UC Irvine c/o 2020 Applicants (2016-2017) Forum

[Kimmysradscreenname]

In via email! Applied 31 Oct, complete the next day. The main attractant for me is their Fed Clerkship placement- anyone have any more fidelity on how sustainable their numbers are? I've read some clerkship threads, and it seems to me like any prestigious clerkship involves someone advocating for you offline. If Dean C has enough silver bullets to last 2-3 more years, this could be a winner.

[nkayyy]

I've been admitted as well...actually got the acceptance email two days after I applied! I'm leaning towards going there, though scholarships are a factor and I'm still waiting on that. I'd also like to know more about their public interest opportunities, since that is my emphasis.
Edit: my stats are 164 LSAT and 3.69 GPA, so I'm right around the 75 for UCI.

[nkayyy]

Anyone receive their admissions packet yet?

Not I - they said around this week and I am assuming it's going to come by physical mail. Very curious to see any scholarship $$ since I'm from out of state.

Nice. UCI is pretty much in my backyard, so hoping I get it soon. Will update when it comes. Good luck to you.

Same to you brother. Can I ask you as a local, how would you describe the area to someone who has never been there? Is the legal industry doing well in the area? I'm planning a visit this Spring but just trying to wrap my head around the whole SoCal thing.

Hello there! Irvine local here; born and raised, moved to the LA area for college, and now living back at home for a gap year before I start at law school... possibly at UCI!

I agree completely with Assasindowntheavenue's assessment of Orange County, particularly the part about the North/South county division.

Irvine is situated directly in the middle of Orange County, making it an ideal home base for visiting and working in other parts of the county. UCI is located in the beautiful University Park neighborhood, very close to awesome beaches and hiking trails. Irvine has been named the Safest City in America for several years. It's very pristine and family-oriented, and it's also quite racially diverse. The Asian community in particular is extremely prevalent throughout Irvine, so if you're a fan of authentic Asian cuisine, you're in luck! UCI is nicknamed "University of Chinese Immigrants" (not my invention, but not entirely false). Other ethnic groups have a presence as well; Irvine certainly is far from a Caucasian monolith.

When I was in high school, many of my peers complained that there's nothing to do in Irvine. That isn't entirely false. If you're looking for a city with a ton of nightlife and a fun downtown, Irvine isn't the place. One big controversy this year: the city just shut down Irvine Meadows amphitheater, an awesome outdoor concert venue, to build new condos. There is ALWAYS construction happening in Irvine, usually to build either luxury apartments or fancy new homes. It isn't the most affordable place to live, and much of it is catered to families. The school district here is fantastic. It's a great place to settle down and raise your kids, but arguably not the best place to be a young student.

That being said, UCI is right on the border of Newport Beach, which has a great nightlife scene on the Newport Peninsula. There's great shopping and food nearby, beautiful beaches, and Disneyland 20 minutes away. LA and SD are both an hour's drive without traffic. Be warned, though; the "orange curtain" effect is real. Most people in Orange County don't leave Orange County unless it's for a super special reason (like your favorite band is playing in LA and it isn't coming back for another 5 years). It isn't really a problem though, to be honest. Pretty much anything you could want or need is within a 20-mile radius.

Anyway, I can't speak much to UCI's reputation or career placement. I'm learning these things right along with you all. I do, however, know a lot about Irvine itself, so feel free to ask me any more questions you may have!

[zot1]

To answer question about area:

Although Irvine as a whole is arguably not as affordable as other places, UCI's grad housing which is available and guaranteed for law students could score you a shared place for as little as $388 /per person (although 500-600 is more realistic). This is a really cheap alternative and you live close to the school. I lived on campus all three years and loved it.

But also, there are many options for apartments nearby that are mildly priced, or you can do what some people have done in the past which is 4-6 people rent a beach house for the year. Not a bad way to live.

Public transportation is not too reliable, so having a car is important. However, if you don't have a car, you can almost always rely on someone else to give you a ride to pro bono or networking events, etc.

There are two grocery stores (including Trader Joe's), several restaurants and fast food places (including Eureka and chipotle!), and a movie theater nearby. The ARC (the school's gym) is one of the best EVER (I miss that place), and it's just right behind graduate housing.

Aside from the walking distance stuff, there are many hiking and biking trails near the school. You also got a couple of malls that have entertainment, and of course the beach. Angels Stadium is baller and many students end up getting year passes to Disneyland. But just in case, you can always drive to LA or SD for day trips. Temecula wineries are also accessible for a day trip, and I highly recommend going there for wine tastings.

As to the local market, firms in OC LOVE UCI students. The reason for that is simple: Orange County is not for everyone. Before UCI the local firms had problems with UCLA/USC students coming for a few years then transferring back to LA. UCI students applying to OC firms usually want to stay in the area so that makes them more attractive to the firms.

If interested in local or state government work, most opportunities are available in Santa Ana (short drive away).

[Assasindowntheavenue]

Thank you Nkayyy and Zot1 for the additional information - even though I've been here for almost a year, I'm still learning a lot about the area/UCI itself. Hoping that acceptance + scholarships from peer schools will help me negotiate for more scholarship money, as I would be happy to stay in the area. Good luck to all still waiting.

[mudiverse]

Guys, the above perspectives on OC are awesome. You have no idea how helpful it is to someone like me who has only driven through a couple times. At this point in my cycle, I am almost certainly headed to UCI next year. I am looking forward to meeting some of the folks on this thread.

Another quick question - a preference for cars was mentioned. I'm a long time bicyclist. Are there decent biking lanes and is biking a popular way of getting around?

