UCLA 1L taking questions Forum

[SisyphusHappy]

having a hard decision right now.

got ample $$ at UCLA but also in at NYU no money. (rejected, w/list everywhere else lol)

to be honest i don't know exactly what kind of postgrad work i want to do, so the less debt factor pushes me towards UCLA aside from already growing up in SoCal and wanting to stay in the area after.

However, anyone know the realistic degree difference in how a UCLA degree would fare against an NYU degree in the LA job market? Is there a significant edge with an NYU degree that's worth eating up years of debt?

Also I'm really curious about the student life at UCLA law. Any double bruin 1L's? I went to UCLA undergrad and im curious to know if there are any significant social opportunities or differences? NYU offers a very interesting social atmosphere different from UCLA...

I really don't think NYU students have much of a leg up on us. We constantly have big firms coming in to meet the 1L class. Those networking opportunities just won't exist for NYU students.

You're right. The campuses are very different. I visited NYU, though I never got in. I really didn't like it. It's not a traditional college campus. Some people are looking for that, though. UCLA is the biggest feeder school for UCLA Law. I know a ton of double Bruins. If you're interested in talking with one of them about the social differences, message me and I'll put you in touch.

[marlborofillet]

First, thanks for taking your time to answer questions.

Second, what would motivate someone, like yourself, to choose UCLA over USC?

USC has a better in-state bar passage rate, places better in the NJ250, and, for certain folks, offers a lower tuition by way of scholarships.

To be clear: I'm not advocating for USC over UCLA. I don't consider the aforementioned reasons sufficient for me to want to attend USC, but as a point of quick comparison they seem persuasive. Though I intuitively feel that UCLA would be a better fit, my aversion to debt prompts me to focus acutely on the last of those reasons.

Thanks again!

[SisyphusHappy]

First, thanks for taking your time to answer questions.

Second, what would motivate someone, like yourself, to choose UCLA over USC?

USC has a better in-state bar passage rate, places better in the NJ250, and, for certain folks, offers a lower tuition by way of scholarships.

To be clear: I'm not advocating for USC over UCLA. I don't consider the aforementioned reasons sufficient for me to want to attend USC, but as a point of quick comparison they seem persuasive. Though I intuitively feel that UCLA would be a better fit, my aversion to debt prompts me to focus acutely on the last of those reasons.

Thanks again!

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

[marlborofillet]

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

Wonderful! I truly appreciate your insight. I hate to reveal my ignorance, but how does one go about comparing respective public interest programs? I'm similarly inclined, but I don't know how to effectively evaluate the inflated prose that law schools employ on their websites. Looking to clinical offerings yields comparable success as almost every self-respecting school has an immigration and a human rights clinic. Employment statistics tell a slightly different story as UCLA, by percentage, places nearly twice as many folks in public interest. But, the difference between 5% and 9% is by no means colossal. What factors did you use to assess your options?

I hear you on the law school buildings, though I actually consider USC more appealing with regard to living situations as I've grown fond of low-rent neighborhoods (Oakland <3).

This is perhaps a tad bit off topic, but I'm genuinely curious: Have you been to any showings at the film and television archive?

Thanks again!

[der_saeufer]

I'll chime in. I just got a need-based award for the upcoming school year at UCLA that makes it a very attractive option for me. I understand that need-based aid has to be reapplied for every year, but I was wondering if any of the current students on here have seen your grants change significantly from your first year to the next (or second to third) without having a huge change in personal finances. Or maybe your need-based aid amount never changed? I'd appreciate any input on this.

Bumping this question because I want to know too... In my case I'm older, so my parents' finances aren't a factor; in 2011 I worked a full-time job ($50k<income<$75k) and got a pretty decent grant for 2012-13. In 2012 I'll work this same job for 5 months tops and in 2013 I expect I'll only work whatever job I have my 1L summer (which will likely be an unpaid government/PI position).

Is it reasonable to count on getting at least as much need-based aid in future years since I know my income will be going down?

Anyone have any awesome housing tips? I'm older than most law students but single and can pass for 25 so I'm considering Weyburn but not averse to commuting. I've done the motorcycle commute thing in LA before and can handle a few miles. (also way OT, I love how UCLA doesn't even require permits to park motorcycles!)

[SisyphusHappy]

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

Wonderful! I truly appreciate your insight. I hate to reveal my ignorance, but how does one go about comparing respective public interest programs? I'm similarly inclined, but I don't know how to effectively evaluate the inflated prose that law schools employ on their websites. Looking to clinical offerings yields comparable success as almost every self-respecting school has an immigration and a human rights clinic. Employment statistics tell a slightly different story as UCLA, by percentage, places nearly twice as many folks in public interest. But, the difference between 5% and 9% is by no means colossal. What factors did you use to assess your options?

I hear you on the law school buildings, though I actually consider USC more appealing with regard to living situations as I've grown fond of low-rent neighborhoods (Oakland <3).

This is perhaps a tad bit off topic, but I'm genuinely curious: Have you been to any showings at the film and television archive?

Thanks again!

