Penn Students Taking Questions Forum

[lostmyname]

how much does Penn Law stress diversty for their incoming classes
?

Can you be more specific?

[Ernert]

Hey guys, future potential 1L here (currently picking between Penn and Michigan), and I wanted to say thanks to all of the posters who have stuck around (even after graduation : p) to give all this great information. It has definitely given me a taste of the collegiality and helpfulness that I expect is present throughout the school community.

I had a few questions:

1) Having lived in only school dorms and a super-cheap apartment since graduation, is Sansom going to be much of an issue? I saw some complaints about the quality but the proximity to campus and the fact that I personally would enjoy living close to other law students (only one year out and love being social as long as I have my own room at the end of the day) would be great for the first year. How close are the nearest fitness facilities (I assume you'd use the Penn ones) to Sansom?

2) What is the grading like for non-law school classes? I've always wanted to learn more about finance and business so the option of taking Wharton classes seems amazing to me (probably getting the certificate too)... are you curved against MBA students and undergrad business students though? That would be a little intimidating.

3) This might be a little specific, but can anyone speak to the level of involvement/benefits to joining the minority student groups in the law school? I'm particularly interested in the South Asian Law Students group.

4) How well attended are bar reviews and other events? On weekends, what do the young, single students do? I have every intention of working as hard as I can but given the lack of class on Fridays, I can't imagine that it would be too busy to go out Thurs-Sat as long as you aren't hung over and ruining your productivity the morning after, at least until the finals/mass-mailing crunch.

Thanks!

[johnnyutah]

1) Having lived in only school dorms and a super-cheap apartment since graduation, is Sansom going to be much of an issue? I saw some complaints about the quality but the proximity to campus and the fact that I personally would enjoy living close to other law students (only one year out and love being social as long as I have my own room at the end of the day) would be great for the first year. How close are the nearest fitness facilities (I assume you'd use the Penn ones) to Sansom?

Sansom isn't that bad, and it's a five minute walk from the gym. That said, if you're willing to go a few blocks father west, you can spend a lot less for a studio of your own.

2) What is the grading like for non-law school classes? I've always wanted to learn more about finance and business so the option of taking Wharton classes seems amazing to me (probably getting the certificate too)... are you curved against MBA students and undergrad business students though? That would be a little intimidating.

I don't know about Wharton, but generally non law school classes are considered easy GPA padders. I cannot imagine Wharton classes being harder than law classes. I know the graduate level Bioethics classes I took were ridiculously easy compared to law classes.

3) This might be a little specific, but can anyone speak to the level of involvement/benefits to joining the minority student groups in the law school? I'm particularly interested in the South Asian Law Students group.

I know they exist and do shit, but I can't tell you much specifically.

4) How well attended are bar reviews and other events? On weekends, what do the young, single students do? I have every intention of working as hard as I can but given the lack of class on Fridays, I can't imagine that it would be too busy to go out Thurs-Sat as long as you aren't hung over and ruining your productivity the morning after, at least until the finals/mass-mailing crunch.

Philly is a great town to be young and single in. Even if you don't end up out with a group of law students, there is shit to get in to.

[Ernert]

1) Having lived in only school dorms and a super-cheap apartment since graduation, is Sansom going to be much of an issue? I saw some complaints about the quality but the proximity to campus and the fact that I personally would enjoy living close to other law students (only one year out and love being social as long as I have my own room at the end of the day) would be great for the first year. How close are the nearest fitness facilities (I assume you'd use the Penn ones) to Sansom?

Sansom isn't that bad, and it's a five minute walk from the gym. That said, if you're willing to go a few blocks father west, you can spend a lot less for a studio of your own.

Thanks for the information Johnny!

I have no issue doubling my walking time to save some money as long as I'm still close to other students... were there any specific apartment complexes or addresses you had in mind?

And I would definitely hope to not just hang out with law students... nothing personal but I've always enjoyed having a pretty diverse group of friends and I have a few extracurricular interests that I doubt I will be able to pursue with law students only.

Also, I'd still love to hear from someone who actually took some Wharton classes or got the certificate (ideally without previous business background but regardless).

