Yale Class of 2013 Forum

[lawyering]

Speaking of the ASW, where do we go to find info on it, such as the program schedule and travel reimbursement?

[clyde_barrow]

Speaking of the ASW, where do we go to find info on it, such as the program schedule and travel reimbursement?

i don't think yale has released that info yet.

[caved]

Just going to throw this out there - it's not like there are grades the first semester anyway. There will be plenty of time to figure out what we need to do in law school to get the places we want to go (whether clerkship, firm, public interest, etc.) Why not just enjoy the last few months of life as a 0L and not worry about competing just yet?

On that note, let's turn (back?) to something worth worrying about right now (or very soon at least): Housing. Have people committed/likely to commit to Yale started thinking about where they wanna live? What are ya'll thinking? Studio/One-bedroom? Try to find a roommate via facebook group? Try to find a roommate over the ASW? Know someone already who you're going to live with?

Here's what I was thinking w/ the fb group--I don't want to commit to Yale until I visit, and I bet other people are in the same boat. I was wondering if through the fb group it might make sense to arrange a "roommates wanted" get together after the ASW (like friday evening or something...I'm not sure when our scheduled activities end). That way people could split up from there into the different housing arrangements they wanted...

What does anyone think of that? I could put it on the fb group (so much for TLS anonymity)

Scratch what I said earlier, I would actually be every interested in this.

[notanumber]

Hi y'all. Glad to be in this thread now.

Anybody know how picky Yale is about deferrals? Anybody hear of deferral requests being denied?

[Ranita]

Hi y'all. Glad to be in this thread now.

Anybody know how picky Yale is about deferrals? Anybody hear of deferral requests being denied?

There was a post about it in the 203 blog that I'm not motivated to find at the moment, but the bottom line is 1 year deferrals are relatively easy to get, 2 year deferrals are tougher (things like Rhodes or a TFA commitment would qualify), and 3 years generally do not happen unless you are being deployed.

Personally, I received a 1 year def. last year and am asking to extend it for a second year. The odds aren't good, but I have my fingers crossed. Come back in a week and you might get your anecdote about a deferral request being denied.

[rabbit9198]

Hi y'all. Glad to be in this thread now.

Anybody know how picky Yale is about deferrals? Anybody hear of deferral requests being denied?

Here's the link to the blog post referred to above: http://blogs.law.yale.edu/blogs/admissi ... later.aspx

[notanumber]

Very helpful. Thanks.

[catwoman]

Just going to throw this out there - it's not like there are grades the first semester anyway. There will be plenty of time to figure out what we need to do in law school to get the places we want to go (whether clerkship, firm, public interest, etc.) Why not just enjoy the last few months of life as a 0L and not worry about competing just yet?

On that note, let's turn (back?) to something worth worrying about right now (or very soon at least): Housing. Have people committed/likely to commit to Yale started thinking about where they wanna live? What are ya'll thinking? Studio/One-bedroom? Try to find a roommate via facebook group? Try to find a roommate over the ASW? Know someone already who you're going to live with?

Here's what I was thinking w/ the fb group--I don't want to commit to Yale until I visit, and I bet other people are in the same boat. I was wondering if through the fb group it might make sense to arrange a "roommates wanted" get together after the ASW (like friday evening or something...I'm not sure when our scheduled activities end). That way people could split up from there into the different housing arrangements they wanted...

What does anyone think of that? I could put it on the fb group (so much for TLS anonymity)

Scratch what I said earlier, I would actually be every interested in this.

So would I.

[lawyering]

Has anyone received their financial aid package yet? Waiting with baited breath...

[duodora]

Has anyone received their financial aid package yet? Waiting with baited breath...

I'm waiting too!! It's really going to make or break it with me for Yale! I didn't apply to Harvard and haven't heard from Stanford, so I don't have any bargaining chips

And caved and catwoman--I'll start that fb thread (or discussion or whatever they call them) sometime within the next couple days

[brennanlives]

i am about 99% sure i'll be attending! i know VERY little about new haven/the northeast in general, but i am thrilled about visiting. can't wait to meet you guys!

[lawyering]

brennanlives, love the screen name hoping our financial aid comes this week...i'm ready for this decision to be made!!

[naruhodo]

Just got my financial aid package, and oh God, does it hurt. 12.5K in grants...

[aad]

Just got my financial aid package, and oh God, does it hurt. 12.5K in grants...

When did you submit your FAFSA/NeedAccess?

[duodora]

Got my financial aid package too (submitted FAFSA and such in the middle of February).

Two questions for current students (or anyone else who knows):

1) Yale "awarded" me X dollars in loans. They recommended I split them among three different types of Federal loans (Subsidized, unsubsidized, and grad plus). Do all of those loans (no matter how I take out the loan) count for the COAP program?

2) I'm young enough that for all of law school my parents are supposed to pay a portion of my law school. They aren't going to. I saw in a handbook on the website that sometimes if a student takes expected parental contribution out as loans, they can count for the COAP--do you know how often this is or how difficult it is to get?

