In at Berkeley Law! Forum

[Kronk]

Do we know when Berkeley is putting out their matching scholarship form?

[radgrad]

Hey there- anyone ever figure out if Boalt will reimburse travel expenses if you don't visit on their admitted students weekend?

[Kretzy]

Hey there- anyone ever figure out if Boalt will reimburse travel expenses if you don't visit on their admitted students weekend?

I emailed 3 weeks ago and they haven't gotten back to me yet about this.

[sirchristaylor]

I'm so happy to join this thread. My admit email said that Berkeley will "help defray your airfare to attend. You will find details on our website for admitted students."

Woohoo!!!

[MeasuredOptimism]

Hey there- anyone ever figure out if Boalt will reimburse travel expenses if you don't visit on their admitted students weekend?

I emailed 3 weeks ago and they haven't gotten back to me yet about this.

I would also really like to know this. Just accepted this week and would like to make travel plans.

I'll call Mon. or Tues. and report back.

[MeasuredOptimism]

Hey there- anyone ever figure out if Boalt will reimburse travel expenses if you don't visit on their admitted students weekend?

I emailed 3 weeks ago and they haven't gotten back to me yet about this.

I would also really like to know this. Just accepted this week and would like to make travel plans.

I'll call Mon. or Tues. and report back.

Extremely unhelpful call.

When I asked if my intended visit date happened to fall during their Spring Break, I was told to look online for the academic calendar.

When I asked about the travel costs, I was told to email the admissions address.

So we are still in the dark here.

[Rotor]

Hey there- anyone ever figure out if Boalt will reimburse travel expenses if you don't visit on their admitted students weekend?

I emailed 3 weeks ago and they haven't gotten back to me yet about this.

I would also really like to know this. Just accepted this week and would like to make travel plans.

I'll call Mon. or Tues. and report back.

Extremely unhelpful call.

When I asked if my intended visit date happened to fall during their Spring Break, I was told to look online for the academic calendar.

When I asked about the travel costs, I was told to email the admissions address.

So we are still in the dark here.

1. Spring Break is Mar 19-28.
2. I don't think anyone got $ last year except for travel during ASD.

[sirchristaylor]

A few links that I've found interesting and somewhat helpful:

-http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008 ... itted.html
-http://www.law.berkeley.edu/alumni/even ... index.html
-http://www.flickr.com/photos/29370912@N ... 570920505/
-http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/re ... law-school
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... ool_of_Law
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Be ... ghborhoods
-https://calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu ... rhoods.pdf
-http://calparents.berkeley.edu/guide/visiting/eat.html
-http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2 ... oduction-i
-http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/eb/berkeley/
-http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3206 ... hoods.html
-http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/h ... rhood.html
-http://www.yelp.com/find?location=Berkeley%2C+CA

[1armedscissor]

A few links that I've found interesting and somewhat helpful:

-http://theshark.typepad.com/weblog/2008 ... itted.html
-http://www.law.berkeley.edu/alumni/even ... index.html
-http://www.flickr.com/photos/29370912@N ... 570920505/
-http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/re ... law-school
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... ool_of_Law
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Be ... ghborhoods
-https://calrentals.housing.berkeley.edu ... rhoods.pdf
-http://calparents.berkeley.edu/guide/visiting/eat.html
-http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2 ... oduction-i
-http://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/eb/berkeley/
-http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g3206 ... hoods.html
-http://parents.berkeley.edu/recommend/h ... rhood.html
-http://www.yelp.com/find?location=Berkeley%2C+CA

Awesome. Thanks!

[pleasepickme]

Hey, does anyone know what the success rate is for matching scholarships from Chicago? I just got a great offer, but I also have half tuition from Columbia, and I'm wondering which I should submit.

[im_blue]

Hey, does anyone know what the success rate is for matching scholarships from Chicago? I just got a great offer, but I also have half tuition from Columbia, and I'm wondering which I should submit.

Take the COA for Columbia ($71,000 for 09-10) and Chicago ($66,342 for 09-10) and subtract each scholarship. You should choose the one with the lower COA after scholarships, as that's what Berkeley might offer to match.

