In at UC Irvine Forum

[Timmybb13]

Waitlisted!

Not too shabby. I wonder how many they put on the super fun WL? Any ideas?

Timmy - When did you get your later, and when was it dated? At this point I'm hoping to be waitlisted, but it seems like everyone's letter was sent out mid-week last week.

March 24. Good luck!

--Got it on the 26thish

[ChipJan]

.

[alleycat13]

{quote}--Got it on the 26thish[/quote]

Of Feb?

[alleycat13]

Sorry about the failed attempt at quoting. Evidently, technology just isn't my thing...

[Timmybb13]

{quote}--Got it on the 26thish

March. Don't worry, I'm glad I'm not the only one. Hence the lack of icon with my screen name.

That would have been pretty awesome to get it a month before it was sent out...I hear the new dean is capable of great things so I could believe it.

[NoamChomsky]

Anyone with updates from Admitted Students Day?

[alleycat13]

{quote}--Got it on the 26thish

March. Don't worry, I'm glad I'm not the only one. Hence the lack of icon with my screen name.

That would have been pretty awesome to get it a month before it was sent out...I hear the new dean is capable of great things so I could believe it.

Ha! Thanks for making light....I'm a bit shell shocked, as I'm already in law school (can't wait to get out of the 'typical experience', as it were), and the moment I hit "submit" I was stricken with terror. LOL....

Congrats to you Timmybb13 - WL is not too shabby.

I get increasingly more discouraged as I read this forum. UCI - as an option to 'start all over with a clean slate' (I'm currently a 2L) - only arose as a possibility about a month prior to deadline, and while I like to think I am an exceptionally unique applicant, and 'trailblazing' is my middle name, I don't think my file is even complete yet. *sigh*

I would take UCI over an (already) accredited school anytime. The repercussions of UCI not becoming accredited or experiencing a delay in provisional are well worth the trade-off. In my opinion, delay or denial is probably very remote, but a chance I'm willing to take - I'd gladly sit for the baby bar after first year if it meant being able to participate in this program.

Is there anything more solid than rumors that the first class has actually, really, truly been entirely "filled", and ONLY wait lists or rejections are set to go out now?

A girl can hope...

[scantronix]

Way to go scantronix! You were quoted at least once in her articles.

??

[scantronix]

I went to ASD and Dean Ortiz asked me if I was Scantronix.

[alleycat13]

I went to ASD and Dean Ortiz asked me if I was Scantronix.

Well, you are scantronix...

How many others were at ASD? How many accounted for but not present?

Oh, and after some *minor* forum-following you: Stevia is a root. Try "NewStevia". The taste is far less bitter than any other stevia product. You can get it at Henry's and comes in a purple and white packet. The stevia product at Trader Joe's is gnarly bitter. Negligible blood glucose effect, the most natural of the "artificial sweeteners".

I'm a Jewish mother. Unsolicited advice is in the handbook.

[scantronix]

There were 61 people there, a bunch uncommitted.

Thanks for the stevia tip. I've been using Truvia. I wonder when the coffee house chains are going to start carrying this...I live in LA and I'm surprised it's not really available here since organic/healthy/that-will-give-you-cancer-if-you-eat-it thing is big here.

[alleycat13]

There were 61 people there, a bunch uncommitted.

Thanks for the stevia tip. I've been using Truvia. I wonder when the coffee house chains are going to start carrying this...I live in LA and I'm surprised it's not really available here since organic/healthy/that-will-give-you-cancer-if-you-eat-it thing is big here.

NP on Stevia...I carry packets around with me, because noone carries it at all yet. I guess noone really cares to know what tastes better - yet. Same thing happened when Splenda first came out. It'll catch on....

Well, as hopeful as I am, it may be time for a dose of reality. That said, based on what seems to be the strong likelihood that I will not be wait-listed, much less admitted, if you all need help setting up your student organizations etc., or want a crash course in ABA Law Student Division benefits, resources for individual students & student organizations, programming, conferences, initiatives and the like - let me know. I'm definitely happy to help, so you're not going it alone or completely blindly. Yes, I am one of those weird people that just likes to help and make things easier for people, lol.

I am already deeply involved in leadership and am well acquainted with how to do all that stuff (internally and ABA) from the ground up - and I think outside the box, so I while I can help you with all the necessary info/tools you need to "go by the book", I won't scare you with procedure, lol.

