Stanford 2010!!! Forum

[sfdreaming09]

The city of Berkeley is way better than Palo Alto, although I haven't spent too much time in Palo Alto. It just seemed very suburban. That said, I'd still pick Stanford over Berkeley. Better weather, better school, and if you want to have a good time that doesn't feel undergrad-y, you're going to be heading to San Francisco regardless of whether you go to Boalt or SLS.

True, but it takes 15-20 mins. on BART to get to SF from Berkeley, whereas from Stanford you're going to need a car (unless you driev to train station and take a train to the BART station) and it will take you, assuming no traffic, about 50mins-1hr. If there is traffic, you could be talking 2-2.5 hours easily.

[Kronk]

You can take the Caltrain to SF. But I understand that it's a little longer. I have a lot of friends I could crash with in the city, so maybe that's why the drive doesn't seem so bad. Go up on a Friday, stay the night, take the Caltrain back the next day.

[ndnlawdc]

I live in Palo Alto, and I'd much rather live in Berkeley (or SF for that matter). Berkeley is itself more urban, and the BART connection to SF would make getting into the city easier. From Palo Alto, it's about 40 minutes with no traffic into downtown SF. Caltrain is expensive, and doesn't drop you in a part of the city where there's anything to do. But Stanford itself seemed far and above Berkeley in many respects, especially given the budget crunch in California and Berkeley's prospective tuition increase (if not this year, then in future years).

[CardinalRules]

I agree with most of these comments. Berkeley has a distinct advantage concerning location, but otherwise Stanford currently has the edge.

[crackberry]

Yeah honestly I've thought about this a lot as well and it's why I won't be withdrawing from Berkeley before ASW.

I'm nearly positive I'll end up picking Stanford, but I have already lived in Palo Alto for 4 years and it does suck for young people, despite the fact that there are SO MANY young people in the area. Berkeley is a pretty awesome town and is much more convenient as far as getting to SF.

The more I look into it, though, the more I think I want to try to do a JD/MPP at SLS. It sounds like an incredible program and one that Berkeley, quite simply, can't compete with.

[fidesverita]

Yeah honestly I've thought about this a lot as well and it's why I won't be withdrawing from Berkeley before ASW.

I'm nearly positive I'll end up picking Stanford, but I have already lived in Palo Alto for 4 years and it does suck for young people, despite the fact that there are SO MANY young people in the area. Berkeley is a pretty awesome town and is much more convenient as far as getting to SF.

The more I look into it, though, the more I think I want to try to do a JD/MPP at SLS. It sounds like an incredible program and one that Berkeley, quite simply, can't compete with.

I'd have to disagree with you there. Prof Owen, who is in charge of the Stanford public policy program, is AWESOME. Buuuut... the MPP program is very new and was only launched 1-2 years ago. So the program might be more relaxed and flexible, and you'll get to know the faculty well (i assume) since it's new. However, Cal's Goldman school for public policy is very highly regarded and established.

[crackberry]

I'd have to disagree with you there. Prof Owen, who is in charge of the Stanford public policy program, is AWESOME. Buuuut... the MPP program is very new and was only launched 1-2 years ago. So the program might be more relaxed and flexible, and you'll get to know the faculty well (i assume) since it's new. However, Cal's Goldman school for public policy is very highly regarded and established.

Alright, but it seems to me that the MPP (and joint degrees in general) at Stanford are better integrated with SLS than joint degrees at Berkeley. I could be wrong about that because I haven't done a ton of research about Berkeley's joint degree programs (I only recently began considering the idea of a joint degree), but I know they are very well integrated at SLS.

[fidesverita]

Yeah, I'd agree with you there. I think SLS encourages joint programs more and try to make them easier for students to do.

[Core]

Any predictions for the next wave of admits?

[Kronk]

I think Berkeley has the edge in most graduate programs. Not all--but most. Stanford probably has more money for their grad students, however, so that helps.

In addition, joint degrees with SLS are amazing. I am pretty sure you don't have to spend much extra time in school, and you only pay for ONE YEAR of Stanford Law tuition. You pay for your 1L year and then you get the rest taken care of. That's the huge pull to Stanford for me.

[sfdreaming09]

Yeah honestly I've thought about this a lot as well and it's why I won't be withdrawing from Berkeley before ASW.

I'm nearly positive I'll end up picking Stanford, but I have already lived in Palo Alto for 4 years and it does suck for young people, despite the fact that there are SO MANY young people in the area. Berkeley is a pretty awesome town and is much more convenient as far as getting to SF.

The more I look into it, though, the more I think I want to try to do a JD/MPP at SLS. It sounds like an incredible program and one that Berkeley, quite simply, can't compete with.

I'd have to disagree with you there. Prof Owen, who is in charge of the Stanford public policy program, is AWESOME. Buuuut... the MPP program is very new and was only launched 1-2 years ago. So the program might be more relaxed and flexible, and you'll get to know the faculty well (i assume) since it's new. However, Cal's Goldman school for public policy is very highly regarded and established.

yeah I think Berkeley's Public Policy program is ranked number 2 (behind Harvard)

[crackberry]

I think Berkeley has the edge in most graduate programs. Not all--but most. Stanford probably has more money for their grad students, however, so that helps.

