So I'm definitely going to Hastings in the fall - who else? I'm from SF, so if you guys have any questions about good neighborhoods/bars/restaurants/public transport, ask away!

Thank you for starting the thread. I will be attending Hastings in the fall.

I'm from upstate NY and have no idea what San Francisco will be like. Where would you recommend living? Is the Tower a good place to start or should I start hunting for apartments?

What is public transportation like? I've owned a car for the last 6 years and will have to get used to taking the bus, etc around town.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Oh where upstate are you from? (it's okay if you don't want to answer in case you're outed) I spent some time near Albany. Where you should live really depends on your preferences and how much you can afford on rent. The Tower is the most convenient option, but it is so close that you really live on three blocks. It looked like a lot of people on the other thread put down deposits for the tower. At the ASD a student said that pretty much everyone who wants to live there can live there, so it probably isn't full yet. If you want to live in another area, I recommend checking out craigslist. There are tons of good neighborhoods nearby varying in price, and there are tons of public transport options nearby Hastings. So I think first you should think about your budget and if you want to live near school and with law students, and if the answer is no, then we can talk about different neighborhoods, etc. Public transportation is pretty good in SF, I have a car but I actually don't use it very often, I usually end up taking the bus. I don't live near muni (kind of like the subway, kind of like a streetcar depending on where you are), so the bus is the best option for me... they aren't too bad and are pretty reliable. I remember when I was younger it was like I never knew when the next bus would come and I'd be waiting for over 20 minutes, but now with iphone apps and the internet and whatnot its pretty easy to figure out your transportation schedule.

Thanks,

I live ~30 minutes north of Ithaca within the Finger Lakes. Albany is about a 90 minute drive.

I have no money, and no resources, so all my financing is coming from loans and (hopefully) need-based grants. I've never lived like that before so 1L year should be very interesting... or stressful!

The advice is very helpful. The closer I am to the law school the better. I don't mind living in a small area as long as proper transportation exists to travel across the city on the weekends.

Thank you for the advice. Hopefully others will join the thread soon.

was thinking about making this thread, but i forgot about it.

anyone send in their CA residency forms yet? i sent it in over a week ago but haven't heard back; do they confirm they received it somehow?

I sent mine in a week ago exactly and haven't heard back yet either. Filling that out was one of the most annoying bureaucratic things I've ever done.

I'm happy this has been made! I've applied to live in the Tower because I'm coming from abroad so I really don't have much of a chance to look for alternative housing. I'm hoping it'll be a great way to meet people though.

Re Ikea discussion from the other thread: I'm probably going to move over a week before orientation and sleep on my apartment's floor until I get furniture so hopefully making the Ikea trip asap after I arrive! Obviously the more the merrier

I talked to the person at Hastings about residency for out of state people. If you want to get in-state tuition for 2L year you have to have a permanent location by August 8th or 9th.

when is orientation?

According to the school's online academic calendar, LEOP orientation is Aug 8-15. New student orientation is August 17-19.

Yay for this thread! I'm LEOP and will be attending in the fall. Tower's rates are too high for me alone. I'm down if anyone would like to split a Studio or something. I live in the East Bay but I want to avoid the 70 minute commute if possible.

-

Tower rates are insane (at least compared to upstate NY.) Do you know if there are any pictures of the studio apartments in the Tower?

Once the school receives my financial info they should put me in the LEOP program. At least that's what Rutgers did.

Not sure about pictures as the housing site has very basic and generic photos. I'm planning on going there this week (assuming everything my schedule works out) and taking a look at the studio sizes. 500 square feet doesn't mean much in paper. Just not a fan of the academic year lease. Wish it was semester instead. I'd like to have an out if my roommate moves out or the like.

Would you be able to take a picture with your phone or something of the tower apts you see and post them here? It could be helpful for people who are trying to decide whether to live there or not. I saw a studio while I visited and it was bigger than I thought it would be.. I'm a really bad judge of space and can't really get a grasp of space based on square footage either.

Do LEOP students need to attend both orientations-both LEOP orientation and the general new students one? I understand we need to attend the LEOP one, but are we required, or given the option of attending the other one?

Rising 2L jumping in to say howdy. Now that exams and write-on are over, I'm returning from a long TLS hiatus to say congrats to all of you and that I'm happy to try to answer any Qs you may have.

+1. Felt kind of violated by the form to be honest.

haha, srs.

i just got an email today about sending in the residency forms; did anyone who sent it in already get it as well?

i'll probably call them tomorrow.

Yeah I also got that e-mail. I figure they have hundreds of residency forms right now so they just haven't processed all of them yet. Calling to confirm though is a good idea, if I have to fill out the form again I'll go crazy.

Thanks for answering our Qs.

There is a rumor going on that UC Hastings is very competitive (people hid or tore books). How do you feel bout that? Did you ever notice anything? Are people friendly, i.e. if you miss a class, is it easy to borrow somebody's note?

How about the career services? What portion of people got 1L summer job based on students you know? Are they happy with the jobs if they got any?

Are professors easily accessible?

What do you like the most about Hastings? And what do you think can improve?

Thanks a lot!

Has anyone off the waitlist received their financial aid package?

Not yet. Got a preliminary estimate from the FA office when making my decision to hold a seat, but nothing official at this point.

I received the waitlist e-mail last Wednesday and got the acceptance offer on Monday. I just called the financial aid office today, and the man I spoke to said I would be part of the second batch of packages. It will arrive by Friday of next week.

I think it was a generic e-mail sent to everyone as a reminder. I doubt they took the time to exclude those who already sent the forms. But I agree, calling to confirm won't hurt.