[johnnyutah]

1) Having lived in only school dorms and a super-cheap apartment since graduation, is Sansom going to be much of an issue? I saw some complaints about the quality but the proximity to campus and the fact that I personally would enjoy living close to other law students (only one year out and love being social as long as I have my own room at the end of the day) would be great for the first year. How close are the nearest fitness facilities (I assume you'd use the Penn ones) to Sansom?

Sansom isn't that bad, and it's a five minute walk from the gym. That said, if you're willing to go a few blocks father west, you can spend a lot less for a studio of your own.

Thanks for the information Johnny!

I have no issue doubling my walking time to save some money as long as I'm still close to other students... were there any specific apartment complexes or addresses you had in mind?

And I would definitely hope to not just hang out with law students... nothing personal but I've always enjoyed having a pretty diverse group of friends and I have a few extracurricular interests that I doubt I will be able to pursue with law students only.

Also, I'd still love to hear from someone who actually took some Wharton classes or got the certificate (ideally without previous business background but regardless).

I lived in a small studio by the corner of 40th & Pine for all 3 years of law school, and I paid about $650/month for it (water, gas & heat included). The place on Sansom is approximately 3 blocks west and 3 blocks north of where I lived. PM me if you want more details on housing.

I love Philadelphia, and I'd be more than happy to talk more about how you can pursue your interests in the city. What are these extracurriculars?

[Ernert]

^PM'd.

[Nelson]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

[r6_philly]

Based on OCI stats, offer rates from callbacks are very low. I think many people get callbacks but not enough can convince that they will stay or that Philly firms are not fallback positions. For the record, not a huge part of the class are from the area, and I can't imagine the yield from Penn is very high for Philly firms.

[Veyron]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

The grade cutoffs for the Philly firms are lower but R6's comment seems accurate. Yes, bidding only Philly is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot because there just aren't that many big Philly firms. However, the flip side of this is that you could bid every Philly firm that comes to OCI and still have space left over to pic up 15 NYC interviews.

[iamrobk]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

The grade cutoffs for the Philly firms are lower but R6's comment seems accurate. Yes, bidding only Philly is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot because there just aren't that many big Philly firms. However, the flip side of this is that you could bid every Philly firm that comes to OCI and still have space left over to pic up 15 NYC interviews.

Since I'm from Philly (well, the suburbs) and I'd like to stay in Philly long-term (I guess right now I'm kinda split 50/50 between that and going to NYC), do you think this would give me an advantage, or would I still be better off not even bothering with Philly firms?

[johnnyutah]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

I bid on all the Philly firms and didn't even get a callback, but this was in 2009 and OCI was a massacre for everyone that year.

[Veyron]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

The grade cutoffs for the Philly firms are lower but R6's comment seems accurate. Yes, bidding only Philly is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot because there just aren't that many big Philly firms. However, the flip side of this is that you could bid every Philly firm that comes to OCI and still have space left over to pic up 15 NYC interviews.

Since I'm from Philly (well, the suburbs) and I'd like to stay in Philly long-term (I guess right now I'm kinda split 50/50 between that and going to NYC), do you think this would give me an advantage, or would I still be better off not even bothering with Philly firms?

Its gotten better since 2009 obvi, especially in the last year. If you're from the area splitting your bids between Philly and NYC is a good strategy.

[Nelson]

Thanks for the responses guys. Still trying to weigh my options and determine how valuable to me keeping the Philly market open is.

[iamrobk]

Can any of the current Penn folks comment on how Penn students do for OCI with Philly firms from first/secondhand experience/random stories from your year? Are the grade cut offs for the Philly firms that come to OCI comparable to the cut offs that would be required for NYC firms (at comparable levels of prestige)? Does the small size of the Philly market mean that people bidding Philly primarily can shoot themselves in the foot? Shoot me a PM if this isn't something you want to share ITT?

The grade cutoffs for the Philly firms are lower but R6's comment seems accurate. Yes, bidding only Philly is a good way to shoot yourself in the foot because there just aren't that many big Philly firms. However, the flip side of this is that you could bid every Philly firm that comes to OCI and still have space left over to pic up 15 NYC interviews.

Since I'm from Philly (well, the suburbs) and I'd like to stay in Philly long-term (I guess right now I'm kinda split 50/50 between that and going to NYC), do you think this would give me an advantage, or would I still be better off not even bothering with Philly firms?