I may or may not also end up as a 9th circuit ABA Law Student Division Lt. Governor (I'm submitting my application this week) so you will be in my circuit as well. (It's different than Fed Court Circuits). This means that you may or may not meet me anyway, because if I end up a Lt. Governor of Membership, then I may be paying you all a visit once school commences anyway.

Good luck to all of you - I am truly so incredibly excited for you at your good fortune in being a part of this truly once in a lifetime opportunity. This is like winning the law school lottery - and I hope those of you that are admitted see it as more than a chance to get out of school debt free. This is innovation at it's best. (And honestly, I'm a bit envious as well, but more happy for you all than anything!)

Cheers -

Alleycat13

[ChipJan]

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[LawApp2012]

Went to the ASD yesterday, here's the latest: They admitted 109 total students, 38 have now committed, so about 22 spots to go. Only about 10 people have declined offers so far. Most of the people I talked to that hadn't committed yet seemed to be leaning toward UCI, but they're struggling with location decisions. Some people are starting to wonder if more than 60 will commit, but Dean Ortiz confirmed that they will honor the admission offers to everyone who accepts even if it exceeds 60. Overall, the ASD was really inspiring and reaffirmed my decision to go to UCI.

[uwdoalt]

Went to the ASD yesterday, here's the latest: They admitted 109 total students, 38 have now committed, so about 22 spots to go. Only about 10 people have declined offers so far. Most of the people I talked to that hadn't committed yet seemed to be leaning toward UCI, but they're struggling with location decisions. Some people are starting to wonder if more than 60 will commit, but Dean Ortiz confirmed that they will honor the admission offers to everyone who accepts even if it exceeds 60. Overall, the ASD was really inspiring and reaffirmed my decision to go to UCI.

wow...

[scantronix]

Here are numbers.

So 109 accepted, 11 declined, 40 (a few signed on at the reception after ASD) confirmed. The unconfirmed I talked to were truly unconfirmed. They also talked about generous aid for the 2nd year class, though I think not the full ride they are giving this year.

ASD was mostly meeting faculty and learning about the school and curriculum. It was really inspiring and I can't stress how nice everyone was. That mattered to me a lot. It's the most overtly social thing I've done in awhile. Also they fed us.

OC legal community turned out in force, which was also very interesting. After ASD, I'd personally be surprised if they didn't fill the class but as of leaving, there were 20 spots left.

[uwdoalt]

OC legal community turned out in force, which was also very interesting.

Could you elaborate? Were people from the big firms there? Did they have any thoughts on hiring given the economy, or how deep they might go into the class compared to USC/UCLA for example?

[scantronix]

Hm I may not be the right person to ask about this. I am not planning that far ahead so probably didn't notice things I should have or asked those kind of questions.

We were divided up into two groups and each group met with a panel. I think they were fairly similar, but our group had a public interest guy, a big firm (national) guy, a small firm woman and a appellate justice on it. They were all very accomplished. I don't know if the big firm guy was "big law" or not. And then several attorneys representing OC turned out for the reception but at that point I was just chowing down and tired. ASD was 11 hours.

So this won't be concise but here are some random things I gathered. It is a good time to go to law school. The economy sucks obviously but should be better in three years. The UC Irvine bunch, aside from being coddled as the inaugural class, really don't seem like they will suffer for being a first class. The University itself is also very good, and I gathered that the legal community in the area at large had a heavy hand in supporting the new school, so local prospects seem excellent and I believe it will be competitive nationally as well. I say this because I met a few attorneys from national firms with offices in OC. Like I said, I'm really going into this with no plans or expectations so I maybe didn't ask the questions that you would have. Also, don't ask me which firms were there, I can't remember. I think on their website somewhere, they have a list of various firms and agencies that have promised to recruit (70 I think - not bad for a class of 60).

[PublicLaw]

Went to the ASD yesterday, here's the latest: They admitted 109 total students, 38 have now committed, so about 22 spots to go. Only about 10 people have declined offers so far. Most of the people I talked to that hadn't committed yet seemed to be leaning toward UCI, but they're struggling with location decisions. Some people are starting to wonder if more than 60 will commit, but Dean Ortiz confirmed that they will honor the admission offers to everyone who accepts even if it exceeds 60. Overall, the ASD was really inspiring and reaffirmed my decision to go to UCI.

Starting to cry now...

Can't believe that I won't have a shot just because my application got in in February! Really happy for all of you who got in, it sounds like it's going to be a great opportunity!

[LawApp2012]

Hm I may not be the right person to ask about this. I am not planning that far ahead so probably didn't notice things I should have or asked those kind of questions.

