Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions Forum

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tumbleweed664

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by tumbleweed664 » Thu Feb 04, 2010 3:54 pm

maggiebre wrote:
fortissimo wrote: It's away from the undergrads, close to urbanoutfitters, etc.
I just got so excited that there's a UO in Ann Arbor. Nearby shopping FTW :)
Briarwood Mall
204 Briarwood Circle
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
+1-7347614666
In this store you can find

* Ladies |
o &Denim
o Accessories
o H&M Ladies
o H&M L.O.G.G.
* Men |
o H&M Men
* Young
o Divided Male
o Divided Female

:D

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FlightoftheEarls

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by FlightoftheEarls » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:52 pm

Alexandria wrote:
rolark wrote:I visited Michigan recently since I won't be able to make the ASW. I think I fell in love anyway.

Question: Does anyone have experience with the PHID House? While I'm a pretty big fan of communal living, my undergrad didn't have frats and I'm a little scared of the idea of a stereotypical frat (noise, partying, etc.) What's the PHID House like?
I can't answer this specifically, but I have known several people who have lived there, and they seem to have been pretty happy with it. I definitely don't think you need to worry about it being like a "real" frat. I mean, they do throw occasional law school parties. But other than that, I think it's more just like sharing a house with a whole bunch of roommates, except a bit more structured (I just mean in terms of whose turn it is to do what chore).
This is the impression I also get from my friends who live in the Phid house. The reality is that these students, even though their residence is called a "frat" house, are law students, first and foremost. They throw a couple parties a year that are a great time, but the house really is nothing like a real fraternity house. It's going to be very similar to living in a house with quite a few other people, but the focus here is on academics instead of taking shots and chasing tail. The different priorities naturally lead to a different environment.

Tangerine Gleam wrote:Damn the man (and thanks for the advice)! I really need to try to make it out there for ASW...
I cannot stress this enough, but you really do need to make it out here for an ASW if you can. Take work off and do whatever you have to do, but this is an incredibly important decision that will affect not only the next three years, but also your future for quite some time down the road.

I strongly encourage you (and every student considering law schools) to attend the ASWs for every school you are interested in, not just Michigan. Not only does it make it easier to decide where you want to end up, it also makes it easier to go to school much more confident that you made the right decision in the end. I know many, many people (myself, and others in this thread included) who easily chose Michigan over higher ranked "T6" schools after giving a fair look to every option and then deciding on the best place for them. I found something about the environment at Michigan that I just did not see at other schools, which became even easier to recognize when all the schools are putting their very best foot forward at ASWs to try and impress potential new students.


navalspartan wrote:I just wanted to post a small anecdote to quell some of the weather fears that some may have. I moved back to Michigan in December after a decade of living in San Diego, Florida and Maryland weather. I was definitely concerned about braving the Michigan winters but it certainly has not been as bad as anticipated. Part of that can be attributed to having a mild winter and part of it is just that things are never as bad as you think they will be. Get a warm coat and some warm shoes and you are good to go. I walk to work 15 minutes each way and it is nothing.

Yesterday was beautiful. It was mid-thirties and sunny. I went for a run through the Arb and finished it off at the Law Quad. The Law School's aesthetic appeal may even be enhanced with a little bit of snow.

I reserve the right to become bitter with the onslaught of a prolonged cold spell or when I am still freezing through March. For now though, I am sticking by my assessment that the weather is not as bad as most will envision it to be.
I also agree with the above assessment. In the sake of full disclosure, I'm not good with cold - at all. I was born and raised in Arizona and spent the past 5 years in the SF Bay Area of CA. I can take cold in moderation when snowboarding, but even that I dislike. But the weather here is something you get used to and don't really think about. Granted, it has been a pretty mild winter, but just last week I was walking outside and later checked the weather to see that it was -6 with the windchill, the coldest day we've had. Yes, it was cold. But it really wasn't as unbearable as I thought it'd be. No collapsing and dying from frostbite on the sidewalk. People were still walking around, going places, and there was very little snow on the ground. In fact, it wasn't even ugly outside - it was sunny and beautiful. I'm sure Michigan eventually gets worse, but I'm not joking when I say that the weather here was one of the scariest things for me when deciding about coming to Michigan. You put on a coat, a hat, and decide that you're not laying out in the middle of the quad again until March or April. It really has not been that big of a deal.

