Hastings vs. Davis Forum

[pbutta123]

I wrote just Hastings vs Davis but i also would like to include USC and UCLA into the discussion. I am looking to work and live in SF. I know that USC UCLA and Davis are all ranked higher but, due to its location reputation and history, is Hastings the better choice?

[bk1]

Hastings and Davis are equivalent.

[20160810]

Hastings and Davis are equivalent.

For the love of god let this thread go no further than this. They're the same. Davis does not have a "placement edge" in Sacramento. Hastings does not have a "placement edge" in SF. Both schools feed into SF as their primary markets. Both schools do about an equally good job of getting you to LA if your grades are good enough. THEY'RE EXACTLY THE SAME. Visit both. Talk to current students. But do not be a moron and pick based on USNews ranking or some myth about placement "edges" cooked up by 0Ls on TLS.

[pbutta123]

Glad to hear ^ because Davis is butt ugly... No offense to you people from that terribly hot, flat place.

[General Tso]

almost half of Forbes' top 20 most miserable US cities were in the CA central valley. Sacramento and Stockton were way up there.

[20160810]

almost half of Forbes' top 20 most miserable US cities were in the CA central valley. Sacramento and Stockton were way up there.

Steve Forbes can S my D. Stockton sucks, but Sacramento's not half bad. Just because a bunch of boners in Citrus Heights defaulted on their mortgages doesn't mean Midtown's any less fun, and the COL is about 40% that of SF. I'll be working for a firm in SF, and I'm definitely excited about moving to the Bay once I have some money in my pocket, but for broke students trying to keep costs down you can do a LOT worse than living in Sac/Davis.

[chicityteacher]

Hmmm...this thread is really helpful. I would be interested to hear from others with experience about job prospects from the two schools, though. Is it really pretty equal?

I was accepted into Hastings a couple weeks ago and I should be hearing from Davis soon. I'm not sure if I will get in. My numbers are right on the border I think, 3.54/163, but I have good softs/WE/LORs/PS--or at least I think I do.

Anyways, one thing I have been thinking about a lot - should I have to decide between Hastings/Davis - is cost of living. How drastic of a difference are we talking? I know SF is notoriously expensive. I haven't been offered any scholarship money as of yet, so I'm trying to figure out how much I would be in debt at the end of it all. Any info/advice about this stuff would be great.

[bk1]

Hmmm...this thread is really helpful. I would be interested to hear from others with experience about job prospects from the two schools, though. Is it really pretty equal?

I was accepted into Hastings a couple weeks ago and I should be hearing from Davis soon. I'm not sure if I will get in. My numbers are right on the border I think, 3.54/163, but I have good softs/WE/LORs/PS--or at least I think I do.

Anyways, one thing I have been thinking about a lot - should I have to decide between Hastings/Davis - is cost of living. How drastic of a difference are we talking? I know SF is notoriously expensive. I haven't been offered any scholarship money as of yet, so I'm trying to figure out how much I would be in debt at the end of it all. Any info/advice about this stuff would be great.

You can probably find a 1 BR in Davis for about half to two thirds of what it would cost for a studio in SF. You could make it even cheaper if you had roommates while still getting your own bedroom (e.g. getting a 2 BR or 3 BR and splitting it). I would imagine that groceries and all that jazz is a bit cheaper in Davis but I've never had to buy that stuff in SF. Public transportation in Davis is cheaper, the city is also far more amenable to biking than SF if you want to get around for free. Parking is probably cheaper in Davis (most apartment complexes have parking, I'm not sure if that is true of SF).

All in all, I'd say it is a pretty drastic difference. Though if you would be much happier living in SF, I'd say that may be worth the difference in cost considering if you = happier then your grades will probably be better.

[Hannibal]

Don't let people trash talking the Tenderloin get to you too much. The buildings are definitely utilitarian but the area is far better than it appears from the homeless people.

[missinglink]

I would say on location, Hastings is the better choice. But it all depends on what type of environment you prefer. I know plenty of people who love the type of city Davis is. Personally, I prefer the city.

I can't comment on relative job prospects, as I'm only a 1L. But, I think the market is equally tough for grads of both schools, at the moment anyways. Who knows what things will look like come 2014.

[missinglink]

Hmmm...this thread is really helpful. I would be interested to hear from others with experience about job prospects from the two schools, though. Is it really pretty equal?

I was accepted into Hastings a couple weeks ago and I should be hearing from Davis soon. I'm not sure if I will get in. My numbers are right on the border I think, 3.54/163, but I have good softs/WE/LORs/PS--or at least I think I do.

Anyways, one thing I have been thinking about a lot - should I have to decide between Hastings/Davis - is cost of living. How drastic of a difference are we talking? I know SF is notoriously expensive. I haven't been offered any scholarship money as of yet, so I'm trying to figure out how much I would be in debt at the end of it all. Any info/advice about this stuff would be great.

Differences in cost of living are definitely big. You can defray the costs of living in SF by living farther out from the city center, but I don't think the commute is worth it your 1L year.

As long as you don't have significant savings, pretty much everyone seems to receive some grant money. For instance, Hastings gives me 13.5k a year, whereas Davis offered zilch.

[ilovesf]

If you want to see the full discussion, go here:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =1&t=50525