Hi everyone! I'm really liking these non-LSAT related posts. They're a fun way to take a break from the LSAT. I'm just curious what law schools you all have visited and which ones you liked and disliked and the reasons why. Were there any law schools that you visited that you thought you wanted to go to but visiting made you reconsider?
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University of Texas at Austin is my first choice
Baylor University is my second choice
Texas Tech is my third choice
U.C. Davis - I grew up in the Bay Area and fairly close to Davis. The location of the campus does not appeal to me at all. Sacramento is fairly close, along with Vacaville, so I can see how some people would be able to get by. I just don't really like the location of the school at all.
U.C. Hastings - Nooooooo thank you. Not a huge fan of SF, and Hastings is right in the tenderloin. Talk about feeling unsafe and dirty! Not to mention the cost of living in or anywhere near SF is INSANE. ($1450 a month, 1 bed/1 bath apartment, no AC/Laundry/or dishwasher)
Stanford - Amazing campus, beautiful really. Cost of living around the campus is insane though. Pretty much any living situation in the Bay Area is going to be rough....it's out of hand here.
U.C. Berkeley - Closest campus to where I live. Campus is amazing and downtown Berkeley is a really nice area. Still run into cost of living issues however. Berkeley is cool because you are in the middle of some really cool areas. SF is really close thanks to BART. You also have a lot of open state parks near by.
Basically - if the school is in the SF Bay Area, your cost of living will be HUGE.
@kaitlinroser12398 said:
Hi everyone! I'm really liking these non-LSAT related posts. They're a fun way to take a break from the LSAT. I'm just curious what law schools you all have visited and which ones you liked and disliked and the reasons why. Were there any law schools that you visited that you thought you wanted to go to but visiting made you reconsider?
So far I've loved every one that I can't get into.
I've only visited Harvard becuse we had a 24 hour layover in Boston and I wanted to at least see the campus while we had some free time at night. We wandered the law school grounds and visited a couple shops at Harvard Square and it was quite nice. I can't speak for all, but for me, Harvard always seemed like this impossible dream and even the thought of visiting made me feel 'out of place' initially but I soon realized it's just like any other school, which helped to normalize it for me.
From what I saw of the school, it exudes wealth. Not necessarily because the campus was overly nice but just becaue of all the amenities. The square was full of cool restaurants and stores and we visited The Harvard Shop to buy some swag. The store is run by students who were very, very nice and personable. We asked them about their experience at the school and they couldn't have better things to say. They wished me good luck on my law school ambitions and hoped I'd get in. I actually found it really comforting to know that the people there seemed down to earth and approachable because that's something of importance to me.
Boston itself and the surrounding area seems absolutely amazing. We took 3 or 4 Lyfts that night and all the drivers were warm and personable which I thought said a lot about the city. Overall, the quick visit semented Harvard as a definite top on my list of goal schools.
I was in LA on vacation a couple months ago and didn't do an official visit but went to USC and UCLA and just meandered around the buildings a bit.
As background, I lived in LA for a few years so I have some knowledge of the city. But I moved away from it in 2010, so a few things are also different since my time there.
USC: the campus is gorgeous, but the school is in a... not great part of LA. It's just south of downtown and has easy access to the light rail (which now goes all the way to the beach, woo!) but generally, it's not an area you want to walk around in by yourself at night. The campus is traditional with gorgeous brick buildings and open green spaces, but just off campus it is an extremely urban, kind of run down area. Honestly, it's the one thing that turns me off from USC the most, partially because I'm not really sure where students live or how they commute to campus. You'd have to go a decent distance away to find apartments that I personally would feel comfortable and safe in. And commuting in LA is not fun.
UCLA: polar opposite of USC. UCLA is in a super nice, upscale part of LA. There's a fantastic shopping and restaurant area right next to campus. It has a very college-town vibe in the neighborhood. It's about as safe of a neighborhood as you can get in LA too. The campus is gorgeous and feels a bit less compact than USC's. Unfortunately the light rail doesn't run in this area, but UCLA is maybe 20 minutes from the beach by car and everything you could need shopping or entertainment-wise is within a few blocks. It's also an easy shot over to Hollywood if you're into going to concerts and such. The downside of being in a nicer area is that the rents will match it. Studios close by run probably around $1500 but if you go a little bit south there are areas that are more reasonable and still nice and safe. Nothing in LA is cheap though. The law school itself was pretty old and didn't really strike me as anything particularly impressive, but I didn't see the library or go very far into it since I just randomly popped in.
