Penn Students Taking Questions Forum

[elterrible78]

I am almost certain this question has been asked, but it'd be great if someone could humor me (and I do know what the search function is). Is the whole "collegiality" thing at Penn overblown, or have you all found it to be a pretty accurate characterization of the atmosphere?

This is my favorite question from prospective students haha...it's definitely not overblown. Penn seems to attract certain kinds of students. We definitely party a lot, enjoy being around one another, are very relaxed, never talk about grades and stuff like that unless it's with a close friend, have ZERO problems with malicious gunning (we have the occasional asshattery in class, but in my section I am proud to say we didn't even have that. We were all chill and completely void of gunners. Section 3 represent).

It is a very fun and relaxed atmosphere. Absolutely blew my mind this year how a law school could end up this way.

As I always say, I can't speak for other law schools, but it is definitely a fun and super friendly environment Penn has created, and you'd enjoy it.

Thanks very much for your perspective, I really do appreciate it! It sounds like a great atmosphere that I would, as you said, enjoy, because I enjoy life so much more when I'm around people who don't think it's a zero-sum kind of endeavor. I had read here, there, and everywhere else about the collegiality thing but it's kind of hard to buy, so I really do appreciate a firsthand account from someone who has no reason to try to sell it to me.

How is living in Philly in general, and the area around campus in particular? What kind of rent could someone expect to pay for a decent 1 BR close enough to bike to campus? And speaking of overblown, how about concerns regarding crime/safety? I personally am not all that concerned myself because I've spent a lot of time in a lot of shitty places, but I am curious.

Thanks again for helping out. Penn is way, way up there on my list of schools I'm interested in, for a variety of reasons.

[JDizzle2015]

Are there any current splitters around that would be able to give advice? Does Penn really value the additional "Why Penn?" essay?

I was a mild-splitter who will be starting at Penn this fall. I wrote a targeted Why X re: my prior finance WE, my experiences with Penn alums, JD/MBA, Penn's strong placement power... don't know if it helped at all (conventional TLS wisdom is that Penn, Mich and NU really like Why X statements for borderline candidates). I'm in the bottom-left corner of greens and yellows on Penn's LSN graph. Feel free to PM me with any other specific questions.

[westphillybandr]

How are people chosen for law review? Is it a combination of grade-ons and write-ons? Do we know the distribution of each?

[PennBull]

I am almost certain this question has been asked, but it'd be great if someone could humor me (and I do know what the search function is). Is the whole "collegiality" thing at Penn overblown, or have you all found it to be a pretty accurate characterization of the atmosphere?

This is my favorite question from prospective students haha...it's definitely not overblown. Penn seems to attract certain kinds of students. We definitely party a lot, enjoy being around one another, are very relaxed, never talk about grades and stuff like that unless it's with a close friend, have ZERO problems with malicious gunning (we have the occasional asshattery in class, but in my section I am proud to say we didn't even have that. We were all chill and completely void of gunners. Section 3 represent).

It is a very fun and relaxed atmosphere. Absolutely blew my mind this year how a law school could end up this way.

As I always say, I can't speak for other law schools, but it is definitely a fun and super friendly environment Penn has created, and you'd enjoy it.

Thanks very much for your perspective, I really do appreciate it! It sounds like a great atmosphere that I would, as you said, enjoy, because I enjoy life so much more when I'm around people who don't think it's a zero-sum kind of endeavor. I had read here, there, and everywhere else about the collegiality thing but it's kind of hard to buy, so I really do appreciate a firsthand account from someone who has no reason to try to sell it to me.

How is living in Philly in general, and the area around campus in particular? What kind of rent could someone expect to pay for a decent 1 BR close enough to bike to campus? And speaking of overblown, how about concerns regarding crime/safety? I personally am not all that concerned myself because I've spent a lot of time in a lot of shitty places, but I am curious.

Thanks again for helping out. Penn is way, way up there on my list of schools I'm interested in, for a variety of reasons.

I'm always bad at describing places, so if someone could help me it'd be great.

I love Philadelphia. I like the location of the campus, because it is nicely placed between two very different atmospheres of Philly. If you go immediately west you get a lot of houses, a great combination of nice student/family living, and not quite as much of an urban setting. It's also super cheap, and I pay around $500 a month. I'm not positive about 1BR prices, but in general I bet you could find something nice between 500-800. If you go east, you're real close to Center City, which is the more urban setting and such. Room prices are going to be more expensive, but there's some cool walkups and rowhouses that aren't too bad. If you wanna get fancy there's lots of apt buildings with doormen. I'm not too keen on the prices out there, but they'll be in the 4 figure range usually for a 1BR.

