UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions Forum

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Question12345

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by Question12345 » Thu Apr 27, 2017 5:17 pm

Can anyone who's lived in or seen the regents building tell me if the gym has a bench press and squat rack?

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elterrible78

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by elterrible78 » Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:45 pm

Question12345 wrote:Can anyone who's lived in or seen the regents building tell me if the gym has a bench press and squat rack?
It used to. Then they spent like half a year remodeling the gym, and turned it into a lame piece of shit. That was a couple years ago, not sure if they remedied that oh-so-Regents gaffe.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by KMart » Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:34 pm

Nothing but the Funk wrote:
BlendedUnicorn wrote:
call-me-bubbles wrote:Do students ever bring their spouses to social things like Bar Review?
yes
Is it considered cool or does it seem like the SO's feel out of place?
no, this is totally normal. it's a small school where everyone is going to know them anyway. if they want to come, they're more than welcome there.

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xn3345

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by xn3345 » Sun Apr 30, 2017 8:44 pm

Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body? How much of the discrepancy is attributable to institutional support that most students don't have access to? Are these students that performed much better in undergrad and on a standardized test simply doing the same in law school? As a Ruby-less Uchi 0L, I'm trying to get a sense of whether I should think of the clerkship rate as ~15% or that minus all the Ruby people. Up to this point, I thought of HLS and Uchi's clerkship numbers as being extremely comparable (within a couple percentage points), rendering clerkship stats a poor reason for choosing HLS over Chi. I'm less sure about that now. For the record, I don't think of this as dispositive in any way. It's just another thing to consider

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by Florence Night » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:00 pm

chicago-gunner123 wrote:
dasq5511 wrote:1) Anyone willing to share the things they don't like about UChi?
- The weather is truly terrible
- Hyde Park is boring
- The quarter system means 3 finals periods per academic year
- A large coffee at the law school cafe is ~$3
- Too much self aggrandizement among faculty/students
Pretty much nails it. But at least the self-aggrandizement among faculty is generally deserved.

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CheddarArachnid

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by CheddarArachnid » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:06 pm

xn3345 wrote:Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body? How much of the discrepancy is attributable to institutional support that most students don't have access to? Are these students that performed much better in undergrad and on a standardized test simply doing the same in law school? As a Ruby-less Uchi 0L, I'm trying to get a sense of whether I should think of the clerkship rate as ~15% or that minus all the Ruby people. Up to this point, I thought of HLS and Uchi's clerkship numbers as being extremely comparable (within a couple percentage points), rendering clerkship stats a poor reason for choosing HLS over Chi. I'm less sure about that now. For the record, I don't think of this as dispositive in any way. It's just another thing to consider

Transfer so take this with a grain of salt. I was told by OCS and other students "there is a clerkship for everyone... if you want it." My impression is that anyone around median (even below) has a good shot at a clerkship. So I dont think there is special institutional support

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by Florence Night » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:07 pm

Anon.y.mousse. wrote:
beepboopbeep wrote:
LSRAT wrote:Hi folks! Would y'all mind sharing what final reason made you decide to commit? Or how you decided Chicago was for you?
The main difference maker for me (outside of money, which should ultimately be everyone-non-wealthy's no. 1 [there is a reason everyone who is working as a lawyer and paying off loans says this]) and something that felt very unique after visiting a few schools, before deciding to attend:

People actually give a shit about learning at UofC, and both students and teachers are actually engaged in lectures (for the most part)

After attending:

This has pros and cons
Right now I have a 150k scholarship to Mich and a 90k scholarship to Chicago. Funding law school on my own. Goals are federal clerkship and Fed Honors/BigFed in some way shape or form (currently work for DOJ now and office supervisors have expressly told me they would love to have me back, but I know that's a really uncertain thing and not relying on it). Submitted a scholarship reconsideration form to Chicago, but realistically wouldn't expect more than maybe a 15k bump based on LSN data. Do you think Chicago is worth 60k more than Mich? Most of the attorneys I work with say no but none of them attended so it'd be worth it to hear a student's perspective.
Go to Michigan. You'll have more fun and less debt. I could've gone to Mich for 45k cheaper, didn't, and regret it. Admittedly, my goals were different from yours. But if you already have your in, you don't need the marginal bump Chicago may be able to give you, and I don't think it's worth 60k in any event.
Last edited by Florence Night on Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by Florence Night » Sun Apr 30, 2017 9:08 pm

xn3345 wrote:Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body?
They're a little smarter and a little more driven, on average. People will probably want to dispute that, but I think that's the reality. Will say, though, if you really want a clerkship at UC, you're probably pretty likely to get it.

