UVA Law Students Taking Questions Forum

[desertlaw]

Right now, I'm selecting between UVA and Cornell. Would appreciate input/feedback. Thanks! Background: Born and raised in SoCal, went to USC for undergrad, majored in PoliSci (really limits it down, eh)

1) What are the pros and cons of having one of the largest class sizes amongst top law schools (350+ students, 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio)?
2) Could you speak to the level of UVA’s “renown” in CA and NY?
3) I was wondering if you could speak to the overall diversity of UVA’s student body. For example, ~25% of the current 1L class at UVA reported themselves as being minorities while that number for Cornell is 40%+. Or is the % irrelevant since UVA has such a big student body that quantity wise, there will be plenty of people of different backgrounds?
4) In terms of proximity to the school and pricing (I’m hoping to find a roommate or three haha), which place is the best to live? From my discussions with a current UVA 2L, he mentioned Graduate Center (Woodard?) and the Jeffersonian were great deals.
5) I’ve read that Charlottesville, or at least the immediate area around the school, is not really pedestrian friendly and the public transit system is not that great. I guess if I live within walking distance of the school and surrounding stores/shops, it doesn't really matter, but still, I am curious about this.

Thanks!

1 - There's a lot of bros, girls, athletes, nerds, hipsters, etc. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

I don't really notice the cons of high student-teacher ratio, probably because I went to an undergrad of 50k+. I think teachers are very accessible outside of class and always seem willing to do lunch.

2 - It is what it is, a peer to M and P. Probably does better in DC than those schools, but maybe slightly less in NYC than P. But that might be a self-selection thing. There are plenty of people at UVa that are going to NYC or could if they want. For Cali, I think many students have done quite well with Cali firms during OGI. There were plenty at OGI from San Fran, OC, LA, San Diego. I also think in Cali, you're not competing at much with NYU/Columbia/Harvard like you do in DC/NYC. Smaller class sizes, yes, but Virginia still seems more "unique" on the west coast so maybe it gives you a bit of a leg up. But all in all, it's still seen as a top 10 school.

3 - It seems like there is a good mix of people of different races/backgrounds, but you might want an answer from a minority, as I am not one.

4 - It's probably late to get a place in Jeffersonian, but Ivy is fine and can be split cheaply. Hessian Hills is also fine, although you might want a car from there.

5 - You want a car in UVa. Public transit not great since most people have cars or walk and the weather is pretty nice year-round. Or maybe public transit isn't great because of the politicians here. Or maybe it is great but I just don't appreciate it. Either way, the town is easy to get around in, in terms of not getting lost. But it's tough to get around in because traffic sucks and the town's layout was made in the 1500's.

[Doritos]

The minorities at UVa are definitely in the minority as far as number of them.

It depends where you want to get a job in my opinion.

Though keep in mind some professors at our fine university do not return their exams in a timely fashion so you may want to keep that in mind while you mull over your choices. In fact, I recommend contacting someone in the admissions office and voice your concern over such practices. Just a thought.

[desertlaw]

The minorities at UVa are definitely in the minority as far as number of them.

It depends where you want to get a job in my opinion.

Though keep in mind some professors at our fine university do not return their exams in a timely fashion so you may want to keep that in mind while you mull over your choices. In fact, I recommend contacting someone in the admissions office and voice your concern over such practices. Just a thought.

Are you saying that you'd prefer that I was black, Doritos? Fair enough.

And in all seriousness, bringing up grades to admissions people is probably a good idea. It's a legitimate concern that UVa takes way to long to get their grades back compared to peer schools (no, we're not talking about LSU that gets it's grades back before Christmas somehow). I probably have no complaints about UVa other than the late grades thing.

[BruceWayne]

1 - There's a lot of bros, girls, athletes, nerds, hipsters, etc. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

LMAO!!! This softball thing is really getting out of hand!

Here's a more accurate description

There's a lot of girls and nerds. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

[5ky]

There are both a lot of bros and people who played sports in college, so I am not really sure what you are getting at.

[desertlaw]

1 - There's a lot of bros, girls, athletes, nerds, hipsters, etc. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

LMAO!!! This softball thing is really getting out of hand!

