Prospective law students can gather information on new admissions blog

With enrollment capped at about 200 students, admission to the University’s Law School is notoriously and historically exclusive. For the many prospective students worldwide who would love to be exposed to Chicago’s admissions process and get a better idea of how it works, the school’s new admissions blog might be their answer.

Chicago remains one of the only top-tier law schools in the country—Harvard University’s law school is another—with a Web log, or blog, dedicated solely to admissions issues. Created just in time for the September to February admissions season, Ann Perry, Assistant Dean of Admissions in the Law School, said the blog, called “A Day in the Life,” (http://uchicagolaw.typepad.com/adayinthelife/) is a tech-savvy marketing and recruiting tool that will familiarize prospective students with Chicago’s admissions process.

“The blog is aimed at prospective students; it’s just another way to connect with them,” Perry said. “We are not increasing enrollment size but we want to increase awareness about the University Law School, and we believe this is a great way to do that.”

Earlier this year the Law School created a faculty blog that has gained popularity nationwide, and Perry said the admissions blog was a natural outgrowth of that.

Perry and others on her staff, as well as law students, will be regular contributors to the admissions blog and the plan is to make it more interactive in months to come with instant messaging capabilities, she said. So far, entries have tackled issues ranging from transfer-student orientation to the all-important on-campus interview process for second-year students.

Sara Feinstein, 23, who is entering her second year, said she was happy to write about her experiences as a first-year law student and hopes to enlighten prospective students about what it is really like to be a law student at Chicago.

“I loved my first year of law school, and it’s interesting that Chicago doesn’t have a reputation for being a warm or nurturing place, so I wanted to share that my experience was exactly that,” Feinstein said. “I’ve never been so intellectually challenged, and it was important for me to be able to share that my experience here has been so positive.”

Feinstein added, “The blog is a great idea because when you’re applying to law school, you’re looking to get as much information as you can get. It is a great way to reach out to prospective students.”

Michael Machen, Director of Financial Aid for the Law School, said the blog is a reflection of the popularity of that medium, and that the school might also create pages on the popular Facebook and MySpace Web sites to reach even more prospective students.

“We’re taking the middle man out of marketing and recruiting and giving people a more realistic look at the Law School,” Machen said.

In order to attract as wide a range of applicants as possible, the blog also will sponsor a contest in which readers can cast their votes to receive a recruitment visit in their city or town or on their campus. Readers can cast their votes until Saturday, Sept. 30.

“We thought it would be fun to let people vote for a location,” Perry said. “We might be missing a location where there are some great prospects.”