Top Law Schools

For those of you that went to the admitted students events: what did you think? I had a pretty positive impression. I was already pretty set on going to UW, but it was definitely worth going and meeting current students, alumni, faculty, and some of my future classmates.
It was nice to meet you in real life Natelaw. I am not sure if I ran into any of the rest of you, but I was very impressed with all of the other prospective students that I met.

newcritic wrote:

jcl2 wrote:

newcritic wrote:

wanderingpie wrote:I spoke to Financial Aid this morning and offers are going out today and tomorrow. I called regarding some other paperwork, and the FinAid admin told me the offers were going into the mail. I mentioned that I was going to be at the admitted students events and wouldn't be getting to my mailbox until next week, and he told me my package numbers right over the phone.

Great, so now I get return to obsessively checking my mail everyday at lunch.

On another note, anyone happy/surprised/saddened by UW staying at #30 in the rankings?

Call them, apparently they are giving out info over the phone.

I'm glad UW didn't fall in the rankings, hopefully someday they will get back to the T25, which is where they were a decade ago, but it seems like the last few years have been pretty stable right around 30.

Do you know if there's any truth to these rumors on this board about tuition exemptions (or some such thing)?

It sounds like they exist, several people have said that they received them and I don't think they would have any reason to lie. I think they are entirely need based, so if your expected contribution was very low there is a good chance you might get something. I suppose I should just call them though and stop speculating.

I called this morning from work, but the office wasn't open yet. I'll have another chance around 10:00 or so.

As far as admitted student events, I went on a tour in March and then I went to the Clinic Preview day. I had a wonderful experience both times. I was especially interested in the Tribal Law clinic. The responsibility one takes on there is intimidating, but the opportunity to work with real clients and actually try criminal cases seems rare - plus, everyone has to have a first trial sometime, right?

Of the two classes I've seen, Advanced Criminal Law was more interesting than Comparative International Law, but then that may be an unfair comparison.

I got the impression that the administrative people were friendly and helpful, but that's how they were supposed to appear so who knows. It seems students at every level often end up complaining about admin types one way or another. I really liked the forum with the students. It seems there was a good sampling of the student body.

I counted five places that offered sushi within two blocks of the law school.

I also really enjoyed the admitted students events. Everyone was really welcoming, and you could tell it was an environment where people are really laid-back yet take their work seriously and are bright individuals. I don't know if I met anyone who is specifically on here (my name is Linda, if I met you!) but I met a lot of really cool folks and it made me a lot more comfortable with/excited to attend the UW. I was also pretty set before I went, but I felt like I had to visit before I made my final decision.

The building (and campus) is beautiful, the professors were engaging, and the staff was very friendly when I stopped into the financial aid office. I haven't received my aid package yet, and the financial aid guy was out of the office when I stopped by, so I guess I'll call if I don't receive it today. I am not anticipating any scholarships, although if they are need based I might have a chance!

kalydscopeeyes wrote:I also really enjoyed the admitted students events. Everyone was really welcoming, and you could tell it was an environment where people are really laid-back yet take their work seriously and are bright individuals. I don't know if I met anyone who is specifically on here (my name is Linda, if I met you!) but I met a lot of really cool folks and it made me a lot more comfortable with/excited to attend the UW. I was also pretty set before I went, but I felt like I had to visit before I made my final decision.

The building (and campus) is beautiful, the professors were engaging, and the staff was very friendly when I stopped into the financial aid office. I haven't received my aid package yet, and the financial aid guy was out of the office when I stopped by, so I guess I'll call if I don't receive it today. I am not anticipating any scholarships, although if they are need based I might have a chance!

Oh, I totally met you. You were there with your boyfriend right? I was there with my wife. I think we sat next to you at the class observation, ate lunch with you, and were on the campus tour with you. Right?

Yes! I was with Shaydn, my boyfriend. It was really nice to meet you guys!! I never made the connection that you were from the forum here! haha.

Does anyone know how they inform us abt financial aid offers? By email or mail? Also, did the financial aid application only consist of the fafsa and the need statement?

I didn't really make my TLS-ness known, but I was there too. I thought the weekend was amazing. I thought it was great that it was students running the event, not the administration, and I could not find a student with anything but happiness with their decision to attend UW (even outside the SBA folks who hosted the events). The faculty were approachable and friendly, too.