doinmybest wrote:
maggiebre wrote:Can someone who lives/has lived in the Lawyer's Club speak to their experience? Is it worth it to live there for the the social atmosphere and convenience? I think if I attend that's where I'll probably live, but the idea of using shared bathrooms grosses me out a bit :shock:
Would love to hear more about this as well. I went to the housing website, and the page that had a virtual tour of the lawyers club is down. I still have no idea what it looks like in a typical room. Blindly, I just sent out my housing application for the lawyers club (non-binding). Additionally, I understand most people recommend not bringing your car up due to parking troubles. If I'm living in the lawyers club I won't need a car right?
Good question, and since I'm a 1L in the LC right now I'll be happy to answer.

Experience:
I would say it is absolutely worth the experience of living in the LC, but that is going to largely depend on whether you enjoyed the social aspect of living in dorms. We have about half of the incoming 1L class in the LC, which provides far more contact than you'll have with people in other sections than you ever would living off campus. I know a decent amount of people from off-campus (friends I made during MAP - a pre-orientation program that I recommend everyone do), but I would definitely say I'm closest with people a.) who live in the LC that I have the opportunity to interact with consistently, both in and out of my section, followed by b.) people in my section. While some people get freaked out by the idea of being around people in the LC all the time, it really isn't that bad since I feel that the vast majority of my fellow classmates are incredibly interesting/diverse individuals. And there are a couple hundred of them in the LC, so it's not like you're with the same five, ten or even fifty people all the time, if you don't want to be. Furthermore, since most people you'll hang out with in the LC will be outside of your section (approximately 1 in 4), it actually gives you a great break from constantly hanging out with people in your section (which is when I would think that constant interaction might actually get overbearing, since you spend so much time in class with them). The time you have to spend with others can be as limited to as little as just eating a quick lunch and dinner (and even if you wanted to, it's easy to go elsewhere around the campus), but those are actually my favorite moments of the day when I get to see everybody and we can be real people while discussing non-law-related subjects.

Convenience:
Yes, it is convenient. Very convenient. Lunch is cooked for you (no wasted time cooking, errands, dishes, etc). Dinner is cooked for you (no wasted time cooking, errands, dishes, etc). It is a 100 yard walk across the quad to your classrooms, the library, the reading room, your professor's offices, etc. Sometimes I feel kind of spoiled at the level of convenience the LC affords me, but at the same time I decided on staying here fully aware that during my 1L year I wanted every advantage I could get. I don't have to worry about long walks in the snow (which seems to be a moot point this year since the weather is so mild).

Shared Bathrooms:
Ok, so the bathrooms are shared - each one has two showers and two stalls, but I've seen a couple guys' bathrooms that also have a urinal. There is a sink in there, but they're pretty functional. While the idea of sharing a bathroom get some people to turn up their noses, it isn't all that much weirder than sharing a bathroom with 4 guys in a house. For one - it's probably cleaner. There is a cleaning crew that goes in daily and restocks everything, bleach (or so it smells like it) cleans the showers, sprays the floors, and generally makes sure that you're living in a nice place without dealing with all the hassles. In addition, because it's a communal shower, people keep all their random crap in their rooms. There's no shaving cream, or toothpaste, or hair shavings, or what-have-you all over the place like you'd probably find at most shared (at least in college) houses. The bathrooms really are remarkably clean for being in a dorm, and I haven't had an issue with it at all. Also, while most wings of the LC are separated by gender, the ones that do have both male and female rooms also have both male and female bathrooms, so that is not an issue.