There is so much housing within a decent bike ride to campus. I live about 10 blocks away and it's like a 5-10 minute ride.

I don't think crime is really an issue, especially if you live around campus. I think we had one violent incident all year near campus, and that turned out to be a false alarm or something? I dunno, it's fine. There's some sketch areas relatively close, but there's never any reason to enter said sketch areas. I think the born and brewed Philly residents are better at answering that.

I'm glad you're considering Penn! If you have any specific questions you can PM me.

[PennBull]

How are people chosen for law review? Is it a combination of grade-ons and write-ons? Do we know the distribution of each?

I think it's 40% grade-on, 40% write-on (but you need to also not be bottom 33% in grades), and 20% selected from a pool of folks who are just barely not good enough in BOTH grades/writing combined, based on their personal statements and a committee discussion.

Those numbers may be off here or there, but that's the general idea. Some grade-on, some write-on, some barely missed the cut on each and get brought on anyways.

[Pate]

I think it's 40% grade-on, 40% write-on (but you need to also not be bottom 33% in grades).

Any idea where the split point is between the middle 33% and bottom 33%? i.e., B+, in the middle of B+ and B, or B or . . .

When will they likely announce selections?

[justicefishy]

Are there any current splitters around that would be able to give advice? Does Penn really value the additional "Why Penn?" essay?

I was a mild-splitter who will be starting at Penn this fall. I wrote a targeted Why X re: my prior finance WE, my experiences with Penn alums, JD/MBA, Penn's strong placement power... don't know if it helped at all (conventional TLS wisdom is that Penn, Mich and NU really like Why X statements for borderline candidates). I'm in the bottom-left corner of greens and yellows on Penn's LSN graph. Feel free to PM me with any other specific questions.

Ditto here. I wrote about my WE and other things in my personal statement but then wrote a Why Penn essay which I think got me in (I sent it in in late January, I got in a few days later). I'm also a splitter (3.4/170) and am pretty sure my essay helped a lot.

[PennBull]

I think it's 40% grade-on, 40% write-on (but you need to also not be bottom 33% in grades).

Any idea where the split point is between the middle 33% and bottom 33%? i.e., B+, in the middle of B+ and B, or B or . . .

When will they likely announce selections?

I honestly have no idea where 33% would be around. I could make an educated guess but it could be a pretty wide range (see the other thread on trying to guess our placement in the class).

Apparently we find out our journal placement around the time we submit our actual bids for OCI.

[westphillybandr]

I think it's 40% grade-on, 40% write-on (but you need to also not be bottom 33% in grades).

Any idea where the split point is between the middle 33% and bottom 33%? i.e., B+, in the middle of B+ and B, or B or . . .

When will they likely announce selections?

I honestly have no idea where 33% would be around. I could make an educated guess but it could be a pretty wide range (see the other thread on trying to guess our placement in the class).

Apparently we find out our journal placement around the time we submit our actual bids for OCI.

Thank you much appreciated. Any idea of the grades needed to grade on?

[PennBull]

Thank you much appreciated. Any idea of the grades needed to grade on?

Somewhere between top 5 and 10% of the class I think.

[No13baby]

Are there any current splitters around that would be able to give advice? Does Penn really value the additional "Why Penn?" essay?

I was a mild-splitter who will be starting at Penn this fall. I wrote a targeted Why X re: my prior finance WE, my experiences with Penn alums, JD/MBA, Penn's strong placement power... don't know if it helped at all (conventional TLS wisdom is that Penn, Mich and NU really like Why X statements for borderline candidates). I'm in the bottom-left corner of greens and yellows on Penn's LSN graph. Feel free to PM me with any other specific questions.

Ditto here. I wrote about my WE and other things in my personal statement but then wrote a Why Penn essay which I think got me in (I sent it in in late January, I got in a few days later). I'm also a splitter (3.4/170) and am pretty sure my essay helped a lot.

Bucking the trend: I'm splitter-y (GPA at 25%, LSAT at 75%) and did not write a Why Penn, nor did I talk about WE in my PS. (I did have a rec letter from my employer.) They let me in along with everyone else, so it obviously isn't the kiss of death not to write a Why Penn. That being said, don't use my laziness as an excuse not to do one.

[elterrible78]

Are there any current splitters around that would be able to give advice? Does Penn really value the additional "Why Penn?" essay?

I was a mild-splitter who will be starting at Penn this fall. I wrote a targeted Why X re: my prior finance WE, my experiences with Penn alums, JD/MBA, Penn's strong placement power... don't know if it helped at all (conventional TLS wisdom is that Penn, Mich and NU really like Why X statements for borderline candidates). I'm in the bottom-left corner of greens and yellows on Penn's LSN graph. Feel free to PM me with any other specific questions.

