American WCL Class of 2013 Forum

[Bert]

Adams Morgan has a more vibrant nightlife and it isn't really that much further away from AU than Woodley Park. Living in AM would probably put you at a 45 minute commute to AU (maybe a tad longer depending on the timing of the shuttle).

[bIu3b1rd]

DC is a very competitive market and it's not going to be easy fighting off Georgetown, GW and GM alumni for jobs, but for obvious reasons the DC market is always going to need people and the access to government internships and American's international law reputation will hopefully open doors. I've heard mixed things about current career prospects for WCL alumni but most of the negative stories come from my cousin at Stanford, so our standards might be a little different.

DC is an expensive city, not as bad as New York but even with the lower taxes it's going to be worse than what I'm used to in Montreal, but yes, because of the high demand for temporary living there's a lot of options. My friends who lived in DC for undergraduate were able to find affordable, quality housing, not at the bargain level I had in Montreal, but cheap enough.

Really the DC factor should make or break most peoples decisions. For me the international and public interest reputations are enough, if I cared about big law I'd have probably taken a few years off and try again at getting into a T14. I am fortunate enough to have no debt from my undergrad years so I can afford chasing my dreams.

The school is also stereotyped to have a liberal bias, I don't know how true this is but it makes sense considering the public interest and international law reputation, not to one of the few and possibly best feminist law communities - the school was founded by women who weren't allowed into what is now GW law after all....it seems to me the school attracts people with illusions of saving the world, and this is another positive for me.



And now a question for those who visited already..how hard is it to reach the campus by public transport? For admitted students day I'm probably going to bus it instead of taking my car (heads up: Bolt bus is a great deal for those in the NY metropolitan area. If you aren't in a rush don't waste your money on the train)

Thanks for posting this... My top choices were NYU, Columbia, and American, and it's looking like I'll be at American. NYU summarily rejected me, and Columbia put me on it's famously useless reserve list. I made it through UG debt-free, so I wanted to go somewhere fabulous without holding back on expenses for law school. I'm still struggling with the prestige factor, but this post and others describes my philosophy on law (saving the world and all that) and makes me remember why I like AU. And since I want to do international law, AU's externships and summer program at The Hague make me drool.

On a side note, I visited AU when I was looking for UG schools, and it's very easily accessible by public transportation. AU has buses that link up with the Metro. I lived in DC for a summer a couple years ago, and the Metro is great. Also, their SmartTrip cards are great and make it easier to get on the Metro than it is to get on the Subway in NYC. I found DC's bus system to be a bit confusing at first, so I'd recommend using the Metro if possible. But the buses are great once you get used to it.

[texas0813]

+1 on housing.

In what parts/areas of DC are people planning on living? I know DC fairly well and wanted to figure out where people were looking, as there really isn't too much housing by the school.

I'm planning on living in Cleveland Park or Woodley Park!

Can you elaborate as to why? Also, what's the availability of furnished apartments like in these areas? (recent college grad w/ little to no furniture, looking for convenience)

I'm looking at those areas because they're on the Red Line and only two or three Metro stops away from school (by that I mean the WCL shuttle from the Tenleytown Metro stop) and I don't want more than a 30 minute daily commute. I am looking for an area between school and the more central part of DC, so these areas seem to be a perfect fit. Additionally, I found there to be more reasonable prices in the area since it is a little further out, and many buildings I like that are within blocks of the Metro. Woodley Park is also especially close to Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan, which is a plus since they both have a lot of nightlife options for when we're not stuck in the library.

I haven't looked for furnished apartments, but I've noticed lots of options on Craigslist, so I would try there if I were you!

[lafuria]

Adams Morgan has a more vibrant nightlife and it isn't really that much further away from AU than Woodley Park. Living in AM would probably put you at a 45 minute commute to AU (maybe a tad longer depending on the timing of the shuttle).

Hmm, that neighborhood sounds like what I'm looking for.

Thanks for posting this... My top choices were NYU, Columbia, and American, and it's looking like I'll be at American. NYU summarily rejected me, and Columbia put me on it's famously useless reserve list. I made it through UG debt-free, so I wanted to go somewhere fabulous without holding back on expenses for law school. I'm still struggling with the prestige factor, but this post and others describes my philosophy on law (saving the world and all that) and makes me remember why I like AU. And since I want to do international law, AU's externships and summer program at The Hague make me drool.

