Meidy is an alumna of the University of Indonesia and an incoming graduate student at the Harvard Law School LL.M. program of study. She also received letters of acceptance from six other institutions in the United States, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, NYU, and Columbia University. Getting accepted into seven top-ranking world universities is of course an amazing achievement, but what is the behind-the-scene process like? Meidy talked with Inef, Content Director of the North and Latin America region, about how joining the Indonesia Mengglobal Mentorship program helped her prepare the best application package possible. Meidy also offered advice for those who wish to follow in her footsteps.
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Meidy’s Background
Meidy is currently a legal analyst working at the Ministry of Finance Republic of Indonesia. Previously, she worked as a lawyer. Her work as a legal analyst is related to the oil and gas industry, where she analyzes the oil and gas contracts and monitors revenue from oil and gas companies.
“So, why are you interested in law?” I asked her. “When did your interest begin?”
“I was already interested in law ever since I was in high school, “ Meidy told me. “I was a very talkative student and when I was in tenth grade a teacher appointed me to join a competition about intellectual property rights held by the Ministry of Law and Human Rights Republic of Indonesia. The competition was a team-based quiz-format event. I learned a lot from it, but what I realized is that law is so much more than just passively memorizing regulations. I realized that I wanted to apply those regulations through real-life practices.”
I asked her more about her job with the Ministry of Finance and Meidy said she enjoys analyzing disagreements and disputes between international parties. She further stated her opinion that “finance and law do not have to be separate–they are connected!”
Meidy’s Process of Thinking About Continuing Her Education
In 2021, Meidy started thinking about continuing her education. Although her expertise is in the field of financial law, she also wants to know more about other aspects of law, such as energy and natural resources law.
“I want to know all about how I can help our country manage its oil and gas companies better so that we know our financial impact more thoroughly. I want to study complex topics more in-depth, help manage the legal framework, and watch Indonesia grow,” Meidy shared enthusiastically.
After hearing about her passion and dreams, I asked Meidy what went into her consideration when she was curating a list of criteria her ideal universities must have.
“First of all, I took locations into account. Most of my clients at the Ministry of Finance came from the United States, and the United States is one of the oil and gas giants, so studying there feels right to me. Secondly, I look at the program. Harvard University has this Law & Government program which aligns with my profile perfectly. Lastly, I checked the reputation of the lecturers and faculty members in the LL.M departments to make sure they have good academic track records. For example, Harvard has a professor who used to work for the Obama administration as an energy advisor and currently works as a Director in an oil and gas company. Professor Jody Freeman has a holistic view of the public and private sectors,” Meidy said during the interview, “I respect Professor Freeman because she is awesome and I want her as my advisor.”
Meidy’s Experience with IM Mentorship Program and Her Impressions
Meidy heard about the IM Mentorship program through an English language learning community. She said she was impressed that the program is free of charge and is provided by a non-profit organization.
“I love the program,” Meidy told me, “It is cool that IM requires no payment but still maintains a high standard and the strictest quality assurance. The program is very selective and hard to get into, but once you get in you get the complete package. It’s a legit program and if you do get in it means you’ve earned your place. The aptitude test, for example, was very difficult and the interview process to filter out applicants was done very professionally and seriously.”
Meidy also appreciated that the IM Mentorship program matches mentees with mentors whose profiles are similar to theirs. She liked that the mentees were given the chance to choose their mentors based on compatibility and said that choosing a mentor is a lot like choosing the path of our future because we have to do it very carefully.
“I got matched with Ghema Ramadan. He is now an attorney who pursued LL.M. at Cornell. The mentee-mentorship relationship gives me the support to achieve more,” Meidy reported, “Ghema helped me to understand myself better even before the school selection process began. With the questionnaire from IM, he identified my strengths and weaknesses, and together we explored my potential. My mentor is great at helping with essays too.”
Meidy added that she believed her mentor helped her see that everyone can be incredible in their ways and that everyone has something to offer their dream universities.
“Everyone brings their talents to the table,” Meidy reflected, “and my mentor has taught me to never undervalue myself. He taught me how to be courageous but most importantly he showed me why I should try my hardest. I know now I don’t want to fail without at least trying first.”
Meidy said she would wholeheartedly recommend the IM Mentorship program to everyone, especially scholarship hunters, who need extra support in preparing their university application materials. She mentioned that the tight schedule of the program truly helped her remain disciplined in reaching her goals and stay focused on the right track, especially for those who do the scholarship and school hunting while working.
Meidy’s Advice for the Readers
“You can’t achieve your dreams and ambitions if you discourage yourself from chasing after them,” Meidy warned, “You need to put aside your fear before you can become the best version of yourself. Once you overcome your fear, make sure to surround yourself with supportive people. Find the right circle of friends and like-minded people to cheer you on.”
Meidy added that one of the most important keys to success is knowing how to manage our time well and what to prioritize.
“It’s all about making a scale of priority,” she said, “we need to stop postponing what’s important or procrastinating on what has to be done. If something is important, don’t delay it. Don’t wait. The truth is, everyone is busy but being busy is sometimes just an excuse or a sign that the person has bad time management. If you have a goal, you must diligently work toward making it a reality. Please make time for what matters most.”
