Berkeley Class of 2013 Forum

[Island Girl]

UPDATE: Saw a great place yesterday. 1 BR stand-alone cottage in North Berkeley, 1.5 miles from Boalt and 5 minutes from BART...best location of any apartment I've seen thus far. Quiet, private, and all utilities paid for $1295. Private patio and separate entrance from the main house (it's essentially in a backyard).

It's too small for my SO and I, but I would heartily recommend it to any single renter. If anyone is interested, I can put you in touch with the landlord. She has rented to many Boalt students in the past and would like to do so again.

Man that sounds awesome. But it's a bit beyond my budget. I'm shooting for 750 to 1100 studios.

[Island Girl]

Ah, so you drove to school for three years? How/where did you park?

Three ways:

1) I drove to school. I would park at the parking lot right across from the RSF. It was $7 I think for the entire day. I'm not sure if the rate is still the same. I was really good friends with the parking attendant. Really nice guy. He ended up giving me discounts all the time. It helps to make friends! I wonder if he's still there... he was really sweet, very father-like.... okay babbling here

2) I would take the 51 bus AAAALLLL the way to Berkeley. I would not recommend this. It takes about an hour to get to school. However, I did get some reading done. And the bus ride itself is very interesting. I met all sorts of people on the bus.

3) I would take the 51 bus for part of the way to the Oakland City Center then take BART to Downtown Berkeley. To go home, I'd take BART and catch the 51 at the City Center to go to Alameda.

Wow. Reading all of this now makes me realize now that that was such a hassle! Oh well. Hope this answers your question Tangerine.

Sheesh. RC fail. You were asking about parking, not how to get to Berkeley. Okay at least you guys know now how to get to campus from Alameda. A note on parking, there are privately-owned lots around campus. You guys could probably talk to some of the lot managers for these spots and cut a deal for monthly/annual parking. I haven't done research on this so I'm not entirely sure. UCB does have pseudo-monopoly over the main parking garages and they charge a ton for permits. I believe it's $375 for a semester parking permit for students. Craziness.

[tintin]

I'm going to be looking for an apartment, probably a studio or 1br, starting in early july. Hopefully some more stuff will open up before then, but if anyone knows of some places let me know.... I visited berkeley on wed and looked around some neighborhoods, north berkeley definitely looked the nicest, quiet and safe too!

edit: Does anyone have good website suggestions for apartment hunting besides craigslist? I'm aware that there is some university-sponsered one but I don't feel like paying for it...

[Island Girl]

edit: Does anyone have good website suggestions for apartment hunting besides craigslist? I'm aware that there is some university-sponsered one but I don't feel like paying for it...

Have you tried Padmapper? Found out about it in another thread. Check it out.

........ okay so I got my financial aid offer but I don't have my CalNet ID yet and I can't access my offer. Hopefully my packet will get to me soon.

[Rotor]

As many of you look for housing from places far away from the Bay Area, you can use this link from the Berkeley PD to check out reported crimes in the neighborhood. I wouldn't use it as a sole determining factor in where to live, but it's a nice little tool to help you get a sense of where the not-so-nice places are.

--LinkRemoved--

[bayareadunks]

I'm going to be looking for an apartment, probably a studio or 1br, starting in early july. Hopefully some more stuff will open up before then, but if anyone knows of some places let me know.... I visited berkeley on wed and looked around some neighborhoods, north berkeley definitely looked the nicest, quiet and safe too!

edit: Does anyone have good website suggestions for apartment hunting besides craigslist? I'm aware that there is some university-sponsered one but I don't feel like paying for it...

North Berkeley is definitely nice, but it is at least a 25 minute walk to Boalt, depending on how far North you go. It wouldn't be too bad with a bike, but if people plan on walking, just keep that in mind. There are comparably quiet pockets of South side that are 4-5 blocks from Boalt, which ends up being about a 7-9 minute walk to Boalt. Just a thought...

I've been looking for places for a little while now, and if anyone needs some numbers for places I can provide some of the information I have accumulated.

On another note, I'm having trouble accessing my financial aid information. Are any of the other waitlist admits having trouble getting this information? I mean...I already have a login from undergrad and maybe I shouldn't be using that? For all my pages, it says that my account has not been configured or something yet. Just wondering if anyone has contacted Boalt asking what they should do? Thanks...

[tintin]

thanks for all the housing tips guys!!
does anyone know how hard it is to get a street permit in berkeley? what do they require for it?

[Rotor]

thanks for all the housing tips guys!!
does anyone know how hard it is to get a street permit in berkeley? what do they require for it?

If you're talking about the street parking permit, as long as you have documents proving you live at the address (PG&E bill, etc.) then it's a piece of cake. Just need said evidence of address, DL/Registration (and the requisite fee $34.50 now). See http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/contentdis ... px?id=6272)

If you don't live there (or reasonably represent that you do)*, then you might as well be Odysseus sailing between Scylla and Charybdis. You might make it through, but your crew will be eaten alive or your ship will be sucked into the vast whirlpool and destroyed.

