aaaaaaaaa Forum

[McAvoy]

About UCLA in-state tuition -- I wasn't saying I knew for certain you wouldn't be able to get it for 2L and 3L. The typical U.S. citizen can, but when your international status, that might not be the case. You'll want to check with admissions!

I think my English reading and listening is all right, but my oral and writing skills really suck! I geuss I should start preparing now, any good advice on where can I start like what book/website to read?

I don't know of any formal programs, but I would start consuming almost exclusively English-speaking media and try to immerse yourself in the culture prior to arrival. Read stuff like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Newsweek, the New York Review of Books, watch good American TV, and listen to NPR. Consuming a ton of non-low-brow media will seriously help your writing and speaking skills, even if you're not the one doing the writing or speaking.

I would consider starting a blog (anonymously). If you have any english student newspapers that you could freelance for, that's an idea. Just writing to write is good. This site could be useful for fine-tuning your basic grammar: http://lessons.englishgrammar101.com/En ... eword.aspx

[zhifeixie]

About UCLA in-state tuition -- I wasn't saying I knew for certain you wouldn't be able to get it for 2L and 3L. The typical U.S. citizen can, but when your international status, that might not be the case. You'll want to check with admissions!

I think my English reading and listening is all right, but my oral and writing skills really suck! I geuss I should start preparing now, any good advice on where can I start like what book/website to read?

I don't know of any formal programs, but I would start consuming almost exclusively English-speaking media and try to immerse yourself in the culture prior to arrival. Read stuff like The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Newsweek, the New York Review of Books, watch good American TV, and listen to NPR. Consuming a ton of non-low-brow media will seriously help your writing and speaking skills, even if you're not the one doing the writing or speaking.

I would consider starting a blog (anonymously). If you have any english student newspapers that you could freelance for, that's an idea. Just writing to write is good. This site could be useful for fine-tuning your basic grammar: http://lessons.englishgrammar101.com/En ... eword.aspx

thanks! buddy

[twenty]

For reference's sake, here's the number of people that got biglaw or a federal clerkship coming out of CO2013.

Vanderbilt: 35.9 + 9.2 = 45.1%
Texas: 33.3 + 9.0 = 42.3%
UCLA: 32.5 + 6.9 = 39.5%

As you can see, they're all pretty close to eachother. The slight employment edge to Vanderbilt might be mitigated by the fact that UCLA will likely be cheaper, seeing as you're getting an extra 9k/yr.

[zhifeixie]

For reference's sake, here's the number of people that got biglaw or a federal clerkship coming out of CO2013.

Vanderbilt: 35.9 + 9.2 = 45.1%
Texas: 33.3 + 9.0 = 42.3%
UCLA: 32.5 + 6.9 = 39.5%

As you can see, they're all pretty close to eachother. The slight employment edge to Vanderbilt might be mitigated by the fact that UCLA will likely be cheaper, seeing as you're getting an extra 9k/yr.

thanks buddy! But I think I want to wait to see my gulc $ and whether other t14s will take me in.

[KatyMarie]

On the cultural aspects about Texas.. I have tons of family that live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. You'd be just fine if you decided to go to UT. Just because they have an above ground pool and serious opinions about ATVs, doesn't mean they're going to be hostile to foreigners. From my experience, if people are harboring some kind of anti-foreigner or anti-northerner sentiments or whatever it is, they're quiet about it.

But really, Houston, Dallas, and Austin are gigantic, and they're going to function like any major city. If you were trying to break into the Cattle business, okay, maybe that's different, but you shouldn't worry about facing a disadvantage for being a minority in Texas as a lawyer.

LA would have a much stronger Chinese community for sure, but if you decide Texas is where you want to be, don't worry about being received badly for being a foreigner.

[El Principe]

On the cultural aspects about Texas.. I have tons of family that live in the Dallas/Ft Worth area. You'd be just fine if you decided to go to UT. Just because they have an above ground pool and serious opinions about ATVs, doesn't mean they're going to be hostile to foreigners. From my experience, if people are harboring some kind of anti-foreigner or anti-northerner sentiments or whatever it is, they're quiet about it.

But really, Houston, Dallas, and Austin are gigantic, and they're going to function like any major city. If you were trying to break into the Cattle business, okay, maybe that's different, but you shouldn't worry about facing a disadvantage for being a minority in Texas as a lawyer.

LA would have a much stronger Chinese community for sure, but if you decide Texas is where you want to be, don't worry about being received badly for being a foreigner.

