UChicago ASW Forum

[parker09]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

They aren't allowed to say anything for legal reasons. But they are working on it to make it more competitive..

Thanks. Did they give any indication of when the details would be released?

+1!

Argh. First the delayed financial aid, and now the delayed new LRAP terms. I hope Chicago realizes that this stuff really matters to prospective students in choosing a school...

[nattybro]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

I had read on here that they were going to make a major PI announcement during ASW but that definitely did not happen. The dean's comments basically amounted to "It's going to be good, trust us, it will probably be rolled out next year." He said they were getting ready to hire somebody who would spearhead the program. It was really short on details and they certainly were not making any promises or establishing a firm timeline. Compared to NYU's robust PI offerings, I thought this all seemed a little bit too much like "take your prize or see what's behind door #2"... On the other hand, all the current students I talked to who were pursuing PI work seemed pretty happy with the school's current offerings so take that for what it's worth.

[beef wellington]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

I had read on here that they were going to make a major PI announcement during ASW but that definitely did not happen. The dean's comments basically amounted to "It's going to be good, trust us, it will probably be rolled out next year." He said they were getting ready to hire somebody who would spearhead the program. It was really short on details and they certainly were not making any promises or establishing a firm timeline. Compared to NYU's robust PI offerings, I thought this all seemed a little bit too much like "take your prize or see what's behind door #2"... On the other hand, all the current students I talked to who were pursuing PI work seemed pretty happy with the school's current offerings so take that for what it's worth.

Thanks for the reply. That's a little disappointing. Still, the current LRAP isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be, so whatever's clever.

[Kretzy]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

I had read on here that they were going to make a major PI announcement during ASW but that definitely did not happen. The dean's comments basically amounted to "It's going to be good, trust us, it will probably be rolled out next year." He said they were getting ready to hire somebody who would spearhead the program. It was really short on details and they certainly were not making any promises or establishing a firm timeline. Compared to NYU's robust PI offerings, I thought this all seemed a little bit too much like "take your prize or see what's behind door #2"... On the other hand, all the current students I talked to who were pursuing PI work seemed pretty happy with the school's current offerings so take that for what it's worth.

Thanks for the reply. That's a little disappointing. Still, the current LRAP isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be, so whatever's clever.

And, if you're married (or domestically-partnered) it is quite good, with no inputs from your spouse's income or assets.

[gahthelaw]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

I had read on here that they were going to make a major PI announcement during ASW but that definitely did not happen. The dean's comments basically amounted to "It's going to be good, trust us, it will probably be rolled out next year." He said they were getting ready to hire somebody who would spearhead the program. It was really short on details and they certainly were not making any promises or establishing a firm timeline. Compared to NYU's robust PI offerings, I thought this all seemed a little bit too much like "take your prize or see what's behind door #2"... On the other hand, all the current students I talked to who were pursuing PI work seemed pretty happy with the school's current offerings so take that for what it's worth.

hey bro

[LAguy]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

[hopefullaw27]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

agreed...the bar night was not flattering to the social abilities of the admits/students at chicago...

[ValiantVic]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

agreed...the bar night was not flattering to the social abilities of the admits/students at chicago...

Sorry to hear that you guys didn't enjoy yourselves. I can say, that with the exception of one person who was very obnoxious, all the people were pretty nice.

[Dead Ringer]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

Ouch. The truth is that ASW is just an awkward setup for socializing. The overselling is a result of people loving the school and wanting to do their part to help it.

[Rand M.]

Have they rolled out the new PI stuff yet? What are the terms of the new LRAP?

I had read on here that they were going to make a major PI announcement during ASW but that definitely did not happen. The dean's comments basically amounted to "It's going to be good, trust us, it will probably be rolled out next year." He said they were getting ready to hire somebody who would spearhead the program. It was really short on details and they certainly were not making any promises or establishing a firm timeline. Compared to NYU's robust PI offerings, I thought this all seemed a little bit too much like "take your prize or see what's behind door #2"... On the other hand, all the current students I talked to who were pursuing PI work seemed pretty happy with the school's current offerings so take that for what it's worth.

