Stanford c/o 2017ers taking Questions! Forum

[Iroh]

How's the weather

I had to wear a jacket yesterday. I was not pleased.

[Instinctive]

How's the weather

It's amazing. Always. Even when it's "cold" like this week it's still amazing because 50-60 is not cold at all.

[GreenTee]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

[DiniMae]

Is there any cross collaborationwith Berkeley students? Mingling? Networking?

[jw316]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

I'm also curious as to this! And if you could please share what those other options were as well that would be awesome.

[Sls17]

Is there any cross collaborationwith Berkeley students? Mingling? Networking?

Unfortunately, no... it would be awesome if there was! I had the perception before I came out here (having never been to the Bay Area before) that Berkeley was just kind of next door. It turns out Oakland is quite a trek away -- at least an hour or two by car (depending on traffic), and 3+ by public transportation.

[Iroh]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

Didn't get a full ride from any of my other acceptances, and I thought that Stanford's more favorable grading system, plus the outstanding job prospects, made it a better bet than my other options, despite the debt.

Also, I think the small class size is very important. Stanford has the smallest class size out of the T14, and it makes it much easier to develop relationships with your professors.

That said, there are downsides to having such a small class. It's pretty easy to figure out which of your classmates are on TLS, for example.

[Instinctive]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

I'm also curious as to this! And if you could please share what those other options were as well that would be awesome.

The MBA program meant a lot to me (joint degree). So do the other options for classes you can take post-1L ("I don't think there is any other university with a top 3 or 5 ranking in every single department, including Ivy schools," one professor told me the other day–even if thats not true, its pretty damn close), and the best/most robust clinical program in the country. When you added in location and lifestyle, culture, etc...it wasn't that tough a choice really. I did have much better financial aid from Yale though, but not so much better as to turn down the joint degree here vs there.



I had YLS, HLS, a Ruby, and other similar schollies to similar schools.

[Instinctive]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

Didn't get a full ride from any of my other acceptances, and I thought that Stanford's more favorable grading system, plus the outstanding job prospects, made it a better bet than my other options, despite the debt.

Also, I think the small class size is very important. Stanford has the smallest class size out of the T14, and it makes it much easier to develop relationships with your professors.

That said, there are downsides to having such a small class. It's pretty easy to figure out which of your classmates are on TLS, for example.

True. Although some people do not have very creative TLS names so it makes it extra easy haha.

[thestatusguo]

Is there any cross collaborationwith Berkeley students? Mingling? Networking?

There are more than several students in our 1L class who have significant others over at Berkeley. As a result, some people make the trek up there every weekend or every other weekend - however, it's certainly a trek (1-1.5 hrs by car), so there's pretty little mingling aside from that.

[Vincent]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

Didn't get a full ride from any of my other acceptances, and I thought that Stanford's more favorable grading system, plus the outstanding job prospects, made it a better bet than my other options, despite the debt.

Also, I think the small class size is very important. Stanford has the smallest class size out of the T14, and it makes it much easier to develop relationships with your professors.

That said, there are downsides to having such a small class. It's pretty easy to figure out which of your classmates are on TLS, for example.

True. Although some people do not have very creative TLS names so it makes it extra easy haha.

Yeah, it's not like thestatusguo and I have expended incredible amounts of effort to cloak my true identity

[Sls17]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

Frankly, it was my best option. It's probably anyone's best option unless they get into Yale (and even then, maybe still).

That's a little oversimplistic, but I have to say that when I got the SLS acceptance letter, I didn't think about it too hard.

[stanford17]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

I'm also curious as to this! And if you could please share what those other options were as well that would be awesome.

I'm generally a lurker, but have to chime in here because I'm feeling the Stanford love today. It was a hard choice for me, partially because I was looking at full rides from top schools vs paying full tuition here. What really won me over was the atmosphere/student body-- Stanford tries really hard to get an awesome group of people (hence the "black box" of admissions), both in the faculty and students. I just knew as soon as I visited that I would be happier here than anywhere else, and I believe that means I'm more successful here. That's only been confirmed now that we're in exams... people are all encouraging each other, posting words of wisdom, sharing outlines... it's just a great atmosphere.

[koalacity]

Why did you choose SLS over your other options?

I'm also curious as to this! And if you could please share what those other options were as well that would be awesome.