Typical Rooms:
There are four different types of room, as you may see on the website (or will probably see in the brochure). There are 3 singles: economical, regular, and a larger-size (no recollection of what it's called). I live in a regular single, which is slightly bigger than the dorm I had in college (which wasn't too bad then - not to mention that I had a roommate in college). I can't really speak to the size of the other rooms, since I'm not sure exactly what they are like, but suffice it to say that the regular single doesn't feel cramped when you consider that it's dorm living. It's also a fair bit larger than the single room I'll have next year when I move into a house with a few other guys. The rooms are somewhat older looking in the furniture (which they provide - dresser, bookshelf, desk, chair, table, bed), and all seem to have have a sink/mirror, sliding door closet with a hanging rack, and a heater by the window. Most people bring in a rug (since it's tile), a fridge, a microwave, and other chairs if they think they'd prefer them. The one downside, however, is the bed. They give you a twin-xl sized bed, which really is not that big. And they won't remove the bed, so you could theoretically bring another but you'd have to store the bed somewhere (not to mention the lease doesn't allow this, but they don't verify rooms - we're professional students). That said, the girl I'm dating also lives in the LC and a twin bed, although tight, can still work just fine. Not ideal, of course, but it gets the job done.

The double rooms all seem to have a similar layout, which is an open common room (about the size of a regular single) with two desks and plenty of space for a couch or futon or the like, and then two smaller rooms attached. The smaller rooms are a decent amount smaller than the regular single, but they have sliding door closets, dressers, beds, and room for another dresser or bookshelf if you wanted. It seems like most in the double rooms will do their private lounging in their personal rooms, but can do studying/hanging out in the common rooms. The doubles also make the best layouts for LC parties, which happen with solid frequency on the weekends at the beginning of semesters.

Cars:
If I had a car, I would have a tough time deciding whether I would bring it now. It would be really nice for those times when I want to get off campus and do some shopping or whatnot, but I haven't had a problem borrowing friends' cars when I really needed. It's something of a toss-up and depends on whether you want to fork up the extra money for the insurance/gas/parking costs, especially when you already have plenty to do on campus and in school. If you do opt for the car (which I really don't mean to suggest is a bad idea, but is by no means necessary), be prepared to find parking (either on craigslist at somebody's house who is selling a spot), or to search for parking a few blocks away by the IM Sports building.



If anybody has any more questions re: the LC, I'll be happy to answer those as best I can. Or about any other topic, for that matter.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by fortissimo » Thu Feb 04, 2010 6:54 pm

maggiebre wrote:
fortissimo wrote: It's away from the undergrads, close to urbanoutfitters, etc.
I just got so excited that there's a UO in Ann Arbor. Nearby shopping FTW :)
haha, Yeah it's my favorite store. There's one on State Street 3 blocks from the law school. It's across the street from American Apparel (2nd favorite), Starbucks, and Borders. There's also a fair number of stores on Main, but the Main Street stores are not like the big mainstream, chainstores that you would find at Briarwood Mall.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Amelie » Thu Feb 04, 2010 7:22 pm

FlightoftheEarls, you are amazing. If I end up at Michigan (which is looking increasingly likely), I'll be in the LC :D

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thalassocrat

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by thalassocrat » Thu Feb 04, 2010 7:52 pm

maggiebre wrote:FlightoftheEarls, you are amazing. If I end up at Michigan (which is looking increasingly likely), I'll be in the LC :D
Seconded. Plus I never actually had to live in a dorm for undergrad, so it'll be interesting to have the experience without the room sharing. I hope so, anyway.

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doinmybest

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by doinmybest » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:27 pm

FlightoftheEarls wrote: friends I made during MAP - a pre-orientation program that I recommend everyone do
Is MAP something we will learn more about? Or is MAP something I should know about already. Sorry, work has picked big time and I haven't had too much time to read all my acceptance info. It sounds like something I'd be interested in.


Also, how is the food in the LC?