Thanks for the reply. That's a little disappointing. Still, the current LRAP isn't nearly as bad as some people make it out to be, so whatever's clever.

And, if you're married (or domestically-partnered) it is quite good, with no inputs from your spouse's income or assets.

They talked about this as one of the most often ignored parts of their program. They said that it really is workable, but they are working to see how it can best work with the new federal regulations and direct lender stuff. Schill sounded very confident about the PI stuff and everyone seemed to really know what was going on. I really got the impression that they really are working hard on it; it didn't seem like they were just saying what we wanted to hear w/r/t LRAP and PI. Just my take.

[violaboy]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

agreed...the bar night was not flattering to the social abilities of the admits/students at chicago...

I had the exact same impression. I'm not sure if my experience would've been better had I not gone to Bar Review, but almost everyone was incredibly rude about my other law school choices. I felt like it sealed the deal to go to my other choice, but I keep on thinking of reasons to go to Chicago. But I think I'd be happier elsewhere.

[quetzalcoatl]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

agreed...the bar night was not flattering to the social abilities of the admits/students at chicago...

Sorry to hear that you guys didn't enjoy yourselves. I can say, that with the exception of one person who was very obnoxious, all the people were pretty nice.

I didnt find the admits nerdy at all (or no more than one would expect at a t14). My general impression was that the 3Ls seemed more awkward than the 2Ls, and 2Ls more than the 1Ls. Im not sure if this means: 1) that Chicago has been slowly drawing in a slightly different crowd over the last few admissions cycles, breaking away from their stereotype, or 2) over the course of 3 years at U of C, your personality changes to match the stereotype.

Being honest, I didnt think it was anywhere near as bad as you hear (on TLS). Everyone was very nice, and I guess I dont really care about the rest as much. I didnt see any obvious pre-gunners in the admits. And, like stuartmill said, the whole group seemed very ideologically diverse. Im very excited about the fall after ASW.

[efelleman]

.

[Law School Bound]

I did not know what to expect when I went to U of C's ASW. But it was great. All of the students who I met were cool and far better than I expected. Its reputation is one that is academic, but the people seemed so down to earth compared to the other schools I visited. Everybody went out of their way to be nice and make sure that we all were happy. They were really cool and not to nerdy or arrogant like the peopel I met at Columbia and NYU.

We also got to go to classes and the profs all seemed great. Hyde Park was also better than I expected.

[lilybbloom]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

the fact that you would characterize professors as nerdy is really telling. if you value "coolness" more than brilliance or good teaching skills in a professor, then maybe you're right that U of C is not a good fit for you.

as for your impression of the student body, I really feel like we've experienced 2 completely different schools. it seems like you're basing your comments more off of your interaction with other admits (many of whom will not be attending anyway) than off of interaction with current students.

[omega_watts]

I've gotta say, I enjoyed almost everyone's company at ASW. Maybe it's just a matter of setting the proper expectations here. I think the best you can ask for at a top 10, socially speaking, is cool+nerdy.

I dont think any of the big names are gonna feel like Saved by the Bell.

That being said, I got to debunk the "everyone is an unhappy zombie" thing, and the "this is a super conservative bastion of evil" thing.

I'm just saying.

The hype doesn't do the school justice.

ASW sold U of C for me.

[muahawhawhaw]

Good experience for me.

Seemed like a great place to study the law. Sat in on Nussbaum's class (tickled my inner-philosophy nerd) and chatted with Leiter during the wine mess. The open-door policy and the apparent (I have my reservations about this) camaraderie between students and profs was the exact opposite of the what-can-you-do-for-me ambiance of my UG. Students were forthright in telling me how competitive studying could be, but at the same time stated that treating classed like a 9-5 job usually sufficed. I got an identical answer from students at Columbia and NYU. Read into that however you like.

