UCONN applicants 2011-2012 Forum

[LAFish]

Oh and just a head's up, the Class of 2011 Employment Statistics Data is up. The stats are much more detailed than the Class of 2010's.

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Those numbers don't look too bad considering C/O 2011 was supposed to be the hardest hit. I'm surprised that only 179 people graduated (I thought they had slightly bigger classes) and am wondering what the 6% percent of people who are not looking for a job are doing.

Yeah I think class of 2010 was around 202 grads. And Dean DeMeola said UConn is increasing its full-time class size this year by 10-15 people. Instead of the 2 sections of ~70 people in the past, they're trying to do 3 sections of ~50-55 people, full-time that is.

[wolverine10]

was just offered full tuition plus fees. This was a few days after they told me they ahd to wait a bit to figure out money. CT resident applied to UConn as a safety but damn this is tempting

[laxbrah420]

Did everyone get that email from the black law club or did I accidentally check the wrong box?

[wolverine10]

I got that email too.

[HellOnHeels]

I got that email too.

Ditto.

[JoeMo]

Did everyone get that email from the black law club or did I accidentally check the wrong box?

I lol'ed.

[laxbrah420]

looking at that data, it looks like ~55% get the jobs they want

[B986]

I'd love to know what federal government job pays $126,000 to someone just out of law school. I'd also like to know who makes $190,000 in management/sales just out of law school. Either these are the luckiest people alive or these figures were misreported (either by the graduate or the school).

[laduper]

I applied to UConn on a whim, because my Dad lives nearby. I was offered a very generous scholarship, so now UConn is looking like my likely top choice. I don't know much about the school, its specialties, its culture, opportunities, etc, so have browsed the threads a bit to try & get a better idea.

For those of you who are definitely going, or for whom UConn is your top choice, why? I'm a Midwestern girl, have worked in DC for a few years, and I'd love to hear what makes UConn stand out, and to get a better feel for what it's really like.

[LAFish]

I'd love to know what federal government job pays $126,000 to someone just out of law school. I'd also like to know who makes $190,000 in management/sales just out of law school. Either these are the luckiest people alive or these figures were misreported (either by the graduate or the school).

$126,000 for a federal gov job is way more believable to me than $190,000 starting salary for a management/sales position. Either daddy's very high up or they just hit the lottery.

[laxbrah420]

or they were in a mgmt position prior to law school

[dingbat]

I applied to UConn on a whim, because my Dad lives nearby. I was offered a very generous scholarship, so now UConn is looking like my likely top choice. I don't know much about the school, its specialties, its culture, opportunities, etc, so have browsed the threads a bit to try & get a better idea.

For those of you who are definitely going, or for whom UConn is your top choice, why? I'm a Midwestern girl, have worked in DC for a few years, and I'd love to hear what makes UConn stand out, and to get a better feel for what it's really like.

The only thing I can tell you for sure is that UConn is very good school for insurance law
(That's my chosen field and the only reason I applied to UConn)

[dreamflower]

Anyone on here familiar with Hartford and willing to answer some questions?

[iceicebaby]

Anyone on here familiar with Hartford and willing to answer some questions?

I'm visiting Hartford for the day in a week. I am staying in NYC but taking MegaBus to Hartford to visit the law school. I am considering renting a car when I arrive, just for the day, as I really want to explore Hartford and see what is has to offer. UConn is a TOP choice but I have never been to Hartford and want to get a feel for the city as well as the law school. Does renting a car seem like a good idea? Any places I should definitely check out to get a feel for the city? I've heard West Hartford (I think) is a very "young" place. Any advice is appreciated!

Hello there! I never thought I would be giving tourism advice on my beloved Hartford, but yeah I think you should look into renting a car. There is a bus system in the area but I don't recommend it. You pretty much need a car to get anywhere. Go to West Hartford center and check it out (search for Blue Back Square... that is the right area you want to be in). McLadden's in WeHa center is a huge UConn law bar and there are other nice bars and restaurants in the area. Hartford itself really doesn't have much to offer other than some bars on Friday and Saturday nights (my favorite is the Russian Lady... it's like 5 bars in one spread across 4 floors with a roof deck). You could see if there is anything going on at the XL center like a Whale game (AHL hockey team that pretends to be the Whalers of yore). Try driving around the city center and capitol area, but I wouldn't really go anywhere outside of that as it is pretty shady. The rest of the area is pretty much just like any other suburban area in New England and most UConn law students simply hang out and live in WeHa (we like to pretend we're hip and cool with that nickname).

