Hi, I was wondering if there was anyone else admitted and thinking about enrolling? We could share information, ideas, tips and maybe even get some advice from fellow llm-guiders who know more about the program ...

I was admitted but rejected the offer... Am waiting for the regular LLM decision.

I was accepted and I am thinking whether I should take it. I had applied to both the Traditional track & Professional Track, and I received an email today for admissions to only the Professional Track. Is the Traditional Track much more competitive to get into? I was hoping that I could enroll in the traditional track.

Well if you want to go to Berkeley than you can always accept this offer and if you are accepted to the Traditional Track and you prefer that one, your deposit can be credited towards the Traditional Track. The problem is if you would prefer other university, then you would lose the deposit I believe...

Thank you SimplyLLM. Does it mean that the Traditional Track results will be released later? I thought both of them would be released together and I was only accepted to one.

Hi, no, the Traditional Track results will come later (I guess in March or so). If you pay your deposit for the Professional Track than you can choose Traditional track later with no problems....

Oh I see now, Thank you! :)

Hi, I am enrolled in the Professional Track, awaiting for the second summer.

I can tell you:
1) the admission process is the same for both tracks but there are two different committee evaluating the applications. I think the Professional Track selection takes more in consideration previous working experiences. I met people who were admitted to the Traditional but not the Professional and viceversa. I was admitted to both and I chose the Professional Track;
2) Admission offers for Traditional Track come out in March. If you are admitted to both you can simply transfer the deposit you paid for the Professional Track to the Traditional Track.

Hi Lauca81! Would you be so kind to share with us your experience with the program? Is it a good one? Are you happy with your choice?

Sure.

I will try to be objective as... I simply had the best time of my life. Hehehe.

The program is really really good and there is no difference under this point of view with the Traditional Track. Yes of course, the number of courses available is reduced but the faculty teaching is the same available during the academic year. And the courses offered are the one that usually people expect to tak during an LLM.
Beside that the university stuff is really helpfull and keen also in listening for suggestion about new courses to offer the following summer or to remove.

What I liked most is the structure of the program that is more "professional".
You have the same number of credits, number of classes and hours in class as the Traditional Track but the program is splitted in two summers and last little less, seven months instead of eight.

Therefore is more intese:
you have class on a same subject for three weeks straight everyday Monday to Friday for three hours in the morning. Then one or two days for reviewing and then exam. One day off and then you start a new subject for three more weeks (quarter).
During the first year (the first summer) you also have class for two hours in the afternoon twice or three times a week on another subject.

Meanwhile in the Traditional Track you study four of five subjects at the time for four months, having class two, three or four times per week evertime on a different subject (sometimes you may have classes on the same subject twice a week) and each class usually is no longer then two hours.

Therefore, I liked more the Professional Track because you focus more on a subject and you have the chance to connect better with a professor you see every day then one you see once or twice a week.

Class experience may be also better because you do not have class with JDs but only with your fellow LLMs that are usually experienced lawyers and dibate in class is much more interesting. Some professors also confessed they loved teaching in the Professional Track because of that.

With the Traditional Track you have on the other side the chance of partecipate in journals (even if is difficult for LLM student to obtain a sit) and in clinics. You live a more truly US university experience, you see how the campus life is during fall and spring. But this meas also that is really crowded.

During summer you feel instead like owing Berkeley, campus community is reduced and it is easier to go to a pub with all your classmate.

The Professional Track is more intense also on the lifestyle point of view. As long as you feel like every summer is a short time, you feel like leaving it all. Wake up-class-lunch break-study in the library-sport-dinner-hang out. Repeat.

Hope I explained and answered your question.

Let me know if you need some clarifications.

Thank you so much for sharing all the information with us! I really appreciate it!!

Are you American Lauca ?

Nope, Italian.

Thanks for the useful info! Does anyone know if the Traditional Track is a lot more competitive to get into, compared to the Professional Track??

JaelKim I guess it is. I suggest you look into the app tracker of Berkeley and look at the 2013-2014 rate of admission/rejection. It is not 100% reliable but gives some clues.

Thanks AV.law!! But could you please tell me more about the app you are talking about?? I tried to find it on the apple store but with no luck. What exactly is it??

Hi!

He is referring to the app tracker on this site, you can check it out here: http://www.llm-guide.com/apptracker

Good luck!

Thank you sooo much! You folks are awesome! :)

For Berkeley's AppTracker, also look here:

http://www.llm-guide.com/university/4/university-of-california-berkeley-law-boalt-hall/apptracker

Thank you Alain!!:)