Student, Harvard Law School

While at Hillsdale, I was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, was on the debate team, in the honors program and was the director of the peer tutoring program. I majored in math, minored in chemistry and also took quite a few biology and psychology classes. During my second summer, I took a 10-week physics class at Notre Dame. The following summer, I studied abroad at Oxford and traveled around Europe. I never even thought of applying to law school until the summer before my senior year because I planned on going to chiropractic college. I decided to apply to both law school and chiropractic college, and in May of my senior year, I finally made my decision to come to Harvard.

I learned to listen to my gut. I saw many students at Hillsdale who were so happy because they were doing something they loved. Whether it was playing a sport, taking certain classes or being involved in an extracurricular activity, those students made sure their lives included doing what made them happy. I learned how important it is to choose classes that I am interested in and to be involved in activities I actually enjoy. That is the reason I ended up taking so many psychology classes, even though I was not a psych major or minor. It is also why I ran the peer tutoring program and why I chose law school. My gut just told me that it was the right thing for me.

Go to a small, liberal arts school. The reason choosing a small school is so important is that you can actually interact with your professors. I had no idea how accessible the Hillsdale professors were until I took the summer class at Notre Dame. After that summer, I truly appreciated the high-quality education I was getting at Hillsdale. The small class size and one-on-one interaction with the professors, along with the fact that all of the professors have their office doors wide open, meant that I could form relationships with professors who cared about my success and happiness. The reason a liberal arts school is important is that you can change your mind about what you want to do with your life. I am sure some of you think you know what you want to “be when you grow up,” and many of you have no idea. Don’t worry, I promise you that you will change your mind! At a liberal arts school, you are required to take a wide range of classes, so you have the background that will allow you to switch career paths.

I chose Hillsdale because I wanted a small, liberal arts college in or around Michigan. I visited several schools, and Hillsdale was by far the most impressive. I could tell from their admissions program that they treated their students as individuals and that every student was important. I also knew of Hillsdale’s outstanding academic reputation, and I knew that a Hillsdale degree would serve me well in my future.

Hillsdale prepared me for life in more ways than I can list here. The wide variety of classes I was required to take gave me exposure to many subjects and the ability to speak intelligently on countless topics. My time on the debate team helped me learn to think on my feet and present arguments in a logical, organized fashion. My involvement in extracurricular activities such as my sorority gave me a better understanding of human nature and taught me how to get along with many different types of people. My entire experience at Hillsdale made me more responsible, focused, mature, compassionate and driven.

The highlight of my Hillsdale experience was winning second place in the oratory competition. The reason it is the highlight is not the fact that I won, but rather that it made me see how many people supported me. Professor Baron allowed me to practice my speech in front of her biochemistry class (because the topic was stem-cell research). I had countless good luck cards given to me before the final round. Many of my friends and several of my professors came to the final round of the contest to show thier support and cheer me on. I was so touched that I had that many people behind me who believed in me and wanted to see me succeed.

CShaw@law.harvard.edu