Berkeley Class of 2013 Forum

[worldtraveler]

Wow. This just in via an email from admissions:

In 2009, Berkeley Law tied for the third highest number of graduates placed in law teaching positions, trailing only Yale and Harvard.

Had no idea... Exciting stuff.

I wonder, though, if they mean 2009 graduates or total graduates as of 2009. Any insight?

I don't know for sure, but I did hear from a faculty member that of Berkeley alumni searching for tenure-track academic jobs last year, 50% of them found jobs. That doesn't sound like a ton, but in academia that is very, very good.

[Kronk]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

[los blancos]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

Eh, all of them probably had close to all Hs. Still really good, but I suspect if you have similar grades at MVP you'd have a similar shot.

My dream is to go to Berk and do well enough to have a shot at one of those jobs. But the real key in this dream is go to Berk.

Getting real nervous, I'm feeling that if I'm going to get in, it's probably going to be in the next wave of admits, and there's a good chance we'll get some decisions tomorrow.

[worldtraveler]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

To be fair, it's a 50% shot of people who are qualified enough to even apply.

[Shaggier1]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

Teaching pays as much as Biglaw?

[Rotor]

A quick note to those skeptical about Berkeley's financial aid. I just got the first tangible proof that the financial aid program is expanding a bit. They just announced that next year they will be participating in the GI Bill's Yellow Ribbon Program. Yes, it's a relatively small program for a small group of students-- but it is a program that they did not participate in this past year. It's no guarantee that matching or other merit aid will improve, but at least it's a positive indicator.

For any of the veteran admits watching this board, if you're going to be using Chapt 33 benefits look here http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 0#p2588530

Edit to post link rather than getting PMs.

[Kronk]

A quick note to those skeptical about Berkeley's financial aid. I just got the first tangible proof that the financial aid program is expanding a bit. They just announced that next year they will be participating in the GI Bill's Yellow Ribbon Program. Yes, it's a relatively small program for a small group of students-- but it is a program that they did not participate in this past year. It's no guarantee that matching or other merit aid will improve, but at least it's a positive indicator.

For any of the veteran admits watching this board, if you're going to be using Chapt 33 benefits look here http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 0#p2588530

Edit to post link rather than getting PMs.

Do you know of any of your classmates who got matching aid from Berkeley? If so, can you tip me off which offer they sent in? I'm guessing my choice will be between 90K @ UVa and something like 50K at NYU / Chicago.

[Kronk]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

Teaching pays as much as Biglaw?

Yeah. Tenured track professors start at $100,000+. Tenured professors can make as much as $260,000. Harvard pays their tenured professors $252,000, I think Yale is a bit higher (as is Stanford). Even Cooley professors make over $150,000 with tenure, actually.

[Rotor]

A quick note to those skeptical about Berkeley's financial aid. I just got the first tangible proof that the financial aid program is expanding a bit. They just announced that next year they will be participating in the GI Bill's Yellow Ribbon Program. Yes, it's a relatively small program for a small group of students-- but it is a program that they did not participate in this past year. It's no guarantee that matching or other merit aid will improve, but at least it's a positive indicator.

For any of the veteran admits watching this board, if you're going to be using Chapt 33 benefits look here http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 0#p2588530

Edit to post link rather than getting PMs.

Do you know of any of your classmates who got matching aid from Berkeley? If so, can you tip me off which offer they sent in? I'm guessing my choice will be between 90K @ UVa and something like 50K at NYU / Chicago.

I know one or two who are on matching, but I have no idea about the details so I'll be no help to your decision making. One thing to keep in mind: the match isn't the dollar amount given by the other school. It's what Berk would have to give to make the COA equal. It's a small distinction, but it may make a difference in your calculus.

[Rotor]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

Teaching pays as much as Biglaw?

Yeah. Tenured track professors start at $100,000+. Tenured professors can make as much as $260,000. Harvard pays their tenured professors $252,000, I think Yale is a bit higher (as is Stanford). Even Cooley professors make over $150,000 with tenure, actually.

