THE Boston College class of 2012 Forum

[asmallchild]

I live 10 min south of boston, and i love the place. You'll be fine. theres tons of stuff to do , and it doesn't shut down at 8pm like some people think it does.

cold as balls though is what I hear

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

alright i somehow managed to get rejected by every school in LA, which makes BC pretty official. how are you guys gonna find roommates? im sorta weary about craigslist...

[theskippa10]

I already have one, but we're not sure how many we want to live with and where. So I'm gonna go to the housing fair in june too

[lrd]

alright i somehow managed to get rejected by every school in LA, which makes BC pretty official. how are you guys gonna find roommates? im sorta weary about craigslist...

I'll happily trade you an acceptance at Loyola for your seat at BC! Haha

[jaudette]

Is anyone considering grad student housing?

[theskippa10]

I heard its really expensive and not worth it at all

[cr.3616]

Hi! I'm a current BC student. Congrats to everyone for getting in. Here are my two cents on some of the topics mentioned...

- BC is "the Disneyland of law schools" because it's a nice place to be. The professors are incredible (and real people!) They'll regularly stop in the cafeteria to have coffee and chat with the students. For the most part they know their students by name and would do anything to help a student (i.e. help them find summer jobs, advise them on courses, etc.). I can't say enough good things about the faculty.

- You can get to the law school without a car, but only if you live nearby on the "B" line. In any case, it's highly advisable to have a car. Don't confuse Allston/Brighton with downtown Boston. It's not overly walkable. On that note, everyone I know that lives in Allston hates it. It's chock full of obnoxious 19 & 20 year-old BU undergrads, and the apartments are trashy. Brookline, Jamaica Plain, and Cambridge are all very nice, and geared more toward a post-college crowd. If you're going to live in Brighton, try the Cleveland Circle area.

- Job prospects for Boston are very good (probably #1 placement school in Boston). However, if you aren't from Boston or don't want to stay in Boston, you should probably think twice about coming here. Boston firms are VERY provincial. As ridiculous as it sounds, the biggest asset many students have on their resume (aside from BC Law) is that they are from Boston. Students who haven't lived here growing up or in undergrad will have a much tougher time getting into the Boston firms. BC does a decent job of placing to NY, but before you spend $180K on a BC education, make sure you read up on the current state of the legal sector in NY. It isn't pretty, and BC doesn't place to NY nearly as well as many other schools. Bottom line - If you want to practice somewhere other than Boston/New England and maybe NY, there is probably another school that will serve you better (or leave you with less debt).

- It's true. Boston is cold in the winter, and it snows a lot. I'm going to disagree with the previous poster that said there's a lot going on in Boston. Boston is a very sleepy and provincial city. If it's any indication of the activity level, the "T" stops running at midnight. I don't mean to dis Boston too much, as you can have a great time living here. Just don't move here and expect it to be a "city" in the sense of NY, DC, or Chicago.

- Finally, I wouldn't expect much from BC (or any school) in financial aid this year. The economy has tanked and has taken endowments with it. It's really too bad that tuition at good law schools is so out of control. BC Law is an incredible experience, but I wouldn't advise borrowing $150K to come here unless you're staying in Boston.

Good luck!

[Somebody]

I hadn't heard much about this notion that if one hadn't grown up in the Boston area, employment is harder coming out of BC Law. How do firms/employers know? Do they look at your resume and hold it against you, even regardless of grades?

Thanks for all the info, BTW.

[cr.3616]

They'll check your resume and ask you in the interview. I don't mean to say you can't get a job here if you aren't from Boston, but it's significantly harder. Unless you have the grades for law review (85% of students don't), it's a primary consideration in hiring. If you aren't from Boston, but want to practice here, you'd better plan on spending both law school summers in Boston and be able to explain exactly why you want Boston, not some other city. However, I think that's probably true of every market outside of NY/DC. Legal employment is very regional, and you'll have a tough time getting into markets you don't have ties to.

Think of it this way - big firms don't make money on associates for the first 3-4 years. If they think there's any chance you'll leave before then, they're going to offer the job to someone they think will stay.

[Somebody]

That makes sense. Thanks.

[matty]

.