So all that said, both schools were about what I expected. It may be a bit because of my bias from living there before, but UCLA really struck a chord with me and felt like a place I could see myself. USC would be a bit more of a logistical challenge, but its a great school and I'm still interested in it as well.
I visited Georgetown during an admitted students open house with it being maybe #5 on my list. But gosh darnit they wined and dined and sold the hell out of me. It's honestly like #2 on my list now; I loved it so much. I especially loved the people I met. DC is amazing too.
@pcainti665 @tristandesinor505 I decided not to apply to UC Hastings after reading about the Tenderloin area....(http://m.sfgate.com/local/article/Theater-star-leaving-SF-writes-open-letter-12219346.php ) I think I made the right decision...
@pcainti665 said:
Stanford - Amazing campus, beautiful really. Cost of living around the campus is insane though. Pretty much any living situation in the Bay Area is going to be rough....it's out of hand here.
It is true that housing off campus is very expensive, but Stanford itself offers on-campus subsidized housing to students. You're still going to pay a lot, between $1,000 and $2,000 a month, but you won't be paying the $3,000-$6,000 a month for a comparable situation off campus.
I also entirely disagree with @annadapplebaum744's take on Stanford. They've recently built nice law buildings, and the campus overall is nice. To each his own, I guess.
@pcainti665 said:
U.C. Hastings - Nooooooo thank you. Not a huge fan of SF, and Hastings is right in the tenderloin. Talk about feeling unsafe and dirty! Not to mention the cost of living in or anywhere near SF is INSANE. ($1450 a month, 1 bed/1 bath apartment, no AC/Laundry/or dishwasher)
Lol 1450 sounds more like the best case scenario, no? In Livermore/Pleasanton, and to a lesser degree even Tracy, 1500 for 1 bedroom apartment is considered decent. There are many things I like about California, cost of living ain't one of them. That being said, I suppose going to Stanford wouldn't be so bad... :smile:
WUSTL is a beautiful campus and amazing surrounding area!
I visited my dream school, Columbia, and decided it was not for me. I mean its not like I would have gotten in anyway but I still needed to visit. The commute, first of all, would be a nightmare. It would be close to two hours one way. Also, most law students live on campus and that is not possible for me. I think I would be more of an outcast - I didn't get a good feeling about it from the tour. I also didn't get a good feeling from the admissions director or the way she answered questions. Equally, I was not very impressed with the students who were made available to us - they didn't seem very interested in us and it seemed like they were in a hurry. Anyway, I was so dissapointed but I'm glad I went and crossed it off my list. It wasn't going to be possible anyway with my numbers but at least I know there are other factors as to why its a no-go.
@catgonzalez1974737 said:
@napiersh959 said:
I did not like Georgetown's law campus much at all either. Although it is just minutes walk from the capitol, it is completely separate from the main campus and small. It's surrounded by business buildings so it feels very industrial and cold. Living near the campus would be ridiculously expensive, so commuting is a must unless you can live on campus (FYI they don't allow married couples to live on campus unless both are attending law school).
I was also disappointed at first that Georgetown Law Center was not at the iconic main campus overlooking the Potomac River. But once I visited GLC, I realized its location as a separate law campus is much better situated for what law students need: walking distance from the seats of power (whereas the main campus is isolated by DC standards, way too far from Capitol Hill). As for size, I thought it was huge for just a law school-- none of the facilities are shared with any other student body. It has its own fitness center and pool, just for law students! I think the architecture is regal and inspiring, not industrial nor cold. (note: I have no other T14 schools to compare it to.) So much is subjective!
Georgetown housing: there are lots of pockets of (relatively) affordable housing near the DC metro. Of course if it's "student housing" you're after, the university is likely to steer you toward top of the line luxury apartments aimed at "rich Georgetown" students. That said, I can see how it would appear there are no affordable choices to a newcomer, especially if the school doesn't help with that angle. DC is still exploding with gentrification. So you may have to expand your viewing area beyond Capitol Hill to find a decently priced apartment-- and yes, that means commuting, but I highly suggest not commuting by car if you can avoid it. So live near transit.
It's very possible to live in Capitol Hill affordably. I lived in DC until last week, in a beautiful corner row house two blocks from Union Station, and only paid $755/month. Before that, I lived in a crappier row house in Bloomingdale (near Shaw, and a 10 minute bike ride straight down to capitol hill) for $825/month. You just have to be willing to do a lot of searching and visiting on craigslist. The good thing about DC is that it's very geographically small, and you can bike from one end of the city to the other in 30 minutes max.
