Top Law Schools

...but I think I'm pretty set on Yale too.

Yay, zabagabe! You know you won't be sorry once you put that down that measly (relatively speaking!) deposit.

Is there a reason that no one lives on campus? After reading about the graduate dorms and such, they sound like a really good deal...is there something I'm missing?

heyguys wrote:Is there a reason that no one lives on campus? After reading about the graduate dorms and such, they sound like a really good deal...is there something I'm missing?

From what I understand they are difficult to get. It's a process that needs to start at the beginning of the year since you are competing with all other grad students. And, although I haven't seen one, if they are anything like Yale's undergrad dorms they are probably not what most people want to do at this point in their lives. No kitchen, communal bathroom, etc.

The price is nice though.

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SparkyLives wrote:

heyguys wrote:Is there a reason that no one lives on campus? After reading about the graduate dorms and such, they sound like a really good deal...is there something I'm missing?

From what I understand they are difficult to get. It's a process that needs to start at the beginning of the year since you are competing with all other grad students. And, although I haven't seen one, if they are anything like Yale's undergrad dorms they are probably not what most people want to do at this point in their lives. No kitchen, communal bathroom, etc.

The price is nice though.

Yeah, for 2L year I might try to do Harkness. I guess the only complication would be not knowing about your housing situation until late April, when you're going to be moving off for the summer and such in the near future. I wonder what sort of percentages of the law students are able to get on campus housing who want it. I'm still a young guy, and I don't think I would particularly care about living in a dorm/sharing showers if it meant saving money.

Most YLS students don't live in the dorms because I think you are then required to have a meal plan. While I hear the dining hall food is good, I think it's cheaper to do your own grocery shopping and cooking.

rabbit/sandpiper, care to pipe in on this? Thanks!

In at least some of the classic dorms you have to have a meal plan - I assume that deters lots of people from living there (in HGS and ES Harkness).

As far as other Yale-owned housing goes, I'm not really sure why more people don't live there - I only know one current YLS student who lives in grad housing, and she seems to like it just fine. My assumption has always been that it's just not as nice/spacious/well-located as some other options (the market solves, right?!?)...and so law students have found a pretty wide assortment of private, off-campus places to live that suit just about every whim you could have. There are cheaper places, better-located places, bigger places, places that let you have pets, etc.

Honestly, the "why don't people live on campus?" question is the one that I find hardest to answer...I've never really found a good one. Sandpiper, any ideas?

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Finally, I have decided: Yale it is ... See you all in August!!! I am so excited about this decision! It definitely feels like the right one.

Congrats, tinman! Doesn't it feel good to have (finally!) made a decision? I'm still basking in the glow of being finished with this whole process

yes, it feels amazing. So happy!

tinman wrote:yes, it feels amazing. So happy!

Congrats tinman!

iagolives wrote:

tinman wrote:yes, it feels amazing. So happy!

Congrats tinman!

+1!

tinman wrote:yes, it feels amazing. So happy!

OK, I’m in too. In a lot of ways, I had a better weekend at Stanford than I did at Yale, and I definitely don’t think YLS is all things to all people. However:

-The curriculum is heaven. The flexibility is unrivaled, and I feel like if you come into Yale Law with a game plan, you can do incredible things. Most other schools have preset offerings for what you get to choose from, often if you’re lucky enough to apply or lottery your way in. At Yale, if they don’t have it, you can find a few other people interested and start it yourself. If you want to do research halfway around the world, write a proposal, and the funding’s easy. Writing publishable papers is the norm, not the exception. Yes, you could free-ride your way through Yale and still have great opportunities, but the fun part is, very very few people I met want to do that. Which gets me to…

-The people are fantastic. Honestly, I really feel like YLS works as well as it does because of the students. There were great people at other places, but the density and concentration here was pretty awesome. I think everyone has waxed poetic about this already, so I won’t overindulge in it, but suffice it to say, this was the key part of my decision. This was the one school where I felt comfortable walking up to any person, any time, during any event, and introducing myself. Other places I felt sometimes a bit unwelcome or uncomfortable doing so. I have stayed in touch with a fair number of fellow admits, and I already feel a strong bond with them. Also, the queer community here is hands down the best of the ones I had interaction with while visiting law schools. Awesome, awesome group of people.