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KMart

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by KMart » Sun Apr 30, 2017 10:49 pm

Florence Night wrote:
xn3345 wrote:Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body?
They're a little smarter and a little more driven, on average. People will probably want to dispute that, but I think that's the reality. Will say, though, if you really want a clerkship at UC, you're probably pretty likely to get it.
tcr.

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BlendedUnicorn

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by BlendedUnicorn » Mon May 01, 2017 12:16 am

KMart wrote:
Florence Night wrote:
xn3345 wrote:Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body?
They're a little smarter and a little more driven, on average. People will probably want to dispute that, but I think that's the reality. Will say, though, if you really want a clerkship at UC, you're probably pretty likely to get it.
tcr.
I also think they have basically no choice but to get faculty mentorship. Which isn't to say that it isn't easily available to non-Rubys, but you have to take some degree of initiative to build those relationships.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by WheninLaw » Tue May 02, 2017 5:41 pm

xn3345 wrote:Does anyone have any anecdata or insight into why the Ruby clerkship rate is so much higher than the general student body? How much of the discrepancy is attributable to institutional support that most students don't have access to? Are these students that performed much better in undergrad and on a standardized test simply doing the same in law school? As a Ruby-less Uchi 0L, I'm trying to get a sense of whether I should think of the clerkship rate as ~15% or that minus all the Ruby people. Up to this point, I thought of HLS and Uchi's clerkship numbers as being extremely comparable (within a couple percentage points), rendering clerkship stats a poor reason for choosing HLS over Chi. I'm less sure about that now. For the record, I don't think of this as dispositive in any way. It's just another thing to consider
They tend to do very well + faculty mentorships.

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chicago-gunner123

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by chicago-gunner123 » Sun May 07, 2017 9:16 pm

Anyone who has taken Banking Law or Financial Regulation Law have supplement recommendations?

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by crown » Wed Jul 05, 2017 10:57 am

Anybody have any experience with Museum Walk Apartments?

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by dm1683 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 7:58 pm

hi, want to know about my chances for the Ruby and what I can do to improve them.

Stats are 4.0/173, K-JD with very unique personal situation (diversity related) that I will write a PS about. Other than that my softs aren't great (campus org leadership positions, volunteered for Clinton, first generation college student).
Two rec letters from professors, only work experience is four years in retail (full time winter and summer breaks, part time school year).
I go to a no-name public institution.

How do I look? Is there anything I can do to make me a better candidate?

Thanks.

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BlendedUnicorn

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by BlendedUnicorn » Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:03 pm

dm1683 wrote:hi, want to know about my chances for the Ruby and what I can do to improve them.

Stats are 4.0/173, K-JD with very unique personal situation (diversity related) that I will write a PS about.
Two rec letters from professors, only work experience is four years in retail (full time winter and summer breaks, part time school year).
I go to a no-name public institution.

How do I look? Is there anything I can do to make me a better candidate?

Thanks.
Probably pretty good but the process is a bit of a black box so I'm not sure how much useful advice you'll get.

The obvious thing is you could improve on your (already great) LSAT. I don't think you need to but that's the only thing that really jumps out.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by dm1683 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 8:10 pm

BlendedUnicorn wrote:
dm1683 wrote:hi, want to know about my chances for the Ruby and what I can do to improve them.

Stats are 4.0/173, K-JD with very unique personal situation (diversity related) that I will write a PS about.
Two rec letters from professors, only work experience is four years in retail (full time winter and summer breaks, part time school year).
I go to a no-name public institution.

How do I look? Is there anything I can do to make me a better candidate?

Thanks.
Probably pretty good but the process is a bit of a black box so I'm not sure how much useful advice you'll get.

The obvious thing is you could improve on your (already great) LSAT. I don't think you need to but that's the only thing that really jumps out.
Yeah I figured that but honestly I'm not willing to go through two more months of heavy prep just for a small increase in my chances for the full ride. I already devoted five months of my life to it and hit my PT average. I'm done.

I think I might hire a consultant to help maximize the effectiveness of my PS though. I need to knock that out of the park to offset K-JD and I'm writing about a topic which has to be handled carefully.

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lebongenre

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by lebongenre » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:00 pm

dm1683 wrote:
BlendedUnicorn wrote:
dm1683 wrote:hi, want to know about my chances for the Ruby and what I can do to improve them.

Stats are 4.0/173, K-JD with very unique personal situation (diversity related) that I will write a PS about.
Two rec letters from professors, only work experience is four years in retail (full time winter and summer breaks, part time school year).
I go to a no-name public institution.