If you want a 1BR apartment (which only makes sense if you're married/moving in with a partner), then yeah, that's going to be rather expensive (1600+) no matter where you look. But if you are married/with a partner and splitting the costs, you can find options that would come out to around $800-900 per person in Capitol Hill.
@kaitlinroser12398 said:
@pcainti665 @tristandesinor505 I decided not to apply to UC Hastings after reading about the Tenderloin area....(http://m.sfgate.com/local/article/Theater-star-leaving-SF-writes-open-letter-12219346.php ) I think I made the right decision...
I work like two blocks form it. I see people shooting on the streets. There are needles all over the ground (used). People are sick and there is always an ambulance coming to help someone who has over dosed or is not in a great place in their life.
It’s half the reason I wanna do Law, people shouldn’t have to live like those poor people I see every day...
I second Hastings being a hard no. I was super disappointed after just walking by the campus. I’ve hung out in areas with a lot of gang violence etc but nothing compares to how weird that area felt. I have friends who live on that same street a few blocks up and it’s a world of difference just up the street from the campus. It feels like you’re surrounded by zombies around the campus. I couldn’t understand people’s awful reviews of the school, thought they were just being bougie and judgmental, but now I get it. I highly recommend visiting the campus if you want to be scared into retaking the LSAT and getting a better score.
@pcainti665 said:
Oh I don't doubt that at all! I've known a few people who have gone to Davis (not for law though) and the school itself seems amazing. The location just kills it for me haha
I'm going to go to who ever accepts me. As a splitter I applied all over the freaking place, and I'll take the best outcome I can haha That could be Bay Area/Nor Cal or it could be east coast!
How about you?
I feel you.. I live in Sac and it's dead loll
I'll probably be on the same boat as you although I'm hoping to stay in California (hopefully Southern California). :smile:
I visited Cornell and fell in love with Ithica and the school itself. The people were amazing, the campus was beautiful, and I love upstate NY.
UGA law school is awesome.
@napiersh959 said:
I did not like Georgetown's law campus much at all either. Although it is just minutes walk from the capitol, it is completely separate from the main campus and small. It's surrounded by business buildings so it feels very industrial and cold. Living near the campus would be ridiculously expensive, so commuting is a must unless you can live on campus (FYI they don't allow married couples to live on campus unless both are attending law school).
I was also disappointed at first that Georgetown Law Center was not at the iconic main campus overlooking the Potomac River. But once I visited GLC, I realized its location as a separate law campus is much better situated for what law students need: walking distance from the seats of power (whereas the main campus is isolated by DC standards, way too far from Capitol Hill). As for size, I thought it was huge for just a law school-- none of the facilities are shared with any other student body. It has its own fitness center and pool, just for law students! I think the architecture is regal and inspiring, not industrial nor cold. (note: I have no other T14 schools to compare it to.) So much is subjective!
Georgetown housing: there are lots of pockets of (relatively) affordable housing near the DC metro. Of course if it's "student housing" you're after, the university is likely to steer you toward top of the line luxury apartments aimed at "rich Georgetown" students. That said, I can see how it would appear there are no affordable choices to a newcomer, especially if the school doesn't help with that angle. DC is still exploding with gentrification. So you may have to expand your viewing area beyond Capitol Hill to find a decently priced apartment-- and yes, that means commuting, but I highly suggest not commuting by car if you can avoid it. So live near transit.
@pcainti665 said:
I visited Georgetown during an admitted students open house with it being maybe #5 on my list. But gosh darnit they wined and dined and sold the hell out of me. It's honestly like #2 on my list now; I loved it so much. I especially loved the people I met. DC is amazing too.
I am also partial to DC and Georgetown! If money were no object, it would be my #1.
@annadapplebaum744 Could you share more? What was it that you disliked about Georgetown and Penn? I have visited Georgetown a few times (and applied-- I live near DC already, so I'm curious if it was the school itself or the city you didn't like, and why), but haven't visited Penn. Based on map view, Penn looks pretty urban too. Does the urban setting bother you?
I'm also curious what you liked, specifically, about your visit to UVA?
@annadapplebaum744 said:
I visited the entire T14 about a year ago. Just going off the campus and interactions with people, my favorites were UVA (by a long shot; who ever is in charge of marketing that law school to visitors deserves a raise), Yale, Duke, and Harvard.
