Chapman Law c/o 2016 Forum

[whsy]

I visited both Loyola and Chapman too, and actually loved Chapman. The culture and vibe is so down to earth, and everyone seems to really get along.... Loyola looked a little grim and old...

[digifly]

Is anyone here still on the fence - and even more so after seeing the rankings list that came out today?
I'm in at Loyola and Pepperdine with about 80k, but Chapman is offering full ride and I'm really swaying toward OC. Some think I'm crazy for even considering Chapman - but I absolutely fell in love with the campus.
Any input greatly appreciated!

Here are the under-employment percentages for the various schools you are comparing (from lawschooltransparency):

Pepperdine - 45.9% (27% unemployed)
Loyola - 42.4% (21% unemployed)
Chapman - 37.3% (24% unemployed)

Pepperdine is the most "highly ranked" school on the list, and yet Chapman is getting jobs for more of their students. Career prospects will be limited at all of these schools. "Biglaw" will be extremely difficult - if not almost impossible - from all three. My advice? figure out the region you would want to work in the most. Love Orange County? Take the money at Chapman and at least know that, assuming you keep your grades up, you won't be as stressed about loans while hunting for a job.

Hang around on these forums enough and people will tell you you're crazy for wanting to go to any school outside of the "T14." I don't agree, necessarily, but it is crazy to worry too much about rankings when you're comparing things outside of the top 50.

Choose the school based on the region that you want to work in and the types of jobs you're willing to go after. Want to work for the DA in OC? - nothing wrong with a full-ride at Chapman. I'd also keep in mind that Pepperdine and Loyola are directly competing with UCLA and USC, two schools with a LOT more clout, whereas Chapman's region-specific competitor would be UCI.

Take what I have to say with a grain of salt, though, as I'm just a lowly 0L.

[150s_or_bust]

I visited both Loyola and Chapman too, and actually loved Chapman. The culture and vibe is so down to earth, and everyone seems to really get along.... Loyola looked a little grim and old...

I went to Chapman open house back in February and I too, loved the campus. I don't care much for biglaw and I live literally 10 minutes away so Chapman is ideal for me. Hopefully I get accepted!

[billiris321]

I was accepted a couple of weeks ago but I just received a phone call from the Dean offering a 39k/year with that 3.0 stipulation. Looks like they are throwing money around.

[150s_or_bust]

I was accepted a couple of weeks ago but I just received a phone call from the Dean offering a 39k/year with that 3.0 stipulation. Looks like they are throwing money around.

Congrats. Are you going to attend or withdraw?

[billiris321]

I was accepted a couple of weeks ago but I just received a phone call from the Dean offering a 39k/year with that 3.0 stipulation. Looks like they are throwing money around.

Congrats. Are you going to attend or withdraw?

I'm not sure at this stage. I'm negotiating scholarships with Tulane, Illinois, Cardozo and Pepperdine and waiting for decisions from others too.

[Po0329]

Withdrew today, freeing up about $23k/year. Looks like they fell in the rankings. Plus the stips on my scholarship combined with the cost of living would have been way too expensive. GL to everyone still waiting to hear. (edit for an awful typo)

[150s_or_bust]

Withdrew today, freeing up about $23k/year. Looks like they fell in the rankings. Plus the stips on my scholarship combined with the cost of living would have been way too expensive. GL to everyone still waiting to here.

Thank you! I'm in "review" hopefully to get accepted before springbreak


Edit: Just got accepted!!! I'm so happy

[RMART44]

Hello All:

After many months of lurking, I have finally joined TLS. I got an acceptance call on Wed the 20th from Karam Hsu at Admissions and I am seriously considering Chapman. Any thoughts peeps?

RICK

[billiris321]

Hello All:

After many months of lurking, I have finally joined TLS. I got an acceptance call on Wed the 20th from Karam Hsu at Admissions and I am seriously considering Chapman. Any thoughts peeps?

RICK

Don't attend on sticker.

[RMART44]

Thanks for the input. They only offered me 7.5k. I am waiting on other other school's decisions though. I applied pretty late in the cycle

[billiris321]

Which other schools did you apply to? They offered me close to full tuition and I'm still weary. Chapman's proximity to UC Irvine is terrifying.

[RMART44]

Loyola, southwestern, Pepperdine, and Whittier as well

[RMART44]

I also got into Whittier Law with 18k plus another 4k if you apply to one of their "Centers for Excellence"

[RMART44]

Anyone going to Chapman's New Admits Day on April 5th?

Sorry for all the posts, but I am just trying to get this board crakin'

[digifly]

Anyone going to Chapman's New Admits Day on April 5th?

Sorry for all the posts, but I am just trying to get this board crakin'

Are you planning on going? I'd highly recommend it. There's nothing like visiting a school to help you know if you could be buried in it for the next three years.

[150s_or_bust]

Anyone going to Chapman's New Admits Day on April 5th?

Sorry for all the posts, but I am just trying to get this board crakin'

Are you planning on going? I'd highly recommend it. There's nothing like visiting a school to help you know if you could be buried in it for the next three years.

I went to the open house back in February, do you think I should still go?

[RMART44]

Anyone going to Chapman's New Admits Day on April 5th?

Sorry for all the posts, but I am just trying to get this board crakin'

Are you planning on going? I'd highly recommend it. There's nothing like visiting a school to help you know if you could be buried in it for the next three years.

Yeah, I am planning on going. Anyone on this forum going as well?

[MASSattack1]

Anyone going to Chapman's New Admits Day on April 5th?

Sorry for all the posts, but I am just trying to get this board crakin'

Are you planning on going? I'd highly recommend it. There's nothing like visiting a school to help you know if you could be buried in it for the next three years.

