Stanford 1L taking questions Forum

[dkt4]

i think sklansky's from berkeley? other than that, i have no idea.

i'm just upset that i have to wake up early

[Haribo]

D. Engstrom is awesome - very good lecturer, great at explaining tough concepts. Most people really liked his class.

Weisberg has a very different style that emphasizes some of the ambiguities, but he's also a great lecturer and very funny.

[ebrooke4]

How about Marcus Cole (Contracts), Nita Farahany (Crim), and Donohue (Torts)? Based on a quick Google search, I think the latter two are relatively new to the law school...

[juliachild-ish]

Any current students have any insight on buying an A parking pass vs. a C pass? I'm going to be living off campus and driving back and forth a lot, so I'm willing to pay more if it'll allow me to save time hunting for a spot...but it's a lot more, and I don't want to pay if it's not worth it.

[theadw]

Any current students have any insight on buying an A parking pass vs. a C pass? I'm going to be living off campus and driving back and forth a lot, so I'm willing to pay more if it'll allow me to save time hunting for a spot...but it's a lot more, and I don't want to pay if it's not worth it.

Do not buy an A pass. You'll have to drive a few levels further down in a parking garage, and walk a bit further to an elevator, but you'll always find a spot.

[z3201]

How about Marcus Cole (Contracts), Nita Farahany (Crim), and Donohue (Torts)? Based on a quick Google search, I think the latter two are relatively new to the law school...

We're definitely in the same section. And I'm also interested in any insights people have into these profs (if anyone has time and knows something about them).

[Haribo]

I had Donohue for my small section - he was much loved, very laidback and surprisingly funny. But I'm not sure how well his personality will transfer over to a bigger class. Cole is a character, lots of personality. Some people loved him, some people hated him.

[z3201]

I had Donohue for my small section - he was much loved, very laidback and surprisingly funny. But I'm not sure how well his personality will transfer over to a bigger class. Cole is a character, lots of personality. Some people loved him, some people hated him.

Thanks so much for the info!

[z3201]

bump for this year's applicants!

[freestallion]

I am hoping to visit Stanford in a few weeks, so I just wanted to ask what applicants can do/see on campus. Would you recommend taking a tour? Trying to sit in on a class? Thanks!

[Trustbuster]

There have been a couple of future applicants sitting in on our classes. I'd recommend it, as it gives you a good idea what you'd be in for. As for the tour, do it. Its Stanford and its gorgeous. As for what else they can do, not quite as sure on that one. If you could convince one of us to let you into the library/housing, then more power to you.

[freestallion]

There have been a couple of future applicants sitting in on our classes. I'd recommend it, as it gives you a good idea what you'd be in for. As for the tour, do it. Its Stanford and its gorgeous. As for what else they can do, not quite as sure on that one. If you could convince one of us to let you into the library/housing, then more power to you.

Thanks for the suggestion. Will definitely take the tour and try to sit in on a class. Thanks!

[TheGreatWait]

Can you talk at all about the housing options? I was actually admitted last cycle but deferred for a year and will be attending this fall.
My spouse is going to be moving with me and we have a dog, so I am thinking that we will probably have to live off-campus (my understanding is that no pets are allowed in the married couple housing... sad). Do you think that will be even remotely feasible? I started looking in Palo Alto and it's insanely expensive (and we live in DC, which isn't exactly cheap). Can you recommend anywhere else? I don't mind commuting as long as the housing is affordable. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Maroon+Cardinal]

Most 1Ls live on campus, and most of them live in Munger. It's a bit of a cross between a hotel, and apartment building, and a dorm. (I.d. it's furnished like a hotel, the rooms are fairly generously sized apartments, and everyone lives in the same building complex, like a dorm).

A few live in Escondido Village, where, I think, there is university couples housing.

A few live off campus. It's not the easiest market, for sure. The most affordable nearby is probably in East Palo Alto, and a few students live there.