Three ways:
-The Epstein Program, one of the largest PI programs in the country: http://www.law.ucla.edu/academic-progra ... fault.aspx
-One of the best LRAPs in the country: http://www.law.ucla.edu/current-student ... fault.aspx
-Guaranteed funding for PI work in the summer.

Also, the Williams Institute...which is awesome.

From what I've heard, USC isn't actually that cheap for housing. Rich, spoiled kids have drive up the price.

I haven't! It's on my to-do list, though.

Let me know if you (or anyone else reading this) visits, by the way. The law school will pay for me to take you out to lunch...which is awesome.

[SisyphusHappy]

I'll chime in. I just got a need-based award for the upcoming school year at UCLA that makes it a very attractive option for me. I understand that need-based aid has to be reapplied for every year, but I was wondering if any of the current students on here have seen your grants change significantly from your first year to the next (or second to third) without having a huge change in personal finances. Or maybe your need-based aid amount never changed? I'd appreciate any input on this.

Bumping this question because I want to know too... In my case I'm older, so my parents' finances aren't a factor; in 2011 I worked a full-time job ($50k<income<$75k) and got a pretty decent grant for 2012-13. In 2012 I'll work this same job for 5 months tops and in 2013 I expect I'll only work whatever job I have my 1L summer (which will likely be an unpaid government/PI position).

Is it reasonable to count on getting at least as much need-based aid in future years since I know my income will be going down?

Anyone have any awesome housing tips? I'm older than most law students but single and can pass for 25 so I'm considering Weyburn but not averse to commuting. I've done the motorcycle commute thing in LA before and can handle a few miles. (also way OT, I love how UCLA doesn't even require permits to park motorcycles!)

Will reply when they offer me need-based aid.

Weyburn is great. It's decently priced for Westwood, and the social environment is awesome. It's a bit cheaper to live in Santa Monica/Brentwood, though. A lot of the 1Ls are living there next year.

[fakehunter]

Did any of you who lived in Weyburn have trouble getting housing there? Or do you know of anyone who wanted to live in Weyburn but was placed in the other dorm, Hillgard I think?

[SisyphusHappy]

Did any of you who lived in Weyburn have trouble getting housing there? Or do you know of anyone who wanted to live in Weyburn but was placed in the other dorm, Hillgard I think?

I can't think of anyone who didn't make it into Weyburn. The law school has some guaranteed spots. Negotiate for one before you accept their offer, if you're concerned.

[fakehunter]

Thanks. I have negotiated a deal for guaranteed housing, they just said they couldn't promise me a specific housing assignment so that's what I was wondering about.

[horrorbusiness]

hey 0l's can someone remind me of the formula they used to generate the admitted student's site username/password? like initials/birthday or whatever? i forgot mine and i don't want to call the school like a dumbass since there's no password regeneration link that i could find.

[fakehunter]

hey 0l's can someone remind me of the formula they used to generate the admitted student's site username/password? like initials/birthday or whatever? i forgot mine and i don't want to call the school like a dumbass since there's no password regeneration link that i could find.

Ha I emailed the school like a dumbass. Oops. It's your last name immediately followed by 2015, or at least that's what it was for me.

[horrorbusiness]

hey 0l's can someone remind me of the formula they used to generate the admitted student's site username/password? like initials/birthday or whatever? i forgot mine and i don't want to call the school like a dumbass since there's no password regeneration link that i could find.

Ha I emailed the school like a dumbass. Oops. It's your last name immediately followed by 2015, or at least that's what it was for me.

haha . thanks!

[fakehunter]

Would a Macbook Air be a good choice for a UCLA Law student? Or do most people have PCs? If PCs are prominent, is the tech support on campus good?

[cnation]

Do any of you know anything about the reputation of UCLA in San Diego or if any of your classmates are headed for jobs there? Is it better than USC?

[leapincamelleopard]

UCLA 1L, thought I'd join in

Would a Macbook Air be a good choice for a UCLA Law student? Or do most people have PCs? If PCs are prominent, is the tech support on campus good?

A Macbook Air would be fine (kind of wish I'd got one, less weight to carry around every day), I know there are a couple extra hoops to jump through when uploading things like the exam software on a Mac but its not a big deal. I think Macs hold a small majority (just from looking around my classes). Tech support is ok, if something goes wrong you can borrow a computer but it will be a PC.

[oliverlovesyou]

Tag

[Golden Bear 11]

First, thanks for taking your time to answer questions.

Second, what would motivate someone, like yourself, to choose UCLA over USC?

USC has a better in-state bar passage rate, places better in the NJ250, and, for certain folks, offers a lower tuition by way of scholarships.

To be clear: I'm not advocating for USC over UCLA. I don't consider the aforementioned reasons sufficient for me to want to attend USC, but as a point of quick comparison they seem persuasive. Though I intuitively feel that UCLA would be a better fit, my aversion to debt prompts me to focus acutely on the last of those reasons.

Thanks again!

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

Have you heard of cases where UCLA awards an admit 20K need based aid for 1L and then with very minor changes to their income/assets, award 3K for 2L/3L?

[SisyphusHappy]

First, thanks for taking your time to answer questions.