Here's a more accurate description

There's a lot of girls and nerds. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

Former jocks/athletes, whatever. No, we don't have ND's starting lineman at our school and who knows if Ben Wallace will choose our school when he goes to law school. But there are plenty of people who play sports/intramurals frequently or seriously. Just like there's probably no world-class musicians, I'm sure there are plenty of people who grew up playing some sort of instrument such as the cello or the pipedbags.

[Morgan12Oak]

1 - There's a lot of bros, girls, athletes, nerds, hipsters, etc. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

LMAO!!! This softball thing is really getting out of hand!

Here's a more accurate description

There's a lot of girls and nerds. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

I don't know what's wrong with this guy and why hes butthurt about softball, but there are actually a lot of athletes at UVA. (Insert LMAO!!!!) Off the top of my head I know of at least 5 people that played D-1 sports and countless others who competed at D-3.

[Heat]

The minorities at UVa are definitely in the minority as far as number of them.

It depends where you want to get a job in my opinion.

Though keep in mind some professors at our fine university do not return their exams in a timely fashion so you may want to keep that in mind while you mull over your choices. In fact, I recommend contacting someone in the admissions office and voice your concern over such practices. Just a thought.

I'm not a minority, so take this for what its worth, but it does seem like the minorities do a very good job of being inclusive. BALSA and APALSA seem to have a pretty significant presence. The minorities I personally know seem to all be a part of a group and to know a lot of the other minorities. So perhaps that is a benefit of being outnumbered - a more tight knit group of people. (Although I also would certainly not define UVA as having any kind of "minority v. non-minority" divide.)

[dailygrind]

Charlottesville's tucked away in the mountains so it doesn't quite get the southern temperature that I was looking for, but it has got to be much warmer than Ithaca. Think of the money you'd spend on snow clothes.

I can't speak to the other diversity groups, but the Asian diversity group meets with some regularity, has a pretty good group of people, assigns you mentors, etc. I've never felt out of place due to my minority status. I think a lot of the diversity groups will have students willing to speak with prospective students if diversity is a concern you have (APALSA mailed me a card with someone's number when I . . . applied? Was accepted? I forget).

[pjo]

Right now, I'm selecting between UVA and Cornell. Would appreciate input/feedback. Thanks! Background: Born and raised in SoCal, went to USC for undergrad, majored in PoliSci (really limits it down, eh)

1) Don't let the large class size fool you, they break you up into 12 sections of 30 and you don't have class with more than 1 other section your 1L year, so your biggest mandatory classes are 60 ppl. My friend at another school has 3 sections of 90. So although her class size is technically smaller, UVA's classes are smaller. Either way, the difference in class size really ends upnot mattering like it did in UG. The professor is going to teach the same way no matter if the class is 30 or 125.
2) I'm not interested in those markets, I have no clue. sorry
3) I think the student body is fairly diverse. I definitely agree with the above poster(s) who said that the Mormon students make up the largest minority. To be honest, I think an underrepresneted "group" are people from middle class backgrounds. Often I feel like everyone here comes from either a pretty privileged home, or some crazy background like they lived in a car for two years because they were homeless. But yeah, there's a lot of ppl from NC (mainly Duke) and VA (Mainly UVA/W&M) and a noticeable group of peeps from BYU.
4) Charlottesville is CHEAP if you do it right. Jeffersonian is easily the cheapest apartment complex in town. I split a two bedroom with a roommate and it's 415/mo. Cable/internet and electric (the only things that aren't included in rent) come out to an additional 90 each /month. Jeffersonian is also awesome because it's the nearest apt complex to school, so you can come home and eat everyday to save money (rather than spend money in the cafeteria like a lot of ppl do). Also, being close means you can walk over to school and scam on all the free food from the events that are put on. My fridge is empty right now, and I've been living off UVA event food for the past 3 days (damn Aristotle Society ran out of Chipotle tonight though )
-I would recommend NOT going in grad centre. It's basically a nice version of a college dorm. If you get a two bedroom and split the rent with a roommate, you'll actually end up paying less in rent (I know because I ran the numbers with a friend of mine who lives in Grad Centre)
5) I wouldn't say that the public transit isn't that great, its just no one from the law school actually takes advantage of it. This kind of goes back to what I was saying about the school having a bunch of "privileged kids". Sometimes I feel like ppl here think its "beneath them" to ride the bus. Even when I go out to the bars on the corner, no one ever considers walking home (which I always do to save money on cab fare). Maybe I'm just cheap, but when I went to UG in a smaller city, and it was common to walk all over the place. walking from the corner to the Jeffersonian is less than half the walk my friends and I used to do to get to the bars in my old city. So you can definitely do without a car, but most people don't take the bus or walk. People either drive (I know some ppl who legit drive to the school from Ivy) or take cabs.