As far as I know there really isn't a "typical" off-campus place. (With only 180 in a class, once you take out the folks living on campus, there aren't that many left to constitute a critical mass anywhere).

Many 2Ls and 3Ls live in San Francisco. That would probably be tough as a 1L, though, especially in the fall, when the class load, etc. is pretty intense.

The caveat for this is that I am not from the Bay Area and never really looked for housing off campus, so I probably didn't address your question too well. If anybody is lurking and wanted housing info, though, hopefully this was somewhat useful.

[Haribo]

Can you talk at all about the housing options? I was actually admitted last cycle but deferred for a year and will be attending this fall.
My spouse is going to be moving with me and we have a dog, so I am thinking that we will probably have to live off-campus (my understanding is that no pets are allowed in the married couple housing... sad). Do you think that will be even remotely feasible? I started looking in Palo Alto and it's insanely expensive (and we live in DC, which isn't exactly cheap). Can you recommend anywhere else? I don't mind commuting as long as the housing is affordable. Thanks for any help you can provide!

I think Menlo Park and East Palo Alto are the less expensive places to live that are still easily commutable to campus, and you can get lucky with inexpensive places in Palo Alto every once in a while (I think housing near the railroad is comparatively discounted.) If you're willing to extend the commute, you can go further away, obviously. People have commuted in from SF/Oakland as 1Ls. Crazy people. I'd stay closer unless you have compelling reasons not to.

And yes, it will be expensive, especially if you're looking for place just for yourselves.

[igelchen]

Bumping this thread as Stanford has let some of us in (and hopefully more soon!) Would love to hear folks' musings on favorite/least favorite things about Stanford.

[MaxWeber]

i'm a 1L. here's my abbreviated take on the quarter.

best parts: going to the best law school in the country with fun people; the best/most demanding 1L curriculum in the country; transparent and accessible administration (small community); going to the football games; IM sports; having small classes; no real grades; best job prospects in the country (offered a plum 1L summer job before exams ended); free catered lunch events with major guests almost everyday; having a supreme court justice give a lecture just to our class; having the 9th Circuit hold court in your moot court room; doing shots (and keeping the customized shotglasses) in the courtyard with professors after the last exam.

worst parts: 1L fall you take 4 classes + LRW and they meet 3x a week (neither H or Y do this, and though we're better off for it, it's grueling); i'm a city-person so the campus/palo alto has been stifling sometimes, and SF hasn't always been accessible b/c of how busy we are.

basically, if you can get through the first quarter or two, all of the negatives vanish, and you realize you go to the best law school in the country, in an amazing environment, with awesome people.

[indo]

Stanford has their own post office so officially it's Stanford, CA

but they're in the county of Palo Alto

serious questions please

Stanford is in the city of Palo alto ,santa clara county.

i'm a 1L. here's my abbreviated take on the quarter.

best parts: going to the best law school in the country with fun people; the best/most demanding 1L curriculum in the country; transparent and accessible administration (small community); going to the football games; IM sports; having small classes; no real grades; best job prospects in the country (offered a plum 1L summer job before exams ended); free catered lunch events with major guests almost everyday; having a supreme court justice give a lecture just to our class; having the 9th Circuit hold court in your moot court room; doing shots (and keeping the customized shotglasses) in the courtyard with professors after the last exam.

worst parts: 1L fall you take 4 classes + LRW and they meet 3x a week (neither H or Y do this, and though we're better off for it, it's grueling); i'm a city-person so the campus/palo alto has been stifling sometimes, and SF hasn't always been accessible b/c of how busy we are.

basically, if you can get through the first quarter or two, all of the negatives vanish, and you realize you go to the best law school in the country, in an amazing environment, with awesome people.

