Penn Students Taking Questions Forum

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PennBull

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by PennBull » Sun Dec 20, 2015 11:43 am

Bbbrian wrote:I have a random question that I know there isn't a perfect answer for, but I was wondering about how generous the law school is with handing out need-based grants? I know you have to complete a FAFSA and Need Access application, but assuming my FAFSA gives me a 0 EFC and Need Access form is filled out by a single mother, on disability, with no other income and little savings, how much NEED BASED fin aid could someone expect?

I'm assuming the higher need based grants for the most in-need students is around 15k/year, but before I apply ED with the understanding that I won't receive any merit based scholarship, I'm trying to get the best measure of the likelihood that I could get offered some type of need based grant. Even 5k a year would be helpful. Any personal experience with need-based aid from Penn Law would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I got like $6k from Penn in a similar situation.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Bbbrian » Sun Dec 20, 2015 1:50 pm

PennBull wrote:
Bbbrian wrote:I have a random question that I know there isn't a perfect answer for, but I was wondering about how generous the law school is with handing out need-based grants? I know you have to complete a FAFSA and Need Access application, but assuming my FAFSA gives me a 0 EFC and Need Access form is filled out by a single mother, on disability, with no other income and little savings, how much NEED BASED fin aid could someone expect?

I'm assuming the higher need based grants for the most in-need students is around 15k/year, but before I apply ED with the understanding that I won't receive any merit based scholarship, I'm trying to get the best measure of the likelihood that I could get offered some type of need based grant. Even 5k a year would be helpful. Any personal experience with need-based aid from Penn Law would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I got like $6k from Penn in a similar situation.
Cool thanks! I'm assuming that's 6k/year

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PennBull

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by PennBull » Sun Dec 20, 2015 4:10 pm

Bbbrian wrote:
PennBull wrote:
Bbbrian wrote:I have a random question that I know there isn't a perfect answer for, but I was wondering about how generous the law school is with handing out need-based grants? I know you have to complete a FAFSA and Need Access application, but assuming my FAFSA gives me a 0 EFC and Need Access form is filled out by a single mother, on disability, with no other income and little savings, how much NEED BASED fin aid could someone expect?

I'm assuming the higher need based grants for the most in-need students is around 15k/year, but before I apply ED with the understanding that I won't receive any merit based scholarship, I'm trying to get the best measure of the likelihood that I could get offered some type of need based grant. Even 5k a year would be helpful. Any personal experience with need-based aid from Penn Law would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
I got like $6k from Penn in a similar situation.
Cool thanks! I'm assuming that's 6k/year
No, total. Schools don't give out a ton of need based aid.

threatlevelmidnight

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by threatlevelmidnight » Mon Jan 04, 2016 3:40 pm

post removed
Last edited by threatlevelmidnight on Tue Jan 05, 2016 4:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

threatlevelmidnight

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by threatlevelmidnight » Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:42 pm

removed

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PennBull

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by PennBull » Mon Jan 04, 2016 10:55 pm

well this post is silly now that the above was edited
Last edited by PennBull on Wed Jan 13, 2016 9:24 am, edited 1 time in total.

wildcatatpenn

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by wildcatatpenn » Wed Jan 13, 2016 7:48 am

Current 3L here... Did any 1Ls have Prof. Hoffman for contracts last semester?

Would really really really appreciate a DM if you don't mind.

Thank you!!

Auxilio

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Wed Jan 20, 2016 6:00 pm

Can anyone speak to any specificity how common A+s are? It is hard for me to ask in person since it comes off as bragging, but want to try and get a better idea of my rank/place/standing etc.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by ymmv » Wed Jan 20, 2016 7:03 pm

Auxilio wrote:Can anyone speak to any specificity how common A+s are? It is hard for me to ask in person since it comes off as bragging, but want to try and get a better idea of my rank/place/standing etc.
Depends entirely on the prof/course. Look up past grade distributions in the registrar's office.

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Auxilio

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Wed Jan 20, 2016 7:13 pm

ymmv wrote:
Auxilio wrote:Can anyone speak to any specificity how common A+s are? It is hard for me to ask in person since it comes off as bragging, but want to try and get a better idea of my rank/place/standing etc.
Depends entirely on the prof/course. Look up past grade distributions in the registrar's office.
I forgot that option, thanks will do tomorrow.

YYC

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by YYC » Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:39 pm

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to study when the profs don't post any past exam answers (there are about 5 past essay exams, none with sample answers).

Something I noted from last semester was that I learn well by taking apart sample answers from past years. I did approx. 50% of all readings for CivPro, didn't outline, no supplements, mainly relied on past exams and answers and got A. By contrast, I did 90% of all readings in Torts, took great notes, outlined, skimmed past exams and answers, got low B.

What good are the past exams without sample answers?
Please help! Thanks!

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Sun Jan 24, 2016 4:47 pm

YYC wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to study when the profs don't post any past exam answers (there are about 5 past essay exams, none with sample answers).

Something I noted from last semester was that I learn well by taking apart sample answers from past years. I did approx. 50% of all readings for CivPro, didn't outline, no supplements, mainly relied on past exams and answers and got A. By contrast, I did 90% of all readings in Torts, took great notes, outlined, skimmed past exams and answers, got low B.