PM me or reply if you want to know anything specific. I grew up, live and work in Hartford at a larger law firm filled with UConn grads.

[laxbrah420]

I know two places in Hartvegas: comcast theater and the gold club. comcast theater is good if they have a show. gold club always has a show and it's BYOB late night.

[LAFish]

I agree that a car is required to check out Hartford/West Hartford. Saw a couple of buses on my visit a couple weeks ago but I would definitely have a car. The campus is beautiful but small and I thought Hartford was pretty sketchy.

Question about West Hartford though... Is Blue Back Square the center of West Hartford? I walked around there and everything seemed pretty nice and upscale. And after my first taste of Whole Foods Market, I have to say Whole Foods Market > Wegmans. Is there anything else in West Hartford worth checking out? Any casual bars where I can grab a beer after ASD?

Iceicebaby, any news from the waitlist? I'm rooting for you man!

[iceicebaby]

I know two places in Hartvegas: comcast theater and the gold club. comcast theater is good if they have a show. gold club always has a show and it's BYOB late night.

LOL.

Comcast Theater = The Meadows. Nobody calls it Comcast Theater. DMB is always a good time there (end of May this year!!!). Also, the Gold Club is meh with its awfully shady location and expensive "shows". If you're not opposed to driving a bit, go to the Electric Blue. I'm pretty sure a buddy of mine managed to negotiate an hj for $6 there. He's a future lawyer, too. Go figure.

I agree that a car is required to check out Hartford/West Hartford. Saw a couple of buses on my visit a couple weeks ago but I would definitely have a car. The campus is beautiful but small and I thought Hartford was pretty sketchy.

Question about West Hartford though... Is Blue Back Square the center of West Hartford? I walked around there and everything seemed pretty nice and upscale. And after my first taste of Whole Foods Market, I have to say Whole Foods Market > Wegmans. Is there anything else in West Hartford worth checking out? Any casual bars where I can grab a beer after ASD?

Iceicebaby, any news from the waitlist? I'm rooting for you man!

Thanks, Fish. I still wish we had Wegmans around here. I would check out McLadden's, Barcelona and Side Bar for drinks in WeHa center. You gotta walk a bit from Blue Back Square toward Chipotle on Farmington Avenue and you'll find the bars. Most, if not all, UConn law students hang out there. There's also a hookah bar if you're like me and into that sort of thing. Otherwise it's basically just food, drink, nice stores and cougars (Max's Oyster Bar is a very well-known cougar den).

Sorry in advance if this post makes me look like a jackass...

[mebo28]

I agree that a car is required to check out Hartford/West Hartford. Saw a couple of buses on my visit a couple weeks ago but I would definitely have a car. The campus is beautiful but small and I thought Hartford was pretty sketchy.

Question about West Hartford though... Is Blue Back Square the center of West Hartford? I walked around there and everything seemed pretty nice and upscale. And after my first taste of Whole Foods Market, I have to say Whole Foods Market > Wegmans. Is there anything else in West Hartford worth checking out? Any casual bars where I can grab a beer after ASD?

Iceicebaby, any news from the waitlist? I'm rooting for you man!

West Hartford is more upscale, and excuse my langugage, but very yuppy. The Center of West Hartford is across the street (across north main street plus a street in the back of that). Basicly there is "The Square" and then "The Center" but it is all downtown West Hartford.

The UConn Law bar to go to is the Halfdoor, its right down the street from the law school in Hartford.

[iceicebaby]

I agree that a car is required to check out Hartford/West Hartford. Saw a couple of buses on my visit a couple weeks ago but I would definitely have a car. The campus is beautiful but small and I thought Hartford was pretty sketchy.

Question about West Hartford though... Is Blue Back Square the center of West Hartford? I walked around there and everything seemed pretty nice and upscale. And after my first taste of Whole Foods Market, I have to say Whole Foods Market > Wegmans. Is there anything else in West Hartford worth checking out? Any casual bars where I can grab a beer after ASD?

Iceicebaby, any news from the waitlist? I'm rooting for you man!

West Hartford is more upscale, and excuse my langugage, but very yuppy. The Center of West Hartford is across the street (across north main street plus a street in the back of that). Basicly there is "The Square" and then "The Center" but it is all downtown West Hartford.

