In at Berkeley Law! Forum

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CCN

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by CCN » Thu Apr 29, 2010 1:49 am

Dignan wrote:
hoopsguy6 wrote:
Dignan wrote:
hoopsguy6 wrote:Withdrew my app today. Tired of waiting for Boalt. Columbia denied my scholarship match too, but at least they had the courtesy to respond in a timely manner. Really disappointed, since Berkeley was pretty much my top choice.
You really withdrew from your top choice because you were tired of waiting? I understand being annoyed, but it seems like it's worth putting up with a few weeks of annoyance in exchange for going to your preferred law school for three years.

Where are you going next year?
Well it was tied for top choice with Columbia, which is where I'll be going. There were obviously several other reasons why I ended up choosing Columbia, the finaid was just a part of it.
If you had more than one top choice, then that makes sense.

By the way, I'm sorry for the way I phrased my question. I just reread my post and cringed. The tone was a little more blunt and aggressive than I intended.

And congratulations on CLS! It seems like an amazing law school.
If I don't hear back tomorrow, i'm withdrawing as well. Not passing up a better school for sticker at Berkeley. Especially since I've been there and done that for undergrad.

frankjones

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by frankjones » Thu Apr 29, 2010 7:48 am

general100 wrote:She wasn't certain because the financial aid office does not distribute merit-based scholarships, matching or otherwise. You should be calling the admissions office.
This actually isn't true, apparently. A lady who answered the phone at Admissions told me that the only scholarships Admissions handles are matching ones. She explicitly said financial aid handles all merit-based non-matching scholarships. Strangely, though, the lady I spoke to in Financial Aid did not seem to know much about the process in terms of the proportion of non-matching scholarships they've already distributed or whether or not we're emailed if we're not selected for a non-matching scholarship. It seems extraordinarily hard to get information--I've never received a response to any emails I sent, and people on the phone often have no answers. I can only imagine this is a reflection of their being under-staffed thanks to the budget shortfall?

general100

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by general100 » Thu Apr 29, 2010 12:53 pm

frankjones wrote:This actually isn't true, apparently. A lady who answered the phone at Admissions told me that the only scholarships Admissions handles are matching ones. She explicitly said financial aid handles all merit-based non-matching scholarships. Strangely, though, the lady I spoke to in Financial Aid did not seem to know much about the process in terms of the proportion of non-matching scholarships they've already distributed or whether or not we're emailed if we're not selected for a non-matching scholarship. It seems extraordinarily hard to get information--I've never received a response to any emails I sent, and people on the phone often have no answers. I can only imagine this is a reflection of their being under-staffed thanks to the budget shortfall?
Bizarre. Candi in financial aid told me that her office doesn't deal in non need-based aid. Wonder what the deal is...

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fidesverita

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by fidesverita » Fri Apr 30, 2010 7:44 am

Just wanted to double check:

If we accept our spot at Boalt, do we HAVE to withdraw from all waitlists? Is this what other schools do, or is it just Berkeley being difficult?

(Can they actually check to see if you're still on a waitlist?)

jadjerd

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by jadjerd » Fri Apr 30, 2010 9:24 am

Hmmm... someone probably has a more certain answer: but I think what happens is that in June the schools all report to LSAC and thereby each other every candidate that has accepted a spot or is on the waitlist. So you might want to wait until the deadline to firmly accept at Berkeley, so you're technically in compliance.

But in June its no use: the schools will find out if you stayed on someone's waitlist, or what other offers you may have accepted. And I think they have the right to give up your seat at their discretion.

Am I right about that, anyone?

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sirchristaylor

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by sirchristaylor » Fri Apr 30, 2010 4:01 pm

jadjerd wrote:Hmmm... someone probably has a more certain answer: but I think what happens is that in June the schools all report to LSAC and thereby each other every candidate that has accepted a spot or is on the waitlist. So you might want to wait until the deadline to firmly accept at Berkeley, so you're technically in compliance.

But in June its no use: the schools will find out if you stayed on someone's waitlist, or what other offers you may have accepted. And I think they have the right to give up your seat at their discretion.

