University of Illinois Class of 2018 Forum

[thatguy12]

For everyone looking at the typical apartments companies (75th Armory, the Village, the Place, etc.) You are paying for convenience. By convenience, I mean that they have an abundance of rooms available for you to rent and provide the amenities. They may not be the best but you won't have to worry about a car or waiting at your apartment for the internet guy to come by and help you set everything up.

If you really want good deals though, please take a look at craigslist or any other realtor website. I am currently living in a 2 bedroom apartment that is 800 square feet, on the Blue Line of the public bus line (which is FREE for students), washer and dryer in unit, carpeting that is only two years old, no pet fees for any pets, modern appliances, no noisy frats houses or party houses nearby, and less than a mile from campus. For that, I only pay $700 a month.

I found such a great deal because I looked through craigslist. As long as you take a few days to go through listings, you are sure to find great deals on apartments in Champaign that are hundreds cheaper. While I don't think the Village is horrible, it's not a great deal if you're trying to keep costs low. It's CONVENIENT and that is what you are paying for.

But does your unit include all utilities/internet? Otherwise I feel like it would be comparable in cost per bedroom to the Village/Place@117. On the fence with signing with the Place @117 but I just want to lock down housing within the next month or so.

[AlwaysLurking]

As many of you have stated in this thread thus far, I'll probably be deciding between the Village and 75 armory (more likely 75 because of the negative comments I heard about the Village from current students) because of its convenience. It's been stated time and time again that it's probably best to stay within close proximity to the law school during your 1L year, and then you can begin to move further away from school as you progress to a 2L and 3L. Please let us know how the ASD event goes today because it was pretty dead on the 20th (all the student were gone for Spring Break).

Yeah it went well. It's a Friday, so not many law students were around. But the general campus was pretty vibrant.

[Chardee_MacDennis]

As many of you have stated in this thread thus far, I'll probably be deciding between the Village and 75 armory (more likely 75 because of the negative comments I heard about the Village from current students) because of its convenience. It's been stated time and time again that it's probably best to stay within close proximity to the law school during your 1L year, and then you can begin to move further away from school as you progress to a 2L and 3L. Please let us know how the ASD event goes today because it was pretty dead on the 20th (all the student were gone for Spring Break).

I don't live at The Village, so I don't have a dog in this fight, but this point is way overstated. You don't need to be in close proximity to the law building ever-you just need a reliable way to get there. I also think many of you are giving more weight to the negatives you've heard about The Village than is fair. I would estimate that nearly 25-30% of the student body lives there (maybe more), so of course some students will have issues. Students complain about 75 Armory, The Place, The Pointe, and every other complex.

[bugsy33]

.

[vercify]

As many of you have stated in this thread thus far, I'll probably be deciding between the Village and 75 armory (more likely 75 because of the negative comments I heard about the Village from current students) because of its convenience. It's been stated time and time again that it's probably best to stay within close proximity to the law school during your 1L year, and then you can begin to move further away from school as you progress to a 2L and 3L. Please let us know how the ASD event goes today because it was pretty dead on the 20th (all the student were gone for Spring Break).

Crap, totally forgot about ASD. I guess I don't really have to go considering I can walk to the law school and see it at any time, lol.

75 is not a bad choice, but you might end up with loud neighbors. Idk how sound proof the rooms are, but if its anything like most buildings around here then its nonexistent. A lot of undergrads live at 75, and its right next to two frat houses and a large "senior house" across the street (I live behind the senior house... you can literally hear their music loudly from my living room on thursday/friday nights...). 75 Armory will have great amenities and its only a 10 minute walk to the law school, but as you know you will be paying a premium for that convenience. Oh, and I think parking in their garage is extra, probably $75+ a month of more.

I echo what Chardee_MacDennis and Scruffy_the_Janitor have said too. Being "close" to the law building is overstated, and their are plenty of good places to live further off campus. I looked at a place near Hessel Park today (west of neil st, about 20 minutes from the law school for the average walker) and it was quite nice. Great neighborhood, all utilities included plus paring and furnishings and appliances for $700 a month. If you have a car it is easy to drive to the law school and park in a lot somewhere, or you can catch the Yellow, which picks up somewhere on State St.

Basically, don't worry to much about being "close". I've lived in Champaign for 4 years, if you have a car in here then everything is close, and ultimately you just need a reliable way to get from A to B. Also, in terms of places you actually want to live as a law student, 75 Armory is the only thing that I would consider "close". Anything closer is going to be in the noisy part of campus.

[sprinky07]

Just received my financial aid award letter. For some reason my scholarship offer is not reflected on it. I'm guessing this is because I've been too lazy to pay the first seat deposit?

[vercify]

Just received my financial aid award letter. For some reason my scholarship offer is not reflected on it. I'm guessing this is because I've been too lazy to pay the first seat deposit?

I haven't gotten my Illinois letter yet so I can't confirm, but my financial aid letters from other schools showed my scholarships on them without the seat deposit... idk why Illinois would be any different. Might be a good question for the financial aid office! I am sure a quick phone call would clear it up.

