Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018) Forum

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Did you/will you submit a Why Berkeley?

Poll ended at Tue Jan 16, 2018 11:44 am

Yes
111
74%
No
27
18%
I have a 4.0/180
12
8%
 
Total votes: 150

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jjdude14

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by jjdude14 » Mon Sep 18, 2017 5:30 pm

Checking in! One of my top choices if I manage to get in (wya LSAT score?)

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dietcoke1

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by dietcoke1 » Mon Sep 18, 2017 6:48 pm

Impressionist wrote:
Two questions.

First, has Chemerinsky indicated anything about admissions going forward? Berkeley is known for being one of the most stingy schools when it comes to GPAs. However with their plummeting LSAT median, and subsequent falling in the polls, do you think he will tell admissions to be more splitter friendly? His time at Irvine shows he knows how to game the rankings, and a large part of that has to do with the medians. I can't see that happening without letting in more splitters and/or significantly increasing scholarship offers. Since they are actually losing funding from the state and he hasn't been around long enough to fundraise much, I can't help but feel they will have to be more splitter friendly this cycle. Any thoughts?

Second, do you feel like the stuff we see in the news concerning the main campus and politics/protests are spilling over to the law school? Wasn't Ben Shapiro just there? Did the disruptions affect the law school? Thanks.
First, going to push back on Berkeley's LSAT median "plummeting." This year we raised the LSAT back to a 167 and that's the highest it's been since before 2011.
Second, although we have been cut back on some funding, I don't see any sign of Berkeley being more stingy than it's been in offering scholarships. I think Berkeley's new ED program is a sign of that as it guarantees $60k in funding. Is that really good compared to other law schools? Probably not, but it's a sign that the school is trying to give students some financial incentive and I think they will continue to offer scholarships at the same rate.
Overall though, admissions is up in the air right now since Dean Tom will be retiring in December and they have yet to announce who will be replacing him.

Second, on the day Ben Shapiro was here I was at the law school all day. The only spillover I experienced was that my bus route on the way over here was diverted two blocks farther away than normal because they had some streets blocked off and in the afternoon you could hear the news helicopters. Don't let that stuff be a reason to not attend because it doesn't impact the law school in any significant way.

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Impressionist

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by Impressionist » Mon Sep 18, 2017 6:57 pm

Didn't know about the ED thing. Thanks for the response.

NavyNuke

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by NavyNuke » Tue Sep 19, 2017 4:57 pm

Finally got my fee waiver! Submitting later tonight. Fingers crossed!

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Rllesueur

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by Rllesueur » Tue Sep 19, 2017 7:18 pm

NavyNuke wrote:Finally got my fee waiver! Submitting later tonight. Fingers crossed!
Just got my fee waiver as well today. Just submitted!!! Good luck :)

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Wakhancorridor

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by Wakhancorridor » Wed Sep 20, 2017 8:56 pm

Hey I'm another Boalt 1L happy to answer questions about my admissions process and experience

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AlPastor

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by AlPastor » Sun Sep 24, 2017 3:49 pm

For the Berkeley 1Ls and others who have submitted, did you use a longer version of your Personal Statement than the one you submitted for other schools? I'm almost ready to submit but I'm having trouble deciding how much I should extend mine given the extra breathing room (or if I should at all)

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dietcoke1

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by dietcoke1 » Sun Sep 24, 2017 5:50 pm

AlPastor wrote:For the Berkeley 1Ls and others who have submitted, did you use a longer version of your Personal Statement than the one you submitted for other schools? I'm almost ready to submit but I'm having trouble deciding how much I should extend mine given the extra breathing room (or if I should at all)
I did not but I did submit a Why Berkeley

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AlPastor

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by AlPastor » Mon Sep 25, 2017 5:59 pm

dietcoke1 wrote:
AlPastor wrote:For the Berkeley 1Ls and others who have submitted, did you use a longer version of your Personal Statement than the one you submitted for other schools? I'm almost ready to submit but I'm having trouble deciding how much I should extend mine given the extra breathing room (or if I should at all)
I did not but I did submit a Why Berkeley
Thanks! I think I'll end up doing both, I need all the help I can get :lol:

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seanbodonovan

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by seanbodonovan » Sat Sep 30, 2017 4:39 pm

Checking in. Applied on the day applications opened.