+1

[secondshot]

No brainer. UCLA, hands down. It's incredibly diverse culturally and there's a lot of international law possibilities in Cali. I can't say the same for any of the other options you posted. I happen to live a few blocks from UCLA and the Chinese community here in LA is dense, including a strong amount in and around campus. The extra $ you might lose is worth the risk to land a strong position with a company here in LA or SF that might need your unique background for international endeavors.

[El Principe]

I feel it would be far more likely you could find a good job (not necessarily biglaw, but something that could get you a work visa of some kind) in LA than in Texas. Things have changed in the South, but not as much as you might think. Granted, Texas is more multicultural than, say, Mississippi, but a lot of the old boys at big Texas firms still are going to be white males from a very privileged Southern background. There is nothing wrong with that, but many of them are not comfortable with people from other cultures. These are simply the facts, from someone who grew up in the South.

Even if you don't mind being a minority, there are disadvantages that come with being seen as a "foreigner." People, on average, care far less about that in LA than in Texas.

If someone is from Texas, and feels that it is actually pretty inclusive (places like Houston, Dallas, etc. where the OP might work) feel free to tell me I'm wrong. I grew up in TN, not Texas. But yea, there are cowboys. That's pretty South.

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

[KatyMarie]

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

That's fair, I went to a busing schools in "the real south," and the racial problems there are no joke. It's gotten better, but there's a lot of work left to do. But you can bring your gun almost anywhere and you can keep any deer you hit with your car so there's that. (This is what our legislators are busy with anyway)

And screw East Texas. Especially Longview. East Texas sucks.

[Kool-Aid]

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

That's fair, I went to a busing schools in "the real south," and the racial problems there are no joke. It's gotten better, but there's a lot of work left to do. But you can bring your gun almost anywhere and you can keep any deer you hit with your car so there's that. (This is what our legislators are busy with anyway)

And screw East Texas. Especially Longview. East Texas sucks.

As someone from DEEP east Texas I disagree. With that said, I wouldn't expect an issue at UT.

Good luck

[El Principe]

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

That's fair, I went to a busing schools in "the real south," and the racial problems there are no joke. It's gotten better, but there's a lot of work left to do. But you can bring your gun almost anywhere and you can keep any deer you hit with your car so there's that. (This is what our legislators are busy with anyway)

And screw East Texas. Especially Longview. East Texas sucks.

As someone from DEEP east Texas I disagree. With that said, I wouldn't expect an issue at UT.

Good luck

About what I said or her?

[Kool-Aid]

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

That's fair, I went to a busing schools in "the real south," and the racial problems there are no joke. It's gotten better, but there's a lot of work left to do. But you can bring your gun almost anywhere and you can keep any deer you hit with your car so there's that. (This is what our legislators are busy with anyway)

And screw East Texas. Especially Longview. East Texas sucks.

As someone from DEEP east Texas I disagree. With that said, I wouldn't expect an issue at UT.

Good luck

About what I said or her?

About the "East Texas sucks"...but I understand the sentiment. It's home for me though!

[El Principe]

While I agree that LA would probably be more comfortable for OP, I resent that description of Texas.

Look, as a minority who grew up in Texas and later spent the last 5 or so years in the "REAL" South, I can promise you, they are nothing alike. Sure, East Texas can pass for Louisiana any day of the week, but who cares about East Texas. When I see people flying Confederate flags in their yards in Houston, I'll change my mind.

That being said, OP can't really beat UCLA for the Chinese presence in LA plus it'd be a lot easier & cheaper to visit your family on the other side.

That's fair, I went to a busing schools in "the real south," and the racial problems there are no joke. It's gotten better, but there's a lot of work left to do. But you can bring your gun almost anywhere and you can keep any deer you hit with your car so there's that. (This is what our legislators are busy with anyway)

And screw East Texas. Especially Longview. East Texas sucks.

As someone from DEEP east Texas I disagree. With that said, I wouldn't expect an issue at UT.

Good luck

About the "East Texas sucks"...but I understand the sentiment. It's home for me though!

I got 2 words for ya... Jasper, Texas....

[zhifeixie]

thanks for all your advice guys and sorry for not able to quote all your posts! really appreciate it! but I think I will wait to see my chance at t14 and more importantly I am considering to gap a year so that I can better prepare myself.

[Captain Rodeo]

Living in LA I say take UCLA. You'll love So Cal and will have a lot of great opportunities. You'll find you're not alone in the huge transition, and the diversity, culture, here will definitely aid in this transition.

I'm biased and haven't been to the UT campus (been to TX plenty of times) though.