Loved the city. My host lived downtown, two blocks away from both the river and the lake. An awesome place to live, and apparently a popular choice for a large chunk of 2L and 3Ls. This also allowed me to stick around after the semi-awk bar night at the Cubby Bear and do some bar-hopping with current students and a few admits, which was a lot more fun.

Walked around the city on Saturday and enjoyed it overall, even that weird metallic bean. Pretty sure it's deathly cold most of the year, but at least I enjoyed walking around when it was warm.

Oh, and I agree that for some reason the girls were cuter in Chicago than in Col/NYU (hehe Swimbrad, we probably talked about this in person a few times, unless I'm totally wrong about who you are).

Definitely a share of nerdy folks among the students/admits, but I can play that game too . Not a bad thing since "coolness" is sorely overrated (just be yourself, damnit!)

Overall, a surprisingly good visit that will force me to really consider attending.

[onwisconsin25]

I overall enjoyed it. While I don't think I'm as eggheady as the typical person they describe enjoying the U of C experience, I met a much higher proportion of normal people with social skills than I expected to meet there. Now, however, this board is making me nervous that you are all of those people that I met and you are all deciding not to go!

I agree that some of the camaraderie was faked, but I don't necessarily want to be buddies with my professors. I was not a fan of the building they showed us to live in but I'm familiar with the area so I think I could find something better.

For those of you saying that the social aspect was lacking, I would agree with posters who say that realistically, there's only so much of that in a top 10 law school. From what I've heard of other law school visits, the social scene at other law schools is vastly overstated while that at Chicago is understated. In my opinion, the benefits that come with three years there outweighed the lack of social scene. Keep in mind you can always GASP make friends that AREN'T in law school!

[swimbrad]

Oh, and I agree that for some reason the girls were cuter in Chicago than in Col/NYU (hehe Swimbrad, we probably talked about this in person a few times, unless I'm totally wrong about who you are).

Yea... PM me with your name and what your thinking as far as the schools... I think I know who you are too... and we def. talked about it more than once!

[violaboy]

The further away I get from ASW, the more I liked Chicago, and the more I'm thinking of going there. We shall see...

[LAguy]

My impression was a little of different than most of the posters here but I think is worth noting in light of things that have been said about said about Chicago many times on this site. I have never posted on TLS but for the sake of those interested in Chicago feel I should. Every bad rumor you have heard about Chicago is true, except that they do apparently drink/have some fun in their own weird way. Was my first choice going into ASW and I was really excited about it. This weekend shattered my dreams. I met a lot of students and the vast majority of them were very nerdy, awkward, and way too intense. The way nearly all them tried so hard to sell the school also turned me off. Some were more normal but were something like wannabe bros, which may be worse than actually being a bro. Most admits I met reflected this same socially inept/playing on their cell phones at the bar/general awkwardness so if that's you then you will fit in great there. This nerdness is also characterized by the professors and even the new dean; it is the culture of U of C. I like school and learning as much as the next guy, but these people take it to a new level. I guess my point is that if you care at all about the culture of where you go to law school you should visit before committing to Chicago, it's way different from the other T14s I have visited. As nixxers notes, even the Harvard kids don't take it to this level.

p.s. I apologize for the cross-post, the other Chicago ASW thread was in the wrong forum.

the fact that you would characterize professors as nerdy is really telling. if you value "coolness" more than brilliance or good teaching skills in a professor, then maybe you're right that U of C is not a good fit for you.

as for your impression of the student body, I really feel like we've experienced 2 completely different schools. it seems like you're basing your comments more off of your interaction with other admits (many of whom will not be attending anyway) than off of interaction with current students.

I have met several other law Deans/professors and had nationally prominent professors in grad school. Being brilliant and enjoying long hours by yourself doing research does not mean that you have to be the nerdy intellectual type. And yes, I am right, U of C is a great school but probably not for me.