[jaudette]

Not to step on your toes cr, but I believe that the value of candidate from Boston isn't that they are a home town boy, but that they are more likely to STAY in Boston. Firms don't want to dump resources into summer associates they think are going to head back to the midwest when Mayer Brown calls.

I would think that if you can demonstrate your intent to practice in Boston then you'll be safe, do you agree?

[cr.3616]

Not to step on your toes cr, but I believe that the value of candidate from Boston isn't that they are a home town boy, but that they are more likely to STAY in Boston. Firms don't want to dump resources into summer associates they think are going to head back to the midwest when Mayer Brown calls.

I would think that if you can demonstrate your intent to practice in Boston then you'll be safe, do you agree?

You are correct. I don't mean to scare off non-Bostonians, only to warn people that you WILL have to answer the question if you want a job here. If you don't have other connections, you'll probably have to take jobs in Boston both 1L and 2L summers as "proof". And even so, "home town" kids have the advantage if there is any question. Boston firms are a little odd in that way.

[SpAcEmAn SpLiFF]

alright i somehow managed to get rejected by every school in LA, which makes BC pretty official. how are you guys gonna find roommates? im sorta weary about craigslist...

I'll happily trade you an acceptance at Loyola for your seat at BC! Haha

lol go convince them to give me a full scholly and i'll have a talk with BC for you

[HesperusPhosphorus]

Does anyone know if BC awards grants/scholarships based on 1L academic performance?

From browsing this forum, I understand that certain schools implement this process and even set aside additional funding for this very purpose.

I am hoping BC does this as well.

[bclaw2012]

Hi,

I am going to BC Law this fall. I have never been to Boston before and I am planning on going up for the first time for the Grad Housing Fair in June. I noticed that other people have mentioned going to this as well, but I am wondering if anyone has some advice about if this is the best way to find an apartment/roommate or not. I don't know anything about Boston and don't know anyone who lives there, so I am wondering if you can tell me if there are any particular apartment complexes that Law students live in or any areas of the city where most people live. I am young and single so I would prefer to live somewhere where it will be easy to go out, but also not a terrible commute to school. I have a car, so transportation isn't a big issue.

Thanks!

[radiotank]

Hi,

I am going to BC Law this fall. I have never been to Boston before and I am planning on going up for the first time for the Grad Housing Fair in June. I noticed that other people have mentioned going to this as well, but I am wondering if anyone has some advice about if this is the best way to find an apartment/roommate or not. I don't know anything about Boston and don't know anyone who lives there, so I am wondering if you can tell me if there are any particular apartment complexes that Law students live in or any areas of the city where most people live. I am young and single so I would prefer to live somewhere where it will be easy to go out, but also not a terrible commute to school. I have a car, so transportation isn't a big issue.

Thanks!

just use craigslist, anyone and everyone who needs a roommate in Boston is on it.

[sentinal5656]

Is the area around BC (Newton) expensive? How much is it for a studio? How much is on campus housing?

[sentinal5656]

where is everybody?

i thought this thread would be jumpinnnn

[matty]

Is the area around BC (Newton) expensive? How much is it for a studio? How much is on campus housing?

Yes, it can get quite expensive, especially if you intend on living alone. I have been casually browsing Craigslist just to get an idea, and almost without exception 1 bedrooms/studios are $1000+. Having a roommate looks like it will drastically cut down on costs. 2 bedrooms are usually anywhere from $700-1000 per person, with the cost coming down further with additional roommates. This is assuming you want to live in the areas populated by BC grad students, i.e. Brighton (esp. Cleveland Circle) and Newton. You can find cheaper places in Allston, but I've heard that the places can be quite dingy and the area is overrun with undergrads. Brookline is a quieter area that I've heard is nice and you might be able to find cheaper options there.

As far as I know, there is no on-campus housing for grad students. BC does rent out a few places in the surrounding area and then rents them out as off-campus housing (rent gets billed directly to your university account) but it looks like you could find a cheaper place nearby on your own. Here is a link to some more info about BC Grad Housing:
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/admission/housing.html
And info on the BC Law Housing Fair on June 19th:
--LinkRemoved--

My tentative plan is to go up to the fair and try to find a roommate or two interested in renting a place in the Cleveland Circle vicinity. Really, Boston is inundated with college students so there is enough apartment turnover that you will always be able to find something. I am kind of pissed that they hold that fair so late because it seems a lot of the good, cheap apartments are taken by then. I guess you just have to kind of bite the bullet 1L and hope you can find a better, cheaper option for 2L and 3L when you have a better feel for the area.