[pjo]

1 - There's a lot of bros, girls, athletes, nerds, hipsters, etc. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

LMAO!!! This softball thing is really getting out of hand!

Here's a more accurate description

There's a lot of girls and nerds. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

I don't know what's wrong with this guy and why hes butthurt about softball, but there are actually a lot of athletes at UVA. (Insert LMAO!!!!) Off the top of my head I know of at least 5 people that played D-1 sports and countless others who competed at D-3.

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them. These are the same ppl that try too hard to live up to the "bro" mentality of UVA, and end up just being assholes (and yeah, there's a difference). Take for instance my recent trip to the gym. I was using a machine and I was in between sets. One of these wannabe bros comes up to me and says "are you down playing with your ipod? Because I need to use that machine." So i just answered "are you serious right now bro?" and looked at him like who the hell do you think you are? So he just said "whatever" and went back to his group of bro wannabes who were doing more chatting and laughing about dumb shit than they were lifting. Sure, this is a tirade, but this is also the thing that annoys me most about UVA. It's one thing if you're truly a "bro" and that's your personality. But if your just acting like an asshole because you think that's how bros act and that's how you have to act when you go to UVA, then you're doing it wrong.

[RVP11]

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them. These are the same ppl that try too hard to live up to the "bro" mentality of UVA, and end up just being assholes (and yeah, there's a difference). Take for instance my recent trip to the gym. I was using a machine and I was in between sets. One of these wannabe bros comes up to me and says "are you down playing with your ipod? Because I need to use that machine." So i just answered "are you serious right now bro?" and looked at him like who the hell do you think you are? So he just said "whatever" and went back to his group of bro wannabes who were doing more chatting and laughing about dumb shit than they were lifting. Sure, this is a tirade, but this is also the thing that annoys me most about UVA. It's one thing if you're truly a "bro" and that's your personality. But if your just acting like an asshole because you think that's how bros act and that's how you have to act when you go to UVA, then you're doing it wrong.

You were playing with your iPod at NGRC? OMG THAT'S FORBIDDEN!

[BruceWayne]

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them.

LMAO exactly. I'm sorry but just because you hit a home run in slow pitch soft-ball off some kid who was captain of the chess club at Duke, even though you get stapled under 135 on the bench and it takes you longer to run the 40 than my 98 Gateway takes to boot up, doesn't mean you're an "athlete".

[desertlaw]

5) I wouldn't say that the public transit isn't that great, its just no one from the law school actually takes advantage of it. This kind of goes back to what I was saying about the school having a bunch of "privileged kids". Sometimes I feel like ppl here think its "beneath them" to ride the bus. Even when I go out to the bars on the corner, no one ever considers walking home (which I always do to save money on cab fare). Maybe I'm just cheap, but when I went to UG in a smaller city, and it was common to walk all over the place. walking from the corner to the Jeffersonian is less than half the walk my friends and I used to do to get to the bars in my old city. So you can definitely do without a car, but most people don't take the bus or walk. People either drive (I know some ppl who legit drive to the school from Ivy) or take cabs.

When cabs are that cheap and you can split with other humans, it's not really being "privileged" to decide to take a cab. Also, you're helping local businesses by taking a cab.

That being said, I've walked home plenty of times from Corner. Always with a stop halfway at Wings Over. Always.

[Doritos]

LMAO!!! This softball thing is really getting out of hand!

Here's a more accurate description

There's a lot of girls and nerds. Just lots of people here. I like it. Seems like every type of person has a solid group of people that are either like them or agree with them on some hot-button issue. Take the Mormon population for instance....they're a "minority" I suppose, but they have a solid group of what seems like 15-25 people (could be 30-50 for all I know) that seem very happy/content with life here.

I don't know what's wrong with this guy and why hes butthurt about softball, but there are actually a lot of athletes at UVA. (Insert LMAO!!!!) Off the top of my head I know of at least 5 people that played D-1 sports and countless others who competed at D-3.