I am not claiming that I am "cool" or that there is anything wrong with being a nerd, just that U of C had a strong nerd-vibe that didn't connect with me. Being cool isn't important, but personal fit for some people is. I see you didn't have much choice in the T10 so it looks like you are locked into Chicago either way, telling as to your defensiveness?

As I mentioned in my post, I met A LOT of students, that was more or less my goal for the weekend. Met a lot of admits as well, many of whom were thrilled about the weekend and about going to Chicago and that's awesome, I wish the weekend had sealed the deal for me. I love the city and it would have saved me a lot of trouble/stress this month.

[LAguy]

The further away I get from ASW, the more I liked Chicago, and the more I'm thinking of going there. We shall see...

Since it sounds like we had similar experiences at ASW, what is making you lean back towards Chicago? I am trying to get all the advice I can and a few people think I should still go there despite the lack of "fit".

[violaboy]

The further away I get from ASW, the more I liked Chicago, and the more I'm thinking of going there. We shall see...

Since it sounds like we had similar experiences at ASW, what is making you lean back towards Chicago? I am trying to get all the advice I can and a few people think I should still go there despite the lack of "fit".

Well, I'm trying to get off of my very first impression of the law students from Bar Review, who were generally very rude about me having any other choices in my future law school. Other than that, many I've spoken with just find it to be a boring place socially and you are just competing with kids who spend all day and all night in the library.

But while I was walking on the lakeshore, I remembered how much better the city of Chicago is than my alternative. It makes more sense for me and my SO to be there. And I forgot that I used to study an insane amount (and liked it) while in ugrad. I grew up around the super competitive Asians and Jews, so I guess it might be like going back to high school.

[hiromoto45]

The further away I get from ASW, the more I liked Chicago, and the more I'm thinking of going there. We shall see...

Since it sounds like we had similar experiences at ASW, what is making you lean back towards Chicago? I am trying to get all the advice I can and a few people think I should still go there despite the lack of "fit".

Well, I'm trying to get off of my very first impression of the law students from Bar Review, who were generally very rude about me having any other choices in my future law school. Other than that, many I've spoken with just find it to be a boring place socially and you are just competing with kids who spend all day and all night in the library.

But while I was walking on the lakeshore, I remembered how much better the city of Chicago is than my alternative. It makes more sense for me and my SO to be there. And I forgot that I used to study an insane amount (and liked it) while in ugrad. I grew up around the super competitive Asians and Jews, so I guess it might be like going back to high school.

People were rude about you having other law school options? That's pretty stupid of them. It seems most people I spoke to the first thing they said to me was where else was I considering. Just a normal conversation. I guess when alcohol is in the mix people jealousies become more apparent lol.

[violaboy]

The further away I get from ASW, the more I liked Chicago, and the more I'm thinking of going there. We shall see...

Since it sounds like we had similar experiences at ASW, what is making you lean back towards Chicago? I am trying to get all the advice I can and a few people think I should still go there despite the lack of "fit".

Well, I'm trying to get off of my very first impression of the law students from Bar Review, who were generally very rude about me having any other choices in my future law school. Other than that, many I've spoken with just find it to be a boring place socially and you are just competing with kids who spend all day and all night in the library.

But while I was walking on the lakeshore, I remembered how much better the city of Chicago is than my alternative. It makes more sense for me and my SO to be there. And I forgot that I used to study an insane amount (and liked it) while in ugrad. I grew up around the super competitive Asians and Jews, so I guess it might be like going back to high school.

People were rude about you having other law school options? That's pretty stupid of them. It seems most people I spoke to the first thing they said to me was where else was I considering. Just a normal conversation. I guess when alcohol is in the mix people jealousies become more apparent lol.

Yeah, I thought that it was obnoxious. And it wasn't just the first person I talked to. It was about the first fifteen. "Oh, f*%& (insert other law school)" or "Why would you EVER go to (insert other law school)? They suck!" It was just really disconcerting since I never got anything close to that at any other ASW.