On a side note, I visited AU when I was looking for UG schools, and it's very easily accessible by public transportation. AU has buses that link up with the Metro. I lived in DC for a summer a couple years ago, and the Metro is great. Also, their SmartTrip cards are great and make it easier to get on the Metro than it is to get on the Subway in NYC. I found DC's bus system to be a bit confusing at first, so I'd recommend using the Metro if possible. But the buses are great once you get used to it.

Yeah, the biggest problem for me remains the ego blow - American was the lowest ranked school I applied to and the only one I got in. I think things are working out for the best, as the WCL fits the description of the type of school I was looking for and the two biggest issues (price and limited big law opportunities fresh out of graduation) are sacrifices I can handle. I shouldn't be snobby about it, my grades weren't good enough to be an elitist.

I agree about the DC metro, I like the Montreal metro more because it doesn't have that zone nonsense but the DC system is very reliable and much easier to deal with than the New York subway.

[Mardou]

I am trying to arrange my apartment-finding trip to D.C. and would really appreciate some feedback since this will be my first long distance move. My plan is to visit D.C. around the end of June in order to secure an apartment for August 1st. Am I being unrealistic to think that I can find an apartment in just a few days? I would like to do a Thursday - Sunday or Friday - Monday trip. Thoughts?

[Bert]

I am trying to arrange my apartment-finding trip to D.C. and would really appreciate some feedback since this will be my first long distance move. My plan is to visit D.C. around the end of June in order to secure an apartment for August 1st. Am I being unrealistic to think that I can find an apartment in just a few days? I would like to do a Thursday - Sunday or Friday - Monday trip. Thoughts?

You should be able to find an apartment in a few days, but you may need to rent the apartment effective as of an earlier date to hold it. Somebody once posted a list of some of the better developers in the DC area once on this site, I'll try to find it again and post when I can. As for the developers, try to set up appointments to look at available apartments in the week leading up to your trip so that you minimize your down time when you are in DC and you should be fine.

[Bert]

Here's the list of the management companies/developers: some of DC's better management companies: Borger, Keener, Bernstein, William C. Smith, etc. They often have very nice buildings for relatively low rates.

[Mardou]

Here's the list of the management companies/developers: some of DC's better management companies: Borger, Keener, Bernstein, William C. Smith, etc. They often have very nice buildings for relatively low rates.

Thank you so much!

[lafuria]

To those going to admitted students day on the 23rd: Justice Antonin Scalia will be giving a symposium address. He might be my second least favourite supreme court justice, but that's still pretty exciting!

[Zannie1986]

guys...
I'm starting to freak out and think i did something wrong for my deposit/acceptance to the school, because i haven't received any email acknowledging what i thought was the only thing i had to do for accepting. I put down the 900$ deposit the night of the 14th, and that's all I did. Did I miss something like an official 'yes i love you and will be attending' electronic paperwork? I didn't think anything of not receiving any message til now (also cause i was cut off from internet access for personal reasons for a couple of days.).

edit: I made my account with them, and my balance does say -900, so maybe they're just not as vocal as I expected about it all..does this seem about right?

[Not-A-Teabagger]

guys...
I'm starting to freak out and think i did something wrong for my deposit/acceptance to the school, because i haven't received any email acknowledging what i thought was the only thing i had to do for accepting. I put down the 900$ deposit the night of the 14th, and that's all I did. Did I miss something like an official 'yes i love you and will be attending' electronic paperwork? I didn't think anything of not receiving any message til now (also cause i was cut off from internet access for personal reasons for a couple of days.).

edit: I made my account with them, and my balance does say -900, so maybe they're just not as vocal as I expected about it all..does this seem about right?

I was hoping for something more from them, too, e.g. a super secret passcode to another website just for folks who have decided to attend, but alas, I have received nothing either. Just check your status checker...it should say deposit received. See you in August.

