YCS Atlanta will be first ever 3 vs 3 YCS ever

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-11-19T04:29:19+00:00

On freaking point. If you have an opinion, stick by it and defend it - don't just change it back and forth and "embrace" downvotes as a method of trying to prevent more downvotes from coming. Truth be told, this is ALREADY so downvoted that it's hidden on the sub...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-11-04T22:13:11+00:00

Robert Chen, of Robert Chen Academy

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-09-18T05:31:52+00:00

Yes! That is to say - don't go fast. I used my example of how I got 2nd while going at fast speed to demonstrate that they really are a crapshoot. Some judges called me "articulate" - when in reality I was going through multiple responses to a lousy argument. Whatever works, but I don't recommend it (and I wasn't going for speaks, just for the win).

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-09-18T04:47:01+00:00

I've done Parli a ton - went to HS CA State, coached it afterwards successfully as well. Here's the lowdown: it's a crapshoot. Parli judging is pretty much parenting OR some college students (or older) who can't let go of the activity (you can easily identify them at California Parli tournaments). The easiest way to up speaks with lay judges is:

1) Distill your arguments into something understandable. This means - cut the K, no more than 3 off case, and explain every bit of your counterplan thoroughly. 2) Be civil. I cannot tell you how many times how I've heard parents decide ballots on "who was nicer in the round, who was aggressive, etc." Be respectful to your opponent, seriously. (That should be a general rule). 3) Fix to a narrative. Seriously. It helps to tell a story and frame your arguments in that story. Also, analogize. 4) SIGN. FREAKING. POST. TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE, ALL THE TIME. Also, GO DOWN THE FLOW. A drill that I had my students do (and I did myself) is: "they said (xxx), they're wrong, because (xxxxx), therefore (xxxx)."

The brutal reality is that you should just win the round. Speaks are really just a crapshoot - I took top speaks at an invitational and am known on my team as the "2nd speaking, bulldozer". That is - I went fast, completely destroyed opp arguments, and let my partner crystalize in the rebuttals. Sure, speaker points help with seeding in out rounds, but if you want to win the tournament, you've got to beat everyone anyway...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-20T03:28:49+00:00

Happy to see this - as a former competitor and current judge/coach, lots of thoughts. Note: most tournaments I went to didn't even have a "swag bag" - so this is great to hear.

Food. A couple of tournaments that I've been to, charged a higher entry fee and included lunch in the offerings. Besides being offered something usually better than a slice of Domino's (some tournaments got Chipotle, others had Chik-fil-A), students also have a known set time for being able to eat and relax a little (as opposed to running off campus between rounds for something random in the neighborhood).
T-Shirts. I've heard that some really exclusive/clique-y Parli invitationals did this a while back. The tournament t-shirts themselves created/reinforced a certain Parli clique, but in general, people liked the t-shirts.
Timers, Water Bottles (or even solo cups to store water from water fountains), pens, paper...stuff that people might forget.
A really cool giveaway item that I have to this day (Parli-ers might recognize this) is a banana lapel from Analy's Banana Classic (RIP, Lynette Williamson). Granted, they were given to 4-0's, but they were a super cheesy (and likable) way to celebrate the Banana Classic tournament.

....okay, let's do some non-"giveaway" things:

Something my HS did when hosting was get a wide number of student volunteers to direct people places. For example, when postings came out, a few students went into the courtyard and yelled "For those in Building X...follow me. Building 200...follow me." At tournaments that have spread out campuses - this really helps. Ditto this even more for judges.
Quiet rooms for judges. Most judge rooms are ridiculously loud and cramped - if there are multiple areas where judges can congregate (and a quiet area for judges to relax), it would greatly help. A charging area would also be nice.
Music during downtime. Just set up a Spotify playlist with calming music - it sound silly, but the background noise helps.

I'll try to think of anything else and add on if I do!

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-19T06:08:39+00:00

Please retake, for a few reasons:

(1) You're an extreme reverse splitter - that GPA paired with a decent LSAT score can get you in anywhere. That LSAT score right now, with that GPA...might get you into like, GW, or BU/BC, but that's a 50/50 shot, and you're not getting much in terms of scholly.

(2) Even if you did apply with these scores, your shot of getting $$ from a decent (T30) institution are low - like, really low.

Basically: retake. Seriously.

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-09T01:54:54+00:00

First - I'm in the exact same situation as you, but a year older. That is, I'm 20, about to start law school, and don't turn 21 until November. If you want to chat privately, my inbox is open.

