Welcome back to 203! I hope all of you had relaxing and productive summers. As Dean Rangappa mentioned last week, the Admissions Office has some new things in store for you this fall including our Twitter feed and e-visits/webinars. While the e-visits will mostly be targeted at specific undergraduate schools and admitted students, we'll have one or two general webinars. So if you're curious to see me, and perhaps Dean Rangappa, do our best Max Headroom impressions, follow us on Twitter and you'll be among the first to know when these are scheduled.
In a stunning feat of modernization, the rest of the Law School also joined the 21st century this summer, so you can now follow them on Twitter and become their biggest fan on Facebook. Finally, after being shamed in the 360-degree mirror by Stacy and Clinton, the YLS website will have a new look this fall. The $5,000 Visa card is exhausted, so it should be making its debut soon.
Back in the non-digital world, there are a bunch of new things happening too. The Law School recently welcomed its 198th class of students to New Haven with a multi-day orientation program designed to introduce them to Yale, New Haven, and the study of law. In addition to lectures on the American legal system, the history of legal education, and introductions to environmental, transnational, and public interest law, the Class of 2012 had opportunities to socialize at a cocktail reception at the Yale Center for British Art, an outdoor performance of Moliere's "The Imaginary Invalid," and the Law School community picnic.
The 214 students of the 1L class hail from 7 countries, 38 states, and 76 undergraduate institutions. 25% of the Class of 2012 joined us immediately after finishing their undergraduate studies, 38% have been out of college for one or two years, and the remaining 37% have three or more years of post-college experience. They hold 35 advanced degrees in such diverse subjects as economics, philosophy, Egyptology, and computer science. Before joining us at YLS, the Class of 2012 pursued a variety of jobs, activities, and careers, including:
· professional equestrian;
· Cantonese opera singer;
· U.N. peacekeeper;
· speechwriter for former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice;
· intern for U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Jordan;
· FBI lab scientist;
· Bollywood actress;
· weed inspector; and
· cemetery attendant.
Welcoming the Class of 2012 on their first day was the Law School's new Dean, Robert Post. In his first convocation, Dean Post, told the new class that, "for this one astonishing moment, you are poised at the very edge of what undoubtedly will become one of the great adventures of your life." He encouraged the assembled group to reflect on what brought them to this singular place from their many diverse paths and to learn and draw strength from this diversity.
In closing, Dean Post told the class:
We shall educate you so as to empower you to become more truly
yourselves. We shall educate you to liberate your energy and your passion.
We shall educate you to endow you with the capacities to make a lasting and
important difference, no matter what your chosen field of endeavor. And we
shall educate you in this way because we believe in you. We believe in every
one of you sitting now in this auditorium.
Distilled to its essence, we offer you each the educational gift of trust.
It is a rare and precious gift. Do not waste it. Take advantage of these next
three years. If you are anything like most of the alums that I meet, these will
be among the most wonderful three years of your life-the most exciting,
the most provocative, the most transformative, the most empowering. Use
them well, and good luck.
You can read the full text of Dean Post's welcome here.
Summer's over, school has started, and we've got the ball rolling for another admissions season!
This year, we've got a few new things up our sleeve. First, we're on Twitter, at www.twitter.com/ylsadmissions. Sign up to receive our tweets or toots or whatever you kids call it these days.
Second, this fall we'll be making e-visits to many schools in addition to our regular in-person visits. That means that if you are an alum or out of town (or stuck in a boring class), you can still tune in! If we won't be visiting your school either virtually or in person, you can meet one of our representatives at a law fair or forum in your area. Check out our recruiting schedule for more details (we're still in the process of scheduling many visits, so keep checking back).
Keep up on our blog for answers to your questions, events in and around the Law School, and more irreverent advice about how to navigate this nerve-wracking process. And as always, send your questions to 203blog@yale.edu. We look forward to hearing from you!
Asha