Berkeley Class of 2012 Forum

[Kohinoor]

btw, what's up with this diversity dinner? I thought I was a diversity candidate but never got any invitation...

I'm a diversity candidate and didn't receive an invite as well and a rep. from my "group" called me and didn't mention anything. I'm assuming what they are referring to is the admitted student events schedule that Dean Tom sent to us today. There are a lot of diversity dinners/events that seem to be occurring the 2nd-4th and seem to be open to all students of diverse backgrounds. I guess your appearance is your invite/ticket?????

There should have been more communication about those events. I'm flying in Thursday night and out Friday night because I wasn't informed.

[mallen210]

btw, what's up with this diversity dinner? I thought I was a diversity candidate but never got any invitation...

I'm a diversity candidate and didn't receive an invite as well and a rep. from my "group" called me and didn't mention anything. I'm assuming what they are referring to is the admitted student events schedule that Dean Tom sent to us today. There are a lot of diversity dinners/events that seem to be occurring the 2nd-4th and seem to be open to all students of diverse backgrounds. I guess your appearance is your invite/ticket?????

There should have been more communication about those events. I'm flying in Thursday night and out Friday night because I wasn't informed.

To be honest, the only reason I'm flying in Thurs and leaving Sun is because I wanted to see San Francisco and the surrounding area. I def. think they could have let us know the details sooner.

But from what others have said, it looks like there might be a possibility of changing your flight.

[legends159]

Sticker right now (including their approximate COL) seems to be over $70K/year for nonresidents. And I think their COL estimate is only for 9 months. It just doesn't add up otherwise. That kinda money scares the hell out of me. Even when there's a Berkeley Law degree at the end of the line.

Looking forward to meeting you all.

+1

I'm surprised more people haven't taken this into consideration, especially when babs a Boalt 1L has posted about how bleek the job market seems even for Boalt grads. She quotes,

3/4 of the firms at OCI as compared to last year. Of those, well the CDO thinks some won't be hiring summer associates at all, while some will hire less.

sorry to rain on anyone's parade.

[lsatbobby]

I don't really fit into any of the diversity groups holding events on campus, but I'm going to be in CA for a while, so hopefully, they won't pick up that I'm not all that diverse.

[iamlife1001]

I just got the chance to check out the schedule and I am very impressed, so much to do and so many activities to choose from; sux how so many are concurrent.

+1 on not telling us it was not a 1 day thing,

And as far as the room discussion is concerned, to reitarete ken and my experience on CGList you can find something as low as $400 solo room if you are willing to stray as far as Oakland or Albany and commute; even in berkeley I've seen a few as low at 550 in a large house with many roomates. Renting large house 5+rooms= 3k - 6ppl = 500

^^

[mallen210]

I just got the chance to check out the schedule and I am very impressed, so much to do and so many activities to choose from; sux how so many are concurrent.

I'm def. also pleasantly surprised and impressed by how much is going on! So much to do! I'm excited!

[unionorganizer02]

btw, what's up with this diversity dinner? I thought I was a diversity candidate but never got any invitation...

its okay. i am asian american (technically not an "underrepresented" minority), but i happened to talk to a student that one of the admissions people referred me to because of their similar interest in labor and employment law. they happened to mention the "diversity dinner" and i asked if i could come. she said sure.

[worldtraveler]

Do any Berkeley students have any info on the international house? From the website it sounds great and the price is really good. Plus, the location really can't be beat. I'm just wondering if it's too good to be true and I'm missing something.

[Dan1044]

Where are you all staying for the admitted students weekend? Are there any cheap hotels near Boalt?

[IzziesGal]

So I just tried to change my ticket so that I could attend the activities on Saturday...and there is a $150 flight change fee. The reservation company is not willing to waive it - they said I need to contact Berkeley. Argh.

[Kohinoor]

So I just tried to change my ticket so that I could attend the activities on Saturday...and there is a $150 flight change fee. The reservation company is not willing to waive it - they said I need to contact Berkeley. Argh.

Same. sucks.