[z3201]

i'm a 1L. here's my abbreviated take on the quarter.

best parts: going to the best law school in the country with fun people; the best/most demanding 1L curriculum in the country; transparent and accessible administration (small community); going to the football games; IM sports; having small classes; no real grades; best job prospects in the country (offered a plum 1L summer job before exams ended); free catered lunch events with major guests almost everyday; having a supreme court justice give a lecture just to our class; having the 9th Circuit hold court in your moot court room; doing shots (and keeping the customized shotglasses) in the courtyard with professors after the last exam.

worst parts: 1L fall you take 4 classes + LRW and they meet 3x a week (neither H or Y do this, and though we're better off for it, it's grueling); i'm a city-person so the campus/palo alto has been stifling sometimes, and SF hasn't always been accessible b/c of how busy we are.

basically, if you can get through the first quarter or two, all of the negatives vanish, and you realize you go to the best law school in the country, in an amazing environment, with awesome people.

i completely agree with all of this and just wanted to add a couple of things to the "best parts" (the "worst parts" is an exhaustive list, believe it or not): classmates who are collaborative, not competitive (it's a function of being at a small school + having no real grades--if you're uber-competitive people will notice and dislike you for it); professors who are excited about teaching; being in an environment where learning the law is really exciting (i can't imagine anyone not loving the material, even 1L fall); the weather; community-wide emailing about the issues of the day (you can obviously adjust your settings or be removed from the listserv, but there's always a dialogue going on via email, most recently about OWS as well as university sexual assault policies); going to school with people who are interesting and socially adept (i cannot overemphasize the importance of this--as i've never attended H or Y i can't speak to their student bodies, but i think a lot of cool people are attracted to stanford, and i think that made 1L fall infinitely better)

[simpletimes]

ask away - i've found myself with free time post-exams. i will try to be as candid as possible.

[stilles]

Thank you very much for taking questions and I hope exams went well

For those with less than stellar numbers (less than mediums), what types of softs/circumstances/activities put them in the admit pile?

[hdivschool]

Thank you very much for taking questions and I hope exams went well

For those with less than stellar numbers (less than mediums), what types of softs/circumstances/activities put them in the admit pile?

I've lectured at an Ivy League Univ but do not think that will be impressive enough compared to the impressive student body at SLS?

People don't go around talking about exceptional things they've done, so I don't have a good sense of their softs (especially in relation to their numbers, which no one ever talks about). But there are people who worked in government/military, at think-tanks, in the peace corps/TFA, in consulting, etc.

The lecturing is a pretty good soft. The more impressive thing is probably whatever qualified you to lecture. Several of my SLS friends have ivy league PhDs and (I assume) they taught courses as part of their doctoral program. I also know someone who lectured at Harvard.

[simpletimes]

Thank you very much for taking questions and I hope exams went well

For those with less than stellar numbers (less than mediums), what types of softs/circumstances/activities put them in the admit pile?

I've lectured at an Ivy League Univ but do not think that will be impressive enough compared to the impressive student body at SLS?

yeah, i'd agree it's tough to project. i think i've heard from maybe 2-3 people what their actual numbers were.

while this is pretty unsatisfying, i would imagine, just put together a solid app and you should be fine. i'm assuming you were phd track if you're teaching? in which case you'd have a pretty solid soft there...but there is no magic thing. our class seems to have a ton of people from the hill (20+) and a fair number of people who came straight through from UG.

[stilles]

Thanks hdivschool and simpletimes!

[Maroon+Cardinal]

I'd echo that it's hard to say what softs helped people get in. It's actually easy to forget how impressive my classmates resumes must be (academic and otherwise), because it's such a collegial atmosphere.

I really do think that putting together a quality application is the key. I think a quality application that is coherent (Dean Deal talks a lot about having a "thread" running throughout in her blog) is far more advantageous than any particular soft or type of soft. Admissions at SLS is VERY subjective, there is no simple formula for what softs are specifically advantageous. I think it matters a lot more that it all makes sense together than exactly what positions you held.

And don't worry about being "impressive." Not everyone at SLS has a knock-your-socks-off resume or 180/4.0. They are all amazing people who I feel lucky to share three years with, but a lot of people's resume's aren't particularly extraordinary, they just did what they did very well and it was part of a coherent thread in their application.