bnsaijim

It's not a bad little tree, has some shape to the trunk and some initial branch possibilities. I think I see an informal upright in there if you want to change the planting angle.

As it is of "questionable" origins you may want to consider taking some time to get to know the tree. You want to assess it's health.

What you might do is remove the tree from the pot, gently, to check the condition of the roots- you're not disturbing anything.

Note condition of the roots- look for new tips, off smells and what kind of soil. Watch the frequency at which you have to water, how the budding out goes...

I think in about June, if the tree appears to be healthy enough you can start to work on structure. If it's really healthy read up on defoliation - tridents are GREAT candidates for this technique...

One thing I'll do is sketch the tree- gets you much more intimate with it than a virtual. You can explore different possibilities this way. Gives you something to do during class... ;^) I'm in grad school also...

Jim Stone
TX