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Choosing the Right Law School / help me choosing the RIGHT school
« on: April 10, 2006, 07:35:43 PM »
It's gonna be between:
Georgetown: full tuition scholarship
UVa: 63,000
Penn: 61,000
Berkeley: Boo@ the lack of funding issue. 25,000
After visiting each schools, Berkeley was my favorite, regarding its student body and holistic culture. I really felt right there when I visited. I also LOVED UVa, but being the stark minority thing concerns me a little.
I do want to end up in California legal market, and that does put Berkeley up in the running. However, it seems that I can go to CA from any of those schools mentioned above if I try a little harder. I don't have any CA ties on my resume though.
What do you think? I would really appreciate any thoughts. Does it worth it go to Berkeley paying something like 40k more just because I felt really right there?
Am I stupid to give up the full ride at gtown? I did really like the school and the surrounding environment.
Gtown wants an answer by the 15th of April. Others want their deposit thing by the 28th of April. should I let go Gtown and have about two more weeks to think about others?
Mmmm in addition, here are pros and cons of each school, based on personal, and rational observations.
Berkeley:
PROS:
Strongest APALSA community out of all those schools. It seemed really cohesive. People(Asians) I've encountered said that they've developed really great mentoring relationships there. Got jobs through there, etc. Even though rationally, this shouldn't be the deciding factor about the school I guess.
People looked super happy. The pass/fail grading system seemed to really promote non-competetive environment.
Location is great. I love the bay area and I've always wanted to live there and work there.
CONS:
Cracking down facilities
Lack of funding
Hence nothing to expect from the career service office.. no attentive service like penn's
UVa
PROS:
Very similar culture to Berkeley's - Mandatory B+ curve hence very non competitive environment
Happy looking people
I strangely really liked c'ville
CHEAP! cost of living
Great Fin aid offer I got
CONS:
being the stark minority(8% asians versus 20% asians at berkeley)
I don't know if I want to practice in DC/NY
I NEED a car there(added 10k in cost)
UVa seemed underestimated in Korea
need to try harder to get to CA market
Gtown
PROS:
DC is awesome
Location is AWESOME - supreme court 4 blocks away
I am getting a full ride
I felt pretty fit there
great facilities
CONS:
Huge class size
Bottom of t14(trying my best not to be a prestige whore but it's hard)
Reputation of being the "factory"
need to try harder to get to CA market
I don't know if I want to go to DC/NY to practice
Not at all strong APALSA
Penn
PROS:
Highest in the ranking out of all those schools
opportunities of taking Wharton classes(i know it's not much of a sales pitch but I was a business major in college and it would be very cool)
Strategic location of being right between DC and NY (2 hours each)
VERY VERY attentive career service
I got a great fin aid offer
The school has a lot of $$ obviously
CONS:
I didn't really feel fit. Even though this might be due to the biased interactions with only a small portion of the admitted students.
need to try harder to get to CA market
I don't know if I want to go to NY/DC to practice
Georgetown: full tuition scholarship
UVa: 63,000
Penn: 61,000
Berkeley: Boo@ the lack of funding issue. 25,000
After visiting each schools, Berkeley was my favorite, regarding its student body and holistic culture. I really felt right there when I visited. I also LOVED UVa, but being the stark minority thing concerns me a little.
I do want to end up in California legal market, and that does put Berkeley up in the running. However, it seems that I can go to CA from any of those schools mentioned above if I try a little harder. I don't have any CA ties on my resume though.
What do you think? I would really appreciate any thoughts. Does it worth it go to Berkeley paying something like 40k more just because I felt really right there?
Am I stupid to give up the full ride at gtown? I did really like the school and the surrounding environment.
Gtown wants an answer by the 15th of April. Others want their deposit thing by the 28th of April. should I let go Gtown and have about two more weeks to think about others?
Mmmm in addition, here are pros and cons of each school, based on personal, and rational observations.
Berkeley:
PROS:
Strongest APALSA community out of all those schools. It seemed really cohesive. People(Asians) I've encountered said that they've developed really great mentoring relationships there. Got jobs through there, etc. Even though rationally, this shouldn't be the deciding factor about the school I guess.
People looked super happy. The pass/fail grading system seemed to really promote non-competetive environment.
Location is great. I love the bay area and I've always wanted to live there and work there.
CONS:
Cracking down facilities
Lack of funding
Hence nothing to expect from the career service office.. no attentive service like penn's
UVa
PROS:
Very similar culture to Berkeley's - Mandatory B+ curve hence very non competitive environment
Happy looking people
I strangely really liked c'ville
CHEAP! cost of living
Great Fin aid offer I got
CONS:
being the stark minority(8% asians versus 20% asians at berkeley)
I don't know if I want to practice in DC/NY
I NEED a car there(added 10k in cost)
UVa seemed underestimated in Korea
need to try harder to get to CA market
Gtown
PROS:
DC is awesome
Location is AWESOME - supreme court 4 blocks away
I am getting a full ride
I felt pretty fit there
great facilities
CONS:
Huge class size
Bottom of t14(trying my best not to be a prestige whore but it's hard)
Reputation of being the "factory"
need to try harder to get to CA market
I don't know if I want to go to DC/NY to practice
Not at all strong APALSA
Penn
PROS:
Highest in the ranking out of all those schools
opportunities of taking Wharton classes(i know it's not much of a sales pitch but I was a business major in college and it would be very cool)
Strategic location of being right between DC and NY (2 hours each)
VERY VERY attentive career service
I got a great fin aid offer
The school has a lot of $$ obviously
CONS:
I didn't really feel fit. Even though this might be due to the biased interactions with only a small portion of the admitted students.
need to try harder to get to CA market
I don't know if I want to go to NY/DC to practice