Penn Students Taking Questions Forum

[PennBull]

Random question: are there places in the law school where you can study after the library closes at night? Like classrooms or a lounge area or something?

Yes... pretty much anywhere. The night guard likes to try to make people leave when she does a walk around at the end of the night, but just say "ok, thanks I'm packing up" and then don't. You can go out the door onto Chestnut after everything is locked up without having to worry that you screwed up some locked door.

Ah, true. Paula's awesome.

[PennBull]

Anyone know where we can view the individual class distributions for the spring semester?

[WhirledWorld]

I mean, it's Penn Law, they're not going to poorly prepare you.

Haha, I don't doubt that. Was more just wondering about the reasoning behind it. As you can probably tell I don't really know anything about the bar yet. Thanks guys.

As HeavenWood said, it's more to make room for LRW. Also, the reason I heard was that the ABA told Penn they had too many credits for 1Ls, and they had to drop a credit. Penn is very proud of the fact that they allow 1Ls to take 2 electives in the spring semester, so they decided to drop property instead of one of the electives.

As you can tell I don't know much about the bar exam either. Right now people are studying for the bar, so you might be able to browse the forums of this site and see some graduates talking about their bar exam studying.

Property is a huge part of the bar and personally I think everyone should take it (graduating not knowing what an easement is or what fee simple means would be ridiculous in my opinion). I'm sad Penn is dropping that instead of dropping con law as a required course, but it is what it is. People learn a ton of things for the bar, and learning property too won't make that big of a difference.

Take property. (caveat: you may not LIKE property... results may vary; personally property was one of my favorite classes)

Take property, not just because it's hugely important for the bar, but because it's hugely important for practice. Almost every deal involves a transfer of property; a ton of other involve easements etc. At the very least, you should know when to turn to the property guys in the office/firm.

[Jredelman15]

is there any consensus on what LSAT you need to be a good candidate for ED? I have 3.31 but after fall grades come out I could have 3.43

[JDizzle2015]

is there any consensus on what LSAT you need to be a good candidate for ED? I have 3.31 but after fall grades come out I could have 3.43

170 minimum, unless URM. http://penn.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

[iamrobk]

is there any consensus on what LSAT you need to be a good candidate for ED? I have 3.31 but after fall grades come out I could have 3.43

170 minimum, unless URM. http://penn.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

Yeah, 170 minimum, but every extra point helps.. If you're applying ED next cycle, you won't have your fall semester grades included though.

[HeavenWood]

is there any consensus on what LSAT you need to be a good candidate for ED? I have 3.31 but after fall grades come out I could have 3.43

170 minimum, unless URM. http://penn.lawschoolnumbers.com/stats

Yeah, 170 minimum, but every extra point helps.. If you're applying ED next cycle, you won't have your fall semester grades included though.

I know of a non-URM who got in here (as well as UVA) RD with a 3.4/170. Very good softs, but not Olympic gold medalist-level ones either. Something to consider if you're feeling "gutsy."

[Jredelman15]

Is there any way I can make sure the Adcom doesn't make a decision before my final grades come out? Would they put me on WL and then reevaluate my file after fall grades or would it be an auto-ding?

[HeavenWood]

Is there any way I can make sure the Adcom doesn't make a decision before my final grades come out? Would they put me on WL and then reevaluate my file after fall grades or would it be an auto-ding?

If you want ED, I don't think there's any way.

[clee33]

I got in rd in your gpa range/170/white, but I also know other people with those numbers that werent so lucky.

Really a 3.3 and a 3.4 wont be that different. Both are below 25%. The key is getting a 170 or higher. Otherwise your odds are pretty slim.

Apply early, you won't get dinged with a 170+. Really probably have a better chance applying early with a 3.3 than regular with a 3.4. LSATs the key though.

[yikes0117]

Penn for 50k per year or UT for 30k per year. aaaaaand GO!

[Blumpbeef]

I got in rd in your gpa range/170/white, but I also know other people with those numbers that werent so lucky.

Really a 3.3 and a 3.4 wont be that different. Both are below 25%. The key is getting a 170 or higher. Otherwise your odds are pretty slim.

Apply early, you won't get dinged with a 170+. Really probably have a better chance applying early with a 3.3 than regular with a 3.4. LSATs the key though.

What do you think, for me, with a 3.2/176 and ED?

I keep looking around LSN but I'm not really sure.

And @yikes, Penn.