FlightoftheEarls wrote: a twin bed, although tight, can still work just fine. Not ideal, of course, but it gets the job done.
Thank God.


FlightoftheEarls, thanks for all the info. you are a lifesaver!

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ankit » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:55 pm

doinmybest wrote:
FlightoftheEarls wrote: friends I made during MAP - a pre-orientation program that I recommend everyone do
Is MAP something we will learn more about? Or is MAP something I should know about already. Sorry, work has picked big time and I haven't had too much time to read all my acceptance info. It sounds like something I'd be interested in.


Also, how is the food in the LC?

FlightoftheEarls wrote: a twin bed, although tight, can still work just fine. Not ideal, of course, but it gets the job done.
Thank God.


FlightoftheEarls, thanks for all the info. you are a lifesaver!
Yeah I'm interested to find out about MAP as well. Everyone seems to recommend it highly but I havent received any information about it for this year.

When do they usually inform the admits about it? And when is it usually held? Can anyone provide an overview of what it entails?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by ankit » Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:55 pm

doinmybest wrote:
FlightoftheEarls wrote: friends I made during MAP - a pre-orientation program that I recommend everyone do
Is MAP something we will learn more about? Or is MAP something I should know about already. Sorry, work has picked big time and I haven't had too much time to read all my acceptance info. It sounds like something I'd be interested in.


Also, how is the food in the LC?

FlightoftheEarls wrote: a twin bed, although tight, can still work just fine. Not ideal, of course, but it gets the job done.
Thank God.


FlightoftheEarls, thanks for all the info. you are a lifesaver!
Yeah I'm interested to find out about MAP as well. Everyone seems to recommend it highly but I havent received any information about it for this year.

When do they usually inform the admits about it? And when is it usually held? Can anyone provide an overview of what it entails?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by verdandi » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:21 am

Apple Tree wrote:Thank you so much for this thread!

1. Do you know how much the rent for a 2bed apartment is?

2. My husband and I were also thinking about buying a house. Do you know anything about the housing market there? Like how much a starter home would cost?

3. Do you happen to know if government agencies (SEC, IRS, etc) come to Mich to recruit interns/employees?

4. How is the job prospect for current Mich students working out? I know the whole market is bad, but can Mich graduates still find decent jobs?
1) Depends on location. 5-10 minutes from campus: from about $1200 to up to $1600, depending on the quality you are looking for. There are some lovely apartment buildings near by that tend to be a bit higher quality than a house. I STRONGLY recommend you view any apartment you want to rent before you sign the lease. In AA, that's nearly mandatory due to the large variation in quality, ESPECIALLY right off campus.

If you get farther away from campus - 20 minute walk to bike/car distance -- you can get a 2br for a song. I'd say its not unlikely to find a nice 2 bedroom for $950 or so in one of the apartment complexes that are about .6-1.0 mile from the law quad. Parking, I think, runs around $115/month, but don't quote me on that.

2) Again, depends. Burns Park/Kerrytown, the nicest neighborhoods in AA, are around $300k+., but the KILL you with property taxes. The Old West Side is a nice and affordable neighborhood according to my landlord (who talked to me about investment real estate once). You can get something nice within driving distance, but the house itself might be a bit dated. Again, inspect, inspect, inspect.

3) Just a lowly 1L here... wish I could help you with this but I can't. I know at least one person who got a 1L internship with the SEC by applying to them online/by mail, and internships at other federal departments are common.

4) I sure hope so!!!!

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verdandi

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by verdandi » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:25 am

Tangerine Gleam wrote:For those now attending, did you go to ASW? If so, what effect did it have on your decision?

I'm still working on it, but it's looking like I might not be able to make either ASW and will have to either visit this month or in April. This is too bad, because I feel like I'll be missing out on a lot of great preview stuff which would give me a better impression of the school.

