Conversation with Director Vic Telesino (Post Your Questions Here)

UCLA-VicUID: 3483700

二毛毛二新新 发表于 2013-11-10 13:05
Dear Mr. Vic Telesion:
I noticed that your school personal statement format requirements included ...

Your application will not be negatively affected if your personal statement exceeds three pages. I would recommend trying to keep it to four pages, out of fairness to applicants who shorten their essays to abide by the three-page limit.

UCLA-VicUID: 3483700

灵小犀di磕绊史 发表于 2013-11-10 13:22
Hello, Mr. Vic Telesio，I am a student from Wuhan University. Thank you very much for your generosit ...

Thank you for your questions. We take numerous factors into account when evaluating an application, one of which is the "quality" or "reputation" of the university. We survey faculty, practitioners, and students from the countries from which we receive applications, in order to assess the relative quality of universities/law schools and generate as accurate an impression as possible.

Earning a degree from a university/law school that is generally considered to be in the "top tier" (for example, top 10 or 20 schools) in its country or region is viewed quite favorably by the Committee. But a student who earns a degree with a strong GPA from a less well-known school will still receive full consideration, and we have granted admission to such students.

Our program has grown considerably over the past 3-5 years, so our Chinese alumni base is growing and will continue to rise moving forward. We also work to help our students integrate into the wider campus and alumni community. I recently read an article which noted that UCLA enrolled approximately 1,200 Chinese students in undergraduate and graduate programs in 2013, the most from any nation: http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/ ... hina-s-211186.aspx. UCLA LL.M. students are eligible to participate in campus student groups and activities, which enables our students to make connections outside of the law school and their peer groups. You might also be interested to know that UCLA LL.M. students are eligible to take a course at a UCLA department outside the law school and apply it for credit toward their LL.M. degree. A popular outside department is the UCLA Anderson School of Management, which offers several business courses that our students have taken to supplement their studies in the LL.M. Program's Business Law specialization. The Anderson School also organizes the Greater China Business Association group: http://www.anderson.ucla.edu/clu ... tity/greater-china.

UCLA-VicUID: 3483700

MissCICI 发表于 2013-11-10 13:28
Dear Mr. Telesion,

Thanks for your patience! Really nice to talk to you.

Thanks for your questions, MissCICI.

1. While a business background can certainly be an advantage, it's by no means a necessity to gain admission. As I mentioned in a previous reply, we give all applications equal consideration regardless of the specialization or field of study the student wishes to pursue. Having completed a minor in International Trade and Economics with good grades can also help to improve your chances of admission.

2. A lack of an outstanding internship or significant practice experience is not necessarily a negative. We have granted admission to many students who earned outstanding grades in their law courses, and provided strong recommendation letters, good TOEFL scores, and a compelling personal statement but did not have an internship or practice experience prior to applying. Students with less strong grades, however, can bolster their chances of admission by engaging in internships or other practical experience, and providing solid recommendations from their supervisor(s).

3. Yes, the Committee will consider a student's campus and extracurricular activities. As you noted, a student who spent a large amount of time engaged in such activities will not be expected to have completed significant legal practice work. Campus activities are particularly valuable when they highlight positive attributes that may not have been apparent from simply viewing your law school grades. In general, the Committee prefers focused, driven students who have achieved their educational goals to date and have a clear plan in mind for their future studies and career. So achievements and activities that highlight these attributes can help to bolster your chances of admission.

灵小犀di磕绊史UID: 3432145

UCLA-Vic 发表于 2013-11-10 13:57
Thank you for your questions. We take numerous factors into account when evaluating an application ...

The outside department opportunity is really appealing！Thank you sir, and really appreciate your detailed and patient reply.

MissCICIUID: 3408460

UCLA-Vic 发表于 2013-11-10 14:13
Thanks for your questions, MissCICI.

1. While a business background can certainly be an advanta ...

Thanks a lot!! I do hope I could have a precious opportunity to study further in UCLA!! :)

UCLA-VicUID: 3483700

灵小犀di磕绊史 发表于 2013-11-10 14:14
The outside department opportunity is really appealing！Thank you sir, and really appreciate your  ...

You're welcome!

I have to log off for the evening, but thank you very much to everyone for your questions, and for your interest in studying at UCLA! We will definitely plan to hold another conversation in the coming months. Just a friendly reminder that the application deadline for our 2014-2015 LL.M. Program is February 15, 2014. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

evelynleafUID: 3335756

UCLA-Vic 发表于 2013-11-10 12:52
Dear evelynleaf, thank you for your message. While UCLA does not require applicants to our LL.M. P ...

Thank you very much, sir. Good night!