[sentinal5656]

Is the area around BC (Newton) expensive? How much is it for a studio? How much is on campus housing?

Yes, it can get quite expensive, especially if you intend on living alone. I have been casually browsing Craigslist just to get an idea, and almost without exception 1 bedrooms/studios are $1000+. Having a roommate looks like it will drastically cut down on costs. 2 bedrooms are usually anywhere from $700-1000 per person, with the cost coming down further with additional roommates. This is assuming you want to live in the areas populated by BC grad students, i.e. Brighton (esp. Cleveland Circle) and Newton. You can find cheaper places in Allston, but I've heard that the places can be quite dingy and the area is overrun with undergrads. Brookline is a quieter area that I've heard is nice and you might be able to find cheaper options there.

As far as I know, there is no on-campus housing for grad students. BC does rent out a few places in the surrounding area and then rents them out as off-campus housing (rent gets billed directly to your university account) but it looks like you could find a cheaper place nearby on your own. Here is a link to some more info about BC Grad Housing:
http://www.bc.edu/schools/law/admission/housing.html
And info on the BC Law Housing Fair on June 19th:
--LinkRemoved--

My tentative plan is to go up to the fair and try to find a roommate or two interested in renting a place in the Cleveland Circle vicinity. Really, Boston is inundated with college students so there is enough apartment turnover that you will always be able to find something. I am kind of pissed that they hold that fair so late because it seems a lot of the good, cheap apartments are taken by then. I guess you just have to kind of bite the bullet 1L and hope you can find a better, cheaper option for 2L and 3L when you have a better feel for the area.

Thanks for the info!

sounds like you really like Cleveland Circle... why is that? is it near the school? would u have to drive? Wouldnt you want to find an apartment within walking distance or is this not possible?

[matty]

I've actually heard mixed opinions on Cleveland Circle--some say it is a nice area with a good array of options for dining and nightlife, others say it is a pretty boring area with not much to do. Being 2000 miles away, I can't really say which is closer to the truth. But two main things factored into that decision: 1) I talked to some BC law students and they said that a lot of the law students lived in Cleveland Circle and vastly preferred it to other areas, especially Allston--which might have more going on but was full of obnoxious BC undergrads who just discovered alcohol 2) location. This is the big one for me, as I am planning on leaving my car at home. The B,C, and D Green Lines all run through the general area. I believe there is a BC shuttle that makes a stop in the area as well. The B line will take you to BC main campus, and from there a shuttle takes you to the LS (only problem is I've heard the B line has a bunch of stops and takes forever, but from looking at a map it doesn't seem there are amny stops between Cleveland Circle and BC). Here is a map that shows you the T lines and lets you pinpoint an apartment address--good for apartment searching:
http://www.gnik.com/mbta/mbta.html

I don't know how many places are within easy walking distance (i.e. 0-10 minutes). From the look of it on my visit, the LS campus is a very residential area occupied by nicer, family homes rather than apartment/condo style places. However, I have talked to a few people who have places within a 10-20 minute walk (though they said they still exclusively drive to school). I think its just a trade-off: Would you rather live closer to the school and have nothing to do around you, or live a little further from the school and have some options for dining/nightlife. Maybe I am wrong about that, but i think thats generally the case. Nevertheless, I would still be interested in living in newton close to the LS if I could find the right place.

[sentinal5656]

thanks matty. those are some good thoughts.

I think i will have my car for the majority of the year, so i wouldnt mind a 5 minute drive. maybe 10 min at most tho. i want to cut the commute down significantly....

i guess i dont know where to start. i think the best thing to do is to check out that housing fair they have, right?

[kiwislug]

I just want to say I have officially decided to go to BC in the fall! Hope to see some you people there =)

[matty]

I just want to say I have officially decided to go to BC in the fall! Hope to see some you people there =)

see you there Kiwi !!!