Univ San Francisco versus Hastings

[arcady]

I started at USF yesterday, with orientation classes, but I got up this morning to a phone call from UC Hastings asking me to come in, I'm off the waiting list and they want me to start classes -tomorrow-.

Hastings ranks in the top 100, and USF is somewhere in the 150...

That might make it easy, save that Hastings is doing cosntruction for the next few years and may or may not even have a law library right now. I've also heard rumors that students there are very hostile to each other - even going as far as shredding each other's siezed notebooks. USF by contrast has facilities built in the last five years with a law library large enough to fit twice the entire student body, a lot of progressive social activism (and I am left leaning), very active and helpful alumni as well as student groups, and is generally, a 'friendly' campus.

One of these turns out 'scrappy' lawyers that are good in a 'pit fight' and the other 'mediators' that are good at solving problems.

I know Hasting's ranking at 22 or 23 in the nation or thereabouts, but not exactly for USF - I do know USF has one of the few 'maritime law' specialities on the west coast if not the nation, and is very well set in the fields of IP and International law.

My interests are in criminal law, international law, or civil rights law...



I've got to make a choice fast, and I doubt anyone will even read this before I'm already done with this, but I had to vent and I've just finished with the list of relatives. Maybe one of you -will- see this before I make my choice and have an opinion with some facts beyond just the 'rumors' I've heard of each...

[cedowdy]

I know someone who goes to UC Hastings, she told me that the student body hostility rumor is over blown. (However, she was intoxicated at the time and we haven't discussed it since.)

If cost is a factor, I think UC Hastings is much cheaper and U.S News ranks it higher.

Sorry I don't have anything more concrete. Good luck!

[Brisco]

You should jump at this oppertunity. Hastings is not only much higher ranked but its also cheaper and located in the same city. Look at the vault survey of USF students if you need any more convincing. Remember that firms have different GPA cutoffs for different schools so you will have a much better shot with a higher ranked school.

[arcady]

I went with Hastings.

I've been buried in books and meetings and paperwork, so I haven't had a chance to mentioned thatr here yet.

After I got there and started talking to people I found all of the rumors I had of the place beforehand to be either unfounded or no longer true.

That said, they were aware of the rumors, and many people there, to include staff members, conceeded they had heard the same stories at one point or another.

The actual school has turned out to have a very friendly atmosphere with a lot of effort put into making us feel welcome and better prepared for the challenges ahead.

Of course, it's barely been a week, but hopefully that impression will continue to hold.