Thanks so much!

[kalessebo]

Loans taken out to cover expected parental contribution are always covered by COAP. The only loans that aren't covered are those that you take out to cover your own expected contribution. But there would be no reason to take out loans to cover your own contribution, since they don't expect you to contribute unless you actually have the money. Except for the $2500 or whatever for the summer before law school.

Needless to say, this applies to subsidized, unsubsidized, and other (GradPLUS or private) loans.

[duodora]

Loans taken out to cover expected parental contribution are always covered by COAP. The only loans that aren't covered are those that you take out to cover your own expected contribution. But there would be no reason to take out loans to cover your own contribution, since they don't expect you to contribute unless you actually have the money. Except for the $2500 or whatever for the summer before law school.

Needless to say, this applies to subsidized, unsubsidized, and other (GradPLUS or private) loans.

Wow!! This is really great to know--thank you My only expected contribution is $2500, which I should be able to manage.

I'm planning on going into public interest--and this almost sounds too good to be true!

[BioEBear2010]

Just received my financial aid award today, too. Can't complain, as I was literally expecting nothing. Does anyone know the details on the Grad Plus Loan?

[kalessebo]

Loans taken out to cover expected parental contribution are always covered by COAP. The only loans that aren't covered are those that you take out to cover your own expected contribution. But there would be no reason to take out loans to cover your own contribution, since they don't expect you to contribute unless you actually have the money. Except for the $2500 or whatever for the summer before law school.

Needless to say, this applies to subsidized, unsubsidized, and other (GradPLUS or private) loans.

Wow!! This is really great to know--thank you My only expected contribution is $2500, which I should be able to manage.

I'm planning on going into public interest--and this almost sounds too good to be true!

It almost is too good to be true! BioEBear, Grad Plus loans are (I think) 8.6%, fixed-rate loans. They are covered by the recent federal loan forgiveness legislation, but you shouldn't worry about that at all since COAP is much more generous than the federal program. You can consolidate them with other federal loans, including Staffords, at a lower, fixed rate after a few years of on-time payments.

It's a pretty decent deal, though I'd encourage everyone to at least look into private loans. I got prime minus 0.5%, which means I'm paying about 2.5% interest right now. Assuming a steady increase of .5% a year (which is what analysts predict will be the average increase over the next 10 years), the average rate will turn out to be about 6% assuming I repay in 12 years, which is lower than GradPLUS. The risk is that if inflation picks up again and the Fed raises rates quickly (as it has in the past), I could end up paying 10% or more on average over the life of the loan. It all depends on your appetite for risk.

[aad]

I would be careful with taking those private loans. Those analyst predictions are likely credible for the short- and possibly medium-term. 12 years is a long time and anything can happen (think about what the world looked like in 1998). I will admit though that your strategy will be great if the US recovery is similar to the Japanese recovery from their real estate bubble.

[oso84]

Hi all, I was admitted just today after having pretty much written off any chance of being accepted. I have a long standing interest in immigration law, and I'm a bit concerned that there might not be an immigration scholar on faculty - it looks like people were imported this year to give the immigration classes. Do any current students (or well-informed 0Ls) have any insights on the feasibility of undertaking a substantial writing project in the area of immigration law at YLS? Any advice would be much appreciated...

Edit: I ignored clinical profs (oops). Are they available to supervise written work?

[westbayguy]

Private loans can be rolled into a consolidation loan (I think) at a future date, so it isn't all that bad a bet. You know you can consolidate the Staffords (both subsidized and unsubsidized) so its like a hedge even if you cant consolidate the private loan.

The real question is whether there will even be private loans any more.

And in the end, COAP will cover all loans, so you have that protection as well.

[rabbit9198]

Hi all, I was admitted just today after having pretty much written off any chance of being accepted. I have a long standing interest in immigration law, and I'm a bit concerned that there might not be an immigration scholar on faculty - it looks like people were imported this year to give the immigration classes. Do any current students (or well-informed 0Ls) have any insights on the feasibility of undertaking a substantial writing project in the area of immigration law at YLS? Any advice would be much appreciated...

Edit: I ignored clinical profs (oops). Are they available to supervise written work?

First, congrats!

Second, yes, clinical *faculty* are generally able to supervise written work. [Note that for the "lesser" of the two major writing requirements, no visiting faculty or "lecturers" - only "full" faculty - are allowed to supervise; but that rule applies equally outside of the clinical world, too.] Also, beyond the two required papers, many faculty members also supervise additional work and independent study opportunities for students.

[bgc]

I have a long standing interest in immigration law, and I'm a bit concerned that there might not be an immigration scholar on faculty - it looks like people were imported this year to give the immigration classes.

Congrats!

There is a tremendous amount work on immigration issues happening here. It feels like the dominant clinical area, though I haven't counted. Having Guttentag here has been fantastic, without question, but there's an incredible amount of student energy that will continue.

[oso84]

Thanks rabbit and bgc!