[sirchristaylor]

More stuff: http://boaltalk.blogspot.com/

[rob1232]

Hey guys, I moved into FR last week and amtrying to send in a quick loci to them. Would anyone mind reviewing mine before I send? I'd be happy to do the same for anyone in return. Thanks for the help!

[manu4ever882001]

...

[amputatedbrain]

quick question for other admits . . .

So I tentatively accepted my admission, the option that reserves your spot until June 1st to make a final decision.

It says that once you've made your final decision at any time, you can confirm your enrollment with the secondary response form.

I don't see this as an option anywhere on the admitted students site, does anyone know how it works . . . does it just not become available until later in the year?

[radgrad]

Once upon a time, Berkeley was my top choice for law school. i went to sleep at night dreaming of no grades, cheap tuition, and enough prestige to carry the average student into an ideal job on either coast. As a PI person, I was a fan of Berkeley's rep for being engaged with important issues, left-leaning, and not super corporate.

Buuuuuut as my cycle has gone on, my love for Berkeley has waned a bit. The tuition hike, the crashing Cali job market, and (to be honest) the fact that Berkeley *just* let me in and I've been accepted at other T10s for months (and have had more time to get excited about them) have caused me to question my desire to go to Berkeley. And then there's John Yoo looming like a specter of all-that's-wrong-with-the-world in the background...

So basically, I still think Berkeley's great, and I am still seriously considering attending, but I'm much much much less excited about it. Anyone out there want to convince me that Berkeley's still all that and a bag of chips? I feel like I just fell out of love with the perfect partner, and I really want to find that spark again...

[los blancos]

Anyone out there want to convince me that Berkeley's still all that and a bag of chips? I feel like I just fell out of love with the perfect partner, and I really want to find that spark again...

Studying the law in Northern Cali FTW.
Great selection of journals and if you're interested in PI the Berk Law Foundation is full of win
Awesome LRAP
You can go to Yoo's office hours and ridicule him (actually, that might not be a good idea...)
Just enough grading to encourage you to push yourself, but not enough to make you feel like you're going through hell

[Rotor]

no grades, cheap tuition, and enough prestige to carry the average student into an ideal job on either coast.

+1 to los blanco's characterization of grades PLUS ungraded Legal Research & Writing/Written & Oral Advocacy. I've seen plenty of threads around here about how much people HATE having graded LRW.

As for the tuition, it's an individual cost/benefit analysis. If costs < benefit come; if costs > benefit don't. Just don't complain that it used to be costs <<< benefit.

The way I see it, the improvements that are being made with those increases are going to protect my substantiantial investment by maintaining the reputation of the school. As for jobs, it may not be as automatic as it once was, but Berkeley will still get you a job on either coast. Several 1Ls are set up for the summer in NYC. I've mentioned on one of these threads already, the 3Ls I know are all employed with everything from biglaw (little/no deferal) to COA Clerk in DC to govt/PI. It's a small sample so may not be representative, but even ITE, I know no one who is unemployed & panicking. If things were really bad, someone in that sample would likely be feeling it.

As a PI person, I was a fan of Berkeley's rep for being engaged with important issues, left-leaning, and not super corporate.

(to be honest) the fact that Berkeley *just* let me in and I've been accepted at other T10s for months (and have had more time to get excited about them)

I put these two quotes together because on the one hand, you seem like you like the fact that Boalt is different, yet you complain when they do admissions differently than almost everyone else. Of course you've had an opportunity to become attracted to other great schools; that's understandable. But just because I meet a pretty/intelligent/interesting woman doesn't mean I love my wife any less. Come to ASW and see for yourself if Boalt is the best fit for you (sounds like it could be).

the crashing Cali job market

It's the 8th (?) biggest economy in the world. It's been through big recessions before. It will get better; in many ways its an engine for the entire nation's economy so it HAS to get better or we ALL have bigger problems ahead.

And then there's John Yoo looming like a specter of all-that's-wrong-with-the-world in the background...