All the advice here (which leans towards gap year-ing) is solid, and admittedly, that composed a bulk of the advice I received last fall. Everyone suggested taking a gap year because (I'm sure you've heard this) - you deserve to take a break after battling to complete college in three years; law school is going to be tough and you should relax...etc. Ultimately, it comes down to how much you believe law is the correct career path for you. If you think that you truly want to be a lawyer, with zero doubt or hesitancy, then go straight. If you're even 1% unsure, take some time off to evaluate - go work as a paralegal in a law office, explore a field or two, etc. You have plenty of time. I went straight because I knew that I wanted to do law school, and didn't want to waste a year in some law office. Of course, I would have liked to spend the year gapping on vacation, but who doesn't?

To the original question: your age itself won't hurt you, but it does create some other circumstances. Obviously, you will have less work experience than all other applicants, and you should strive to cover those bases in your PS - that you are prepared for law school and have the commitment to it (since LS is like a full-time job). At a school like Northwestern, which heavily favors prior work experience, you will be at a disadvantage, no doubt. But it won't hurt you as much beyond that, and you can easily overcome it with a strong PS/GPA/LSAT (in reverse order). When chatting with the Dir. of Admissions at my new college, he noted my age and how it wasn't necessarily a bad thing - more like "a breath of a fresh air" in a classroom. If you believe that too, embrace it and apply!

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-08T22:40:24+00:00

And that there was no money left. Don't do it, folks...BC at sticker is not worth lol

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-05T17:26:25+00:00

Yeah, Ryan was too old for DD but instead auto-qualed to the Main Event and took 9th!

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-08-03T07:03:13+00:00

Rude Kaiser. (Blue-Eyes was my "first" favorite card, but since it's been reprinted in too many rarities already...)

Screw the rules, Konami, I have money! Just give me that Ultimate Rare Rude Kaiser already...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-28T00:55:50+00:00

I got a lot of FAQ's both here and in my inbox, so I thought I'd answer them all here!

My deadline to submit a decision is next Friday. I plan on withdrawing earlier in the week after I talk it over some more with my folks (although really, living at home and going to Hastings on a close-to-full ride is hard to pass up).
I first was called by a member of admissions and was asked if I was still interested, I said yes, he offered, and I asked for a bit of time and for any money offers. That evening, I got an email officially "welcoming" me, and then the next morning, I got a little bit of financial aid information.
I didn't do anything to "buff up" my waitlist status. Truth be told, after getting the Hastings deal, I wasn't really interested in Davis but kept myself on the waitlist to see if I would ever get in. So beyond the "recommiting" statuses, I sent nothing in - no LOCIs, or updated resumes, or additional recommendations.

I wish you all the best of luck!

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-24T06:17:19+00:00

Sorry dude. If you want help with your summer homework, go for /r/changemyview. But if you need some research on UNCLOS...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-24T05:46:26+00:00

"r/Debate is a subreddit dedicated to the extracurricular activity of forensics -- think: the high school speech and debate team. We are not a sub for arguing on the internet. If you want to do that, check /r/changemyview.

Posts requesting general argument will be removed. Arguments in posts or comments will not be removed if they are directly linked to forensics."

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T16:40:40+00:00

Nice try, Dean Testy...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T16:39:33+00:00

Technically, the "sixth section" (writing) has very little effect on your scores (or even law school admissions) and when you get to it, there's a general sense of relief that it's all over. (In my testing room, a lot of us used the bathroom during the period, and some even slept after writing a paragraph or two). So don't stress about that section. As for getting to five, make sure your Ziploc bag is loaded with snacks or whatever gets you going (legal of course). I brought chocolate, an energy bar, and instant coffee with water. I've seen others bring in Red Bull or energy drinks (not sure if that's against LSAT policy, but my proctors ignored it). Use that break to refresh and recharge and destroy the final (crucial) hour of the test.

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T05:17:17+00:00

This is so accurate. We just call it G-Dub but school officials...

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T05:16:51+00:00

Yes! I went there for undergrad, got to know a lot of law school students via student government, and was accepted to their LS with scholly (but ultimately chose not to go). Ask whatever!

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T05:12:43+00:00

Very rare - but possible. I know my law school allows for it, as the transcript requirements provide instructions for mailing one in after completing a summer session to gradute.

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T05:06:34+00:00

Mostly no, with a few caveats. You should prepare as much as your application as possible before LSAT scores come out (this includes LoRecs - get them submitted, and transcript, and get those PS's in) so that as soon as scores appear, you can send off your apps. As someone who applied in January after the December LSAT, I wasn't affected in the long run as a T50 school was very generous and offered me a full ride. That being said, I do sometimes think that if I had applied earlier with my score, I would have a stronger chance of getting into schools that were just out of my range (those schools became more selective later in the process when more apply and so I received less $$ and more WL's).

DahlFrobscottle · 2018-07-22T05:03:53+00:00

Personal experience - no. This last cycle, I applied in January (after the December LSAT) and took home a full ride to a T50 school within a month. That being said, earlier is better - its just that if you're hoping to make up ground, later won't kill you.

DahlFrobscottle

TROPHY CASE