Acapella group on the main quad at the Low Library
Law School Lobby
Above the Front Door of the Law School

Low Library

This last weekend was the last weekend in what has been a long, exciting and nervous process. I have decided to attend Columbia.

I have always enjoyed the idea of law. At times this manifested in nothing more than a love for John Grisham and My Cousin Vinny. I participated in debate and mock trial in high school, winning a few tournaments and honors. However, between my last high school debate and February 14, 2010, I thought little about law school. That's almost ten years. On February 14, 2010, I took a practice LSAT on a whim. I did very well and was offered a position as an instructor. In October of 2010, after completing my instructor training and teaching a few sessions, I took the real deal. I got my lowest score to date. I was crushed. Dreams of big schools in big cities began to give way to thoughts of attending a strong regional law school. Although the privilege of attending such a school was not lost on me, I was noticeably deflated. It took only 3 or 4 days for me to decide to retake the test. I studied with more purpose this time. I also was teaching and with each session I felt more confident in the material. I took my second LSAT in December, graduated a few weeks later and went to the northeast to visit family and celebrate my graduation with my girlfriend. I anxiously awaited my new score, believing that I may have earned a slight improvement.

January 6th, 2011, 6pm. I was driving in my sister's car on a cold night in Providence when my phone's email alert rang. I opened the email to find a 173, a score in the 99th percentile. I almost drove off the road. This was more than a slight improvement. This was a drive-off-the-road improvement.

Over the next few days, I furiously completed applications to Columbia, NYU, Berkeley and a few other law schools that I had previously considered beyond my reach.

Soon the decisions began to roll in. In at a top-15 law school with one-hundred thousand dollars in scholarships. Waitlisted at the University of Pennsylvania. Rejected at Harvard. It seemed that I would have a roller-coaster of a cycle. Then, a troubling group of decisions came within a few days of each other. Four more waitlists at the top programs. I started to come down from the high of my LSAT score.

February 14th, 2011. One year from the day of the first test. I went to my mailbox and found a large envelope. I had received many of these from many schools, rarely containing good news or any news at all. Usually just brochures. This one was from Columbia. It was the admitted students' handbook. But I hadn't been admitted. I ran inside the house to show my girlfriend and then quickly called the school. They confirmed that I had received the handbook due to an acceptance that I would soon receive as well. Since that day, my conception of the opportunities ahead of me has expanded exponentially. I never expected to find myself in this position. But here I am.

My visit this past weekend was an exercise in keeping my lower jaw attached to my face. Everything was impressive. The faculty are impressive, the facilities (though occasionally unattractive) are impressive. My future classmates are impressive. And of course, if it is your cup of tea, and it is mine, New York is impressive. The job prospects are impressive. This might be the most important as my student loans are impressive.

I have three months to work, earn money and mentally prepare to study with the sharpest bunch of faculty and students I have ever met. I believe that I am capable, but I certainly have never worked as hard as I will come August. Be careful what you ask for...

Welcome! My name is Dave. I will be starting law school in August. Where? That is the first adventure. It is down to UCLA with a 2/3 scholarship, Duke with a 1/3 scholarship and Columbia at full price. I know what some of you are thinking, "Are you seriously thinking of paying 200k for the privilege of living in a shoebox on the Upper West Side?" Well, yes. "And are you seriously going to turn down a deeply discounted, top-20 ranked JD on the beach?" It it increasingly looking so. I loved UCLA when I visited, but something (many things) are drawing me to New York. The Columbia name. My family. The city itself.

There is another consideration. Many would say that it is not a 6-figure consideration but here it goes. My path to this point has been interesting to say the least. Four undergraduate institutions, a dozen odd jobs, international travel, some seriously low points including a year or two worth of assuming I would never get my bachelor's degree. To attend Columbia Law after all that would be the ultimate triumph.

I will visit this Friday. If I love it, I will put down a deposit. If I hate it, I will visit Duke and then make a decision. I think I will love it. My uncle lives 5 blocks south of Columbia so I know the area. After 7 years in Florida, I NEED some culture, diversity, seasons and pace. No offense to Florida, a great place to vacation. LA would afford me this, Durham, North Carolina would likely not and NY, well, it is the capital of the Western Hemisphere.

My intention is to keep this blog through law school (we will see). For each long gap between posts, picture me dozing off beneath a classic green reading lamp, books stacked, papers scattered, regret mounting, all amidst the smell of old wooden bookshelves, walls, floors and librarians.

The last blog I kept "40 Days in the Desert" (davegallo.blogspot.com)(shameless plug), was a wonderful exercise in writing and reflection. There were days in Egypt when I would have just sat on my roof and read books but I forced myself to go explore. Part of the impetus was the blog. I wanted to have something to write at the end of the day. Often, this yielded adventure. I guess that the driving force behind this blog will be different. Less adventure, more record of an endeavor that many seek to undertake. There are volumes of insight out there for those who wonder if the law is for them. Let this be another.

See you after my Columbia visit.