Specifically, the extent of the UW's efforts at career planning and mentoring impressed me to no end. I have little fear of not finding a great job after UW.

For my dollar, there is no better law school. Also, for my dollar, there is nothing better than when Michael Bolton sings "When a man loves a woman."

I have been meaning to post about my visit to UW about a week ago but I have not had the time/have been lazy. Overall, I was very impressed with the city of Seattle and UW's location. UW is located in north Seattle, in the university district. There are a lot of coffee shops, ethnic restaurants, and sidewalk stores in the U district. It is a very relaxed area mostly populated by young people. There is a lot of housing available in the U District, and it can range from pricey to relatively cheap. I stayed with my friend, who is a student at UW grad program and was paying $1200/month for a studio apartment. But I have heard that you can get individual apartments for about $600-700, you just have to know where/how to look. To give you a sense of my particular situation in choosing a law school, I was deciding between UW and BU/BC. I went on a cross-country tour of law schools for a week, so I was fresh off of visiting both BC/BU. The biggest difference between UW and BC/BU was a sense of laid-back-ness and non-competitiveness at UW, although BC/BU still were not that competitive feeling. Also, the class sizes were smaller at UW. It had more of a cozy, community, campus feeling to it, which is something I really liked about it. Like other posters have said, students were very smart but also relaxed, which seems to make the law school experience more bearable. The first year student who showed me around said the gunner-like students were socially shunned and considered to be pariahs. The UW law building is gorgeous, I was very impressed by it. In general, the whole UW campus is gorgeous. Also, one of my trepidations about UW was that the Seattle legal market was small and hard to break into. I asked a student about this, and he told me that because there are so few law students (only 3 schools in Washington state) in Washington, there are enough opportunities for UW students. He also said that by going to law school at UW you are establishing your connection to the state. In general, my visit to UW was very important because I had never been to Seattle and I fell in love with the city after visiting....to anyone considering UW and a school in a different part of the country, I would definitely recommend visiting. This is probably where you are going to spend the next 10-15 years of your life, so be prepared to really like the area if you decide to go to school there.

Hi guys! I am happy to hear that so many of you were impressed with your visit. I will also be most likely attending next year, but was not at any of the ASD that you all were at.

Since I did my undergrad at UW I wanted to offer a piece of advice by NOT living in the U District. The crime has grown out of control in the area and every week there is some sort of attack, shooting, robbery or mugging, many times of which in broad day light. This was the case when I was there, and it has only gotten worse. I still get the emails by UW Police.

Fortunately though, the great part about Seattle is that it is neighborhood based and there are some wonderful areas to live that are on a direct bus line to UW. I would recommend Green Lake, Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Queen Ann Hill or Wallingford (I guess I sort a like em all). In each neighborhood there is a wide selection of good bars and restaurants, and the rent prices are comparable, if not cheaper than to the U District.

Anyways, UW Law is a fantastic school and I am super excited for the fall to get here. You all seem like you will be great classmates too. I just wanted to give a heads up about the dangerous crime in the area, because it is honestly that bad.

I also was very impressed. Particularly with the vibe I get from current students. Sometimes the things you cannot quantify are the most important. They just all seem to be a really nice blend of serious, hardworking, bright students, yet still laid back and easy going. I am pretty excited for the fall. I think I will send my deposit this week.

It was nice to meet you too Jeremy.

I can confirm Tuition exemptions for those with a Low EFC. I got 5k. I heard they range from 5-8. I called and they gave me my numbers over the phone.

What are you guys thoughts on the option to do Contorts? I asked a bunch of students, and pretty much everyone felt which ever path they took was the best one.

newman wrote:Hi guys! I am happy to hear that so many of you were impressed with your visit. I will also be most likely attending next year, but was not at any of the ASD that you all were at.

Since I did my undergrad at UW I wanted to offer a piece of advice by NOT living in the U District. The crime has grown out of control in the area and every week there is some sort of attack, shooting, robbery or mugging, many times of which in broad day light. This was the case when I was there, and it has only gotten worse. I still get the emails by UW Police.

Fortunately though, the great part about Seattle is that it is neighborhood based and there are some wonderful areas to live that are on a direct bus line to UW. I would recommend Green Lake, Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Queen Ann Hill or Wallingford (I guess I sort a like em all). In each neighborhood there is a wide selection of good bars and restaurants, and the rent prices are comparable, if not cheaper than to the U District.