What good are the past exams without sample answers?
Please help! Thanks!
I personally didn't go this route, but my civpro and contracts only had 1/2 past exams available--a lot of people just spent time doing exams from other profs (maybe ask a 2L which they think are best fit).

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by YYC » Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:00 pm

Hey Auxilio,

Thanks so much for your great advice. You said you personally didn't take that route, would you mind sharing some tips you felt were useful to you? Thanks again.

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Auxilio

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Sun Jan 24, 2016 5:20 pm

To be honest I hate saying this because it sounds horrible in my mind, but the general ethos I went with is to emphasize working efficiently rather than excessively--but at a constant rate throughout the semester.

So I did not do thorough readings at all, but I did try to pay a lot of attention to which aspects of a case the prof focused on--and then spent ~5-10 minutes after each class thinking about the class experience/notes/thoughts and incorporating it into my notes.

I basically did not bother outlining (except kind-of for contracts--but that was mostly just because Galbraith is closed book/rules oriented so I wanted to have to go over it all thoroughly (I did get my best mark in Contracts though, so maybe I should have outlined everything)), but spent that time instead going over my notes/other outlines and really trying to figure out which parts I did not fully grasp. I did make spreadsheets with every case in them for my two open book classes, I think this worked great--you just go down the list of cases (each essentially representing an issue) and try to apply them to the facts you have.

Right before exams I only did one (in total, not per class) full exam (and even then it was more like very detailed outline) which I do not think I gained a lot from, instead I focused on knowing the law before I took the practice exams so I could just outline answers with some confidence that I already knew the law and practice was mostly just for spotting issues. I did go through briefly every one of Baker's (there are like 10) practice exams, but none of them with a lot of determination. I actually do agree with your general feeling that the sample answers are more useful than the prompts--hopefully reading them for other profs is enough.

Very importantly, this ethos of working efficiently (but a little throughout semester) helped make me very unstressed and relaxed during finals, which I think is a big bonus. I hope some of this helped, I am not sure how well I said it, or even how I managed to get the grades I did to be honest (still expecting a big drop next semester).

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by mpellenberger » Sun Jan 31, 2016 4:59 pm

Admitted this week. Have a sizable (relative to my stats/expectations) scholarship from Michigan, and was wondering if anyone has any success leveraging that against Penn, when the time comes?

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Sun Jan 31, 2016 5:16 pm

mpellenberger wrote:Admitted this week. Have a sizable (relative to my stats/expectations) scholarship from Michigan, and was wondering if anyone has any success leveraging that against Penn, when the time comes?
I had a lot of success negotiating with them, but it was all T6 offers down, not sure how applicable it will be to you.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Idoneus » Mon Feb 01, 2016 12:15 am

Does anyone know if the administration would be accommodating at all (if there is anything they can do) to the situation of a 1L prof who has a 20% participation grade that I do not trust to mark me unbiasedly. I don't want to give more details than that.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by kennethparcell » Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:42 pm

I know housing has been beaten to death on this board, but can anyone recommend an area/neighborhood to live in for someone who wants to bring a car? I know the general wisdom is to just not bring one, but I'm wondering if it could be feasible.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Auxilio » Thu Feb 18, 2016 10:39 pm

kennethparcell wrote:I know housing has been beaten to death on this board, but can anyone recommend an area/neighborhood to live in for someone who wants to bring a car? I know the general wisdom is to just not bring one, but I'm wondering if it could be feasible.
I feel it necessary to repeat what you evidently already know: don't bring a car.

That being said I know a couple people with cars who live in South Philly.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by ymmv » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:38 pm

Street parking is free in most of west philly.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by ymmv » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:38 pm

You don't need a car.

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Clearly

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Clearly » Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:08 am

I brought my car as a 1L, I lived in a neighborhood with free and easy parking. I still dropped it off at my parents house before the year was out. I truly advocate not bringing it. There are neighborhoods with free parking, and others with no parking, but its irrelevant, you will literally find easier ways of going almost anywhere in this city than by car. With the rare exception of like walmart runs or home-depot type of things, its utterly pointless because while you might have parking at home, you can never be sure you'll have parking where your going, and almost everywhere you'll be going as a 1L (school, bar review etc) doesn't have free or easy to find parking.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by PennBull » Fri Feb 19, 2016 8:33 am

kennethparcell wrote:I know housing has been beaten to death on this board, but can anyone recommend an area/neighborhood to live in for someone who wants to bring a car? I know the general wisdom is to just not bring one, but I'm wondering if it could be feasible.
unless you provide the reasons for why you want the car, you're (rightfully) going to get aggressive pushback to the concept of bringing one at all.

don't bring a car.

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by kennethparcell » Fri Feb 19, 2016 4:41 pm

my SO lives in a small city not too far away that's not easily accessible by mass transport but that is easily accessible by car.

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Clearly

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Re: Penn Students Taking Questions

Post by Clearly » Fri Feb 19, 2016 6:39 pm

kennethparcell wrote:my SO lives in a small city not too far away that's not easily accessible by mass transport but that is easily accessible by car.
Cool, if you Google Philly and parking just make sure you live in an area that has free street parking and you're fine.

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

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