Yeah I think the two schools are both in the Top 10 in almost every graduate program. I'd think Stanford's engineering programs are all better (though I wouldn't know that as a History major), and Stanford's business school is certainly better. I think the Political Science and Economics departments are probably also a little better at Stanford.

I think Berkeley may have the edge in most Humanities departments (except perhaps History).

[Reedie]

I think Berkeley has the edge in most graduate programs. Not all--but most. Stanford probably has more money for their grad students, however, so that helps.

Yeah I think the two schools are both in the Top 10 in almost every graduate program. I'd think Stanford's engineering programs are all better (though I wouldn't know that as a History major), and Stanford's business school is certainly better. I think the Political Science and Economics departments are probably also a little better at Stanford.

I think Berkeley may have the edge in most Humanities departments (except perhaps History).

Stanford has a good History Department, but it's small and so has many gaps. Berkley's is bigger, but their faculty is aging and they are strongest in European History iirc. I think you will find that Berkeley has more departments in the top ten than Stanford, being strong in everything including relatively obscure disciplines. The last time I checked literally every single department at Berkely was ranked in the top ten by citation analysis from the NRC. Stanford--on the other hand--has more departments in the top 5 or so. There probably isn't an institution as strong top to bottom as Berkeley, just because it is so huge and so strong in everything (especially when you consider its connection to UCSF). At the same time, there aren't many things they are clearly the best at, whereas the big privates usually have several things they are number one in.

For students thinking about joint degrees which include a PhD. it is ALL about who you work with not where you go.

[Dignan]

I think Berkeley has the edge in most graduate programs. Not all--but most. Stanford probably has more money for their grad students, however, so that helps.

In addition, joint degrees with SLS are amazing. I am pretty sure you don't have to spend much extra time in school, and you only pay for ONE YEAR of Stanford Law tuition. You pay for your 1L year and then you get the rest taken care of. That's the huge pull to Stanford for me.

Whoa. I read you as saying that Stanford subsidizes all tuition--both for the law school and the graduate program--for the student's second and third year. That can't be right, can it? If it is right, and if I get into Stanford, then I think I'll join Crackberry and pursue a JD/MPP.

[Kronk]

No. That's absolutely correct (at least for many programs). That's why the program is so appealing. You essentially just pay 1L tuition and then cost of living or as long as it takes you to complete your degrees. You do have to teach or be a TA, however, but you'd have to do that in most graduate programs anyhow. Essentially, a lot of grad programs are free because you TA regardless of what school you attend. Stanford just incorporates that into their JD, which is something most other programs don't do. They consider your "law" education to be your first year and then your MA / PhD to be the rest, so you only end up paying first year tuition.

Well--I just checked to make sure I was correct. I am for the programs I am looking into. However, not for the JD/MPP, unfortunately. Here is the blurb:

Students who pursue a JD/PhD dedicate one year to their JD and the rest of their time in the program to pursuing their PhD while finishing the requirements for a JD. During the year you're enrolled in law school you may apply for financial aid through the law school. While you're completing requirements for your PhD, you will receive fellowship support—negotiated when you are admitted—through your PhD department. Please note that fellowship support may require you to work (e.g., as a teaching assistant) or contribute some funds to your education, but typically should cover all cost associated with both degrees until you complete them or for five additional years.

[jocelyne]

Applied in Nov. Still no complete email. I called the office in Dec and the receptionist told me that I was complete. Any idea why they didn't send me a complete email?

[BenJ]

Applied in Nov. Still no complete email. I called the office in Dec and the receptionist told me that I was complete. Any idea why they didn't send me a complete email?

They miss emailing a lot of people. Don't worry about it.

[jocelyne]

.

[SanBun]

Was there a wave of rejections yet? or have any people been rejected, for that matter??

[Dignan]

Was there a wave of rejections yet? or have any people been rejected, for that matter??

AFAIK, no one has been rejected yet. Last year, most rejections didn't go out until April.

[SanBun]

Was there a wave of rejections yet? or have any people been rejected, for that matter??

AFAIK, no one has been rejected yet. Last year, most rejections didn't go out until April.

great, i can wait another 3 months before I get rejected

[crackberry]

Well--I just checked to make sure I was correct. I am for the programs I am looking into.

Yeah I think the way this works is that for all JD/PhDs, you only pay one year of SLS tuition. For all other joint degrees (JD/MBA, JD/MA, JD/MPP, etc.) you pay all the way through.

For the JD/MPP, you pay SLS tuition for three years and School of Humanities & Sciences tuition for one year.

[jsoell]

In via email last week (a very nice email as a matter of fact). I responded to Dean Deal, and she wrote me back in less than five minutes. Impressive.

As for the JD/PhD discussion, if you drop the PhD part at some point, are you on the hook for all the fellowship money? Seems like lots of people drop PhDs these days about seven years after they start them, so I was just wondering.

[citydweller09]

OMG! IN!!!!! Just got the call from Faye Deal!! This is the most unexpected thing ever, but I am SO. EXCITED!!!!!

Submitted 10/28, complete 11/19.

OMG!

[Dignan]

Congratulations, citydweller!