Anyways, UW Law is a fantastic school and I am super excited for the fall to get here. You all seem like you will be great classmates too. I just wanted to give a heads up about the dangerous crime in the area, because it is honestly that bad.

Thanks man, appreciate that input. I'm going to be attending and I've lived on queene and the past year and didn't even know about that. guess I just never looked into it. I had been considering the possiblity of moving closer to the school since queene and is a bit of a ways. but..... high crimes not really my thing, personally.

BenjaminAlan wrote:

newman wrote:Hi guys! I am happy to hear that so many of you were impressed with your visit. I will also be most likely attending next year, but was not at any of the ASD that you all were at.

Since I did my undergrad at UW I wanted to offer a piece of advice by NOT living in the U District. The crime has grown out of control in the area and every week there is some sort of attack, shooting, robbery or mugging, many times of which in broad day light. This was the case when I was there, and it has only gotten worse. I still get the emails by UW Police.

Fortunately though, the great part about Seattle is that it is neighborhood based and there are some wonderful areas to live that are on a direct bus line to UW. I would recommend Green Lake, Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Queen Ann Hill or Wallingford (I guess I sort a like em all). In each neighborhood there is a wide selection of good bars and restaurants, and the rent prices are comparable, if not cheaper than to the U District.

Anyways, UW Law is a fantastic school and I am super excited for the fall to get here. You all seem like you will be great classmates too. I just wanted to give a heads up about the dangerous crime in the area, because it is honestly that bad.

Thanks man, appreciate that input. I'm going to be attending and I've lived on queene and the past year and didn't even know about that. guess I just never looked into it. I had been considering the possiblity of moving closer to the school since queene and is a bit of a ways. but..... high crimes not really my thing, personally.

I go to UW as well and just wanted to comment. As far as I know "crime" has not increased in the U-District. As was mentioned earlier there are more timely police notifications that are sent out to all students but this is not because of increased crime but as a proactive safety response by the university. The same number of crimes are occurring as in the past but now the police are required to notify the surrounding area if they occur.

tvaddicted wrote:Does anyone know how they inform us abt financial aid offers? By email or mail? Also, did the financial aid application only consist of the fafsa and the need statement?

FWIW, I got my fin aid offer in the mail yesterday afternoon. I withdrew last week though. I also know for a fact that the fin aid office contacts people by phone too.

WestCoastGuru wrote:

BenjaminAlan wrote:

newman wrote:Hi guys! I am happy to hear that so many of you were impressed with your visit. I will also be most likely attending next year, but was not at any of the ASD that you all were at.

Since I did my undergrad at UW I wanted to offer a piece of advice by NOT living in the U District. The crime has grown out of control in the area and every week there is some sort of attack, shooting, robbery or mugging, many times of which in broad day light. This was the case when I was there, and it has only gotten worse. I still get the emails by UW Police.

Fortunately though, the great part about Seattle is that it is neighborhood based and there are some wonderful areas to live that are on a direct bus line to UW. I would recommend Green Lake, Ballard, Fremont, Capitol Hill, Queen Ann Hill or Wallingford (I guess I sort a like em all). In each neighborhood there is a wide selection of good bars and restaurants, and the rent prices are comparable, if not cheaper than to the U District.

Anyways, UW Law is a fantastic school and I am super excited for the fall to get here. You all seem like you will be great classmates too. I just wanted to give a heads up about the dangerous crime in the area, because it is honestly that bad.

Thanks man, appreciate that input. I'm going to be attending and I've lived on queene and the past year and didn't even know about that. guess I just never looked into it. I had been considering the possiblity of moving closer to the school since queene and is a bit of a ways. but..... high crimes not really my thing, personally.

I go to UW as well and just wanted to comment. As far as I know "crime" has not increased in the U-District. As was mentioned earlier there are more timely police notifications that are sent out to all students but this is not because of increased crime but as a proactive safety response by the university. The same number of crimes are occurring as in the past but now the police are required to notify the surrounding area if they occur.

I have not done any serious research, but I live in the area and I do not feel that crime is a serious problem at all. I feel very comfortable walking down the street, alone at night. I get the email alerts too. Most of them are some one grabbed a purse or tried to get someone’s wallet.

Hopefully you're right and the crime really is not that bad. I may just be an outlier too that had some bad experiences in the U District. Just thought I would give my perspective.
Can't wait to meet you all in a few months!

