winter special. Regardless, I wasn’t going to pay more than what she verbally quoted me, on more than one occasion. The owner apologized for her manager’s mistake and agreed to change the paperwork to the verbal quote. Problem solved!

This is definitely a situation that has some characteristics of a hypothetical that could be used in a contracts class, LOL! Tokyo Kiss got me thinking about it after the whole “unsigned check in the mail” debacle. What if I really wanted the unit for the price quoted? Would I have a cause of action to get the unit at the price verbally quoted? What if I signed the lease without paying attention to the altered rent amount? Ok, I’m going to stop now, LOL!

All the Pieces are Coming Together!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter holiday!

I spent a portion of my holiday looking for a place to live during my time in law school. Since I have a child, I have to take so much more into consideration when looking for housing, such as neighborhood schools, whether the location is kid-friendly, and the overall size of our home. We are both particular about our space, lol! Luckily, College Town has extremely affordable housing, so finding a nice duplex, townhouse or condo in a nice neighborhood, with a decent school nearby wasn’t too hard to come by. My daughter endured an almost two hour car ride to and from College Town, as well as a directionally challenged mother who did her best to navigate in an unfamiliar town. By the end, I was decided on our future home, which had all of the things we needed to live comfortably for the next three years. So begins the application process for that and spending more money….YAY!

Approximately two weeks ago, I attended the Admitted Students Reception. My intention was to put my seat deposit down while I was there. It would have been the smart thing to do. It definitely would’ve saved $.42 cents on postage, but for some reason I decided against it. Even though when asked, I was telling everyone I spoke to I was 99.89% sure I would be attending, the .11% of doubt was enough for me to leave without securing my seat. I realize now that I was extremely nervous about everything. Putting the seat deposit down would make all of this FINAL! I would be a law student. That realization was absolutely overwhelming and for two days I was nervous wreck!

I didn’t understand why I was reacting in such a way because going to law school is something I’d been working so hard for and now it was all coming together. I had accomplished another goal. I’d been accepted, all I had to do was say, “Yes, Take my money. I want the seat!” So after two days of fretting and sorting through all of the nervousness, I wrote the check, put it in the envelope, and stuck it in the mailbox…but something still wasn’t right. Did I sign the check?

OMG! Are you kidding me! So, I examine the carbon sheet in my checkbook…and all signs pointed to an unsigned check. Apparently something subconscious was going on, but I was in no way amused. I call the school, let them know there’s a possibility that they’ll receive an unsigned check and I’ll be putting a signed one in the mail- ASAP!

That .11% of doubt cost me $.84, 2 envelopes and a little bit of embarrassment. One of the admissions folks tried to convince me she sends checks out unsigned “all the time.” I doubt it, but I’m glad she tried to make me feel better about the situation.

A Gift and a Curse....

My job! While the economy continues on a ridiculously scary downward spiral (the unemployment rate is 8.1% WTH?!?!), I have to be extremely grateful about the fact that I have a job. Not only do I have a job, I have one that pays well, doesn't require much effort on my part, and is secure at least until I go to law school. Though that is the case, I am literally counting the days until it's all over, mostly because I'm sooooooo bored! I have entirely too much free time, which allows my mind to wander and I end up thinking up these crazy scenarios regarding law school. Some of it is helpful because it allows me to make certain plans regarding my legal education, but on the other hand, my brain usually doesn't know when to stop, so I have to create a distraction....like WORK!

Meanwhile, the situation with the economy has got me wondering about its chances of rebounding by the time I graduate law school. I don't want to dwell on it too much, but I'd be a fool to completely ignore it. I have decided that after dealing with and overcoming so much in order to get to the part where I could say "I'm going to law school," I'm going to move forward with my dream. I'm sure competition will be intense and the work will be hard, but it is true that anything worth having is worth the hard work. I just need to be wise in my decisions and take any and every opportunity presented during my journey in law school.

Which brings me to my question to those who are in law school now. What are your thoughts about the state of the economy, job outlook, and how is it affecting choices you're making about your education?

We've got a winner!

I will be attending the University [school name redacted for privacy] this fall and I am extremely excited about it. I think this school with be a good fit for me academically and financially. I also think the transition for my daughter and myself will be pretty easy, and for me the easier the better! I've been informing friends and family of my final decision and they have been helpful with directing me to people to help with moving, babysitting and any other out of the way need that may come, so I'm feeling very blessed to already have some sort of network.

My daughter is very excited about everything as well. She has been there for almost every envelope opening and each time she would say, "Mama, everybody wants you. It's because you're a really smart girl." I figure if anything, this journey I'm taking both of us on will instill in her the importance of having an education. As a first generation college graduate, I wasn't exposed to college campuses, I didn't have any immediate family members who talked about going to or graduating from college, and I have had to navigate my way through undergrad and to law school through trial and error mostly. She's been with me since day one and she knows that college isn't an "option" it's AUTOMATIC!