Am I right about that, anyone?
If you commit to a law school and pledge to withdraw from all other schools, and then fail to do so and end up attempting to enroll at another law school, then you run the risk of the first law school informing the second law school that you failed to follow through on your obligation. That can lead to both law schools rejecting you, and indeed to all law schools rejecting you. I've heard a number of stories of this happening.

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Hattori Hanzo

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Hattori Hanzo » Fri Apr 30, 2010 5:39 pm

Got the matching scholarship notification today: no go. I used Columbia's Butler in my request.

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Dignan

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Dignan » Fri Apr 30, 2010 6:44 pm

Hattori Hanzo wrote:Got the matching scholarship notification today: no go. I used Columbia's Butler in my request.
Sorry to hear it, HH.

Well, there certainly are worse fates than CLS with a Butler. (Are you going to CLS for sure now?)

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Hattori Hanzo

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Hattori Hanzo » Fri Apr 30, 2010 8:29 pm

Dignan wrote:
Hattori Hanzo wrote:Got the matching scholarship notification today: no go. I used Columbia's Butler in my request.
Sorry to hear it, HH.

Well, there certainly are worse fates than CLS with a Butler. (Are you going to CLS for sure now?)
Yes :( Cal was my best alternative but without the matching I'd be crazy to turn down CLS+money for Cal. It broke my heart though. I am sure you'll have so much fun next year!

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daviddel03

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by daviddel03 » Thu Jun 03, 2010 8:58 am

hey guys, if financial aid has already given us loans on bearfacts, do i have to do anything else aside from accepting on their site the loans to receive gradplus loans, or is there a seperate application I need to fill out?

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feeblemiles

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by feeblemiles » Thu Jun 03, 2010 9:50 am

daviddel03 wrote:hey guys, if financial aid has already given us loans on bearfacts, do i have to do anything else aside from accepting on their site the loans to receive gradplus loans, or is there a seperate application I need to fill out?
Shouldn't be anything separate to fill out to get your money. AmyLAChemist did a really helpful list last year of things she needed to do. I couldn't find it when I looked though.

You probably still need or will want to do a few more things like set up a direct deposit from your CARS account so that loan money will show up sooner in your bank when it arrives. The financial aid office can provide you with more specific info for your situation.

daviddel03

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by daviddel03 » Thu Jun 03, 2010 10:04 am

so there's not a seperate application where they check my credit or anything like that? I was reading other threads from other schools that required them to apply with seperate financial institutions for grad plus and was wondering if boalties do the same

daviddel03

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by daviddel03 » Thu Jun 03, 2010 12:13 pm

bump

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Rotor

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Rotor » Fri Jun 04, 2010 12:18 am

daviddel03 wrote:so there's not a seperate application where they check my credit or anything like that? I was reading other threads from other schools that required them to apply with seperate financial institutions for grad plus and was wondering if boalties do the same
Nope. Berkeley is a direct lending institution so you can get Stafford and Grad Plus directly through the school.

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Island Girl

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Island Girl » Fri Jun 04, 2010 1:47 am

Oh my goodness. It feels so good to be able to post here. I got off the waitlist today. Oh happy day. :D

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tintin

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by tintin » Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:16 am

Island Girl wrote:Oh my goodness. It feels so good to be able to post here. I got off the waitlist today. Oh happy day. :D
+1

hopefully (if my boss gives me a day off) will be visiting next week to cement my decision. i feel a little nervous turning down chicago but im pretty sure berkeley will be the one!

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Fevsi

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Fevsi » Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:35 am

Does anyone have an idea of the approximate schedule of classes for 1L? I am specifically interested if there are classes every day of the week or you can group them into 4 or 3 days. The reason I ask is that I will probably need to keep my pt job in order to finance the 1L, which requires at least two mornings a week. Is that doable? And yes, I know working during 1L is not ideal, so please don't mention this.

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Rotor

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Rotor » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:16 am

Fevsi wrote:Does anyone have an idea of the approximate schedule of classes for 1L? I am specifically interested if there are classes every day of the week or you can group them into 4 or 3 days. The reason I ask is that I will probably need to keep my pt job in order to finance the 1L, which requires at least two mornings a week. Is that doable? And yes, I know working during 1L is not ideal, so please don't mention this.
Probably not doable-- you get no choice in your schedule first semester. They do ask if you have any special issues, like child care, that they will try to accommodate, I don't think keeping a job will count since the official line is that you shouldn't work 1L year. You can always ask though.