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them. These are the same ppl that try too hard to live up to the "bro" mentality of UVA, and end up just being assholes (and yeah, there's a difference). Take for instance my recent trip to the gym. I was using a machine and I was in between sets. One of these wannabe bros comes up to me and says "are you down playing with your ipod? Because I need to use that machine." So i just answered "are you serious right now bro?" and looked at him like who the hell do you think you are? So he just said "whatever" and went back to his group of bro wannabes who were doing more chatting and laughing about dumb shit than they were lifting. Sure, this is a tirade, but this is also the thing that annoys me most about UVA. It's one thing if you're truly a "bro" and that's your personality. But if your just acting like an asshole because you think that's how bros act and that's how you have to act when you go to UVA, then you're doing it wrong.

I needed to use that machine. You can't pick up hot slam pieces with flab brah.

[RVP11]

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them.

LMAO exactly. I'm sorry but just because you hit a home run in slow pitch soft-ball off some kid who was captain of the chess club at Duke, even though you get stapled under 135 on the bench and it takes you longer to run the 40 than my 98 Gateway takes to boot up, doesn't mean you're an "athlete".

A guy who can't bench 135 is not blasting them to the road at Copeley or over the fence at The Park, dude. Every dude crushing them is fairly well built and knows how to swing a bat.

Also, what's up with making fun of weak/slow/unathletic people? That's not cool bro. We're all failed athletes, just different levels of NOT-GOOD-ENOUGH-FOR-THE-PROS-SO-NO-ONE-CARES-HOW-ATHLETIC-WE-THINK-WE-ARE.

[Puttanesca]

Right now, I'm selecting between UVA and Cornell. Would appreciate input/feedback. Thanks! Background: Born and raised in SoCal, went to USC for undergrad, majored in PoliSci (really limits it down, eh)

1) What are the pros and cons of having one of the largest class sizes amongst top law schools (350+ students, 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio)?
2) Could you speak to the level of UVA’s “renown” in CA and NY?
3) I was wondering if you could speak to the overall diversity of UVA’s student body. For example, ~25% of the current 1L class at UVA reported themselves as being minorities while that number for Cornell is 40%+. Or is the % irrelevant since UVA has such a big student body that quantity wise, there will be plenty of people of different backgrounds?
4) In terms of proximity to the school and pricing (I’m hoping to find a roommate or three haha), which place is the best to live? From my discussions with a current UVA 2L, he mentioned Graduate Center (Woodard?) and the Jeffersonian were great deals.
5) I’ve read that Charlottesville, or at least the immediate area around the school, is not really pedestrian friendly and the public transit system is not that great. I guess if I live within walking distance of the school and surrounding stores/shops, it doesn't really matter, but still, I am curious about this.

Thanks!

1) Never really looked at Cornell, but I would think that at a larger school like UVA, there would be a lot more courses offered, clinics to choose from, extracurricular activities to participate in. The classes themselves at UVA aren't really that big though; my largest was 78 (2 1L sections + some LLM's).

2) I'm not too familiar with NY, but given the number of people UVA sends to NY biglaw, I would imagine UVA's reputation in NY is quite good. In CA, UVA has zero lay prestige but is very well regarded among the legal community. I'm a 1L and applied to some summer jobs in CA, and I am pretty sure I got some of my interviews based on being from UVA. USC/UCLA kids are a dime a dozen in Los Angeles, and it's probably refreshing to see applicants from schools like UVA.

3) Diversity at UVA/Charlottesville is not going to be what you're used to if you went to USC/grew up in SoCal. There are very few Hispanics for one thing. I haven't noticed any racial tensions, and within my section, minorities tend to mix in with the rest of the group.

4) If you want to be within walking distance, probably Ivy is your best bet at this point. I've heard mixed reviews, but most people seem to at least be okay with living there. Jeffersonian is probably filled up already, and don't go to Grad Centre.

5) I think it's pedestrian friendly around the school. I mean, there are sidewalks around the school, and drivers are pretty good about stopping to let people cross. I don't know anything about the public transportation system.

[pjo]

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them.