Its gotten better since 2009 obvi, especially in the last year. If you're from the area splitting your bids between Philly and NYC is a good strategy.

Thanks, pretty much what I expected to hear.

[DonnaDraper]

Tagging this thread

[cogitoergosum]

I'm attending the information session on Friday - did any current Penn students attend this prior to deciding? Anything I should make sure to see/do? It begins with an info session with an admissions representative, anything in particular that I should ask about?

[r6_philly]

I'm attending the information session on Friday - did any current Penn students attend this prior to deciding? Anything I should make sure to see/do? It begins with an info session with an admissions representative, anything in particular that I should ask about?

Are you taking our con law class? I was going to be the tour for Friday but I have an interview to go to so I canceled. You should check out the students, talk to some if you can stick around. I think other than stats on paper, you really have to enjoy the environment and the people you spend 3 years with. Get a sense of the students at Penn, and compare to other schools.

[cogitoergosum]

I'm attending the information session on Friday - did any current Penn students attend this prior to deciding? Anything I should make sure to see/do? It begins with an info session with an admissions representative, anything in particular that I should ask about?

Are you taking our con law class? I was going to be the tour for Friday but I have an interview to go to so I canceled. You should check out the students, talk to some if you can stick around. I think other than stats on paper, you really have to enjoy the environment and the people you spend 3 years with. Get a sense of the students at Penn, and compare to other schools.

Cool, thanks for the advice. It looks like I have a choice of con law or criminal law (both are from 1:30-2:50) - which one would you recommend?

[r6_philly]

Cool, thanks for the advice. It looks like I have a choice of con law or criminal law (both are from 1:30-2:50) - which one would you recommend?

If you can understand con law, then you would like con law. If not, then go to crim. Our con law professor is very good, but if you don't have a little background, you get lost quick. Crim is a bit easier to pick up.

[Veyron]

Cool, thanks for the advice. It looks like I have a choice of con law or criminal law (both are from 1:30-2:50) - which one would you recommend?

If you can understand con law, then you would like con law. If not, then go to crim. Our con law professor is very good, but if you don't have a little background, you get lost quick. Crim is a bit easier to pick up.

Also, Penn is known for having one of the best Crim faculties in the country. Professor Robinson especially is probably the #1 guy in the field and I think he lets potential victims sit in on his class.

[r6_philly]

Also, Penn is known for having one of the best Crim faculties in the country. Professor Robinson especially is probably the #1 guy in the field and I think he lets potential victims sit in on his class.

I have Katz. Crim is fun.

[Copacetic1]

.

[dabomb75]

Sorry to double post, but I think I might get more responses here...

Question to the ED people or to anyone who knows they are going to Penn for sure: How many days are people going to spend at Admitted Students Weekend? I am from the west coast, so ideally, I would like to take care of my housing search/ visiting campus/ ASW stuff in one weekend. My concern with doing Friday- Sunday, which is my current plan, is that Friday and Saturday are going to be filled with ASW activities and that will only leave me Sunday to look for housing... Is that enough time/ Are most leasing offices open on Sunday? Will we have time on Friday and Saturday to look for housing?

Can current students who found housing at ASW chime in? Or post the schedule from last year? I've been checking the website for an updated ASW itinerary, but it hasn't shown up yet.

Any input would be greatly appreciated since I want to book my flight and hotel soon! Can't wait to meet everyone.

I came 2 days early so I could have some time to look at places. I definitely needed extra time other than the ASW days. Also, I would suggest calling the places and setting up appointments. Most places are pretty chill about it, but some aren't free at certain times. That and also then you can get your answer as to whether they're open on Sunday as well.

[NYC Law]

Just wanted to say you guys weren't joking about Wolff... He grilled the same person for an hour and a half, despite obvious discomfort and suffering the entire time. Thanks for the heads up though.

(And he does seem like a great teacher, I'm more interested in Civ Pro than I thought I'd be. It's just a little terrifying waiting for your day)

[JDizzle2015]

Any comments on the quality of Sansom? I want to live as close to school as possible since east coast winters frighten me... Domus sounds/looks amazing but forking out $2,300-$2,600/mo for a one bedroom just seems a bit excessive.