The UConn Law bar to go to is the Halfdoor, its right down the street from the law school in Hartford.

True, both the Halfdoor and the Spigot are locations that UConn law students frequent but they are more divey than the ones in WeHa center. They have solid drink specials during the week. I just wanted to point to WeHa for the prospective students that are unfamiliar with the area because WeHa center has nicer bars in a much nicer area and didn't want to give everyone the wrong impression of the area.

If you also are into sports bars and wings, Damon's Tavern is awesome and right near the law school/The Spigot/The Halfdoor.

FYI-- all of the places I am talking about are only 5 minutes or less away from the law school itself.

[wfudeacons2005]

I am currently wait-listed so I visited today to express interest and also just to see the place.

I was incredibly impressed by the school's facilities, staff, and also West Hartford looks it would be a wonderful place to live for 3/4 years. Cemented the place as my top choice...really hoping i get in.

[laxbrah420]

assuming uconn miraculously makes it to the elite 8 despite the ineptitude of one Jim Calhoun and they get the saturday game to match with ASW, where would a uconn law student watch the game?

[mebo28]

Not that I totally buy this at all, but some excerpts from the Dean's email:

U.S. News today released the 2013 Law School Rankings, in which our Law School placed 62 among 195 U.S. law schools. In light of our steady progress in recruiting talented and diverse faculty members, expanding our academic programs in key areas such as intellectual property and energy and environmental law, and equipping our beautiful campus with state of the art classrooms, these magazine results cannot be accepted as a full measure of what our community is accomplishing every day. Nonetheless it is important for you to know that with the University's strong support the Law School has recently adopted a firm plan to reverse the downward trend that began in 2008 when the magazine changed its methodology in ways disadvantageous to Connecticut. Success may not be immediate, but I am confident that our school remains on an upward trajectory that will eventually reflect itself in the rankings.

Let me start with a few of the positive numbers. Our academic reputation score among our peers increased from 2.8 to 2.9. Were schools ranked using this score alone our Law School would be within the top 50. Our Connecticut bar pass rate exceeded 95%. And, our part-time program rose from 18th to 13th in the nation. In short, we continue to hit metrics related to the core aspects of our academic program while also winning tangible victories that magazines do not measure such as saving clients from deportation in our Asylum and Human Rights Clinic or besting Harvard and NYU in portions of the Jessup Moot Court competition..

Our preliminary assessment indicates that we suffered in the rankings as a result of two challenges we have faced in recent years. Law school applications in our region have fallen off, and our scholarship budgets have been insufficient for us to recruit all the bright students we wish to attract. Moreover, the job market for attorneys in our region has been particularly hard hit by the recent recession, and Connecticut has been a bit slower in emerging from the downturn. Accordingly, 81.1% of our 2010 graduates reported having jobs by February 2011, a number that lagged behind some of our competitor schools, particularly since 2010 was the last year in which schools could report as employed graduates working at jobs funded by their own law schools. We have never engaged in this effort to manipulate the numbers, and the ABA has made such tactics more difficult for next year’s rankings. But we do need help from newly minted alumni/ae whose diligence in reporting employment status can boost us a few percentage points. In the compressed scoring of U.S. News, every person counts.

Thanks to strong support...the Law School has augmented its scholarship budget for students entering in the fall of 2012. Attracting the most talented and accomplished student in today’s market requires our offering more scholarships to deserving students. I expect these funds will help us hit higher LSAT and GPA metrics, which represent important aspects of the U.S. News formula.

Equally important, the Law School has been steadily expanding its programming in areas of the law in which we are confident our graduates will find the jobs of the future. In the last few years, we have added an Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Law Clinic, a Certificate Program in Energy and Environmental Law, and a semester in D.C. program to our longstanding centers of excellence in insurance and financial services, international law, tax, and clinical programs. As our University expands its reach in the health sciences, we plan to invest in these areas of law as well...

[dreamflower]

Thanks to all who replied about visiting Hartford.

[JoeMo]

This is one of the reasons I love UConn so much is their openness and I do believe that what she said is true. The employment numbers among a few other things are probably responsible for the drop. I just don't know how quickly the employment statistics will turn around.

[B986]

I'm not trying to be a hater, but I'm not sure I would agree that the school has been equipped with "state of the art classrooms." The ones I saw during my visit were old and cramped.