*not advocating this approach. Just realistic enough to guess it probably happens-- just not with honorable law students.

[tintin]

thanks for all the housing tips guys!!
does anyone know how hard it is to get a street permit in berkeley? what do they require for it?

If you're talking about the street parking permit, as long as you have documents proving you live at the address (PG&E bill, etc.) then it's a piece of cake. Just need said evidence of address, DL/Registration (and the requisite fee $34.50 now). See http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/contentdis ... px?id=6272)

If you don't live there (or reasonably represent that you do)*, then you might as well be Odysseus sailing between Scylla and Charybdis. You might make it through, but your crew will be eaten alive or your ship will be sucked into the vast whirlpool and destroyed.

*not advocating this approach. Just realistic enough to guess it probably happens-- just not with honorable law students.

sounds reasonable and easy. awesome. thanks again

[screwsandboalts]

hey guys- going to check out places at the end of the month. im coming all the way from MA, so the pressure is on to find something!

does anyone know about those apartment complexes near campus, like the new californian or the berkeleyan...? i think i must have been cruising on their websites at some point, because i keep getting emails from them.

i heard north berkeley is the place to be for grad students looking for some safety and quiet - but im trying to keep commute time down to the bare minimum, and i read in an older post that its like a 20-30 minute walk.

also, i still cant figure out how to accept my finincial aid package on bearfacts. my brain and berkeley's web system are just not compatible.... definitely not a good foot to start off on

[Dignan]

i heard north berkeley is the place to be for grad students looking for some safety and quiet - but im trying to keep commute time down to the bare minimum, and i read in an older post that its like a 20-30 minute walk.

It's at least a 20-30 minute walk from North Berkeley to Boalt, depending on where you are. But if you're within a few blocks of University Avenue, you can hop on the 52 Bus (the North Berkeley BART line). It runs every 15 minutes and drops you off right at the law school. You might as well make use of that AC Transit Pass that we pay for.

[bayareadunks]

i heard north berkeley is the place to be for grad students looking for some safety and quiet - but im trying to keep commute time down to the bare minimum, and i read in an older post that its like a 20-30 minute walk.

It's at least a 20-30 minute walk from North Berkeley to Boalt, depending on where you are. But if you're within a few blocks of University Avenue, you can hop on the 52 Bus (the North Berkeley BART line). It runs every 15 minutes and drops you off right at the law school. You might as well make use of that AC Transit Pass that we pay for.

Very true. And a good alternative to biking the steep hills of Berkeley. And remember people, if you are NOT going to use the AC Transit bus pass that the school provides, keep in mind that there are plenty of people willing to pay around $80-$100 for these bus passes on craigslist. Just one more way to get a little spending money...

[Rotor]

does anyone know about those apartment complexes near campus, like the new californian or the berkeleyan...? i think i must have been cruising on their websites at some point, because i keep getting emails from them.

New Cal. looks really nice. But $$$. They are brand spanking new (apts probably not even finished at this point). Best part: Trader Joe's just opened up this past weekend on the ground floor.

Don't know anything about Berkeleyan.

[worldtraveler]

i heard north berkeley is the place to be for grad students looking for some safety and quiet - but im trying to keep commute time down to the bare minimum, and i read in an older post that its like a 20-30 minute walk.

It's at least a 20-30 minute walk from North Berkeley to Boalt, depending on where you are. But if you're within a few blocks of University Avenue, you can hop on the 52 Bus (the North Berkeley BART line). It runs every 15 minutes and drops you off right at the law school. You might as well make use of that AC Transit Pass that we pay for.

Very true. And a good alternative to biking the steep hills of Berkeley. And remember people, if you are NOT going to use the AC Transit bus pass that the school provides, keep in mind that there are plenty of people willing to pay around $80-$100 for these bus passes on craigslist. Just one more way to get a little spending money...

That sounds like a great way to get yourself in a huge amount of trouble. You're talking about selling your Cal ID to someone. Your Cal ID has your picture on it. It's illegal to sell those as well as against university policy. You're risking suspension/expulsion from law school all to save $100. Not to mention you use your ID to access parts of the law school and for the library, etc.
While the chances of getting caught at something like this are low, the consequences are pretty high for law students. Undergrads may get away with stuff like this. As a law student you have to worry about the bar in the not so distant future. Plus, drivers do check the IDs sometimes. Not always, but it happens. Someone in my building got caught doing this and got a huge fine, a misdemeanor charge, and suspended. Really, really not worth it.

[bayareadunks]

i heard north berkeley is the place to be for grad students looking for some safety and quiet - but im trying to keep commute time down to the bare minimum, and i read in an older post that its like a 20-30 minute walk.

It's at least a 20-30 minute walk from North Berkeley to Boalt, depending on where you are. But if you're within a few blocks of University Avenue, you can hop on the 52 Bus (the North Berkeley BART line). It runs every 15 minutes and drops you off right at the law school. You might as well make use of that AC Transit Pass that we pay for.