How do I look? Is there anything I can do to make me a better candidate?

Thanks.
The obvious thing is you could improve on your (already great) LSAT. I don't think you need to but that's the only thing that really jumps out.
Yeah I figured that but honestly I'm not willing to go through two more months of heavy prep just for a small increase in my chances for the full ride. I already devoted five months of my life to it and hit my PT average. I'm done.

I think I might hire a consultant to help maximize the effectiveness of my PS though. I need to knock that out of the park to offset K-JD and I'm writing about a topic which has to be handled carefully.
Not what you want to hear, but as a Ruby with a similar background, here's my advice: (1) Don't rush off to law school. Take a couple years to work in a position that interests you where you'll develop marketable skills (even as a humble paralegal!) and save some cash. (2) Study for a retake. (3) Profit.

The time in the workforce will deepen your career/life perspective and make you a more likable person in general. All the Rubies I know are really cool people, and while I can think of at least one KJD in my class, most that I know have some interesting post-grad experience. It can seriously only help you in the long run, and not just for getting a Ruby. You have fantastic options with your numbers, but I think a 173 sounds a bit low (if no URM boost). I *could* be wrong because I'm not the kind of person who talks with my classmates about the LSAT. There's data on here/LSN, so do poke around.

If you don't retake, then I would spring for professional help. But again, the amount you'll have to pay could possibly better spent on a one-on-one tutor to push you into LSAT rockstar territory. GL!

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dm1683

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by dm1683 » Thu Jul 06, 2017 10:37 pm

lebongenre wrote:
dm1683 wrote:
BlendedUnicorn wrote:
dm1683 wrote:hi, want to know about my chances for the Ruby and what I can do to improve them.

Stats are 4.0/173, K-JD with very unique personal situation (diversity related) that I will write a PS about.
Two rec letters from professors, only work experience is four years in retail (full time winter and summer breaks, part time school year).
I go to a no-name public institution.

How do I look? Is there anything I can do to make me a better candidate?

Thanks.
The obvious thing is you could improve on your (already great) LSAT. I don't think you need to but that's the only thing that really jumps out.
Yeah I figured that but honestly I'm not willing to go through two more months of heavy prep just for a small increase in my chances for the full ride. I already devoted five months of my life to it and hit my PT average. I'm done.

I think I might hire a consultant to help maximize the effectiveness of my PS though. I need to knock that out of the park to offset K-JD and I'm writing about a topic which has to be handled carefully.
Not what you want to hear, but as a Ruby with a similar background, here's my advice: (1) Don't rush off to law school. Take a couple years to work in a position that interests you where you'll develop marketable skills (even as a humble paralegal!) and save some cash. (2) Study for a retake. (3) Profit.

The time in the workforce will deepen your career/life perspective and make you a more likable person in general. All the Rubies I know are really cool people, and while I can think of at least one KJD in my class, most that I know have some interesting post-grad experience. It can seriously only help you in the long run, and not just for getting a Ruby. You have fantastic options with your numbers, but I think a 173 sounds a bit low (if no URM boost). I *could* be wrong because I'm not the kind of person who talks with my classmates about the LSAT. There's data on here/LSN, so do poke around.

If you don't retake, then I would spring for professional help. But again, the amount you'll have to pay could possibly better spent on a one-on-one tutor to push you into LSAT rockstar territory. GL!
IDK, I am considering a gap year especially since I am very young (will be 21 in August). Problem is I don't know what I will do. I have a great GPA, yes, but it's in a soft major and from a very unimpressive school. It's not like I am gonna be hired to do consulting/Wall Street banking. At most I could be a loan adjuster at a local bank, but that's not exactly stellar work experience.

AFA LSAT score I was under the impression that once you get above a school's 75th, there are diminishing returns in terms of scholarships, but I don't know for sure. Retaking isn't completely out of the question down the road, especially if I take a year or two off, but I'm done with the LSAT for right now.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by lebongenre » Fri Jul 07, 2017 12:30 am

dm1683 wrote:IDK, I am considering a gap year especially since I am very young (will be 21 in August). Problem is I don't know what I will do. I have a great GPA, yes, but it's in a soft major and from a very unimpressive school. It's not like I am gonna be hired to do consulting/Wall Street banking. At most I could be a loan adjuster at a local bank, but that's not exactly stellar work experience.

AFA LSAT score I was under the impression that once you get above a school's 75th, there are diminishing returns in terms of scholarships, but I don't know for sure. Retaking isn't completely out of the question down the road, especially if I take a year or two off, but I'm done with the LSAT for right now.
Don't be deterred by your undergrad/major. Many of us are in the same boat! You just need to be able to speak intelligently about why you chose your major and what academic experiences you found meaningful.