In other words, they make biglaw associate pay. Start comparing partner profits and I'm guessing that the private sector outstrips those salaries quite quickly.

That said, there's more to life than dollar-signs. Academia FTW.

[Kronk]

Well right. But most BigLaw lawyers don't work in BigLaw for more than 5 years so I figured it was applicable. Partners clean up--but work 60hpw doing so. If you're in academia, you get to research the topics you're interested in.

Thanks for the response about the matching schollys. I will probably end up sending a CCN amount in (unless they don't give much). I don't need much to make Berkeley my top choice and I doubt they would be able to match 30k/yr. Don't want to end up with nothing. Does Berkeley even give merit aid outside the matching program?

[gymboree]

Can't believe I can post here. Still in shock I got the email.

Housing question - does anyone know other students who live 20-30 minutes out on the Bart line? I have a family and we're looking for more of a neighborhood-y simulacram of suburbia, but not completely uncool. Ideas?

[worldtraveler]

Well right. But most BigLaw lawyers don't work in BigLaw for more than 5 years so I figured it was applicable. Partners clean up--but work 60hpw doing so. If you're in academia, you get to research the topics you're interested in.

Thanks for the response about the matching schollys. I will probably end up sending a CCN amount in (unless they don't give much). I don't need much to make Berkeley my top choice and I doubt they would be able to match 30k/yr. Don't want to end up with nothing. Does Berkeley even give merit aid outside the matching program?

Yes, they do give merit aid. I have no idea how much of how many people get it. The other thing to consider is need based grants, if you're a likely candidate for those. Just anecdotally, I haven't heard of people having great success getting matching offers from MVP, especially if it's a large amount.

Can't believe I can post here. Still in shock I got the email.

Housing question - does anyone know other students who live 20-30 minutes out on the Bart line? I have a family and we're looking for more of a neighborhood-y simulacram of suburbia, but not completely uncool. Ideas?

Yeah, there are people who do it. I can't say I'd recommend it. We're probably a 15 minute walk (maybe.. I'm bad with estimating) from the nearest BART station so you're talking about more like a 45 minute commute. There are nice, family areas of Berkeley, especially North Berkeley you might like. Most of the people I know who are commuting are regretting it.

[iamthewalrus]

Hey all! I post in the hopes that someone might be able to share some insight...

Students who do not meet the age requirement for financial independence will be treated as financially independent if they demonstrate the following:

1. that they have not received more than $10,000 total from their parents in the prior five years; and
2. that they have not lived more than six cumulative calendar months with their parents in the prior five years; and
3. that they have not been claimed as a dependent by their parents on any of their prior five federal tax returns.

How do people "demonstrate" that they did not receive 10k from their parents? Proving the other two seems much easier.

[Kronk]

Yeah, I am afraid of sending in a large amount from MVP, because all I really want is like 10-15k a year from Berkeley to make it worthwhile, and my V offer is 90K and I'm afraid they will just not match it period. Do you think it'd be smarter to send in a smaller offer from Duke (75K) rather than the big one from Virginia (90k) if I don't get anything from CCN? Or perhaps I could send in a letter with it saying that I don't expect the offer to be matched fully.

[sirchristaylor]

I'm happy to be joining you all for the next 3 years! Now...where can I get my Berkeley Law car decal? I have to rep Berkeley in the cross country drive!

[gymboree]

I'm happy to be joining you all for the next 3 years! Now...where can I get my Berkeley Law car decal? I have to rep Berkeley in the cross country drive!

you got your t-shirts...
http://www.cafepress.com/+fitted_tshirt,13454435

you got your bags...
--LinkRemoved--

you got your posters...
http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/ ... reId=10433

you got your baseball caps...
http://www.bkstr.com/NavigationSearchDi ... Refinement

or you can really drive your friends crazy and hang an empty, gold diploma frame, pending your grand success... in this:
http://www.bkstr.com/ProductDisplay/100 ... ?demoKey=d

I'm messing with you - someone's going to have to hold me back from being that girl who wears the t-shirt of the law school at ASD. If I was a hipster, I'd go ironic and wear a hat and jacket, too.