I'm generally a lurker, but have to chime in here because I'm feeling the Stanford love today. It was a hard choice for me, partially because I was looking at full rides from top schools vs paying full tuition here. What really won me over was the atmosphere/student body-- Stanford tries really hard to get an awesome group of people (hence the "black box" of admissions), both in the faculty and students. I just knew as soon as I visited that I would be happier here than anywhere else, and I believe that means I'm more successful here. That's only been confirmed now that we're in exams... people are all encouraging each other, posting words of wisdom, sharing outlines... it's just a great atmosphere.

I hate to be negative, but in the interest of presenting a range of views for prospective students, I have to say that my experience hasn't been quite this positive. I've actually been rather taken aback/dismayed at the level of competitiveness and stress here, particularly now that we're in the middle of exams.

Was Stanford ultimately the right choice for me? Probably. Do I occasionally wish that I'd made a different choice? Yes.

[Mack.Hambleton]

@koala

Where else do you wish you had gone

[banks]

@koala

Do you think that's a reflection of your section? Unfortunately there is a "gunner section" at SLS that apparently is harder to be a part of.

I echo Stanford17 in saying that I have seen zero competition (though stress obviously is present). I hope broadening classes we can take starting next quarter helps, koala!

[pylon]

What do you like the most about SLS?

What do you dislike the most about SLS?

[Instinctive]

@koala

Do you think that's a reflection of your section? Unfortunately there is a "gunner section" at SLS that apparently is harder to be a part of.

I echo Stanford17 in saying that I have seen zero competition (though stress obviously is present). I hope broadening classes we can take starting next quarter helps, koala!

If Koala is who I think Koala is, we're both in the "gunner" section. And some of these people are definitely not the greatest to be around sometimes, especially not right now.

That said, I don't think there's much/any competition, just a metric fuck-ton of stress. I imagine I'm far and away the most competitive person in the section, and maybe even of all the 1Ls...and every time I sit down with people it's total collaboration. For me, at least, whenever a thought of competing exam-wise pops in my head I shove it way back down and remind myself that the gym is not that far away and that everyone is trying for different jobs so it doesn't even matter.

I do think the gunner section is missing out on some things that other sections get, and that bothers me a lot. Sometimes I feel like we got screwed a little bit with a section that has like 70% of all the obnoxiously gunnery 1Ls. And it's really only a couple people. And it's not even that those people seem that competitive, they just seem totally lacking in any self-awareness to the point of monopolizing everything when they're around like nobody else matters.

I definitely have had second thoughts since the end of classes about my choice here. But there are so many positives that part of me kicks back and says everyone is freaking out because it's their first quarter ever of 1L. I don't know. At a certain point, I think having regrets is not gonna do me any good so I need to just move past it.

Also, every single older student I hang out with has been 100% amazing and helpful. I have no idea if that extends to all other schools, but many days it's enough to totally outweigh the gunners in the section dragging the experience down.






Side note: I know quite a few of you know who I am IRL, so let's keep this to TLS please, eh? Would really appreciate it.

[Instinctive]

What do you like the most about SLS?

What do you dislike the most about SLS?

Like most: The older students are awesome. The facilities are generally cool. Never have trouble getting places to study. Mostly don't ever have to interact with undergrads unless you want to. Decent pickup basketball most nights. Weather being amazing is underrated (it should matter more in choosing a school, now that I have lived here and it really is so amazing). "The people" as a whole generally live up to the "everyone here is amazing" shtick.

Dislike most: Everyone stresses out and thinks they know what to do best all the time. As if they know. We have all these 2L/3Ls willing to be helpful and talk about their experience all the time and 1Ls don't even want to hear it, which is an unbelievable mix of arrogant and stupid. There are a decent number of people who definitely belong at H, or some other school with more douchery. They suck the fun/life out of everything they're at and it's terrible. Fortunately, it's fairly easy to avoid outside of class.


But that's just me. I think everyone here really does have a different experience.

[rehbands]

@koala

Do you think that's a reflection of your section? Unfortunately there is a "gunner section" at SLS that apparently is harder to be a part of.

I echo Stanford17 in saying that I have seen zero competition (though stress obviously is present). I hope broadening classes we can take starting next quarter helps, koala!

If Koala is who I think Koala is, we're both in the "gunner" section. And some of these people are definitely not the greatest to be around sometimes, especially not right now.