[thatguy12]

Made my first seat deposit, see you all in Champaign-Urbana!

[AlwaysLurking]

Deposited!

[jerrycallo]

.

[vercify]

Made my deposits this week! Excited to meet people this fall

For any of you still making your decision, I have some words of advice. Negotiate your scholarship. I went in to speak with admissions two weeks ago and they doubled my scholarship offer from $15k/year to $30k/year. Maybe I just got lucky or had something in my application that they wanted (I am a JD/MS applicant who works with a Prof. here at the University) but it was beyond worth it to go in and negotiate. The Asst. Dean of Admissions told me that coming in to meet and speak with her was a big reason that I got more money. She also said that she was "feeling generous today", so I guess I got kind of lucky, lol.

YMMV of course, but at the end of the day the worst they can say is no. The best that can happen is that you walk out with considerably more money than you had before! If you can't meet in person then call, but I really encourage everyone to do something if they are on the fence! Remember, if they admitted you then chances are they want you to come and are probably willing to move money around to make that happen.

[bugsy33]

New employment stats have been released for the class of 2014.

FTLT J.D Required: 72%
All legally related jobs: 88%
Unemployed: 6%
BigLaw+FedClerk: 29%

There are more people working in 101+ firms than in firms under 100.

http://www.law.illinois.edu/content/pdf ... tes.pdf?v1

[thatguy12]

I'm liking those employment statistics, although I'm a little worried about the relatively high school funded positions (I believe 11% of FT-LT Bar Req'd employment)... Anyone with some insight what positions that include?



But more importantly, if anyone is interested in sharing an apartment at The Place at 117, I'm looking for two roommates for a 3/3 unit. Feel free to PM.

[KamronK]

New employment stats have been released for the class of 2014.

FTLT J.D Required: 72%
All legally related jobs: 88%
Unemployed: 6%
BigLaw+FedClerk: 29%

There are more people working in 101+ firms than in firms under 100.

http://www.law.illinois.edu/content/pdf ... tes.pdf?v1

Great news. The chance at big law was the reason I chose Illinois over the other schools on my list.

[Scruffy_the_Janitor]

I'm liking those employment statistics, although I'm a little worried about the relatively high school funded positions (I believe 11% of FT-LT Bar Req'd employment)... Anyone with some insight what positions that include?



But more importantly, if anyone is interested in sharing an apartment at The Place at 117, I'm looking for two roommates for a 3/3 unit. Feel free to PM.

I'm not an expert but I believe our school funded positions are fellowships that the school offers. Those fellowships are usually where the applicant works with a government agency during the summer they take the bar exam. They work full time and receive a stipend (last number I heard was $2,000/month). Usually (and I don't know if it's 100%) the agency hires the fellow after the bar results. The government agencies are usually public defenders, state attorneys, the Illinois AG office, and the City of Chicago Law Department. Some out-of-state offices also take on fellows. You work with the school to see if the office will take you on but the school usually has a list of offices that will need fellows.

Never lived at The Place but I've visited. It's okay. Seems quiet. Not the best but not the worst place to live. Definitely far though so you'll need a car or you'll depend on the shuttle.

[thatguy12]

I'm liking those employment statistics, although I'm a little worried about the relatively high school funded positions (I believe 11% of FT-LT Bar Req'd employment)... Anyone with some insight what positions that include?



But more importantly, if anyone is interested in sharing an apartment at The Place at 117, I'm looking for two roommates for a 3/3 unit. Feel free to PM.

I'm not an expert but I believe our school funded positions are fellowships that the school offers. Those fellowships are usually where the applicant works with a government agency during the summer they take the bar exam. They work full time and receive a stipend (last number I heard was $2,000/month). Usually (and I don't know if it's 100%) the agency hires the fellow after the bar results. The government agencies are usually public defenders, state attorneys, the Illinois AG office, and the City of Chicago Law Department. Some out-of-state offices also take on fellows. You work with the school to see if the office will take you on but the school usually has a list of offices that will need fellows.

Never lived at The Place but I've visited. It's okay. Seems quiet. Not the best but not the worst place to live. Definitely far though so you'll need a car or you'll depend on the shuttle.

Thanks for the insight! Definitely will be able to sleep a little but more comfortably. Have a car, although I'm depending on either the shuttle or the yellow line that stops in front of the neighborhood. A long ride, I know, but I figure if it's too much I'll just end up driving but otherwise I could do a little assigned reading or decompress after a stressful day for 30 minutes.

[happyendings]

which housing (furnished) is the closest to the law school? I don't mind graduate housing either. I just want to be close to the school. I'm not bringing a car.

[Scruffy_the_Janitor]

which housing (furnished) is the closest to the law school? I don't mind graduate housing either. I just want to be close to the school. I'm not bringing a car.

For law students, I'd say 75th Armory. You are literally 2 blocks away from the law school. It's a crummy walk though if it's raining or snows which happens 1/3 of the year. But the public bus to the school is right outside the place so you could also ride the bus.