Very true. And a good alternative to biking the steep hills of Berkeley. And remember people, if you are NOT going to use the AC Transit bus pass that the school provides, keep in mind that there are plenty of people willing to pay around $80-$100 for these bus passes on craigslist. Just one more way to get a little spending money...

That sounds like a great way to get yourself in a huge amount of trouble. You're talking about selling your Cal ID to someone. Your Cal ID has your picture on it. It's illegal to sell those as well as against university policy. You're risking suspension/expulsion from law school all to save $100. Not to mention you use your ID to access parts of the law school and for the library, etc.
While the chances of getting caught at something like this are low, the consequences are pretty high for law students. Undergrads may get away with stuff like this. As a law student you have to worry about the bar in the not so distant future. Plus, drivers do check the IDs sometimes. Not always, but it happens. Someone in my building got caught doing this and got a huge fine, a misdemeanor charge, and suspended. Really, really not worth it.

Um...just so you know...the AC Transit pass is simply a sticker that you attach ONTO an ID...you are not selling your ACTUAL student ID provided by the school...only a half inch by half inch sticker...sorry if I was unclear...

So, yeah...no consequences.

[bilbobaggins]

Um...just so you know...the AC Transit pass is simply a sticker that you attach ONTO an ID...you are not selling your ACTUAL student ID provided by the school...only a half inch by half inch sticker...sorry if I was unclear...

So, yeah...no consequences.

Great way to kick off the law school career.

Most law students I know live in North Berkeley. It's nicer, has better restaurants and is away from the undergrad ghetto. 20 minutes of walking is not very long if you've ever had a real commute and the buses are quick.

[Island Girl]

Hey all! I finally signed a lease for an apartment! It's just the right size for me, bright and sunny and I have a wonderful view of the bay. I'm so excited!!!

Cal alumni can log in using their old CalNet ID and password. If you don't remember your password, I believe you can send an email to admits@law.berkeley.edu to reset it. I'd been pestering them since yesterday for my ID and passphrase and they were kind enough to reply to my requests quickly.

Thirdly... the deadline to submit applications for the California Bar Foundation Diversity Scholarship is tomorrow at 4:30 PM. You can PDF all the required documents and email the foundation. If you have all your paperwork handy, might as well apply, right? Recipients of the scholly get up to $7,500.

[bayareadunks]

Um...just so you know...the AC Transit pass is simply a sticker that you attach ONTO an ID...you are not selling your ACTUAL student ID provided by the school...only a half inch by half inch sticker...sorry if I was unclear...

So, yeah...no consequences.

Great way to kick off the law school career.

Most law students I know live in North Berkeley. It's nicer, has better restaurants and is away from the undergrad ghetto. 20 minutes of walking is not very long if you've ever had a real commute and the buses are quick.

Well I really didn't mean any harm by my comment, I was just clarifying because I had been vague earlier. The emphasis in punctuation was merely to make my statement as clear as possible. Sincere apologies to worldtraveler. I feel pretty bad because I really didn't mean to sound like an ass but I understand that my comment may have come off that way.

And I would have to agree, North Berkeley is very graduate student friendly. And if commute time is not a deciding factor, would probably be the best choice for those looking for housing.

[Shaggier1]

Hey does anyone know when we will be officially "registered" for classes? I am trying to figure out when I will be able to defer my loans from undergrad... would like to do that as soon as possible, obviously

Thanks for any and all info...

[Island Girl]

Hey does anyone know when we will be officially "registered" for classes? I am trying to figure out when I will be able to defer my loans from undergrad... would like to do that as soon as possible, obviously

Thanks for any and all info...

Would like to know this too.

[Rotor]

Hey does anyone know when we will be officially "registered" for classes? I am trying to figure out when I will be able to defer my loans from undergrad... would like to do that as soon as possible, obviously

Thanks for any and all info...

Would like to know this too.

Call Candi @ FinAid and ask what needs to be done. Should be an easy answer for her.

[tintin]

took a look at my finaid package today......they seem to think i am an out of state resident. considering I went to a UC school for undergrad and have never lived outside of CA I'm surprised. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the tuition amount before I realized why it was so high....

[Tangerine Gleam]

took a look at my finaid package today......they seem to think i am an out of state resident. considering I went to a UC school for undergrad and have never lived outside of CA I'm surprised. I almost had a heart attack when I saw the tuition amount before I realized why it was so high....

Yeah, deduct a good $12,000 from that for your real figure, I believe. The FinAid people have been cool in my limited dealings; they'll clear it up for sure. Make sure to submit your SLR before the deadline (whenever that is). If you're nervous and/or unsure, just give them a call today.

[Island Girl]

Ugh. They just reassessed me as an out of state resident. It was already correct the past weeks! What the heck? Guess this means I got a phone date with the financial aid office.

[screwsandboalts]

im still trying to figure out how much $ to accept from my fin aid package (how much - if any- that my parents will throw down)... it says we should accept our $ in june, but it doesnt say a specific date on the "to do" part of the website. anybody know if theres a deadline? also, do they put the med forms on the website?