I just checked the courses website and the 1L classes aren't up yet. You obviously won't know which classes you will have, but you can get an idea of what the various permutations of the schedule were. Last year, I think everyone had at least 1 class M-F first semester. Earliest start was 8:30ish but lots of us started at 10. My days went as long as 6 pm counting the optional TA weekly review session. Second semester, everything was crammed between 10-3 and only 50 minutes of class on Fri. Some sections had it off entirely.

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Island Girl

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Island Girl » Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:22 am

tintin wrote:
Island Girl wrote:Oh my goodness. It feels so good to be able to post here. I got off the waitlist today. Oh happy day. :D
+1

hopefully (if my boss gives me a day off) will be visiting next week to cement my decision. i feel a little nervous turning down chicago but im pretty sure berkeley will be the one!
Tintin! Haha. I can't believe you're doing this whole "I'm nervous" thing now. This is what you've been waiting for! It's time to come out West, seriously. :D

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tintin

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by tintin » Sat Jun 05, 2010 5:00 pm

Island Girl wrote:
tintin wrote:
Island Girl wrote:Oh my goodness. It feels so good to be able to post here. I got off the waitlist today. Oh happy day. :D
+1

hopefully (if my boss gives me a day off) will be visiting next week to cement my decision. i feel a little nervous turning down chicago but im pretty sure berkeley will be the one!
Tintin! Haha. I can't believe you're doing this whole "I'm nervous" thing now. This is what you've been waiting for! It's time to come out West, seriously. :D
I already am out west... :lol: just a mere 6 hour drive away from berkeley actually. and berkeley is a pretty done deal hahaha. IM SO STOKED!!!!! I love the bay area....

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Island Girl

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by Island Girl » Sat Jun 05, 2010 8:59 pm

tintin wrote:
Island Girl wrote:
tintin wrote:
Island Girl wrote:Oh my goodness. It feels so good to be able to post here. I got off the waitlist today. Oh happy day. :D
+1

hopefully (if my boss gives me a day off) will be visiting next week to cement my decision. i feel a little nervous turning down chicago but im pretty sure berkeley will be the one!
Tintin! Haha. I can't believe you're doing this whole "I'm nervous" thing now. This is what you've been waiting for! It's time to come out West, seriously. :D
I already am out west... :lol: just a mere 6 hour drive away from berkeley actually. and berkeley is a pretty done deal hahaha. IM SO STOKED!!!!! I love the bay area....
Oh! My mistake. :D Glad you've cemented your decision! Yeah... I'm pretty excited too. I feel like I'm dreaming most of the time these days. I'm afraid that at any moment I could wake up. My grandma, who still lives in the country that I'm from, said that she's going to arrange for a marching band to meet me at the airport when I visit her and my grandfather this summer. Oh I hope she's just kidding!!! Haha. It would've been nice, by the way, to have attended ASW and meeting the other TLS folks. But I have a feeling that'll happen one way or another. Have a fun visit! It's been getting gradually warmer here in the Bay. Just the way I like it. 8)

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daviddel03

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by daviddel03 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 12:37 am

regarding microsoft office, should I buy it now before the fall or does berkeley let you d/l it for free? i know some schools do that.

thanks

daviddel03

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by daviddel03 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 10:54 am

bump :)

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extempore88

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by extempore88 » Sun Jun 06, 2010 11:14 am

.
Last edited by extempore88 on Tue Apr 14, 2015 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.

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tintin

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Re: In at Berkeley Law!

Post by tintin » Fri Jun 11, 2010 11:38 am

I withdrew from chicago today! I visited on berkeley on wednesday and spoke with Dean Tom and saw the school and everything. Loved it. A lot of the law campus was under construction but it was bigger than I expected and looked in good condition. Yay!! Dean Tom said that he didn't expect to take many people off the waitlist this year, so I feel pretty damn lucky.... :lol:

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