A Day for Giving Thanks…

You may have noticed the silence on my end – my last entry was back in late August.  This autumn has been a tough one, personally, for me as I needed to head home to Hawaii very unexpectedly.  The fall recruiting season was cut short and I relied on the great friendship and professionalism of my three traveling companions – Rick Geiger from Cornell, Bill Hoye from Duke and Ken Kleinrock from NYU – to help carry the Stanford word as they finished our fall  tour without me.  More importantly, though, they carried me through some despairing days and I cannot find sufficient words to convey my appreciation for that.  I’ve said it before and I will say it again – they are the very best.

Let’s shift gears here, turn the page, get back in the saddle, get back on track…and talk admissions stuff.  It’s November 24 and you’ve either got your application submitted, you’re studying for the upcoming December LSAT or you’re trying to finalize the various pieces of your application.  If you’re one of those early birds and your materials are in and your file is complete, give up the controls for a bit because it’s our turn to do our work.  If patience is not your natural inclination, you will need to learn this skill as it is a necessity on your part.  Hang in there.  No need to run and check your mailbox, no need to check your missed calls.  I’ve been reading files, but I’ve not yet made any offers.  If you’re taking the LSAT in a couple of weeks, focus on your last-minute studying, but don’t overdo it and don’t let yourself be overwhelmed with stress.  Stop rolling your eyes.  I realize it’s easy for me to say that – I’m not taking the LSAT and I’m not trying to get in to law school and I already have my dream job.  But do try to remember to put the test in perspective – it’s one piece of the puzzle and a puzzle has many pieces.  If you’re still working on your application, chances are it’s the personal statement that has your attention.  Take a deep breath and ask yourself “What do I want SLS to know about me?”  A jumble of ideas will likely be the result of this self-analysis.  Sort through the ideas – a thread will surface – and try running with that thread to see where it will take you.

Today is Thanksgiving and people celebrate the day in different ways.  The key word here?  Celebrate.  You can rejoice, you can have fun, you can make merry, you can commemorate, you can observe, you can honor, you can remember.  You can also be idle for a moment and revel in the quietness and silence.  Take a break from this admissions stuff.  It really doesn’t matter if you take the day off from studying for the LSAT.  It really doesn’t matter if you postpone finding that personal statement thread for a day.  Really.  Instead, reflect on what matters most to you.  Surely, you will discover that honor doesn’t quite belong to the LSAT or the personal statement.  There’s time enough for the admissions stuff tomorrow.