I had a strange experience with my acceptance. I accepted U of M without attending ASW because I was deferring a year to get a master's. Then, I attended the ASW the year I was enrolling, and it was AMAZING. Met people at the admitted students weekend whom I am now very, very good friends with. The program is really well done and, since people are all so enthusiastic about the school, I found it contagious. In fact, if you go, you might see me there working it!

Also, they put you up in the Campus Inn. Which is nice. They make you feel special. I would definitely recommend going, if you can, before you make a decision about another school.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by vidhartha » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:37 am

1L summer starter here if anyone has any Q's about that.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Alexandria » Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:29 am

ankit wrote:
doinmybest wrote:
FlightoftheEarls wrote: friends I made during MAP - a pre-orientation program that I recommend everyone do
Is MAP something we will learn more about? Or is MAP something I should know about already. Sorry, work has picked big time and I haven't had too much time to read all my acceptance info. It sounds like something I'd be interested in.


Also, how is the food in the LC?

FlightoftheEarls wrote: a twin bed, although tight, can still work just fine. Not ideal, of course, but it gets the job done.
Thank God.


FlightoftheEarls, thanks for all the info. you are a lifesaver!
Yeah I'm interested to find out about MAP as well. Everyone seems to recommend it highly but I havent received any information about it for this year.

When do they usually inform the admits about it? And when is it usually held? Can anyone provide an overview of what it entails?
They probably don't tell admits about it... just, like, confirmed/deposited people. I wouldn't worry about not having heard anything yet. I can't remember when we heard about it, but definitely not in February.

It's held the week before orientation. It's a pre-orientation with lots of social activities, a practice oral argument, a practice class, some panels with 2Ls and 3Ls, a couple "diversity" activities, and a banquet.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by navalspartan » Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:20 am

Vidhartha and other summer starters,

How was the workload during the summer? Were the condensed classes offset by only taking 2 doctrinal courses?

If you absolutely had to miss a couple of days of class, would profs be ok with that? Can you have someone record the course for you?

Thanks.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by mich04 » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:47 am

navalspartan wrote:Vidhartha and other summer starters,

How was the workload during the summer? Were the condensed classes offset by only taking 2 doctrinal courses?

If you absolutely had to miss a couple of days of class, would profs be ok with that? Can you have someone record the course for you?

Thanks.
The overall workload is less in the summer. The classes are slightly condensed, so on average we had more reading per night (like a normal reading assignment would maybe be around 15 pages, but we would have 20). But of course, that varies by the professor/class, so I don't know exactly how your situation will be. But having one less class definitely makes a difference. Balancing 2 classes is much easier than balancing 3, especially when it comes to finals studying.

Missing a couple days of class is generally fine, just let the professor know ahead of time. Professors vary on how much they care about attendance, but I've never had one that would be upset if you just let them know ahead of time that you had to miss for a valid reason. After the first couple weeks, some people will start to skip some classes anyway.

I'm not sure about the recordings. In general I think you are supposed to ask before recording a class...but I've never done it, so I don't really know what the rule is.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Alexandria » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:50 am

mich04 wrote:
I'm not sure about the recordings. In general I think you are supposed to ask before recording a class...but I've never done it, so I don't really know what the rule is.
They don't tend to allow recordings except in special circumstances, and I'm not sure exactly what those guidelines are. Like, they'll do it for a makeup class or Jewish holidays or the inauguration. Times when they expect multiple people to be missing due to a very good reason.

In your case, the typical thing to do would be just to get notes from a classmate or two.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by cutiewiddlebebe » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:00 pm

Thank you all for taking the time to answer our questions; it has been very helpful!

Are there informal running/cycling groups in the law school? Similarly, what is the Nichols Arboretum like? Any hiking trails? Thanks!

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Reinhardt » Fri Feb 05, 2010 12:06 pm

What's the food situation like in A2? Where can I get a good burger? Pizza? Any decent deep dish? Does the law school have free pizza? How's the quality?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by doinmybest » Fri Feb 05, 2010 3:15 pm

Assuming I was living in the LC, how far would I have to walk to bars, resturants and other common hang outs?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by verdandi » Fri Feb 05, 2010 5:13 pm

cutiewiddlebebe wrote:Thank you all for taking the time to answer our questions; it has been very helpful!