There are a couple other places but I'm not familiar with them. Definitely contact the school's Tenant Union for a list of furnished places on campus.

[happyendings]

is the village that loud (train noises & dogs)? I've been reading yelp reviews...

[Scruffy_the_Janitor]

is the village that loud (train noises & dogs)? I've been reading yelp reviews...

That's what I hear too. I don't live there but I visit. But I also live near campus where I can see the train but not hear it. There's at least one train every night and the nearest apartments at the Village are a couple hundred feet from those tracks. So I'd try to find an apartment at the Village that is furthest away.

People do have dogs but they generally aren't a problem. It's usually the parties because if you live next door to law students that like to party, then you may have a noise problem since the walls aren't that thick. But everyone is pretty respectful and it's a great deal if you can get a 4 bedroom with roommates.

If you can, talk to any of the law students you got contact info from and ask them. Most law students lived at the village so one of us should be able to put you in contact with someone if you need an insider's perspective.

[station4]

which housing (furnished) is the closest to the law school? I don't mind graduate housing either. I just want to be close to the school. I'm not bringing a car.

I'll just chime in to say that I have lived in an apartment in the area around 75 Armory during my time in the law school and was very happy. My building was majority undergrads and probably at least 30 years old. There hasn't been a lot of talk about these mostly undergrad buildings as an option, but I really enjoyed the proximity to the law school and you can't beat the price. I never had a problem with the noise from my building or the surrounding buildings. I second the suggestion to check with the Tenant Union about specific landlords or buildings, but if you are interested in living close to law school and holding costs down, these are totally viable options. I'm certainly not the only 2L/3L who lives in this situation.

[dinosaurtrex10]

Hey all! I'm currently a 1L here and went here for undergrad so I can definitely answer any questions -- Also if anyone is still looking for housing a friend is subleasing her room for August 2015- August 2016 -->

It's a two bedroom two bathroom apartment with free parking and you'd be with a female law student (currently a 1L)

http://chambana.craigslist.org/roo/4947472582.html

Also: just my two cents about the village. Yea sure it's spacious and there is a shuttle. But if you are somewhat social and like going out to places to be social, living out there is going to get real old, especially if you don't bring a car. But that's just my observation from friends that live out there.

[bugsy33]

Crossposting:

Schools with worse FTLT Employment that are ranked higher than Illinois:

#22 - Alabama
#26 - Arizona State
#28 - University of Washington
#29 - William & Mary
#31 - Georgia
#31 - Wisconsin
#34 - Indiana - Bloomington
#34 - North Carolina
#34- Fordham
#40 - Colorado

Schools ranked below Illinois with better employment rates: 1, New Mexico

Schools with worse BigLaw + Fed Clerk and ranked higher:

#20 - Minnesota
#22 - Alabama
#22 - Iowa
#26 - Arizona State
#28 - University of Washington
#29 - William & Mary
#30 - UC - Irvine
#31 - Georgia
#31 - UC - Davis
#31 - Wisconsin
#34 - BYU
#34 - Indiana - Bloomington
#34 - Ohio State
#34 - UNC
#40 - Colorado - Boulder

Schools with better BL+FC ranked below Illinois: ZERO

Seriously, F*** U.S. NEWS

[vercify]

Yea, US News rankings should always be taken with a grain of salt. The nitty gritty details like the above are what you need to dig for to get a proper picture of a law school.

To be fair though, UIUC was consistently Top 30 for a long time. The admissions scandal really hurt their reputation, and I am guessing that has contributed heavily to their ranking drop.

Also: just my two cents about the village. Yea sure it's spacious and there is a shuttle. But if you are somewhat social and like going out to places to be social, living out there is going to get real old, especially if you don't bring a car. But that's just my observation from friends that live out there.

This is definitely something to consider. Living in the Village puts you far away from pretty much everything there is to do in Champaign-Urbana. Being social anywhere outside the Village will feel like more of a chore when it isn't a 5-10 minute walk away. Sure, you can drive, but thats not going to be an option if you want to go out drinking on campus or in Downtown Champaign. There is a reason that you are able to get an essentially all-inclusive place for such a decent price, and that reason is because of the location.

I currently live at First and Armory, which is around a 10 minute walk to the law school or a 3 minute bus ride on the 22 Illini route (which picks up at that corner). It can be noisy at night Thurs-Sat but generally its quiet enough, at least for me. It really depends on who your neighbors are, and you will face tat problem no matte where you live. I think I am going to try and live in this area because being able to walk or bus to the law school will be a lot better than paying for meters every day or relying on the shuttle. The rent is bearable, and you are still in close proximity to other fun things in CU.

[KMart]

To be fair though, UIUC was consistently Top 30 for a long time. The admissions scandal really hurt their reputation, and I am guessing that has contributed heavily to their ranking drop.

Entirely. Employers, and those who understand how law school works, don't seem to mind the drop in 'rankings' and still treat it the same way as before.