[clee33]

I think you would have a great shot (176s don't grow on trees!) but then again your numbers are so unique it's hard to say for certain. 3.2 is around where you start worrying about a gpa floor If I had to guess, Id say you would get in, really just a guess though.

[HeavenWood]

I got in rd in your gpa range/170/white, but I also know other people with those numbers that werent so lucky.

Really a 3.3 and a 3.4 wont be that different. Both are below 25%. The key is getting a 170 or higher. Otherwise your odds are pretty slim.

Apply early, you won't get dinged with a 170+. Really probably have a better chance applying early with a 3.3 than regular with a 3.4. LSATs the key though.

What do you think, for me, with a 3.2/176 and ED?

I keep looking around LSN but I'm not really sure.

And @yikes, Penn.

Write a good app and you're in.

[PennBull]

What do you think, for me, with a 3.2/176 and ED?

I keep looking around LSN but I'm not really sure.

As you know, splitters are impossible to predict. You're not going to know until you apply.

Is your degree in a hard science?

Penn for 50k per year or UT for 30k per year. aaaaaand GO!

I chose Penn over UT for the same price differential. 100000% the correct decision.

[Blumpbeef]

As you know, splitters are impossible to predict. You're not going to know until you apply.

Is your degree in a hard science?

Well I'm in at NU at sticker. I'm not even sure it's worth taking another year off even if I was sure to get into Penn. I would be EDing, so I would be stuck paying sticker either way. And the other problem with ED at Penn is that it wouldn't give me the option of NU with money for next year.

It's Environmental Science and Management, so 50-50 I guess. My GPA was destroyed by calc and pre-med classes, but it was not otherwise particularly stellar in other subjects (maybe more like a 3.6).

[PennBull]

As you know, splitters are impossible to predict. You're not going to know until you apply.

Is your degree in a hard science?

Well I'm in at NU at sticker. I'm not even sure it's worth taking another year off even if I was sure to get into Penn. I would be EDing, so I would be stuck paying sticker either way. And the other problem with ED at Penn is that it wouldn't give me the option of NU with money for next year.

It's Environmental Science and Management, so 50-50 I guess. My GPA was destroyed by calc and pre-med classes, but it was not otherwise particularly stellar in other subjects (maybe more like a 3.6).

People usually are not in favor of NU at sticker, but I am, as long as your undergrad debt doesn't suck. Just a personal opinion, take it for what it's worth.

Did you apply early enough? That can help. Taking another year off might suck, especially since it wouldn't be to retake the LSAT, so you might be stuck with your options now. Are you on the Penn waitlist?

Also, I'm pretty sure the TLS consensus is that your degree is not 50-50 "hard science". From what I know, the "hard science" consideration is reserved for obvious situations, i.e. engineering/pharmacy/etc.

[Blumpbeef]

No, that's the thing, I applied mid-Jan. I'm waitlisted at basically Columbia on down right now, got into NU off the WL.

I wasn't sure why you were asking wrt my degree. I took a couple classes that kicked my ass, but I wouldn't normally refer to it as "hard science". It isn't going to do much for me in terms of patent law though.

(and I just got my NU admit packet in the middle of writing this post. Let's see if they can seal the deal... )

[PennBull]

No, that's the thing, I applied mid-Jan. I'm waitlisted at basically Columbia on down right now, got into NU off the WL.

I wasn't sure why you were asking wrt my degree. I took a couple classes that kicked my ass, but I wouldn't normally refer to it as "hard science". It isn't going to do much for me in terms of patent law though.

(and I just got my NU admit packet in the middle of writing this post. Let's see if they can seal the deal... )

I'd reapply in September if you can manage it. I had a friend do it and got bumps in $$$ to a lot of schools. He also got accepted to Harvard off the WL, but I'm not sure if applying earlier helped that.

Also, the "hard science" thing is rumored to give a slight bump to some GPAs. Schools still largely prefer the raw numbers because of rankings and such. But, if they have to choose somebody between identical GPAs and one kid did engineering while the other did underwater basketweaving, they seem to prefer the engineering kid.

edit: I also was waitlisted everywhere; it was kinda funny because I didn't get rejected anywhere. It's a weird feeling. I feel like Penn chose me, instead of the other way around. Hence my super Penn homerism.

[HeavenWood]

Penn for 50k per year or UT for 30k per year. aaaaaand GO!

I chose Penn over UT for the same price differential. 100000% the correct decision.

