UC Hastings - 2011 Forum

[ChaDoRi]

I found out recently that I got a merit scholarship! Woot!

I use to be a little bummed out about not getting any free money from them when they sent me my financial aid package but now I'm very excited at the prospect of attending Hastings next year. It's a good amount of money but I think it's psychological value far outweighs its monetary value. I just feel so loved!

So hopefully the rest of you Hastings 0L's got some good news coming your way too!

[thebiggdawg55]

Yeah a merit scholarship would be killer right about now, especially considering i'm paying out of state tuition my first year. What were your #s, if you don't mind my asking?

[kevsocko]

I'm watching Animal Planet Detectives San Francisco and getting pumped for Hastings, yet scared of the multitude of vicious dogs that roam the streets.

[ChaDoRi]

Yeah a merit scholarship would be killer right about now, especially considering i'm paying out of state tuition my first year. What were your #s, if you don't mind my asking?

Let's see, out of the GPA/LSAT numbers, I was around the median on one of them and around the 75th percentile on the other. I'm not an URM.

I'm paying out-of-state tuition too so it was nice to get something. Hopefully you will too!

I'm watching Animal Planet Detectives San Francisco and getting pumped for Hastings, yet scared of the multitude of vicious dogs that roam the streets.

Oh man dogs! Looks like I'm never venturing out of my apartment in the tower ever. Perhaps not even for class...

[thebiggdawg55]

Hm, I fell into the same percentile ranks for GPA/LSAT, I REALLY hope I can get one of those merit scholarships.

[kevsocko]

I wonder if they are giving it to your b/c you are out of state to help you out? did you recieve the need-based grant?

[ChaDoRi]

I wonder if they are giving it to your b/c you are out of state to help you out? did you recieve the need-based grant?

I got no need-based grants. When I called them about it, they told me they couldn't do anything about it because it's determined by the Federal government or some such. My theory is that I received a lot of need-based grants when I was an undergrad so I get none this time around.

[katiecakes]

i hope this isn't a weird question, but did most of you guys decide on hastings because it is the highest ranked of the schools you were accepted to, or did you turn down other same/higher ranked schools for the advantages of hastings?

[kevsocko]

I got into Fordham but am going to hastings because its cheaper and I want to go into prosecution/litigation.

[thebiggdawg55]

Hastings is the highest ranked school I got into, but I turned down offers from BC, BU and Fordham to be put on their "priority waitlists" because California is the state I really want to practice in.

[Governor]

Regarding the merit scholarship, did you hear about it via email, a phone call, or a package in the mail?

I just got into UC Davis and visited the campus this weekend. It's a great town, and the low cost of living ($450 for a LARGE single room at Davis vs. $850 for a SMALL single at Hastings), and better financial aid package ($9,000 Davis grant vs. $7,000 Hastings grant) makes it very attractive. I haven't gotten any merit scholarships from either school, though.

[kevsocko]

i wouldn't have understood the difference in big and small if you hadn't put it in caps. may I remind you that hastings is in SAN FRANCISCO and davis is in DAVIS.

[oopivyoo]

Regarding the merit scholarship, did you hear about it via email, a phone call, or a package in the mail?

I just got into UC Davis and visited the campus this weekend. It's a great town, and the low cost of living ($450 for a LARGE single room at Davis vs. $850 for a SMALL single at Hastings), and better financial aid package ($9,000 Davis grant vs. $7,000 Hastings grant) makes it very attractive. I haven't gotten any merit scholarships from either school, though.

$450??? you could get it cheaper than that! Lets say you could get it at 400 though... that a 450 dollar savings per month vs. Hastings.... that a 5400 dollar a year savings/grant (whatever you want to call it) equaling to a 14500 "grant" from Davis per year (plus the savings of riding your bike to school, and overall less stress of a rural environment vs. city life). Over four years that’s going to be 43500 bucks in grants, added to the fact that you wont have to slit your friend's throat to get that spot in the top 10%... I'd say go with Davis. If your talking strictly numbers here, go with Davis... but then again, you shouldn’t choose between the two based on statistics and #s. See which one suits you best. I think everyone would agree that that it’s better to excel in Davis than do mediocre in Hastings, and vise versa.