That said, I don't think there's much/any competition, just a metric fuck-ton of stress. I imagine I'm far and away the most competitive person in the section, and maybe even of all the 1Ls...and every time I sit down with people it's total collaboration. For me, at least, whenever a thought of competing exam-wise pops in my head I shove it way back down and remind myself that the gym is not that far away and that everyone is trying for different jobs so it doesn't even matter.

I do think the gunner section is missing out on some things that other sections get, and that bothers me a lot. Sometimes I feel like we got screwed a little bit with a section that has like 70% of all the obnoxiously gunnery 1Ls. And it's really only a couple people. And it's not even that those people seem that competitive, they just seem totally lacking in any self-awareness to the point of monopolizing everything when they're around like nobody else matters.

I definitely have had second thoughts since the end of classes about my choice here. But there are so many positives that part of me kicks back and says everyone is freaking out because it's their first quarter ever of 1L. I don't know. At a certain point, I think having regrets is not gonna do me any good so I need to just move past it.

Also, every single older student I hang out with has been 100% amazing and helpful. I have no idea if that extends to all other schools, but many days it's enough to totally outweigh the gunners in the section dragging the experience down.






Side note: I know quite a few of you know who I am IRL, so let's keep this to TLS please, eh? Would really appreciate it.

Ha. In the gunner section too. I'm pretty sure it's literally two people we're talking about.

[koalacity]

What do you like the most about SLS?

What do you dislike the most about SLS?

What I like the most: weather (as Instinctive said, I really think weather is underrated as a factor), job placement generally, job placement specifically in the Bay Area, the grading system, Munger, many great professors, the 2Ls and 3Ls I've met are basically all wonderful, the small size (sometimes-it's also a con, see below) in that it's easier to get to know professors and fellow students and the seminars and such are small.

What I dislike the most: the first quarter here is really rough-4 doctrinal classes, graded LRW, and 1L journals (plus the pro bonos/various other extracurriculars). I think the only other peer school that has a first semester as difficult as ours is Harvard. A lot of other schools seem to have moved to making their first semester/quarter a gentler introduction to law school (even "rigorous" Chicago only has 2 exams and ungraded LRW their first quarter), but Stanford is the opposite.
As mentioned previously, I've been surprised by the level of stress and competitiveness here-given our grading system and the fact that basically anyone who wants a biglaw job can get one, the level of stress is kind of absurd. Maybe my expectations were too high, but it's not quite the environment I anticipated. Of course, there are also many really amazing people here-I don't want it to sound like it's just a post-apocalyptic nightmare of 180 gunner zombie 1Ls running around campus, because it's not.
The small size can feel slightly suffocating at times, especially living on campus (though I'd still recommend living on campus for 1L). Also, because of the small size, we don't have anywhere near the number of events/clubs/etc. that a larger school like Harvard does.

[rehbands]

.

[Kimikho]

I do think that section matters. I love my section and we are all really close, and it's really helped for the stress.

On the other hand, the fear of getting straight Ps is pretty significant, for me at least. At other schools, if you do median in each class you get median overall--but here, if you do that, you are at the bottom 10%. Like, the school can say all they want about the grading to employers/judges, but it's not like they don't know how to count.

P.S. fuck Ks though

P.P.S. THE INTERNET IN MUNGER SUCKS FOR NO GOOD REASON. There I said it

[rehbands]

What do you like the most about SLS?

What do you dislike the most about SLS?

What I like most? I honestly like just about everything at Stanford. It's an incredible place to be. I'm sure I'll feel even better about it once this round of exams are over. And about the workload- honestly, the work isn't terrible once you figure out how to be efficient. It's a lot of work, but it's, for the most part, interesting work (I highly recommend NOT doing a journal). If you're straight through from undergrad, yes, it might be a huge change because you don't nearly have as much free time, but if you've worked for a few years, or if you can keep perspective and a good attitude about things, you'll be fine.

What I dislike? I guess it takes me a 10 minute bike ride to get groceries. That's not so fun. Also, the politics here, as in, it's very very liberal - to a degree that it stifles debate and intellectual conversation, which is sad, but probably reality at most law schools.

[rehbands]

P.P.S. THE INTERNET IN MUNGER SUCKS FOR NO GOOD REASON. There I said it

Oh, and I also get no cell service in Munger.