Right now I am working on finishing a scholarship application which is due on March 2nd! Once that is finished and sent off, I will be sitting pretty for the next two or three months. Then comes the pre-work, if you will....finding a place to live, enrolling my daughter in a new school district in a new city, MOVING, argh! Wish me luck!

Admitted Students Day

Admitted Students Day presents the opportunity to visit the schools you've been accepted to in order to determine if you are ready to take the next step of forking over the cash necessary to reserve the seat offered. At this point I realized that somehow I miscounted the schools to which I have applied, (it was nine instead of 8...weird) but even with this oversight I'm still pretty set on which school I plan on attending. Although my "choice school" has not yet scheduled its Admitted Students Day, I know I will be one of the first to register.

Meanwhile, I'm starting to notice a trend with some of the schools and their Admitted Students Day. Schools are offering travel stipends and reimbursements to perspective students. So far it's ranges from $75-$250 for one or two days. It's nice to see these schools realize the cost associated with visiting a school, especially if you are attending out-of-state. I'm on the fence about whether I will take advantage of the offers, mostly because I don't want to waste my time or anyone else's if I'm not totally sold on the school. On the other hand, you can't really tell what a school is about by just looking at their viewbook. Furthermore, if time (as opposed to a lot of money) is all I have to give up in order to make the best decision about where to spend the next three years of my life, and most importantly, where to begin what will be the foundation of my career, it's worth serious consideration. At the very least, it will get me out of this cubicle for a couple of Friday's next month. Who could ask for anything more?

CLEO

I decided not to attend the summer institute. While I understand it would give me a six week head start on my first year, it would then leave me stressing over my finances. If given the choice, I would rather stress over law school, figuring it out as I go, than stress over my financial situation. At least the stress over law school can be alleviated with the help of professors, classmates, law school staff, or even a little exercise. Financial stress is a beast all its own and since I have no one I can call my own personal ATM, it just wasn't practical to give up the 2k for the seat and the additional income on the back end for something I can surely figure out on my own.

I sent a very gracious email thanking them for the opportunity, but declined due to financial reasons. I do still hope I can go to one of their weekend programs. Last year's was SO fun!

**Update** A couple of days ago I received a letter offering a seat in this Summer's AIE program, so I'm super excited about that!**

So far, so good!

The last couple of days have been very interesting and have produced many new developments. First, I received a phone call from one of my school choices advising me that I have been offered a seat for the Fall semester. EXCITING! Honestly, at this point the acceptance was merely an ego stroke, because I think I know where I will be attending law school (approx. 90% percent sure).

Second, I toured the campus of my 90% school and was BLOWN AWAY! The city is quaint and has everything you need. If you like to shop, the mall is nice. If you like nature, there are plenty of walking and bike trails. The cost of living is extremely affordable. The public school system is excellent. The campus was bright, clean, and modern. Add to this the fact that the students and faculty were all very welcoming. It just so happened that one of the Student Ambassadors I met with has a 5 year old daughter. Apparently they were running late and were unable to get the tike to daycare, so while I'm in the admissions office, in walks this cute little girl. All of the adults greet her by name and immediately offer her candy and a drink. It was really refreshing to see the exchange because it showed me that I didn't need to feel uncomfortable about bringing my little girl into the admissions office if I ever needed to. At this point, I don't have any reason NOT to attend this school, however I hold out the 10% because I believe that you can never be 100% sure about any decisions made in life.

Third, I received a letter in the mail from CLEO, advising of my acceptance into the CLEO Summer Institute. The program boast of a scholarship upon completion (ranging from 1K-5K), which is matched by my 90% school. Also, it is an excellent opportunity to get a head start on the teaching methods used in law school and while I am happy that I got accepted, I'm bothered by a few things. First, I have to pay a total of $2K by February 23 in order to hold my seat. I have the money, but it is money that is set to go towards my credit card debt, debt I'm trying to rid myself of before I move on to law school. Second, it is going to require me to be out of state for six weeks. This is a problem because it means I would have to quit my job 9 weeks earlier than I initially planned. Quitting my job earlier would take a huge chunk of money out of my pocket, further hindering my ability to rid myself of credit card debt. You may say, but you'll get a scholarship, Milla! True, but because I am not considered low income, the most I could hope for is 1K from CLEO and 1K from my school. At that point I've only recouped what I paid to reserve my seat. On the other hand, if you look at from the standpoint of gaining the knowledge and what it's worth- I've already located a program that teaches the same thing for 1/6 of the time, 1/2 of the cost, and is scheduled during the period AFTER I plan on resigning from my job.

So now I wonder how other future 1L's made the decision about which school to choose. How do you know when you've found "the one"?!

And, if anyone has an opinion about the my CLEO debacle, please feel free to share. I would appreciate another perspective.