For the gap year, one ambitious route that plays very well is teaching English abroad. A less ambitious but still totally useful way to spend your time would be as a paralegal. As long as the position gives you exposure to real legal work (and not exclusively admin stuff), it can really help you clarify your "story" come application time.

As far as the diminishing returns thing goes, I'd definitely do some research on here/LSN to make sure that applies to "black-box" scholarships like the Ruby/Hamilton. I could absolutely be wrong (it's been a while), but I think the bar for those is a bit higher and that LSAT may look slightly more important than GPA. OTOH, the data is sparse, and it may not happen even for students who do everything "right." FWIW, I didn't get a Hamilton. In fact, I was "reserved"/waitlisted by CLS without even a phone screen. I was always way more interested in UChicago and hoped for a Ruby, but I thought the Hamilton was objectively more likely because my LSAT >>> my GPA. I think this may be where the work experience came into play; I spoke a lot about it in my UChi Skype interview (which was definitely the best - and most important interview - of my life so far haha)

Whatever you choose, you'll have great options! :D

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by Necho2 » Mon Jul 10, 2017 10:54 am

lebongenre wrote:
dm1683 wrote:IDK, I am considering a gap year especially since I am very young (will be 21 in August). Problem is I don't know what I will do. I have a great GPA, yes, but it's in a soft major and from a very unimpressive school. It's not like I am gonna be hired to do consulting/Wall Street banking. At most I could be a loan adjuster at a local bank, but that's not exactly stellar work experience.

AFA LSAT score I was under the impression that once you get above a school's 75th, there are diminishing returns in terms of scholarships, but I don't know for sure. Retaking isn't completely out of the question down the road, especially if I take a year or two off, but I'm done with the LSAT for right now.
Don't be deterred by your undergrad/major. Many of us are in the same boat! You just need to be able to speak intelligently about why you chose your major and what academic experiences you found meaningful.

For the gap year, one ambitious route that plays very well is teaching English abroad. A less ambitious but still totally useful way to spend your time would be as a paralegal. As long as the position gives you exposure to real legal work (and not exclusively admin stuff), it can really help you clarify your "story" come application time.

As far as the diminishing returns thing goes, I'd definitely do some research on here/LSN to make sure that applies to "black-box" scholarships like the Ruby/Hamilton. I could absolutely be wrong (it's been a while), but I think the bar for those is a bit higher and that LSAT may look slightly more important than GPA. OTOH, the data is sparse, and it may not happen even for students who do everything "right." FWIW, I didn't get a Hamilton. In fact, I was "reserved"/waitlisted by CLS without even a phone screen. I was always way more interested in UChicago and hoped for a Ruby, but I thought the Hamilton was objectively more likely because my LSAT >>> my GPA. I think this may be where the work experience came into play; I spoke a lot about it in my UChi Skype interview (which was definitely the best - and most important interview - of my life so far haha)

Whatever you choose, you'll have great options! :D
Just want to +1 this advice- I didn't get anything with a name on it from Columbia, but I had a strong interview, a pretty compelling story supported by my WE, and I think I wrote an absolutely fantastic Why UChicago (I looked back at it after receiving the Ruby and honestly surprised myself with how well it flowed and how earnest it sounded). So definitely do that, and while I don't know everyone's LSAT's, honestly the majority of them have been above a 173, although mine obviously wasn't...

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by xn3345 » Mon Jul 10, 2017 4:53 pm

Is suit and tie too formal for the glass menagerie photo?

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by poptart123 » Tue Jul 11, 2017 10:12 am

xn3345 wrote:Is suit and tie too formal for the glass menagerie photo?
That's what I used because I already had a decent head shot and didn't want to take another.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by LSRAT » Sat Jul 15, 2017 5:16 pm

Hey y'all! Any opinions about 53rd/cottage grove area? Would you advise/advise against living in that area?

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by bbridge » Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:34 pm

poptart123 wrote:
xn3345 wrote:Is suit and tie too formal for the glass menagerie photo?
That's what I used because I already had a decent head shot and didn't want to take another.
I'd say about 20% of men are in suit and ties. You'll be in good company.

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Re: UChi Students & Alumni Taking Questions

Post by bbridge » Sun Jul 16, 2017 9:36 pm

LSRAT wrote:Hey y'all! Any opinions about 53rd/cottage grove area? Would you advise/advise against living in that area?
I haven't a clue about specific buildings around there, but that area would not be my first choice. If you're smart you'll likely be safe, but if I were you I would look a bit further east.

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