-Yeah, weather and city leave a little bit to be desired. But there are diamonds in the rough: as a friend pointed out, unlike Palo Alto, tons of businesses in New Haven were started by immigrants who are aspiring business owners, and there’s a real sense of community here that lacks in Palo Alto amidst its rug stores and $50-dinner restaurants. I won’t lie, I love Stanford’s community and how absolutely blissful the area is, but I think a new community and environment will be a welcome challenge. If I really decide I dislike the northeast, I’ll just make sure to end up in California after law school. A number of Californians assured me that you can more than survive, even if you hate cold weather. Also, I think the shuttle bus, while again non-ideal, makes up for a lot of the inadequacy of safety issues at night. You can call anytime, anywhere, and ensure you have a safe ride home. Pretty sweet.

-I won’t lie, the faculty, while brilliant, is not the most diverse. I found the Stanford faculty remarkably more approachable, and the NYU faculty is far stronger in my areas of interest. However, I feel like Yale makes collaboration with faculty fairly easy, and I think the students were far more diverse than anywhere else I visited. 32% non-white isn’t ideal, but it’s sure better than just about any other law school. I also think they’re working to increase their number of young faculty members, and their clinical profs, by all accounts, rock.

-Financial aid, again, was not quite as good as Stanford for me (and measurably worse than my merit scholarship at NYU), but it’s still amazingly generous and the COAP program offers a world of flexibility unmatched by any other school. If I want to start a small business, make end’s meat while writing a book, work in a foreign country doing journalism, or just bartend in the Caribbean, COAP will cover it. Pretty incredible, and one of the hardest things to consider turning down.

-The can-do attitude of Yale is what sold me in the end. The “here’s a plot of land and a pile of logs, build whatever you want” system is just too tempting to turn down. I think in a lot of ways my life would have been easier at Stanford, but I think I’m up for the challenge.

Can’t wait to hear everyone’s 1L experience. I’ll be deferring for a year, so you guys will all be able to coach me through it next year! It’s a testament to the people that at several points in the weekend I kept thinking to myself, “How can I defer?! I want to be a 1L with these people!”

It's a nice New Haven November day and I'm studying Con Law in the law building's beautiful library into the evening. I casually glance out the giant windows and notice that it looks like the sun is setting......

My mission: make it back to my apartment without getting mugged

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQWaUAo ... re=related

Damn it Fred!

Ha, with commitment comes buyer's remorse--part of me wishes I would have gotten the chance to visit Stanford, but part of me is excited about Yale and the opportunities it offers.

UGH! I just withdrew from the last of the schools - Stanford, Harvard and NYU. I guess Yale it is.

zabagabe wrote:UGH! I just withdrew from the last of the schools - Stanford, Harvard and NYU. I guess Yale it is.

How did you handle the withdrawals? I just mailed YLS my deposit, and I still need to withdraw from Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. I feel it is too late to withdraw via snail mail. Thoughts?

tinman wrote:

zabagabe wrote:UGH! I just withdrew from the last of the schools - Stanford, Harvard and NYU. I guess Yale it is.

How did you handle the withdrawals? I just mailed YLS my deposit, and I still need to withdraw from Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. I feel it is too late to withdraw via snail mail. Thoughts?

I just did them by email.

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2009/05/just ... dging.html

An article Heather Gerken wrote about her old boss, Justice Souter.

Hm..anyone else still waiting for their (updated) financial aid offer?

Also, CHESLA or CitiAssist for those of you who have already applied?

I think Gradplus is out for me...those interest rates are monstrous.

Also, regarding Stafford loans- do we need to look for lenders or does Yale take care of that? People have been talking about Access Group, so I was a bit confused....

.

FranFang wrote:Hm..anyone else still waiting for their (updated) financial aid offer?

Also, CHESLA or CitiAssist for those of you who have already applied?

I think Gradplus is out for me...those interest rates are monstrous.

Also, regarding Stafford loans- do we need to look for lenders or does Yale take care of that? People have been talking about Access Group, so I was a bit confused....

You have to pick a Stafford lender, too. I think many people choose to use the same lender for Stafford and the alternative (PLUS or private) parts, just for convenience. There's a non-exhaustive list available on the right side of the page here: http://www.yale.edu/sfas/finaid/graduat ... ender.html

**I stand corrected on the CHESLA interest situation**
"Graduate and professional students may defer interest while in school and for a 6-month grace period (interest is capitalized annually)."

So, shuchong was probably correct [below]....no deference due to me!

bgc wrote:Also, regarding Stafford loans- do we need to look for lenders or does Yale take care of that? People have been talking about Access Group, so I was a bit confused....

Never mind! I defer to the all-knowing Rabbit

Any guys still looking for a roommate?

I feel so clueless right now, not having gone to the ASW.