[slapshot85]

guys...
I'm starting to freak out and think i did something wrong for my deposit/acceptance to the school, because i haven't received any email acknowledging what i thought was the only thing i had to do for accepting. I put down the 900$ deposit the night of the 14th, and that's all I did. Did I miss something like an official 'yes i love you and will be attending' electronic paperwork? I didn't think anything of not receiving any message til now (also cause i was cut off from internet access for personal reasons for a couple of days.).

edit: I made my account with them, and my balance does say -900, so maybe they're just not as vocal as I expected about it all..does this seem about right?

To be safe you should give admissions a call there to see what's going on. Did you get an AU student ID yet?

[frecklesmclean0002]

They send me an email right after I paid that said:

Thank you, Welcome to the Washington College of Law.

Your seat deposit of $900.00 for Fall 2010 has been received.

Thank you for your payment.
Payment Network Reference ID: XXXX
Cash Receipt No. XXXXX

Seat Deposit Partial Refund Policy- etc.


Check your bank/credit card statement and see if they charged you. If they got your money,
you got your seat

[oberlin08]

Im not going to AU, but I looked on this forum just for kicks. I grew up in Tenleytown, and moved back there after UG and now i'm moving away for LS.

FYI though:

Cleveland Park and Dupont Circle are very very very expensive, so keep that in mind... Bethesda is alright, though its only a few stops on the Metro, if its not during peak hours (rush hour), then it could take 30 minutes, a lot of that time sitting waiting for a train. Also, there are 2 stops in Bethesda, but Bethesda is really a small city and unless you live within walking distance to that stop, there's a pretty good likelihood that you'd have to take a bus to that stop or drive there. I'd suggest looking into staying in Tenleytown, yes its quieter than Dupont Circle, U St., Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights or Chinatown, but its pretty affordable - there are a lot of student housing stuff there. If you want cheap, and active, i'd say Columbia Heights. And instead of taking the green/yellow line and switching, you might be able to save 20 minutes or more by just taking the bus.

The Metrobus system in D.C. is actually really good, and often a better transit option than the Metro so don't base your living decision solely on the Metro stations, though that should be a factor.

Also, if anyone already has a car thats paid for I wouldn't automatically sell it off. DC isn't like NYC, a lot of people drive, and the Metro isn't the most reliable, and doesn't reach a lot of the affordable neighborhoods in D.C. (Most of Teneleytown included!)

Though, if you don't have a car, then don't worry about it.

D.C. is a great city for people who like to bike too.

[ppjd]

To those going to admitted students day on the 23rd: Justice Antonin Scalia will be giving a symposium address. He might be my second least favourite supreme court justice, but that's still pretty exciting!

Will you post the info for the admitted students day on the 23rd? I was not aware of this event. Thank you.

[lafuria]

Random question but does anyone know if WCL is mac friendy? I have a MacBook and would rather not have to go back to windows just for law school.

To those going to admitted students day on the 23rd: Justice Antonin Scalia will be giving a symposium address. He might be my second least favourite supreme court justice, but that's still pretty exciting!

Will you post the info for the admitted students day on the 23rd? I was not aware of this event. Thank you.

http://www.wcl.american.edu/admiss/accepted/events.cfm

It's a full day tour/Q&A/orientation program, too late to RSVP I'm afraid but maybe you can try calling them about it.

[frecklesmclean0002]

Random question but does anyone know if WCL is mac friendy? I have a MacBook and would rather not have to go back to windows just for law school.

To those going to admitted students day on the 23rd: Justice Antonin Scalia will be giving a symposium address. He might be my second least favourite supreme court justice, but that's still pretty exciting!

Will you post the info for the admitted students day on the 23rd? I was not aware of this event. Thank you.

http://www.wcl.american.edu/admiss/accepted/events.cfm

It's a full day tour/Q&A/orientation program, too late to RSVP I'm afraid but maybe you can try calling them about it.

That link sent me to the 2009 program which freaked me out for a second thinking I had booked my flight for the wrong day! TODAY is the last day to RSVP for April 23'rd so it's NOT TOO LATE!

https://www.wcl.american.edu/admiss/accepted/rsvp.cfm

[amassherst]

Yeah, that link was definitely for 2009. How did you even find that?