[Tangerine Gleam]

Can't believe I can post here. Still in shock I got the email.

Housing question - does anyone know other students who live 20-30 minutes out on the Bart line? I have a family and we're looking for more of a neighborhood-y simulacram of suburbia, but not completely uncool. Ideas?

YOU GOT IN! Congrats!!!

Haven't touched on this thread in a long time. Looking forward to seeing everyone at ASW!

[sirchristaylor]

I'm happy to be joining you all for the next 3 years! Now...where can I get my Berkeley Law car decal? I have to rep Berkeley in the cross country drive!

you got your t-shirts...
http://www.cafepress.com/+fitted_tshirt,13454435

you got your bags...
--LinkRemoved--

you got your posters...
http://www.bkstr.com/webapp/wcs/stores/ ... reId=10433

you got your baseball caps...
http://www.bkstr.com/NavigationSearchDi ... Refinement

or you can really drive your friends crazy and hang an empty, gold diploma frame, pending your grand success... in this:
http://www.bkstr.com/ProductDisplay/100 ... ?demoKey=d

I'm messing with you - someone's going to have to hold me back from being that girl who wears the t-shirt of the law school at ASD. If I was a hipster, I'd go ironic and wear a hat and jacket, too.

Nice! Thank you. Now, as soon as you find that decal, let me know.

[gymboree]

Nice! Thank you. Now, as soon as you find that decal, let me know.

That was the one thing I couldn't find... but I'll keep my eye out. I'd be willing to take decals I've gotten from other packets and cut + paste letters into a homemade-ransom-letter-style decal.

YOU GOT IN! Congrats!!!

Haven't touched on this thread in a long time. Looking forward to seeing everyone at ASW!

Thanks Tangerine! Friends as far away as Israel are sending me flowers, everyone knows how amazing this is. I'm absolutely floating ever since the email. See you at ASD!

Congratulations everyone! We all did it!!!

edit: for formatting

[Khasekhemwy]

Can't believe I can post here. Still in shock I got the email.

Housing question - does anyone know other students who live 20-30 minutes out on the Bart line? I have a family and we're looking for more of a neighborhood-y simulacram of suburbia, but not completely uncool. Ideas?

Congrats!!! You could check out Albany village (it's the university married student housing.) I have some friends who lived there, as kids. The Albany public schools are great if your children are of school age. Also the university recently rebuilt the area so the housing is new, and it looks pretty nice.

[Khasekhemwy]

That is INSANE. 50% chance at a job with shorter hours than biglaw that pays just as much. Crazy.

I don't know too much about biglaw, but getting tenure can be a pretty insane amount of work. One of my parents is a prof, and consistently had to work until 3am when I was a kid, and this was even after becoming an associate professor. Don't get me wrong being a professor can be awesome, because the hours are flexible and you hopefully get to do research on subjects that you care about, but if you're not passionate about your field it can really suck. Also, if you fail to get promoted to associate professor within 5 or 6 years you have to pick up and move somewhere else.

[dueprocess14]

Also, don't discount the number who have other advanced degrees. From what I could see, at least half of Berkeley's placements were alums that possessed PhDs or additional Masters degrees. Pretty much everyone had either an advanced degree or a VAP or both. The time/money loss in doing this definitely cuts into the difference in pay as compared to biglaw.

[sirchristaylor]

A few links that I've found interesting and somewhat helpful:

-http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008 ... itted.html
-http://www.law.berkeley.edu/alumni/even ... index.html
-http://www.flickr.com/photos/29370912@N ... 570920505/
-http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/re ... law-school
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... ool_of_Law
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Be ... ghborhoods
-https://calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu ... rhoods.pdf
-http://calparents.berkeley.edu/guide/visiting/eat.html
-http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2 ... oduction-i
-http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/eb/berkeley/
-http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3206 ... hoods.html
-http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/h ... rhood.html
-http://www.yelp.com/find?location=Berkeley%2C+CA

[gymboree]

thanks SirChris!