Are there informal running/cycling groups in the law school? Similarly, what is the Nichols Arboretum like? Any hiking trails? Thanks!
There is an informal running club that I think runs around 4pm. It was just started this year and it seems to have done pretty well thus far, but of course such activities are more popular when it isn't so cold. I don't know much about cycling other than biking to school, but I'm sure there are people here who do it. Rock climbing seems to be popular and most people do some kind of physical activity (I have just picked up Kendo and pilates, I know many people do yoga, etc.)
msoftceo wrote:What's the food situation like in A2? Where can I get a good burger? Pizza? Any decent deep dish? Does the law school have free pizza? How's the quality?
Food is pretty good here. I have a friend who is a professional chef and he thinks its just ok, but on the whole there is a decent restaurant of every type (Japanese, Thai, Indian, Burger Joints, etc.). The Pizza House makes pretty decent pizza, and I think both Ashleys and the Red Hawk on State Street have good burgers. Ashleys also has an awesome selection of beer. Bars are very good here; Ashleys and the Ann Arbor Brewing Co have great beers, Charleys and Scorekeepers are pretty good sports bars, Blue Leprechaun and Brown Jug are the staples of South U. I don't know much about LC food, though, because I don't live there :-)
doinmybest wrote:Assuming I was living in the LC, how far would I have to walk to bars, resturants and other common hang outs?
Blue Leprechaun, Charleys, and the Brown Jug are all on South University, probably a 7 minute walk from the LC (if that). All the others are down town either on State Street (Ashleys) or closer to Main Street (Rush St., Jolly Pumpkin, Cafe Habana, Ann Arbor Brewing Co, etc.). Main Street is about a 15 minute walk. Main street also has a TON of really nice, and very expensive, restaurants.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by FlightoftheEarls » Fri Feb 05, 2010 8:50 pm

ankit wrote: Yeah I'm interested to find out about MAP as well. Everyone seems to recommend it highly but I havent received any information about it for this year.

When do they usually inform the admits about it? And when is it usually held? Can anyone provide an overview of what it entails?
As Alexandria mentioned, you probably won't hear about MAP until you place a deposit, but it is a several day pre-orientation (everyone does regular orientation, but about 35-45 people do MAP before that) that let's you get a feel for the campus and make some early friends for the few days before everyone gets there. It's a very laid-back sort of event that helps you get comfortable with the idea of what you're going to be facing in law school, and is in actuality just a good excuse to get to campus a few days early, meet a bunch of other outgoing people, and go out drinking every night if you want. I strongly suggest it, and a good number of my friends now who know about MAP but didn't attend have told me they really wish they had done that in retrospect. And yeah, they put you up in rather nice hotel. For free.

doinmybest wrote: Also, how is the food in the LC?
People seem to have mixed opinions about the food in the LC, but here's my opinion (so take it for what it's worth, just one of many voices) - the food is not that bad. In fact, I wouldn't even use the word "bad" when describing it. In reality, it's pretty damn good most of the time. Sometimes they play around with combinations that are a little odd, and there are a couple things that get onto the menu that will make you wonder, but for the most part the food really is pretty good. Just to give you some insight, here's the menu that we have for today for lunch and dinner:

LUNCH:
Soups - Mohawk Inn Chowder and Garden Vegetable Soup w/ Pasta
Roasted Salmon
Shells and Three Cheeses (Vegetarian)
BBQ Chicken Sandwich
Roasted Curly Fries
Corn
Desserts - M&M Cookies and Cherry Turnovers

DINNER:
Soups - Mohawk Inn Chowder and Garden Vegetable Soup w/ Pasta
Chicken Parmesan
Grilled Lemon Pepper Trout
Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce
Redskin Potatoes
Italian Green Beans
Italian Vegetable Blend
Garlic Bread
Dessert - Chocolate Ivory Torte


