Penn 2L taking questions for a little bit...

[98765432]

What about ages of students?  Spanish neighborhoods?

[Towelie]

What about ages of students?  Spanish neighborhoods?

Age ranges from just out of college (even graduating early) to 50's. There are Spanish or Hispanic neighborhoods in Philly. Philadelphia is very culturally diverse, though not as much as NYC or SF I would say. 

[Towelie]

just dropping in-

studying for exams sucks.  that is all

but to back up what everyone has said thus far, i've been rather impressed with how far Penn's reputation has been carrying.  today, of course, was the first day to send info to firms and judges, so I'll report back when/if I hear anything personally.

You'll survive dude. And with your personality you'll get a job no matter what your grades. I had a friend get all B's first semester and get a 1L SA job. I think you'll be gold.

[98765432]

Estimate, please, what percent is older than 30?  And are there any Spanish neighborhoods close to the University?

[RokoMotion]

What do you consider Penn's strength's in comparison to "higher ranked" schools like CCN?  What about compared to "similarly ranked" schools like MVB?

[Towelie]

Estimate, please, what percent is older than 30?  And are there any Spanish neighborhoods close to the University?

I don't know where the closest Spanish neighborhood is, but I'm guessing it wouldn't be more than a 15 minute commute from the Law School, though this is something you should contact LALSA (our Latin American Law Student Association - and while I realize this isn't Spanish, I think they could help better than I could).

A very small percent is over 30. But I would say something like maybe 3-5% are over 30? A lot of people are like 27-30, so if your cut-off were a little lower the percentage that I would guess would be higher. The number I gave you is a complete guess, though.

[Towelie]

What do you consider Penn's strength's in comparison to "higher ranked" schools like CCN?  What about compared to "similarly ranked" schools like MVB?

Penn's strength compared to Columbia and NYU... it is NOT in NYC!!! I may be the only person in the world who feels this way, but @#!* New York! The first thing I did when I got into Penn was call NYU to withdraw my deferred application there (they said they hadn't made a decision and let me withdraw and then rejected me 2 weeks later, but that's another story)...

Location aside, Penn wins as far as class size is concerned and, from what I have heard, student/faculty interaction. One of my best friends is at NYU Law and what he likes about it there is that the teachers are viewed as scholars and you don't approach them unless you have something well thought out to say. Well, at Penn, the professors are scholars but we are a bit more laid back - get ready to find yourself laughing in class, forming informal relationships with professors (I play Scrabulous with my Con Law professor on Facebook all the time and was tennis partners with another), etc.

As far as Chicago is concerned, it wins for size (and, for me, location... though I wish it were in Lincoln Park!) and I don't know about faculty/student interaction. I would say visit the two school and go to whichever fits you best.

As far as MVB, as someone who is going to northern California next summer I probably would have taken B over Penn had I got in (because I always knew I wanted to work in California). The advantages Penn enjoys over these schools are size, it is a private university (which I think is better), access to Wharton and the rest of the University (personally, I am getting a J.D./M.S. in the same amount of time it would take to get a J.D.), and it is close to DC and NYC if you like the East coast thang (which I don't, but some people do!) Also, statistically Penn has a numerically stronger student body.

['tiki]

Penn 1L returning after an extended LSD hiatus. I'll back up most of the statements made my Towelie, LegApp and Team Pam so far.

By the way, I love it here. Best decision I could've made.

[Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration]

could you guys tell me about the social life, more specifically the bars and what not, because hey, who am i kidding?

['tiki]

That is one of the things I love the most about being here I can keep on top of work and still go out 2-4 times a week. There is something for everyone lots of bars and clubs in CC and Old City, bars in UC with undergrads. House parties. There is also tons to do that doesn't involve drinking. There's a bowling club which is very popular, flag football, tons of events in the law school every day, free lunches almost daily and some people find it quite easy to go to NYC or DC every few weekends. Trust me, you won't get bored.