Have you guys seen UCLA's numbers on lawschoolnumbers.com???

[asriyal]

Damn, I'm like psychic!

Seriously, I'm sorry to hear that. I wish for your sake that UCLA had not been your top choice. Just a question, but did you make it apparent to them in some way that UCLA was #1 for you? Not that that would have changed anything, but I wonder what effect that does have on applications, if any.

Congrats on the other acceptances, though. At least your "fallbacks" are top-notch.

What's funny is that Boalt was #1 for me until the last few months (I wrote them a letter saying so), when I realized that I wanted to be in LA for many reasons (found an incredible dance school here, friends, want to end up here to work, etc).  When Boalt waitlisted me I was less heartbroken than I thought I was going to be, and was really looking forward to UCLA - I did write UCLA a letter saying they were my first choice even.  I'm somehow doubting your whole file gets read there though...

But the schools I didn't write letters to accepted me.  Go figure. 

Thanks though =)  I'm sure I'll be happy at NU...just very, very...cold...  Where are you off to?

[Meltdown]

Thanks though =)  I'm sure I'll be happy at NU...just very, very...cold...  Where are you off to?

Nowhere just yet. I'm still in the unenviable position of preparing for the LSAT. I'll see how that goes and then look at the options.

Good luck in Chitown.

[chance]

OMG--you're all describing my life! Boalt as first choice, UCLA as second... higher ranked options (UMich, Columbia, Stanford wait list)

Fortunately, USC has made itself about the same cost as UCLA. However, I am caught between USC and Mich--just cant decide, esp. since I am summer start at Mich and would have to move next month! At least if I stick around with USC in mind, I can wait for UCLA a little longer.

[asriyal]

Chance,

Have you visited USC?  I got a pretty good deal there too, but I really didn't like it when I took the tour and all... I'd only go there because it's in LA, and I think if I went there for only that reason I'd start getting bitter.  It just doesn't have that hallowed halls feeling, y'know? 

Have you visited Michigan also, incidentally?  I haven't, they wouldn't give me a travel stipend and I have no personal reasons to visit Michigan.  I think I chose NU above Mich to send my deposit to because they've been much nicer about everything and I really liked it when I visited.  But that means if I move to Chicago, no way am I picking up and moving back to LA right before (or during) the first week if they let me in.  Bleh.

Let me know about your feelings on Michigan if you've been - would love to get a Californian perspective on Ann Arbor and the law school up there!

[chance]

asriyal--

Yeah, I was totally anti-USC until I went to their preview day last week. I got a different feeling than I had before. I really liked everyone. They seemed academic, but still really commercial and practical. All of my kinda California guilty pleasures would be satisfied there--nice weather, laid back people from similar walks of life (UCs predominantly), close to current friends and family, job in OC or LA later on. And they seem like the school legitimately is driven by the needs of the students (its pretty small too), which I have to admit is in contrast to the indifference UCLA seems to project these days. Of course there is the cultish alumni network too.

re. Michigan--I have visited twice now. The people are awesome. I seriously felt like I had gone home to the mother ship or something. They seemed to really complement my ideosyncracies--they struck me as really open-minded, and light-hearted. They immediately put me at ease, and I could see myself being happy around those people. But--it is in Michigan. Ann Arbor seems really cool (I went to Davis), like a college town on steroids or something, but nonetheless, for me, its less an issue of moving to Michigan, and more an issue of moving OUT of California. It is just starting to seem like a huge hassle to go there.

So... thats basically my feel and my predicament--I am getting a little sick of everyone acting like it is such an obvious choice. Im not really sure what the heck I want to besides quit my current job, so the whole ranking thing is becoming less of an issue. I doubt that BIGLAW is for me anyway. I think I might be more on a small business owner track. Who knows. So there you go.

[asriyal]

Chance,

Thanks for the input.  I definitely know what you mean about people and their attitudes about Michigan clearly being the right choice.  A lot of people in California have no respect for NU because it's just not that well known out here.  Plus every single person from Michigan I asked why they went to Michigan, said, because it's the best school I got into, I didn't even visit before I started classes.  That was a bit disturbing to me.   

I wonder if the preview day for USC was different than the tours they gave?  I was going to go, but cancelled because I just didn't like it that much on the mini-tour I attended.  They've definitely impressed me with their constant personalized correspondence, etc. though.  My opinion - I'd go for USC above Michigan for cost, location, and networking.  Good luck with your choice - I definitely empathize.  I guess I'm pretty excited about NU because I really do like the school a lot, but it makes me deeply sad to leave California for so long. 

[jbshane]

I think one of the main reasons for Michigan being a "safety Top 10 school" is that it is in the Midwest.  For people coming from either coast, they know its reputation, but not much else about it because it's not in a major urban area and its in that vast wasteland we east/west coasters like to call "everything inbetween" (although the school is incredibly popular in NYC area for undergrad, grad and professional schools).  The truth about Michigan?  It's an amazing school with a beautiful campus in a great college town.  The faculty is top-notch and the students are not as cutthroat as at other Top 10 schools).

I went to Michigan undergrad (from the East Coast originally) and was rejected this year from the Law School.  I want to move to California (most likely going to Davis), and I always maintained throughout the application process that Stanford & Boalt were my top choices, but if I had had my way, I would have spent 3 more years in Ann Arbor.  I know that it may to tough to ponder moving to...oh, god...Michigan, but you won't regret it.  Ann Arbor is like Berkeley, but grown out of its 1960s youth, and the students at all of UM's colleges are immensely proud of their school, and are right to be so.  The weather may suck from December to March, but the rest of the year it's gorgeous (plus, you'll be in the library all winter anyway).

Take it from someone who wants to live in California for the rest of his life, but would have given the world to go to Michigan Law: go to school in Ann Arbor, because you won't regret your choice for a minute.

[chance]

Meriweather--

So you waiting on UCLA too? If so, looks unlikely we are going to end up classmates, but hey--we may end up just having switched undergrad schools for law schools. Ha! Davis is great--good place for lots of focused studying I am assuming you're out at Stanford and Boalt? I got rejected from Boalt really quickly, and waitlisted at Stanford.

Anyway, thanks for the advice--you really put it out there without acting like "WHAT?! You're passing up Mich?!" 

[jbshane]

no problem - i was bitter about my michigan rejection for about 30 minutes, and then realized that i couldn't hate my undergrad school forever.  now i can't help but talk it up.  i have two friends graduating from the law school this spring - they loved it.

i got rejected by boalt & stanford very quickly - although my fiancee didn't tell her parents (who live in the bay area) until 2 weeks ago, because she didn't want to disappoint them.  i could've killed her when i found out that she had been keeping her parents in the dark.

any insight into life in davis (outside of the law school?)?  what is there to do?  everyone talks it up, but i'm still in the dark about what life might be like for a 25 year old in such a small town.

[nola8688]

Meriweather,

I am trying to get in touch with a friend of a friend who is living in Davis right now. I am going to ask him all the important questions when I get ahold of him.  When I get the info I will start a new thread.