Second, what would motivate someone, like yourself, to choose UCLA over USC?

USC has a better in-state bar passage rate, places better in the NJ250, and, for certain folks, offers a lower tuition by way of scholarships.

To be clear: I'm not advocating for USC over UCLA. I don't consider the aforementioned reasons sufficient for me to want to attend USC, but as a point of quick comparison they seem persuasive. Though I intuitively feel that UCLA would be a better fit, my aversion to debt prompts me to focus acutely on the last of those reasons.

Thanks again!

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

Have you heard of cases where UCLA awards an admit 20K need based aid for 1L and then with very minor changes to their income/assets, award 3K for 2L/3L?

No...but it sounds like you have. It's something I'm a bit worried about. I'll keep you all posted when they give me my offer for 2L.

[Golden Bear 11]

First, thanks for taking your time to answer questions.

Second, what would motivate someone, like yourself, to choose UCLA over USC?

USC has a better in-state bar passage rate, places better in the NJ250, and, for certain folks, offers a lower tuition by way of scholarships.

To be clear: I'm not advocating for USC over UCLA. I don't consider the aforementioned reasons sufficient for me to want to attend USC, but as a point of quick comparison they seem persuasive. Though I intuitively feel that UCLA would be a better fit, my aversion to debt prompts me to focus acutely on the last of those reasons.

Thanks again!

I'm not going to hide the ball. An interest in public service brought me UCLA. They have a much better program for it. That said, I think there are still good reasons to pick UCLA. Bar passage and NJ250 bounce back and forth between the two. UCLA is usually willing to up your scholarship if USC is offering more. For me, UCLA's scholarship was actually much, much larger.

As far as things that actually weigh in UCLA's direction: both places have beautiful campuses, but USC's law school is hideous. Westwood is also a much, much better neighborhood than downtown. As far as debt aversion goes, UCLA guarantees funding for the first summer. AFAIK, USC does not. UCLA is also really good about need-based schollys.

I don't actually think your opportunities out of the two are much different, but I really prefer going to school here.

Have you heard of cases where UCLA awards an admit 20K need based aid for 1L and then with very minor changes to their income/assets, award 3K for 2L/3L?

No...but it sounds like you have. It's something I'm a bit worried about. I'll keep you all posted when they give me my offer for 2L.

Thanks, please keep us posted on the 2L offer. Where are you working 1L summer and How much funding does UCLA provide in the summer for public interest or service work?

[SisyphusHappy]

For the sake of trying to protect any semblance of anonymity I still have on here, I'll say that I'm working for a public interest organization outside of the region.

They gave $4k for 1Ls and $4.5k for 2/3Ls (I think). You can supplement it with outside funding for up to $5k for 1Ls and $6k for 2/3Ls (I think).

[Golden Bear 11]

For the sake of trying to protect any semblance of anonymity I still have on here, I'll say that I'm working for a public interest organization outside of the region.

They gave $4k for 1Ls and $4.5k for 2/3Ls (I think). You can supplement it with outside funding for up to $5k for 1Ls and $6k for 2/3Ls (I think).

To clarify, when you say you can supplement it with outside funding, do you mean earnings from your 1L/2L summer job or are you referring to outside scholarships? I think you refer to the former? If so, does a work-study job as a RA during the school year count towards that ceiling?

Also, how common is it for law students at UCLA to work as Teaching Assistants/Readers?

Appreciate your insights!

[commoner]

I was not impressed with some things at UCLA such as the no internet in the classroom rule, the drab building and the staff that I met who were borderline rude. On the plus side the students there seemed like a nice bunch. Either way I will not be heading there.

[SisyphusHappy]

For the sake of trying to protect any semblance of anonymity I still have on here, I'll say that I'm working for a public interest organization outside of the region.

They gave $4k for 1Ls and $4.5k for 2/3Ls (I think). You can supplement it with outside funding for up to $5k for 1Ls and $6k for 2/3Ls (I think).

To clarify, when you say you can supplement it with outside funding, do you mean earnings from your 1L/2L summer job or are you referring to outside scholarships? I think you refer to the former? If so, does a work-study job as a RA during the school year count towards that ceiling?

Also, how common is it for law students at UCLA to work as Teaching Assistants/Readers?

Appreciate your insights!

Any earning for the job, or any outside grant. I think both are pretty uncommon, though. RAing has nothing to do with the Public Interest Law Fund (the summer funding) and won't count against a cap.

There are a lot of students who are writing assistants for the lawyering skills classes their 2L years, but beyond that, I'm not really sure. We get emails every once in a while for TA spots. We're on the semester system and the rest of the school is on the quarter system, though. So that makes things difficult.

[SisyphusHappy]

I was not impressed with some things at UCLA such as the no internet in the classroom rule, the drab building and the staff that I met who were borderline rude. On the plus side the students there seemed like a nice bunch. Either way I will not be heading there.

I'm sorry to hear that. For what it's worth, as someone who spends most of class on Facebook, the no internet rule is a joke. They just say internet isn't guaranteed in the classroom, but it's never a problem.