[Assasindowntheavenue]

Guys, the above perspectives on OC are awesome. You have no idea how helpful it is to someone like me who has only driven through a couple times. At this point in my cycle, I am almost certainly headed to UCI next year. I am looking forward to meeting some of the folks on this thread.

Another quick question - a preference for cars was mentioned. I'm a long time bicyclist. Are there decent biking lanes and is biking a popular way of getting around?

There are a shit ton of bicyclist in Irvine and south Orange County in general. Not sure about bicycling to get around everywhere, but if you live close to campus you could definitely bike to and from.

[Gitaroo_Dude]

Guys, the above perspectives on OC are awesome. You have no idea how helpful it is to someone like me who has only driven through a couple times. At this point in my cycle, I am almost certainly headed to UCI next year. I am looking forward to meeting some of the folks on this thread.

Another quick question - a preference for cars was mentioned. I'm a long time bicyclist. Are there decent biking lanes and is biking a popular way of getting around?

Unless things have changed in the last few years, the campus itself is really bike friendly. They have a "Ring Road" that basically loops around the main campus; easily bikeable. And the center of the campus has Aldrich Park, a really nice space with bike paths. If you live close by you can bike to school too; I lived about a 10 minute or so drive from campus, and my roommate biked to school every day.

Getting around Irvine overall would be tough without a car, but for school it works well.

[nkayyy]

Guys, the above perspectives on OC are awesome. You have no idea how helpful it is to someone like me who has only driven through a couple times. At this point in my cycle, I am almost certainly headed to UCI next year. I am looking forward to meeting some of the folks on this thread.

Another quick question - a preference for cars was mentioned. I'm a long time bicyclist. Are there decent biking lanes and is biking a popular way of getting around?

Yeah! Irvine is extremely bike-friendly. Every street has bike lines, and there are designated bike trails throughout the whole city. On nice days, I enjoy biking to the beach or to the Irvine Spectrum mall. I've definitely seen lots of cyclists around the UCI campus as well.

As others said, though, you'd probably want to have a car, or at least a good friend who has a car. That's just the culture in SoCal in general... everyone drives.

[zot1]

You can't really bike in a suit, so for those reasons I think a car would be useful. Although now with uber and Zipcar, you don't have to have a car.

You can definitely bike to the beach. I know the law school's bike group would take trips one Saturday per month. But Bayview Trail is the one right next to school that I used to go onto all the time.

[Assasindowntheavenue]

Can anyone explain the relatively low employment rate UCI has on LST? Am I missing something?

[zot1]

64% and some change of "long term, full time, legal employment." This number does not account for judicial clerkships and public interest fellowships that are technically not long term employment. This brings down the number from 80 something %.

[zot1]

64% and some change of "long term, full time, legal employment." This number does not account for judicial clerkships and public interest fellowships that are technically not long term employment. This brings down the number from 80 something %.

Actually it looks like they have 80% as including long term. In that case, it could be the bar passage (legal employment). Clerkships and public interest fellowships generally don't require bar passage.

[Assasindowntheavenue]

64% and some change of "long term, full time, legal employment." This number does not account for judicial clerkships and public interest fellowships that are technically not long term employment. This brings down the number from 80 something %.

Actually it looks like they have 80% as including long term. In that case, it could be the bar passage (legal employment). Clerkships and public interest fellowships generally don't require bar passage.

Oh wow I didn't know you could do clerkships w/o bar passage. That makes sense. Looking at 65% had me tripping out. Thank you.

[mudiverse]

Anyone know if ASD is worth attending or if travel expenses will be reimbursed? I'll be in Canada that week so it would be a pretty tough trip.

[zot1]

Anyone know if ASD is worth attending or if travel expenses will be reimbursed? I'll be in Canada that week so it would be a pretty tough trip.

If you're set on UCI, don't go. If you're not, worth going to fully inspect the product you're buying and will likely be paying for years to come.

[richmar6575]

Anyone hear anything about admission decisions since the new year?

[hernandp]

Just got the email today! In at UCI!

Some stats for your reference:
My LSAT score is at their 50th percentile and GPA > 75th

[snowball17]

Just got the email today! In at UCI!

Some stats for your reference:
My LSAT score is at their 50th percentile and GPA > 75th

Congrats!!! Mind sharing your application timeline?

[Poplar7spruce]

travel stipend info will be available starting in february

[TheTaylor]

Got my new LSAT score last week. I was way happy with it, So I figured I'd take a show at UCI. Sent in my application on Monday, got my acceptance email today! Hoping for a good scholarship, can't wait for my packet to come!

[hernandp]

Just got the email today! In at UCI!

Some stats for your reference:
My LSAT score is at their 50th percentile and GPA > 75th

Congrats!!! Mind sharing your application timeline?

Thank you!
I submitted my application on 12/09 and got accepted today 1/13.

[snowball17]

Does anyone know if UCI provides a status checker?
Applied the day after the Dec LSAT scores came out, but haven't heard anything other than a confirmation email.

[_sendnudes]

Does anyone know if UCI provides a status checker?
Applied the day after the Dec LSAT scores came out, but haven't heard anything other than a confirmation email.

If they do, they do a damn good job of keeping it a secret

[Assasindowntheavenue]

Does anyone know if UCI provides a status checker?
Applied the day after the Dec LSAT scores came out, but haven't heard anything other than a confirmation email.

If they do, they do a damn good job of keeping it a secret

Yeah there is no status checker, unfortunately.