While these selections may not be perfect for everyone, they also have a bunch of other things at every meal - a 40+ item salad bar, a deli station with breads, lunch meats, and a bunch of cheeses, full soda bar, tea and coffee, cereal, bagels, soft-serve ice cream, fruit, and every day they have just basic pasta and normally rice and beans, plus a full rack of condiments and everything you could possibly want. The Saturday/Sunday brunches are especially awesome, where they have some lunch things but a lot of great breakfast food - normally a combination of pancakes or french toast or waffles, eggs, sausage and/or bacon, oatmeal, assorted breakfast pastries, breakfast potatoes, and all sorts of random stuff.

As for the concerns that the food isn't that good, which you will definitely hear some people arguing, let me just say this - I really think the food is much better than people give it credit for, but it's a really easy talking point to lament the food in the dining hall. There are the same concerns here as you would in any other dining hall (you can't please everybody all the time), but on the whole it really has been fantastic compared to what I expected, quality-wise. As far as taste is concerned, I think it was better than my undergrad's food, which I still didn't mind. If you don't like what they're serving that day, it's easy to make a sandwich, a salad, eat fruit, make a bagel with cream cheese, grab some cereal, or just do some regular pasta. I know I'm definitely going to miss the convenience of this next year when I'm off campus cooking for myself, not to mention the fact that to make something with all the options that the dining hall gives you would take quite the extensive cooking time.

msoftceo wrote:What's the food situation like in A2? Where can I get a good burger? Pizza? Any decent deep dish? Does the law school have free pizza? How's the quality?
People have different opinions on the overall quality of food in AA, but I've found that the nights I'm looking to eat out I am not really struggling to find a place that sounds good, but rather to narrow the choices down from the places I like.

Burgers - There are a lot of brew pubs where you can get burgers, but by far the best (and worst for you) is called Blimpie Burger's, which is about a 4 minute walk from the LC. It was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and makes some of the most terrifyingly delicious burgers I've ever had. Not healthy in the least, but really damn good.

Pizza - I'm a fan of NYPD, but I'll admit that I haven't tried many of the pizza places here. NYPD has great late-night pizza, but I've had it sober and can attest that it was still pretty fantastic even during the mid-day. Pizza House also does deep dish pizzas in addition to the regular slices, and supposedly those are great. Also, Cottage Inn (the original restaurant, not the carry-out chain) is rumored to be pretty good when you eat there. Also, South University (which is where most of the "UG"ish bars reside) has slices for $1.50 for those quick, late-night, liquor-induced cravings.

doinmybest wrote:Assuming I was living in the LC, how far would I have to walk to bars, resturants and other common hang outs?
Depends on your walk speed, but I'd say 5-7 minutes to South U at the most. The LC has one full block between it and where the South-U stretch of bars and stores begins, so it really does feel very close. These include, as verdandi said, The Blue Lep, Brown Jug, Charley's, Rick's (a law school/promiscuous undergrad dirty/embarrassing secret), and a couple others.

The only bar I've hit up on State Street is Ashley's (about 7 minutes), which is a great little place that brings in bottles from around the world, has ~70 beers on tap, 50+ scotch whiskys, and is generally known as one of the spots to hit up if you want to sample a bunch of new beers. They also have beer cards where you get free stuff the more varieties you drink, and those are always fun.

Main street is also a fun place, although it is admittedly less populated during the winter since it's a bit longer of a walk (and is consequently less "UG"ish due to this walk, if that is what you'd prefer). That said, I've been over there several times since the semester kicked up again and it's such a fun place to hang out if you want to get out of the more rambunctious drinking scene that South U provides. And again, the walk is probably about 15 minutes, but might be slightly less. The great thing about living in AA though is that, compared to living in most cities, these areas really are not far at all, and going to Main Street really isn't much of a hassle at all. Compared to what I'm used to in SF, the walking to bars here feels really minimal.