Ditto here. I wrote about my WE and other things in my personal statement but then wrote a Why Penn essay which I think got me in (I sent it in in late January, I got in a few days later). I'm also a splitter (3.4/170) and am pretty sure my essay helped a lot.

Bucking the trend: I'm splitter-y (GPA at 25%, LSAT at 75%) and did not write a Why Penn, nor did I talk about WE in my PS. (I did have a rec letter from my employer.) They let me in along with everyone else, so it obviously isn't the kiss of death not to write a Why Penn. That being said, don't use my laziness as an excuse not to do one.

From what I gather, this "Why Penn" is the 5-year-plan question on the application, right?

[justicefishy]

Ditto here. I wrote about my WE and other things in my personal statement but then wrote a Why Penn essay which I think got me in (I sent it in in late January, I got in a few days later). I'm also a splitter (3.4/170) and am pretty sure my essay helped a lot.

Bucking the trend: I'm splitter-y (GPA at 25%, LSAT at 75%) and did not write a Why Penn, nor did I talk about WE in my PS. (I did have a rec letter from my employer.) They let me in along with everyone else, so it obviously isn't the kiss of death not to write a Why Penn. That being said, don't use my laziness as an excuse not to do one.

From what I gather, this "Why Penn" is the 5-year-plan question on the application, right?

Or the what piece of art inspired you (which is what I wrote on) or any of the optional essay questions really.

[Jredelman15]

Any current students ever heard of someone living in Philadelphia and commuting 5 days a week for a SA in NYC?

[r6_philly]

Any current students ever heard of someone living in Philadelphia and commuting 5 days a week for a SA in NYC?

I had friends and relatives that worked in NYC and lived in Philly. If you can put up with the commute time then it's ok. However you may be asked to stay late as a SA so maybe it's not a great idea.

[Veyron]

Anyone know the date of barrister's ball this upcoming year?

[HeavenWood]

Anyone know the date of barrister's ball this upcoming year?

Idk man, but I was hoping you'd be my date.

[Veyron]

Anyone know the date of barrister's ball this upcoming year?

Idk man, but I was hoping you'd be my date.

I'll be your date brah as long as you don't mind rolin' polyamorous style. Lotta luv fur da Veyron.

[justicefishy]

I'm wondering if anyone has numbers of the % of the CO 2013 that's got SAs this year.

[2012prospective]

I'm curious about this, too. Can any current students speak to the percentage of c/o 2013 students with SAs (and perhaps more specifically with SAs at V10/ V100/ NLJ 250 firms)? Does it seem like the majority of the people who want to summer at a firm are able to get something at OCI?

[r6_philly]

Nevermind. I miss read it.

CPP probably has a spreadsheet that you can see (with most people's jobs) after 11/1.

[Mr. JD]

Hello Everyone

I'm a 0L so I figured I'd reach out to you all for help. It looks like I will be losing my 2BR/2BA Chestnut apartment since I'm having trouble finding a roommate to fill the spare bedroom vacancy (my original roommate is going to another school off the waitlist), so I was wondering if you had any suggestions regarding apartment complexes that 1) are within walking distance to the school and 2) are not ridiculously expensive. I do not have a preference regarding Center City vs University at this point. Also, if anyone is looking for a roommate, please let me know! Thanks in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Mr. JD

[JDizzle2015]

^ Maybe you've already tried this but there's a number of postings on the facebook group for people looking to rent out rooms/find roommates. Someone just posted that there were two rooms (one above a salon and one above a bar) that are across the street from the law school.

[PennBull]

I'm curious about this, too. Can any current students speak to the percentage of c/o 2013 students with SAs (and perhaps more specifically with SAs at V10/ V100/ NLJ 250 firms)? Does it seem like the majority of the people who want to summer at a firm are able to get something at OCI?

I'm wondering if anyone has numbers of the % of the CO 2013 that's got SAs this year.

Like r6philly said, we don't have that info now. But, yes, it FEELS like a majority of people who wanted work at firm, got it.

[WhirledWorld]

I'm curious about this, too. Can any current students speak to the percentage of c/o 2013 students with SAs (and perhaps more specifically with SAs at V10/ V100/ NLJ 250 firms)? Does it seem like the majority of the people who want to summer at a firm are able to get something at OCI?

I'd guess around 20%, up a bit from last year. Getting a 1L SA is pretty doable if 1) you can make a case for why you're a good diversity hire, 2) have decent grades, 3) have connections to a secondary market or 4) a combination of the three.

I would guess most people who get a 1L SA wind up with something at OCI (assuming they do OCI; some just stick with their 1L firm), but that's probably more a product of their grades and interview skills.