[IzziesGal]

So I just tried to change my ticket so that I could attend the activities on Saturday...and there is a $150 flight change fee. The reservation company is not willing to waive it - they said I need to contact Berkeley. Argh.

Same. sucks.

Are you going to email them and ask about it? If more than one person says that they wished they had known in advance and would really like to attend, maybe something good will come out of it.

[bilbobaggins]

Eh, I live in SF, ride my bike all of the time. See tons of people ride their bikes all of the time (yes, this includes old people) and Berkeley (assuming you don't live up in the hills) is extremely bikeable. You'd have to have some serious health problems to not be able to bike a few miles a day in Berkeley.

Don't know where you're getting a 1.5 hour commute from short, convenient BART rides to Oakland.

[mllerustad]

Re: hills

Last fall, while attending a conference at Berkeley, my boyfriend thought it would be a great, romantic idea to rent a tandem bicycle.

Well, it was plainly awful on the hill up to I-House. Getting back from the Berkeley Bowl to the BART station with backpacks full of food was rough too. But we did it--and I'm completely out of shape. If I had to do it everyday it'd be a good exercise regimen.

Ideally if I go to Berkeley I'd find someplace to live between Boalt and the Bowl, so neither trip is too terribly long. But as an excuse to get fit I'm inclined to see the hills as a perk.

[river85]

LOLOL I wasn't even going to jump in and engage with you, but you are one of the most bizarre posters here. I don't know if you honestly are not aware of how dick-ish you come off or if you are just trolling as many people seem to think...

1) Berkeley = Stanford rejects? Maybe, but then again many say Penn=Harvard/Yale rejects. Please, what a stupid thing to care about. HYS are very prestigious, but many people at other T-14s are happy to be where they are and have great experiences without the bitterness you seem consumed by.

2) East coast ivies may "wow" in the bay area, but Berkeley "wows" here on the east coast (I'm in NYC and from an Ivy undergrad if that's somehow helpful). Ivy grads are a dime a dozen here, it's a matter of geography. I'm passing on some east coast law schools that are better ranked because I like west coast culture, and nobody thinks I'm making a crazy decision at all.

3) If you have a problem with the homelessness/crime/rape stories at Berkeley, hahahaha HAVE FUN IN PHILLY. I've lived near Penn my whole life and have so many friends there, and while the law school is great, almost nobody I know likes the area itself. There are rapes and murders reported every week - higher crime rates than in Berkeley or Oakland for that matter. It doesn't matter to a lot of people, but you seem to really really care about the environment so it's something you should maybe consider...

[river85]

And BTW, I lived in Cali until I was 12 and my little sister was born in Stanford Hospital.

[bilbobaggins]

Quit trolling, Bizzle. It's less than a mile from the BART to Boalt. Not sure how that would take anyone 25 minutes to walk.

[legends159]

how long exactly is Boalt to Bart cause I won't have a car and that'll be annoying having to walk for 20 minutes every time I wanted to go to SF.

[Son of Cicero]

how long exactly is Boalt to Bart cause I won't have a car and that'll be annoying having to walk for 20 minutes every time I wanted to go to SF.

It takes me 15 minutes to walk from Boalt to Manville (at a swift pace), and the BART station is about two blocks farther away...20 minutes sounds right.

[legends159]

how long exactly is Boalt to Bart cause I won't have a car and that'll be annoying having to walk for 20 minutes every time I wanted to go to SF.

It takes me 15 minutes to walk from Boalt to Manville (at a swift pace), and the BART station is about two blocks farther away...20 minutes sounds right.

well at least if I live in Manville It won't be a hassle.

Btw SOC, assuming that you live in Manville, what are some of the things you hate about it?

[mallen210]

LOLOL I wasn't even going to jump in and engage with you, but you are one of the most bizarre posters here. I don't know if you honestly are not aware of how dick-ish you come off or if you are just trolling as many people seem to think...

1) Berkeley = Stanford rejects? Maybe, but then again many say Penn=Harvard/Yale rejects. Please, what a stupid thing to care about. HYS are very prestigious, but many people at other T-14s are happy to be where they are and have great experiences without the bitterness you seem consumed by.