Penn + Texas ties is a killer, and I mean killer, combination. Texas firms will dip quite far below median to snag one of their own.

[PennBull]

Penn for 50k per year or UT for 30k per year. aaaaaand GO!

I chose Penn over UT for the same price differential. 100000% the correct decision.

Penn + Texas ties is a killer, and I mean killer, combination. Texas firms will dip quite far below median to snag one of their own.

THE COMBINATION LITERALLY KILLS THINGS.

[HeavenWood]

Penn for 50k per year or UT for 30k per year. aaaaaand GO!

I chose Penn over UT for the same price differential. 100000% the correct decision.

Penn + Texas ties is a killer, and I mean killer, combination. Texas firms will dip quite far below median to snag one of their own.

THE COMBINATION LITERALLY KILLS THINGS.

It's been known to vaporize B-'s and discretionary C's from Texans' transcripts.

[Blumpbeef]

No, that's the thing, I applied mid-Jan. I'm waitlisted at basically Columbia on down right now, got into NU off the WL.

I wasn't sure why you were asking wrt my degree. I took a couple classes that kicked my ass, but I wouldn't normally refer to it as "hard science". It isn't going to do much for me in terms of patent law though.

(and I just got my NU admit packet in the middle of writing this post. Let's see if they can seal the deal... )

I'd reapply in September if you can manage it. I had a friend do it and got bumps in $$$ to a lot of schools. He also got accepted to Harvard off the WL, but I'm not sure if applying earlier helped that.

Also, the "hard science" thing is rumored to give a slight bump to some GPAs. Schools still largely prefer the raw numbers because of rankings and such. But, if they have to choose somebody between identical GPAs and one kid did engineering while the other did underwater basketweaving, they seem to prefer the engineering kid.

edit: I also was waitlisted everywhere; it was kinda funny because I didn't get rejected anywhere. It's a weird feeling. I feel like Penn chose me, instead of the other way around. Hence my super Penn homerism.

Honestly, it was your post in RANT that made me start to rethink all this. I needed a sanity check to make sure I wasn't making a horrible decision with NU at sticker.

I know how you feel. Until my LSAT came back, I wasn't expecting anything other than GULC/Cornell to be in play for me, and I really didn't know very much about any of the schools I applied to. I knew very little about Penn too, but after researching and visiting, it kind of became my top choice,

[SaintsTheMetal]

Recently posted this is another thread but I figured this would be a good place to ask as well:

Just trying to work out my ED strategy in september

Everything I see about Penn's I like, while NYU seems to be more questionable. I don't know where the TLS "CCN MVP" thing came from but I really don't see the sense in it unless it's more just a relic of the past or something.

Penn seems to have top notch placement numbers, both in clerkships and biglaw.. only thing that is a little scary at Penn is from this thread:
http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&start=75
seems that if you miss out on big law at Penn you might be trouble.. whereas below median at some schools, like Michigan (because of their LRAP,) might not be in as much trouble. However NYU hasn't released this data at all, so it's hard to compare the two against each other I think.

Add in the fact that NYU has the crazy COL and in general less scholarship money, is there any good reason to favor NYU over Penn? I'm just legitimately curious if there is a big positive to this T6 school VS a T7 school that I've missed in my reading so far.

Hoping someone here may have similarly decided between NYU and Penn.. are there any other considerations I'm not really considering here?

[PennBull]

Honestly, it was your post in RANT that made me start to rethink all this. I needed a sanity check to make sure I wasn't making a horrible decision with NU at sticker.

I know how you feel. Until my LSAT came back, I wasn't expecting anything other than GULC/Cornell to be in play for me, and I really didn't know very much about any of the schools I applied to. I knew very little about Penn too, but after researching and visiting, it kind of became my top choice,

My friends weren't picking T14s at sticker. They were picking Tier 2s at sticker. You're definitely not in the line of fire haha.

I knew absolutely nothing about Penn other than a.) it wasn't Penn State and b.) apparently it's an ivy league school and c.) they really like the interdisciplinary thing. They were the 1st school to accept me, so I kinda thought "oh cool, thanks", and it was no big deal. Once waitlist after waitlist started pouring in (which, based on the numbers, was extremely surprising), Penn became the obvious choice. While I didn't have a tough decision (my #2 was Vandy for half price and #3 was Illinois/Indiana for free), the more I learned about Penn made it obvious that it was the perfect school for me. Even if I got accepted other places, I would have ended up at Penn for sure.