[kevsocko]

$450??? you could get it cheaper than that! Lets say you could get it at 400 though... that a 450 dollar savings per month vs. Hastings.... that a 5400 dollar a year savings/grant (whatever you want to call it) equaling to a 14500 "grant" from Davis per year (plus the savings of riding your bike to school, and overall less stress of a rural environment vs. city life). Over four years that’s going to be 43500 bucks in grants, added to the fact that you wont have to slit your friend's throat to get that spot in the top 10%... I'd say go with Davis. If your talking strictly numbers here, go with Davis... but then again, you shouldn’t choose between the two based on statistics and #s. See which one suits you best. I think everyone would agree that that it’s better to excel in Davis than do mediocre in Hastings, and vise versa.

Some people may be more stressed out by the rural environment. Early in their 1L first semester, they will wake up, and realize they are in davis. that's a reason to kill yourself right there. and the whole "slit your friends throat" thing at hastings is a complete myth. every LS outside the T14 is extremely competitive. hastings no more than any others.

[kevsocko]

does anyone know anything about hastings LRAP? Say I make 60K as an ADA...how much will they help me out?

[ChaDoRi]

Regarding the merit scholarship, did you hear about it via email, a phone call, or a package in the mail?

I first got an e-mail, then a letter in the mail soon after.

[high4ever2008]

Congrats to all you UC Hastings folks. Can you all do me a favor by banding together and getting UC Hastings to upgrade their website? I feel like I'm in the 1980s when I visit it.

[thebiggdawg55]

Congrats to all you UC Hastings folks. Can you all do me a favor by banding together and getting UC Hastings to upgrade their website? I feel like I'm in the 1980s when I visit it.

YES! I am SO glad that I'm not the ONLY person who feels this way. Hastings' website is ATROCIOUS. Visiting it, you would think that Hastings is a non-accredited school or one of those "get your law degree online!" sites. Nearly EVERY law school website I've visited thus far has been better than ours, and that's just inexcusable. Who's in charge of it, anyway??

[Hachi]

does anyone know anything about hastings LRAP? Say I make 60K as an ADA...how much will they help me out?

Hastings doesn't use LRAP. Look up PICAP. They actually seem to have a very good system. I think they will help you as long as your taxed income on your 1040 is under 59,999 or something, but I dont remember exactly.

And the way it works is they give you a forgivable loan instead of a grants as grants are taxable. The loans they work on forgiving though are the stafford and or perkins loans, but not the Grad PLUS loans evidently. The system seems pretty complicated but I think that's just because I am not part of it so it's like looking from the outside in.

Overall the program looks pretty great, and hastings seems to be a pretty good school if you're planning on going into public interest (which is one of the reasons I chose them).

[Governor]

Some people may be more stressed out by the rural environment. Early in their 1L first semester, they will wake up, and realize they are in davis. that's a reason to kill yourself right there.

--Kevsocko

Then I strongly hope you're heading to Davis.

[kevsocko]

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[AndrewScott]

Hey all -- I'm new to the forum and I'm going to Hastings in the fall. Applied for an efficiency in the Tower and all the deposits are in. This thread's great -- lots of good info.

I ride a motorcycle -- a new Triumph Bonneville that I'm completely in love with. Does anyone know about the parking situation at the Tower? I guess you could say I want to know if I should bring my SO with me to SF.

[AndrewScott]

Hastings is relaxing (slightly) its overly-strict grading policy. I know there has been some discussion of this already, but anything I can do to ease some of the pressure on my future fellow classmates. For details check the link.

http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008 ... d-gra.html

[ChaDoRi]

Hastings is relaxing (slightly) its overly-strict grading policy. I know there has been some discussion of this already, but anything I can do to ease some of the pressure on my future fellow classmates. For details check the link.

http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008 ... d-gra.html

Thanks for posting this! My scholarship is based on my GPA so now a 3.0 sounds a little easier to maintain.

Oh, and does anyone know if there are any tennis courts near school? I love playing tennis on a bright sunny day (which I hope we'll get a few of at least...).

[CaliforniaLaw]

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