Apart from all that, I'm going to agree with everything verdandi said. The place isn't big-city nightlife, but there's plenty of stuff to do, especially compared to what you'd expect from a town of only a little over 100,000. You also have all the perks of a Big Ten university, so that means you have some great sporting/cultural events that you can do for a night - whether that's taking in a basketball or hockey game, or going to see some of the artists the come into town to perform.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by jackassjim » Fri Feb 05, 2010 9:24 pm

Nothing interesting to add, but I just wanted to say to current students that your dedication speaks volumes about your school.

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by Alexandria » Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:06 pm

Person who asked about the Arboretum ("the arb" is what everyone calls it). It's huge and beautiful (at least spring/summer/fall). Tons of walking/hiking trails. A lot of people run there. I take my dogs on long walks there and have even let them swim in the river once (in kind of a nook away from the current... but I'm not sure I'd do it again bc a little scared of them going out into the current).

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by verdandi » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:03 pm

FlightoftheEarls wrote: Apart from all that, I'm going to agree with everything verdandi said. The place isn't big-city nightlife, but there's plenty of stuff to do, especially compared to what you'd expect from a town of only a little over 100,000. You also have all the perks of a Big Ten university, so that means you have some great sporting/cultural events that you can do for a night - whether that's taking in a basketball or hockey game, or going to see some of the artists the come into town to perform.

Now, let me agree with you, Flight: you are absolutely right to point out how much there is to do because this is such a big school. There is a great art museum on campus (with some Picassos!), I just went to see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra perform the other night at Hill Auditorium, I've been to a bunch of hockey games which are always a riot, and of course, you have to go to a football game if ya'll matriculate. We might not be in our glory days for football, but the tradition is still alive and well and the townies (people who actually live and work in AA as opposed to just going to school there) really turn out for the games and make it a real experience. I'm a Dukie from undergrad and I have to say, a Big House football game rivals a Cameron Indoor game.

If you like outdoorsy stuff, there's that too... fishing, biking, running (LOTS of people run here outside the running club... I swear you'll be driving around 12 midnight in the dead of winter and someone will be running around on the sidewalk) rockclimbing... and I know one of the student groups (APALSA) just did a ski trip to a local mountain. And people regularly take trips to Detroit (usually to see the Pistons, the Lions, or the Tigers play) and to Chicago (to see concerts and, in my case, significant others) VERY frequently. If you come to AA, you will NOT be bored. Law school also keeps you REALLY busy, so I wouldn't worry too much about not being able to find stuff to do....

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by 03121202698008 » Fri Feb 05, 2010 11:12 pm

When should Fall starters start looking for apartments? Do they go pretty quick or is there a decent supply for the market?

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Re: Michigan 1Ls/2Ls/3Ls taking questions

Post by verdandi » Sat Feb 06, 2010 1:58 am

blhoward2 wrote:When should Fall starters start looking for apartments? Do they go pretty quick or is there a decent supply for the market?
I would honestly start looking now or at least as soon as you decide on Michigan. Most of the housing that's aimed at undergrads is already gone (they sign their leases freakishly early, around November). Right now, the independent/smaller landlords are hearing from their tenants about whether or not they're renewing their leases, so there is still a lot of promising stuff on Craigslist and the UM off-campus housing website (http://www.offcampus.housing.umich.edu/ ... stings.cfm).

But seriously, I would start looking as soon as possible. Housing is one of the trickiest things to figure out in Ann Arbor. Honestly, unless you are set on having an apartment, I would live in the LC. I live in an apartment now and love it/couldn't imagine doing anything else, but if you are coming straight from UG and 1) have no furniture, 2) don't love to cook and 3) are attached to the idea of rolling out of bed and into class, the LC is a sweet deal. However, since I could NOT be parted with either my couch or a kitchen, an apartment was absolutely the best choice for me. Just keep that in mind when you are considering your housing choices.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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