We were divided up into two groups and each group met with a panel. I think they were fairly similar, but our group had a public interest guy, a big firm (national) guy, a small firm woman and a appellate justice on it. They were all very accomplished. I don't know if the big firm guy was "big law" or not. And then several attorneys representing OC turned out for the reception but at that point I was just chowing down and tired. ASD was 11 hours.

So this won't be concise but here are some random things I gathered. It is a good time to go to law school. The economy sucks obviously but should be better in three years. The UC Irvine bunch, aside from being coddled as the inaugural class, really don't seem like they will suffer for being a first class. The University itself is also very good, and I gathered that the legal community in the area at large had a heavy hand in supporting the new school, so local prospects seem excellent and I believe it will be competitive nationally as well. I say this because I met a few attorneys from national firms with offices in OC. Like I said, I'm really going into this with no plans or expectations so I maybe didn't ask the questions that you would have. Also, don't ask me which firms were there, I can't remember. I think on their website somewhere, they have a list of various firms and agencies that have promised to recruit (70 I think - not bad for a class of 60).

I was in the other group and there was a retired Senator who is now the CEO of a business corporation but plans to go back into law in the future, a younger Yale Law grad who works at a large firm in OC, an OC Superior Court judge, and an attorney at a local public interest firm. They emphasized what a great time it is to become a lawyer (despite the economy, they feel the world is changing and will open more and more opportunities). They also were raving at how great Chemerinsky is, not just as a scholar, but as a teacher. Apparently 3 of the 4 panel members including the judge were all taught by Chemerinsky during their Bar Review course, from 20 years ago to just a few years ago.

During the reception, the attorneys representing OC were primarily talking about mentorship opportunities, but also indicated that they were looking forward to interviewing and hopefully hiring UCI grads.

[clayboy]

To second what my future classmates have said here- I came away even more excited than I thought would be possible, and energized to get moving. To add a bit to the conversation, my interactions with the various panelists and boosters who were at the receptions did more than validate my decision, but may have even shifted my perspective on the possibilities of living Orange County long(er) term.

Most importantly, the community-- legal, corporate, and otherwise-- sees UCI Law as a huge score. It's like landing a major league sports franchise, and is a tremendous boon to the community and its image on a number of levels. I heard more than one senior partner at local firms discuss their firm's decision to make a sizable donation to the school, at the expense of sending money back to their alma maters.

Alongside this sense of community pride-- which, by the way, I hadn't really thought about until these ASD-related events-- comes, as one of the panelists stressed, a local market that is rich in resources but young enough in its development so as not to be completely dominated by the entrenched corporate institutions (biglaw or otherwise) that might slow, impede, or altogether block a fresh law school graduate's path to success in the big cities. In other words, the pond is stocked and the fishing is good.

Lastly, for me, the political and social climate was a concern-- I'm maybe a little left leaning, and was pleased to be informed that Orange County is going blue (maybe). Apparently Newport Beach went for Obama, and as of the last election there was only a 4% difference in voter registration between Dem and Reps (largely due to the vast latino and immigrant population in the area). This matters to me, especially as I look to the future and see ways in which the law school can contribute to (and its graduates benefit from, leanings aside) the political development of the community.

As I said, I came away more than enthusiastic-- my future classmates are all interesting, smart, and seem very nice, and I think there is a different mindset at work. Competition will be inevitable to some degree, but those of us in the first class will be bound to one another in many ways, and therefore have a vested interest in the success of the whole. That attitude is inculcated from the top down, but I also saw it embodied in every one of the committed students I met. Moreover, for many of us, there didn't seem to be much of a choice about it at all-- the first year at UCI will be different in just about every way from the standard 1L experience, and that is what makes it such an un-pass-up-able opportunity.

Yeah, I swallowed the Koolaid. But it tasted delicious, and sometimes you just know something's good for you.

Clayboy, out.

[naivekid1986]

Starting to cry now...

Can't believe that I won't have a shot just because my application got in in February! Really happy for all of you who got in, it sounds like it's going to be a great opportunity!

i'm gonna start crying now too. i didn't get my app in until this year as well. sigh. i'm praying for a miracle, as if God were some divine Santa Claus.

oh well...everyone who gets in, hope you make irvine more amazing than i could've.

[SR1313]

[scantronix]

I am in agreement with your thoughts about staying in Orange County after school.

[naivekid1986]

the letters start going out today right? i think i am going to be sick.

p.s. how do you find out when your file has gone complete? i've only been waiting 2.5 months...