Yeah, I am planning on going. Anyone on this forum going as well?

Was there in March for Scholars Weekend...Absolutely stunned at how impressive both the facilities and the faculty were. Chapman truly cares about their students more than any other law school that I know of. It was incredible how much time, effort, and consideration they put into making us feel welcome. I don't know exactly where I am going yet, but if I don't go to Chapman, I will envy their sense of camaraderie, pride, and community.

[billiris321]

Did they talk about jobs? Any alumni present? What were the other students like? I received close to a full ride but couldn't make the scholars weekend shindig.

[Dmini7]

Did they talk about jobs? Any alumni present? What were the other students like? I received close to a full ride but couldn't make the scholars weekend shindig.

I can answer this since I was also at scholars weekend. Basically, they went all out. They paid for your flight to come, and gave you a hotel room to stay in. When you arrived you were given a gift basket with a nifty little notepad, a coffee mug and a book about acing your first year of law school. I was pretty blown away by the banquet and just how many people showed up. A lot of professors and alumni were there, and all loved their chosen school and career path. The Dean spoke a little bit, and explained how they were there to teach you how to think like a lawyer and pass the bar. They were really excited about their 82% pass rate as it was their highest (and 82% is a very respectable pass rate in the state of CA), and they discussed a supplemental course for the bar they offered right after graduation. There were a few things that had me worried. One being that the president of the SBA gave a speech. Anyways, she was about to graduate and she did not have a job lined up yet, but she said she was not worried because the alumni network was strong and she was confident she would inevitably get a job. Second, I also spoke to the vice president of the SBA, and he came off kind of as a jerk. That could have just been the alcohol in him (they were serving alcohol like it was water) but I asked him about the scholarship stipulation and having to be in the top third of the class and he solely had to say that every school did that and it was not just chapman.

Anyways, to summarize: Chapman was a very small and welcoming school. I agree with the message above about their camaraderie. They genuinely seem to care. I will say, their atmosphere is not for everyone. The campus is very small, almost high school small. The law building is alone on the other side of the street from campus. I would say their job prospects are not much worse or different from loyola or pepperdine, but their scholarship stipulations are much worse, and for that reason it is definitely a risk to attend. You would really need to be willing to drop out if you lost your scholarship, because chances are not being in the top third would exclude you from getting any real legal job. Oh one more note, as an "after party" shindig, they had 1L's mingling with prospective students and they were discussing their opinions, everyone loved the school, they said the stipulation was more like top 40% and they explained that law school is tough no matter where you go, but very manageable.

[digifly]

"they discussed a supplemental course for the bar they offered right after graduation"

I actually saw this going on last summer. It seemed really nice compared to other bar prep, especially because the class sizes were small(ish) and students were legitimately able to get questions answered.

"every school did that [top 1/3 stipulation] and it was not just chapman"

Not necessarily true. I think a more accurate statement would be that most every school in Chapman's "tier" does that.

[MASSattack1]

Did they talk about jobs? Any alumni present? What were the other students like? I received close to a full ride but couldn't make the scholars weekend shindig.

I can answer this since I was also at scholars weekend. Basically, they went all out. They paid for your flight to come, and gave you a hotel room to stay in. When you arrived you were given a gift basket with a nifty little notepad, a coffee mug and a book about acing your first year of law school. I was pretty blown away by the banquet and just how many people showed up. A lot of professors and alumni were there, and all loved their chosen school and career path. The Dean spoke a little bit, and explained how they were there to teach you how to think like a lawyer and pass the bar. They were really excited about their 82% pass rate as it was their highest (and 82% is a very respectable pass rate in the state of CA), and they discussed a supplemental course for the bar they offered right after graduation. There were a few things that had me worried. One being that the president of the SBA gave a speech. Anyways, she was about to graduate and she did not have a job lined up yet, but she said she was not worried because the alumni network was strong and she was confident she would inevitably get a job. Second, I also spoke to the vice president of the SBA, and he came off kind of as a jerk. That could have just been the alcohol in him (they were serving alcohol like it was water) but I asked him about the scholarship stipulation and having to be in the top third of the class and he solely had to say that every school did that and it was not just chapman.

Anyways, to summarize: Chapman was a very small and welcoming school. I agree with the message above about their camaraderie. They genuinely seem to care. I will say, their atmosphere is not for everyone. The campus is very small, almost high school small. The law building is alone on the other side of the street from campus. I would say their job prospects are not much worse or different from loyola or pepperdine, but their scholarship stipulations are much worse, and for that reason it is definitely a risk to attend. You would really need to be willing to drop out if you lost your scholarship, because chances are not being in the top third would exclude you from getting any real legal job. Oh one more note, as an "after party" shindig, they had 1L's mingling with prospective students and they were discussing their opinions, everyone loved the school, they said the stipulation was more like top 40% and they explained that law school is tough no matter where you go, but very manageable.

Well said, I agree with pretty much everything you said. They really did go "all out," and I had a couple of nasty hangovers haha. It seems like a really welcoming place with a different atmosphere than the other schools I have visited.

[RMART44]

A lot of great info. I am really interested in attending Chapman, but the amount of debt that tuition + COL would put me in is holding me back. I am considering writing the school an e-mail and trying to up the scholly, but I am not sure if I have enough leverage. Thanks guys

[laforzagop]

Go ahead and call them. The worst they can say is no!

I also attended scholars weekend and had a great time. That weekend really impressed me and I'm considering going there still.

They originally offered me ~26,500

Today I got another email giving me another ~7,500

So my cost would be very small (at least for the first year) although this isn't really a factor in what school I decide to attend (It's only money).