What does this have to do with your decision? If you don't want to have anything to do with Prof Yoo, don't take his class. (Though he is a genuinely nice person and brilliant. He was just on the wrong side of an issue that has been widely publicized.) The ONLY impact that Yoo has on me is being harassed by the student group to sign another f***ing petition to get him fired. (I'm tired of having to answer: "No I won't sign it. No, just because I won't sign doesn't mean I'm for torture. Maybe I believe in a little executive privilege. Maybe I think it's the higher ups who should be taken to task, not one of a thousand Deputy Assistant AGs") I'm guessing with the release of the OPR, what little drama there is will start to subside.

Edit: And for every John Yoo, there is a Goodwin Liu (just nominated for the 9th Circuit), a David Caron (International Commercial Arbitrator extraordinare and incoming president of the American Society for International Law), an Eric Talley (big time Law/Econ guy who worked on the bank recovery stress tests) and so on and so on.

[radgrad]

Yeah, I guess the economy in Cali will eventually recover, and I know John Yoo won't actually have much to do with my life if I go to Berkeley. And I appreciate the time they took on my app- that part of my post was more of a caveat explaining why i might not feel that excited about Berkeley yet. But besides better weather and few grades (which are semi-compelling), why should someone to go Berkeley over NYU, Chicago, Penn, Columbia, etc?

[zaichka]

But besides better weather and few grades (which are semi-compelling), why should someone to go Berkeley over NYU, Chicago, Penn, Columbia, etc?

Easy answer for why Berkeley over Penn/Chicago: Where would you rather live? The Bay or Philly/Hyde Park?

[crackberry]

Yeah, I guess the economy in Cali will eventually recover, and I know John Yoo won't actually have much to do with my life if I go to Berkeley. And I appreciate the time they took on my app- that part of my post was more of a caveat explaining why i might not feel that excited about Berkeley yet. But besides better weather and few grades (which are semi-compelling), why should someone to go Berkeley over NYU, Chicago, Penn, Columbia, etc?

Much better LRAPs than Chicago and Penn and better job prospects on the West Coast than any of the above other than (perhaps) Columbia. Faced with this choice, if you want East Coast BigLaw, go to CLS or Chicago. If you want East Coast gov't/PI, go to NYU. If you want West Coast PI, go to Berkeley. If you want West Coast BigLaw, go to whichever of Berkeley/Columbia/Chicago you like more.

/blatant anti-Penn trolling.

[Dignan]

Yeah, I guess the economy in Cali will eventually recover, and I know John Yoo won't actually have much to do with my life if I go to Berkeley. And I appreciate the time they took on my app- that part of my post was more of a caveat explaining why i might not feel that excited about Berkeley yet. But besides better weather and few grades (which are semi-compelling), why should someone to go Berkeley over NYU, Chicago, Penn, Columbia, etc?

Much better LRAPs than Chicago and Penn and better job prospects on the West Coast than any of the above other than (perhaps) Columbia. Faced with this choice, if you want East Coast BigLaw, go to CLS or Chicago. If you want East Coast gov't/PI, go to NYU. If you want West Coast PI, go to Berkeley. If you want West Coast BigLaw, go to whichever of Berkeley/Columbia/Chicago you like more.

/blatant anti-Penn trolling.

I agree with the above, up to and including the anti-Penn trolling. I should add that placement in academia is similar at the Berkeley/Columbia/Chicago level. Over the past five years or so, Chicago has placed a little better than Columbia, and Columbia has placed a little better in Berkeley, but the differences are relatively small. Twenty years ago, Chicago's placement in academia was second only to Yale, but they've dropped off over the past decade.

[radgrad]

Thanks, everyone. It's nice to hear a level-headed discussion of Berkeley instead of what sometimes goes on here (see Berkeley vs. Columbia thread if you don't know what I'm talking about). I'm a public interest person, so I'll probably be making the (common?) decision between Berkeley and NYU. I love both NYC and the Bay Area, so it's a wonderful problem to have. Hopefully $$ or ASWs will make the decision for me!

[skynet]

[strike]Sorry for the lazy question, but!
did we ever figure out when ASW is/travel reimbursement policy?[/strike]

Nevermind: 4/9&10 and up to $300 for out of state travel.

[im_blue]

I know this has been posted elsewhere already, but:

Berkeley RIOT: Fire, Destruction