LMAO exactly. I'm sorry but just because you hit a home run in slow pitch soft-ball off some kid who was captain of the chess club at Duke, even though you get stapled under 135 on the bench and it takes you longer to run the 40 than my 98 Gateway takes to boot up, doesn't mean you're an "athlete".

A guy who can't bench 135 is not blasting them to the road at Copeley or over the fence at The Park, dude. Every dude crushing them is fairly well built and knows how to swing a bat.

Also, what's up with making fun of weak/slow/unathletic people? That's not cool bro. We're all failed athletes, just different levels of NOT-GOOD-ENOUGH-FOR-THE-PROS-SO-NO-ONE-CARES-HOW-ATHLETIC-WE-THINK-WE-ARE.

Idk about Bruce Wayne, but I never intended to make fun of weak/slow/unathletic ppl. I guess I'm just calling-out the bunch of guys at the law school who are cocky as shit because of stuff that happens in "law school world". You're not some awesome athlete because you're good at law school softball, and you're also not some crazy party bro because you go to law school parties. Relatively, yeah that may be the case. But on the whole, it's a joke. I've never been to a law school party that was even close to as crazy as a frat party at my old state school. So it's just kind of funny for me to hear ppl talk about how crazy some law school party was or how athletic some dude is because he is good at softball.

Listen, I think basically everyone here is a nerd, you basically had to be to get in, and there's nothing wrong with that. I also think though that some ppl come into law school and treat it as the second go-around of college. Like they were a nerd in UG, and saw all these fratty/jocks/bros and now they have a chance to imitate them, because now there are ppl who are even nerdier than them. It just gets irritating.

[RVP11]

Idk about Bruce Wayne, but I never intended to make fun of weak/slow/unathletic ppl. I guess I'm just calling-out the bunch of guys at the law school who are cocky as shit because of stuff that happens in "law school world". You're not some awesome athlete because you're good at law school softball, and you're also not some crazy party bro because you go to law school parties. Relatively, yeah that may be the case. But on the whole, it's a joke. I've never been to a law school party that was even close to as crazy as a frat party at my old state school. So it's just kind of funny for me to hear ppl talk about how crazy some law school party was or how athletic some dude is because he is good at softball.

Listen, I think basically everyone here is a nerd, you basically had to be to get in, and there's nothing wrong with that. I also think though that some ppl come into law school and treat it as the second go-around of college. Like they were a nerd in UG, and saw all these fratty/jocks/bros and now they have a chance to imitate them, because now there are ppl who are even nerdier than them. It just gets irritating.

Oh, totally agree. It's something I've noticed, as well.

[albanach]

When cabs are that cheap and you can split with other humans, it's not really being "privileged" to decide to take a cab. Also, you're helping local businesses by taking a cab.

City buses are free for students. That's my kind of cheap.

[Doritos]

When cabs are that cheap and you can split with other humans, it's not really being "privileged" to decide to take a cab. Also, you're helping local businesses by taking a cab.

City buses are free for students. That's my kind of cheap.

Being a member of the 1%, I personally enjoy being chauffeured around in a '95 Crown Vic with witty phrases on the back but to each his own.

[5ky]

When cabs are that cheap and you can split with other humans, it's not really being "privileged" to decide to take a cab. Also, you're helping local businesses by taking a cab.

City buses are free for students. That's my kind of cheap.

Alas, the buses stop before midnight.

[jawsthegreat]

As far was whether there are athletes here, yeah there definitely are. There are ppl here that played D1 or high quality D3 athletics. At the same time, there are also a bunch of "wannabe" athletes, who only look decently athletic because they're playing slowpitch softball against girls and some guys who don't even watch sports, let alone play them.

LMAO exactly. I'm sorry but just because you hit a home run in slow pitch soft-ball off some kid who was captain of the chess club at Duke, even though you get stapled under 135 on the bench and it takes you longer to run the 40 than my 98 Gateway takes to boot up, doesn't mean you're an "athlete".

PM people who can hit a HR and can't bench 135 plz.

[desertlaw]

I understand that the "bros" or the "quasi-athletes" might not be worldclass athletes, and might even be considered nerds when you look at the bigger scope of the entire world of people.

But the ranting by the people above comes across like they are just jealous that certain people (ie, anyone living at Tunlaw) are having a shit ton of fun in law school.

[bgdddymtty]

Can we define "nerd" here?