Law School Discussion

I'll be in Philly tomorrow (Sunday) night and Monday morning to visit UPenn. Will any students be around to grab a beer?

Alas, it's spring break, so I think most of us are out of town (or out of the country if you're Towelie .

Quote from: Ding me I dare ya! on March 03, 2008, 12:48:36 PM

so I'm seriously considering the Rittenhouse Dist in CC... (around 19th and Chestnut) any particular gut opinions?

also how often do you have to stay late on Campus? (late to the point where it is creepy taking the subway back)

do ppl use the Penn transit shuttles? convenience?

Grazie.

As a 1L, I was rarely on campus past 5 or 6.  Once I started doing journal work as a 2L, I ended up being stuck kind of late.  If it's too late to walk (past 10pm, unless you have a buddy), I take the Penn Bus.  It's free and comes twice-three times an hour... it also stops right outside my house.     I think south of Walnut is the cutest area, but it's just my opinion.... definitely you will be very close to the best restaurants and bars at 19th and Chestnut.

Though if you're thinking of living in the 1930 Chestnut building, I'd warn against it.  That management company is totally evil.

Financial Aid question... I'm confused as to how this works. I've filled out Fafsa and Need Access. My Fafsa EFC is 0 and I'm estimating the Need Access EFC based on my parent's info won't be more than $8,000.(Do you ever see this EFC?)Anyway, after the $18,500(?) in stafford loans and the $8,000 Need Access EFC will Penn give grant money for the remaining cost? Or do I need to take out private loans? Or both? I went to a state university so everything beyond my EFC came in loans and a small grant. My sister goes to a private university and everything after the EFC comes in grants. I know UG and law school are different, as are public and private institutions, but any idea how this works at Penn?

You'll get some grant money, some university-issued loans, and you'll need to take out private loans for the rest.  Sadly, professional schools aren't nearly as generous with their grants as their undergrad counterparts.  I highly recommend Northstar/THE for your private loans -- they're a nonprofit and thus a little less likely to screw you over than Citibank, etc.  Your need-based grants may also be unevenly distributed -- my largest grant was for this year, and 3L will be the smallest -- presumably because they expect you to be able to contribute more from your summer job after 2L.

Thirding the above -- definitely write a Why Penn!  And while I wouldn't focus 100% on the Lauder program, don't stretch yourself too far, either -- just make it about you.  Mine talked about the interdisciplinary aspect of the school, but also about how I liked that they weren't just giving lip service to diversity (the first woman graduated from Penn Law in the 1880s, as opposed to certain peer schools who didn't admit women until the 1960s), and about how much fun I had living in Philly for a summer during undergrad.

Good luck!  PM me if you'd like another set of eyes to look it over. 

Quote from: m1 on February 18, 2008, 09:07:37 PM

you just named everything I love about Domus...come live here!

You may have already answered this but do you plan to stay there next year? What's the typical trend - Domus for a year then move to CC? Or are there students who stay there 2-3 years?

This is the first year that Domus has been open, so there isn't really a trend yet.  I'd say about 2/3rds of the people I know here are staying.  Some of them signed a two-year lease from the start, others are renewing.  The rest (including me most likely) are probably moving to CC.