UCLA 1L taking questions Forum

[Golden Bear 11]

About how many students RA/work part-time during their 2L or 3L year?

[hellothisisme]

What do you think about UCLA vs. Irvine? I have been posting pretty much all over TLS about this, so I apologize for bringing it up again, but I thought I maybe should ask a UCLA student.

I got a 90k scholarship to UCLA and a full-tuition scholarship to Irvine.

I know Irvine is a bit of a risk and has no alumni network, but would you say UCLA is worth all the extra debt?

[leapincamelleopard]

What do you think about UCLA vs. Irvine? I have been posting pretty much all over TLS about this, so I apologize for bringing it up again, but I thought I maybe should ask a UCLA student.

I got a 90k scholarship to UCLA and a full-tuition scholarship to Irvine.

I know Irvine is a bit of a risk and has no alumni network, but would you say UCLA is worth all the extra debt?

Rankings wise, I think (from what I've read/heard) Irvine will hope into the mix at around or below Davis. So one way of assessing is to look at it as if it is Davis, would you go to Davis over UCLA? Of course that is not exact because Irvine would be in the Socal market and Davis is not as much but its a good starting point. I think Irvine stands a really good chance of climbing fast but that will be after you graduate so won't have any affect on you getting a job.

Then size wise, UCLA law feels small, Irvine is about 1/3 the size. This will change the way that clubs/journals/clinics function if there are minimum requirements for their existence. Its hard to have a club of one, and with a school that size, only the big hitter clubs/journals will make sense and be functional until the school population grows.

Irvine offers some unique options and is driven from a very interesting perspective. They want the education you get to be different than the education that is being offered at other law schools and this could very well be the way of the future but you would have to be willing to take that chance. I guess that is the bottom line. How much of a risk are you willing to take with your education? I don't think Irvine is a HUGE risk. They are dedicated to finding their students jobs, accept a high caliber of student and want to be a successful law school so your success = theirs. That said, they don't have the name UCLA has or the alumni network and both these things can be very important when finding jobs. I know that a big part of landing my summer internship was that I go to UCLA (they said as much).

If I had to pick, I would still pick UCLA.

[SisyphusHappy]

About how many students RA/work part-time during their 2L or 3L year?

I have no clue. Any lurking 2Ls or 3Ls who can help?

[SisyphusHappy]

What do you think about UCLA vs. Irvine? I have been posting pretty much all over TLS about this, so I apologize for bringing it up again, but I thought I maybe should ask a UCLA student.

I got a 90k scholarship to UCLA and a full-tuition scholarship to Irvine.

I know Irvine is a bit of a risk and has no alumni network, but would you say UCLA is worth all the extra debt?

Rankings wise, I think (from what I've read/heard) Irvine will hope into the mix at around or below Davis. So one way of assessing is to look at it as if it is Davis, would you go to Davis over UCLA? Of course that is not exact because Irvine would be in the Socal market and Davis is not as much but its a good starting point. I think Irvine stands a really good chance of climbing fast but that will be after you graduate so won't have any affect on you getting a job.

Then size wise, UCLA law feels small, Irvine is about 1/3 the size. This will change the way that clubs/journals/clinics function if there are minimum requirements for their existence. Its hard to have a club of one, and with a school that size, only the big hitter clubs/journals will make sense and be functional until the school population grows.

Irvine offers some unique options and is driven from a very interesting perspective. They want the education you get to be different than the education that is being offered at other law schools and this could very well be the way of the future but you would have to be willing to take that chance. I guess that is the bottom line. How much of a risk are you willing to take with your education? I don't think Irvine is a HUGE risk. They are dedicated to finding their students jobs, accept a high caliber of student and want to be a successful law school so your success = theirs. That said, they don't have the name UCLA has or the alumni network and both these things can be very important when finding jobs. I know that a big part of landing my summer internship was that I go to UCLA (they said as much).

If I had to pick, I would still pick UCLA.

Exactly what she said. While I appreciate the value Irvine puts in public interest work, I don't think it's close.

EDIT: What section are you in, leapincamelleopard? I have no clue who you are, but I'm fairly certain everyone's 1L experience this year has been shaped by their big section.

[leapincamelleopard]

EDIT: What section are you in, leapincamelleopard? I have no clue who you are, but I'm fairly certain everyone's 1L experience this year has been shaped by their big section.

1-2, you?

edit: but don't let our reputation hurt your opinion of me.

[SisyphusHappy]

EDIT: What section are you in, leapincamelleopard? I have no clue who you are, but I'm fairly certain everyone's 1L experience this year has been shaped by their big section.

Section 2, you?

[horrorbusiness]

can any ucla/westwood/santa monica people help me out with this?

i'm looking for a cheap way to live at/near ucla for 6 weeks (06/24/12 to 08/03/12). ucla's on and off campus housing are both like $2k+ for the 6 weeks. no thanks.

[leapincamelleopard]

can any ucla/westwood/santa monica people help me out with this?

i'm looking for a cheap way to live at/near ucla for 6 weeks (06/24/12 to 08/03/12). ucla's on and off campus housing are both like $2k+ for the 6 weeks. no thanks.

if you haven't already, check Padmapper.com for sublets.

[SisyphusHappy]

To answer a common question that I finally have an answer to, UCLA just offered me my 2L need-based aid. It was <$100 less than my 1L grant, so I have no complaints.

[iamnotalawyer]

This is kind of a random question, but do you recall how the GPA curve came out for 1L's? Like what was the GPA cut off for top 10%, 20%, etc. I think the median is supposed to be a 3.2, but any other hits would be useful. Thanks a bunch, btw!

[SisyphusHappy]

I have no idea. The school refuses to share it with anyone. The last Order of the Coif cutoff was a 3.75, but the curve is obviously different after 1L.

[JohnMarshall17]

tag

[pedestrian]

This may seem like a dumb question considering that it is LA, but it is possible to get by without a car? I have never owned one and do not even have a license, but I am strongly considering UCLA.

[J90]

This may seem like a dumb question considering that it is LA, but it is possible to get by without a car? I have never owned one and do not even have a license, but I am strongly considering UCLA.

I'm not a law student, but I just graduated from UCLA for undergrad this last June.

You can get by, if you don't mind being stuck on campus and having to rely on friends if you want a weekend excursion/etc. Most of the apartments are around a 15-20 minute walk depending, and if you live past the east end of the campus (where the law school's located anyway) it may be much closer. If you live south of campus, there's a shuttle that comes around once every 10-15 minutes until 7 p.m. or so. There's a Ralph's, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods right there (although not having a car removes the limit on how many groceries you can carry).

That said, you're effectively confined to the campus and Westwood. If you really do want to explore LA, you will be relying on other people with cars. Don't count on using public transportation. It's cheap and exists, but it's honestly terrible. If you get a job or internship your 1L summer, or presumably anything that's not a research assistant position on campus, you'll likely need a car.

If you want a number, the few times I took the bus to Santa Monica it took roughly 45 minutes (partly due to the stops, but still). Santa Monica is 4 miles away. Downtown? You're looking at far more, especially if it's not on the weekend.

[pedestrian]

^ Many thanks!

[J90]

^ Many thanks!

No problem, just shoot if you have any questions about living nearby or Westwood in general.