Least favorite visits were Penn and Georgetown (very much disliked both visits; I didn't reapply go Georgetown and I debated not reapplying to Penn), Northwestern, maybe Stanford (the campus is pretty ugly in my opinion and you'd never think the building is home to a T3 law school. It's kind of a dump).
Everyone else was meshed together and fine overall. Michigan's law library is gorgeous, though.
I have visited all the UC law schools as I grew up in the bay area. My favorites if I were accepted are Cal and UCLA. Please, do not think if you are accepted to Cal or UC Hastings that you can commute into the bay area from Tracy or Stockton, it is too far. It would be helpful if you had a relative or a friend that you knew living in the SF Bay area, otherwise the cost of rentals is extremely high, as in $3000 or more for rent. One guy bought a bus to go to Berkeley as the student housing wanted 1600 for a room share and he felt it was too much. Stanford and Santa Clara University have the most beautiful campuses in the bay area I feel, but again there is the challenge of finding housing, unless you can luck out with an on campus place. If you want to attend in CA, UC Davis has perhaps the cheapest housing, but there is not much to do in Davis, other than go to Tahoe or SF if you have free time.
In Southern CA, I also visited USC and UCLA law schools. I love USC, but it is surrounded by a crime challenged area. UCLA law is a favorite of mine, but I have heard not all grad students can get on campus housing, and the area around Westwood, West LA can be expensive. UC Irvine and USD law have very nice campus facilities and are in nice areas, housing would be cheaper than SF bay area.
In Florida, I have visited all the main Florida law schools. UF and FSU both have fairly cheap rentals in Gainesville and Tallahassee, but you might not like those towns if you are from a big city. I have also visited FIU law and University of Miami, and I love being in Miami, but the housing is pretty pricey there as well. Stetson Law in Tampa is a gorgeous campus with a pool by the law school, and Stetson has a great rep amongst Florida attorneys.
I have also visited UT Austin and Tulane and I like both law schools. I think it would be great fun to live in New Orleans and attend Tulane, but I have heard it is challenging to find work in Louisiana.
UCI campus overall is beautiful and peaceful, with Aldrich Park in the center. The actual law buildings are modern, not the architecture you would see in older law schools in the East Coast but still respectable and clean. The library had plenty of tables and study rooms.
@annadapplebaum744
Can you elaborate more on what you liked about UVA? They're one of my top choices, of I get in (been under review for 1.5 months), but Idk if I'll get a chance to visit. I'd love as much info as possible from people thatve seen Charlottesville firsthand!
I've only been to UofM and Texas-Austin. Both huge thumbs up!
Michigan is beautiful, the city is great, especially if you prefer a true college town atmosphere. And nothing beats and arbor on game day! Even if you don't care about sports, the excitement and personality is fun.
Texas has a really nice campus, not as picturesque as michigan, but still great. And it helps that it's seemingly always sunny and 75 vs 5 and snowing! Austin is incredible. I have good friends from undergrad who are obsessed with the city, and visiting I've seen why. It's gorgeous, walkable, there are countless bars, restaurants, parks etc. Tons of music/arts festivals, outdoor concerts and performances. The art scene is crazy. Lake Travis is a great place to hang out and knock back some beers. If Texas did a better job placing out of state austin would push them way up my list!
@napiersh959 said:
@annadapplebaum744 said:
I visited the entire T14 about a year ago. Just going off the campus and interactions with people, my favorites were UVA (by a long shot; who ever is in charge of marketing that law school to visitors deserves a raise), Yale, Duke, and Harvard.
Least favorite visits were Penn and Georgetown (very much disliked both visits; I didn't reapply go Georgetown and I debated not reapplying to Penn), Northwestern, maybe Stanford (the campus is pretty ugly in my opinion and you'd never think the building is home to a T3 law school. It's kind of a dump).
Everyone else was meshed together and fine overall. Michigan's law library is gorgeous, though.
I did not like Georgetown's law campus much at all either. Although it is just minutes walk from the capitol, it is completely separate from the main campus and small. It's surrounded by business buildings so it feels very industrial and cold. Living near the campus would be ridiculously expensive, so commuting is a must unless you can live on campus (FYI they don't allow married couples to live on campus unless both are attending law school).
The reminds me, I actually really enjoyed Georgetown's campus! I guess it comes down to personal preference, because the exact reasons you mentioned not liking it are why I like it, hehe! I like the industrial feel :)
Definitely going to be adding Georgetown to my list!