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#gobroncos

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by #gobroncos » Sat Sep 30, 2017 8:16 pm

Checking in. This is a top-5 school for me as a native Californian.

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#gobroncos

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by #gobroncos » Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:53 pm

Has anyone heard back regarding fee waivers for research, service, etc.? Still no word on my end.

littlewing67

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by littlewing67 » Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:55 pm

.
Last edited by littlewing67 on Mon Oct 09, 2017 6:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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rachelac

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by rachelac » Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:25 pm

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Last edited by rachelac on Tue Jan 16, 2018 3:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Rllesueur

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by Rllesueur » Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:27 pm

rachelac wrote:Just received an email letting me know I'm UR!
Same here! Berkley is a long shot for me, but I'm hoping they take a chance on me due to my work experience. Retired Marine with 15 of my 20 years as a courtroom stenographer. Fingers crossed. Good luck to you :)

seanbodonovan

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by seanbodonovan » Tue Oct 03, 2017 3:27 pm

rachelac wrote:Just received an email letting me know I'm UR!
I just got the same e-mail. Good luck!

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soca_dancer

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by soca_dancer » Tue Oct 03, 2017 5:06 pm

Just received the same email

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resiny

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by resiny » Thu Oct 05, 2017 8:56 pm

Maybe this is a slightly weird question, but - 65% women in C'20? That's such a massive, massive outlier. Most LSs are like 55% men. What explains Berkeley's being so different?

Wakhancorridor

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by Wakhancorridor » Thu Oct 05, 2017 9:01 pm

resiny wrote:Maybe this is a slightly weird question, but - 65% women in C'20? That's such a massive, massive outlier. Most LSs are like 55% men. What explains Berkeley's being so different?
Just a hypothesis—and correct me if the generalization is wrong or offensive—but it's possible that women are more attracted to PI then guys are. At least at Berkeley, it seems that more men are interested in private sector. This could also reflect why NYU law is 55% women and Columbia is only 45%

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usaorbust

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by usaorbust » Fri Oct 06, 2017 4:18 pm

NavyNuke wrote:Finally got my fee waiver! Submitting later tonight. Fingers crossed!
Solicited or unsolicited?

NavyNuke

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by NavyNuke » Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:36 pm

usaorbust wrote:
NavyNuke wrote:Finally got my fee waiver! Submitting later tonight. Fingers crossed!
Solicited or unsolicited?
Service based waiver offered on the law school's website.

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LegalMind007

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by LegalMind007 » Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:18 pm

Just went complete! Good luck everyone!

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dietcoke1

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by dietcoke1 » Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:09 pm

Wakhancorridor wrote:
resiny wrote:Maybe this is a slightly weird question, but - 65% women in C'20? That's such a massive, massive outlier. Most LSs are like 55% men. What explains Berkeley's being so different?
Just a hypothesis—and correct me if the generalization is wrong or offensive—but it's possible that women are more attracted to PI then guys are. At least at Berkeley, it seems that more men are interested in private sector. This could also reflect why NYU law is 55% women and Columbia is only 45%
Not sure about that. I think Berkeley is actively trying to have more women. I don't think they receive more applications from women than men. I just think Berkeley admits more women.

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SopranoSaxophone

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by SopranoSaxophone » Sun Oct 08, 2017 5:11 pm

Does Berkeley not do merit based fee waivers? I'm only finding info about their service and honors based waivers. Not sure if trying to solicit one would be seen as someone who can't read instructions.

cgeezyy

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Re: Berkeley Law c/o 2021 Applicants (2017-2018)

Post by cgeezyy » Tue Oct 10, 2017 2:02 pm

SopranoSaxophone wrote:Does Berkeley not do merit based fee waivers? I'm only finding info about their service and honors based waivers. Not sure if trying to solicit one would be seen as someone who can't read instructions.
I emailed them to ask for a merit fee waiver, and out of the six schools that I emailed, they were the only school that did not even respond :cry:

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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