Hey all, I've deposited and I'm going to the Accepted Students' Day this Friday. I hope to meet some of you there. I'll be moving from Mass and in addition to Craigslist, I checked out the activity on AU's general off-campus housing posting site (http://www.american.edu/ocl/housing/Off ... stings.cfm) and made a post. I'm looking for roommates. I'll paste my post below if anyone's interested in searching with me.

Roommates - Need Place & Roommate(s) : New AU Law Student Seeking Several Male/Female Housemates, $700/mo
Hello, I'm starting law school at AU-WCL in the fall and moving from MA to DC at the beginning of August. Looking for a place along the Red Line and/or walking/biking distance from the law school. Would like to live in a group house with several other students/young professionals. I'm a relaxed non-smoking, non pet-owning guy in my late 20's. Looking for responsible housemates to share a clean, casual, drama-free living space for the academic year. Let me know if you're interested. I'm trying to get an early start on this to get a great deal before the best stuff under $800 gets scooped up.

[NU_Jet55]

Roommates - Need Place & Roommate(s) : New AU Law Student Seeking Several Male/Female Housemates, $700/mo
Hello, I'm starting law school at AU-WCL in the fall and moving from MA to DC at the beginning of August. Looking for a place along the Red Line and/or walking/biking distance from the law school. Would like to live in a group house with several other students/young professionals. I'm a relaxed non-smoking, non pet-owning guy in my late 20's. Looking for responsible housemates to share a clean, casual, drama-free living space for the academic year. Let me know if you're interested. I'm trying to get an early start on this to get a great deal before the best stuff under $800 gets scooped up.

+1 to everything except I'm moving from the Midwest and I'm a relaxed non-smoking, non pet-owning guy in my early 20's.

[amassherst]

Well, NU_Jet55, let me know if you're interested in potentially living with me. I have no problem with people from the midwest.

[Langfall]

Yeah, that link was definitely for 2009. How did you even find that?

Hey all, I've deposited and I'm going to the Accepted Students' Day this Friday. I hope to meet some of you there. I'll be moving from Mass and in addition to Craigslist, I checked out the activity on AU's general off-campus housing posting site (http://www.american.edu/ocl/housing/Off ... stings.cfm) and made a post. I'm looking for roommates. I'll paste my post below if anyone's interested in searching with me.

Roommates - Need Place & Roommate(s) : New AU Law Student Seeking Several Male/Female Housemates, $700/mo
Hello, I'm starting law school at AU-WCL in the fall and moving from MA to DC at the beginning of August. Looking for a place along the Red Line and/or walking/biking distance from the law school. Would like to live in a group house with several other students/young professionals. I'm a relaxed non-smoking, non pet-owning guy in my late 20's. Looking for responsible housemates to share a clean, casual, drama-free living space for the academic year. Let me know if you're interested. I'm trying to get an early start on this to get a great deal before the best stuff under $800 gets scooped up.

Hahah I saw this ad and kept thinking I should reply to it but time issues got in the way. Id be interested. Im a 20's, non-smoking, Northeastern gal. Although Im a pet (cat) owner. I dont know if thats a deal breaker. ...And no Im not a "cat person"

[lafuria]

Should we be looking for housing already? I heard the DC market is very much dependant on last minute rushes, so I assumed I'd wait another month before I start looking for housing/roommates. Is everyone looking already?

[amassherst]

lafuria, yeah, it does seem a bit early to be looking for fall housing in DC. Most of the places on Craigslist are for May/June move-in dates. I just figured it's better to start too early than too late.

Langfall, cats are not dealbreakers. They're pretty entertaining to observe.

I'm going to start my drive to DC tonight with an overnight pit stop in NY. Going to the admitted students' day. I'm quite excited.

[Bert]

Should we be looking for housing already? I heard the DC market is very much dependant on last minute rushes, so I assumed I'd wait another month before I start looking for housing/roommates. Is everyone looking already?

It's probably too early. My plan is to start looking for housing in late June or early July for either July 1 or July 15 occupancy.

[lesleydh1984]

Hi team!

So I have been observing the posts re: roommates...I'm a female in my mid twenties moving from Boston. I'm looking to live with one or two other people. Right now I'm eyeing somewhere on the read line, maybe Cleveland Park? I do have a cat, but she kind of just hangs out. If anyone is interesting let me know!