Whats up with all the ties in the rankings anyway.....? An 8 way tie for 77th? Tons (and by tons I mean, literally, more than one ton) of 4 way and 5 way ties??

Interesting. I'd be curious to know why there's so many ties.

BenjaminAlan wrote:Whats up with all the ties in the rankings anyway.....? An 8 way tie for 77th? Tons (and by tons I mean, literally, more than one ton) of 4 way and 5 way ties??

Interesting. I'd be curious to know why there's so many ties.

USNWR's ranking methodology results in a 1-100 numerical value (where Yale = 1*100). Schools are then ranked based on their value. So when you have mulitple schools with the same value there are ties. I would venture to guess that the number of schools sharing a value increases the lower the values become.

pubintrst wrote:

BenjaminAlan wrote:Whats up with all the ties in the rankings anyway.....? An 8 way tie for 77th? Tons (and by tons I mean, literally, more than one ton) of 4 way and 5 way ties??

Interesting. I'd be curious to know why there's so many ties.

USNWR's ranking methodology results in a 1-100 numerical value (where Yale = 1*100). Schools are then ranked based on their value. So when you have mulitple schools with the same value there are ties. I would venture to guess that the number of schools sharing a value increases the lower the values become.

sure, my point, though, is that I know that in the past they have tried to adjust their methodology (which seems to be often changing) in a way that limited ties. after all, if you are one of those 8 schools, dont you think you'd want to know how you actually compare to your immediate competition? I wonder abotu the UW this year, are they closer to the 29th school? or the 35th school? we really can't tell.... anyway I just wonder if maybe their philosophy has changed. perhaps they are thinking that it is better to have more ties because it shows sort of a more tiered approach, and maybe they think it lends itself to students relying less on the rankings because they know that of 5 schools (for example), they are all of comparable value so students will dig deeper than the rankings. anyway, just a guess, but I'm thinking that theres interesting stuff behind the scenes on this. maybe I'm wrong, but I jsut dont recall this many ties being ususal in the past.

Ahh, I already can't wait to move to Seattle and it is only April. It is going to be a long summer.

I got admission of UW, but I am not really happy about it. Because I am worrying about the employment situation. Some UW student told me that Seatle is a very small market, and this year's employment situation is terribly worse. In order to enter UW, I have to borrow a big amount of money. So, if I cannot get a decent job three years later, I SUCK!!!! More importantly, I am not American and without green card. I guess I am doomed to be jobless after my gradutaion.
Sorry , I am pessimistic.

Anyone curious/have any thoughts on the new dean? who that might be? does anyone care? I for one, am totally curious...

BenjaminAlan wrote:Anyone curious/have any thoughts on the new dean? who that might be? does anyone care? I for one, am totally curious...

+1

BenjaminAlan wrote:Anyone curious/have any thoughts on the new dean? who that might be? does anyone care? I for one, am totally curious...

I am definitely curious. They have not updated anything on the situation since the candidates visited the school back in January, I'm surprised there has been no decision announced yet.

On a different note, unfortunately it is looking like I might need to start a class of 2013 thread. My wife and I are going to be having a baby in the fall, and me keeping my job and waiting a year for law school is probably going to be the better choice than moving to Seattle with her not having work lined up, and with no idea what we are going to do about child care. So I might be seeing you all in the fall of 2010 rather than this September. We'll see, I haven't decided yet for sure.

BenjaminAlan wrote:Anyone curious/have any thoughts on the new dean? who that might be? does anyone care? I for one, am totally curious...

Just a little bit <sarcasm>. My biggest fear is, regarding this matter, is that they go bust on another round of dean searching. They named a candidate last year, but that person didn't end up taking the job I believe. If they continue to struggle to find a suitable replacement that just doesn't look good.

I am not letting this dissuade me from attending, since my next best offer (also sticker) is a 30 pt drop in rankings, but it is a bit frustrating. It is interesting to think about how dean quality, or existence in this case, impacts the law school experience. I look at it this way: a great dean uses leadership and motivation to steer the entire school in a positive direction, while a mediocre dean, and to some extent bad ones too, allow for drift and the continuation of the status quo.

Given that, I think the UW is a strong enough program with high caliber faculty and strong support for the rest of the University that drift is tolerable in the short term. Though I would love to be greated by a dean, come this September, who can speak to the entering class in a way that pumps everyone up and really makes you feel that this is going to be an amazing three years.

FWIW.