2) East coast ivies may "wow" in the bay area, but Berkeley "wows" here on the east coast (I'm in NYC and from an Ivy undergrad if that's somehow helpful). Ivy grads are a dime a dozen here, it's a matter of geography. I'm passing on some east coast law schools that are better ranked because I like west coast culture, and nobody thinks I'm making a crazy decision at all.

3) If you have a problem with the homelessness/crime/rape stories at Berkeley, hahahaha HAVE FUN IN PHILLY. I've lived near Penn my whole life and have so many friends there, and while the law school is great, almost nobody I know likes the area itself. There are rapes and murders reported every week - higher crime rates than in Berkeley or Oakland for that matter. It doesn't matter to a lot of people, but you seem to really really care about the environment so it's something you should maybe consider...

+1

I COULDN'T AGREE WITH YOU MORE!

[mijahe]

Also, another question for those that live in Manville/Ida Jackson: can you get a nine-month lease?

[Son of Cicero]

how long exactly is Boalt to Bart cause I won't have a car and that'll be annoying having to walk for 20 minutes every time I wanted to go to SF.

It takes me 15 minutes to walk from Boalt to Manville (at a swift pace), and the BART station is about two blocks farther away...20 minutes sounds right.

well at least if I live in Manville It won't be a hassle.

To clarify, it isn't two blocks from Manville to the BART station. You travel two more blocks from Boalt to the BART station than from Boalt to Manville. It takes 7-10 minutes to get from Manville to the BART station.

Btw SOC, assuming that you live in Manville, what are some of the things you hate about it?

The microwave is too weak and the refrigerator does not seem to have a proper setting (it either freezes drinks or does not get cold enough to preserve anything). My neighbors complain about the loud French LL.M. students, but I never hear them on my side of the building. The street noise sometimes infiltrates the room, but it never interferes with my studies/sleep. For the size of the room, I think I should be paying ~$100 less. None of these complaints is very substantial to me, though. I'm considering living there again next year, though this is more attributable to my laziness in searching for a new room than to any particular love for Manville. When I did the housing search pretty late last year, I was offered a couple of rooms on the North side of campus that were twice as big and only cost $250 more.

[river85]

how long exactly is Boalt to Bart cause I won't have a car and that'll be annoying having to walk for 20 minutes every time I wanted to go to SF.

It takes me 15 minutes to walk from Boalt to Manville (at a swift pace), and the BART station is about two blocks farther away...20 minutes sounds right.

well at least if I live in Manville It won't be a hassle.

To clarify, it isn't two blocks from Manville to the BART station. You travel two more blocks from Boalt to the BART station than from Boalt to Manville. It takes 7-10 minutes to get from Manville to the BART station.

Btw SOC, assuming that you live in Manville, what are some of the things you hate about it?

The microwave is too weak and the refrigerator does not seem to have a proper setting (it either freezes drinks or does not get cold enough to preserve anything). My neighbors complain about the loud French LL.M. students, but I never hear them on my side of the building. The street noise sometimes infiltrates the room, but it never interferes with my studies/sleep. For the size of the room, I think I should be paying ~$100 less. None of these complaints is very substantial to me, though. I'm considering living there again next year, though this is more attributable to my laziness in searching for a new room than to any particular love for Manville. When I did the housing search pretty late last year, I was offered a couple of rooms on the North side of campus that were twice as big and only cost $250 more.

What kind of room do you have? I'm deciding if a deck is worth the extra money, or if it would be awkward to share it with two other people. Do you know if the "bay view" ones actually have really nice views?

[Son of Cicero]

What kind of room do you have?

I have one of the "coffin-shaped" ones (~270 sq. ft) with the windows facing the Channing side of the building.

I'm deciding if a deck is worth the extra money, or if it would be awkward to share it with two other people. Do you know if the "bay view" ones actually have really nice views?

No fuckin' clue. I have not been above the second floor, where we have no decks.