Penn State Dickinson School of Law 2012 Forum

[Jones, Dow]

Penn State sent me the "we are out of funds but you are first on our list for merit aid after the deadline" acceptance letter. I've also received need based aid. Do you guys think they are serious about re-offering people like me some $?

Yeah, I was looking over the thing for need based aid last night...it says that students under 30 are not considered for need based aid if their only dependent is their spouse, unless parental information is used on FAFSA. With my parents' income I'm certain that I wouldn't be considered either way, which sucks, cause my ass is broke.

get a bun in that oven --> tax breaks AND need-based aid.

[SoxyPirate]

What hotel did you stay at? You should have stayed at one of the hotels on campus.

The teachers in PA appear to be paid well, however she has been told by many PA transplants it is near impossible to get a job (with only a few years experience), let alone in a specific area.

It will be my Wife and 1 year old child going with me, along with my two dogs. However one dog is so large he may actually be a cow, maybe.

We stayed at the Sleep Inn on the first night...and that was fine. We tried to get another night there but they were out of rooms. So in a rush I booked the last room at the Rodeway Inn. I didn't mind it so bad, but my wife couldn't sleep because she thought it was too sketchy. The sheets on the bed didn't fit and it did have a marginally creepy aura about it. She hasn't left home very often.

I'm glad so many incoming students are married...the students this weekend said that there are lots of couples' nights and group dates and stuff with the married couples on campus. My wife ate that up.

[SoxyPirate]

Penn State sent me the "we are out of funds but you are first on our list for merit aid after the deadline" acceptance letter. I've also received need based aid. Do you guys think they are serious about re-offering people like me some $?

Yeah, I was looking over the thing for need based aid last night...it says that students under 30 are not considered for need based aid if their only dependent is their spouse, unless parental information is used on FAFSA. With my parents' income I'm certain that I wouldn't be considered either way, which sucks, cause my ass is broke.

get a bun in that oven --> tax breaks AND need-based aid.

I'll need triplets for the aid I want...

[sharp1321]

Penn State sent me the "we are out of funds but you are first on our list for merit aid after the deadline" acceptance letter. I've also received need based aid. Do you guys think they are serious about re-offering people like me some $?

Yeah, I was looking over the thing for need based aid last night...it says that students under 30 are not considered for need based aid if their only dependent is their spouse, unless parental information is used on FAFSA. With my parents' income I'm certain that I wouldn't be considered either way, which sucks, cause my ass is broke.

get a bun in that oven --> tax breaks AND need-based aid.

what an unconventional way to grow their future alumni network... talk about ground up

[LSATfromNC]

Just got a phone call from Wake Forest, talk about extremely tough decisions!

[Jones, Dow]

Just got a phone call from Wake Forest, talk about extremely tough decisions!

peace out, dog

[SoxyPirate]

Just got a phone call from Wake Forest, talk about extremely tough decisions!

peace out, dog

ftw

[Tsmith448]

Looks like it is the same few people on this thread but thought I would give a little love to those going to Carlisle campus. I am excited to see the new building second semester. Good luck to all those at Main (sorry lived in PA my entire life I will always call it main campus) and hopefully see a few of you on some video conferencing our second year.

Anyone else attending the Carlisle campus?

Also curious what swayed people to go to Main campus over Carlisle?

[Jones, Dow]

Looks like it is the same few people on this thread but thought I would give a little love to those going to Carlisle campus. I am excited to see the new building second semester. Good luck to all those at Main (sorry lived in PA my entire life I will always call it main campus) and hopefully see a few of you on some video conferencing our second year.

Anyone else attending the Carlisle campus?

Also curious what swayed people to go to Main campus over Carlisle?

football, FTW!!!!!!!!!!

[thisguy456]

Went to Penn State undergrad, so maybe I can help with some housing decisions.

As far as apartments go, absolutely avoid anything downtown if you have a family. It is wild and noisy on the weekends. An apartment complex that comes to mind is Toftrees, which is near a golf course, and a bit nicer than downtown living (although the complex is old in some areas). Many grad students live out there, some undergrad students, and some young professionals. It's much quieter living, and only about a 10-15 minute drive to campus during rush hour (there's also a bus).

There are some houses students rent very near the new law building. They are what you would expect for student housing. The deeper you go into those neighborhoods, the nicer or quieter it is. I'm not sure where you would find listings, I didn't live in a house when I was out there. Those houses though start along Park Avenue. There are other houses for rent near downtown, but like the apartments, I would avoid those.

My brother who works for Penn State (and used to live out in Toftrees) lives in a rented house a little farther away from campus, I'd say only about 15 minutes, but in an area where there are virtually no students. The house is fairly nice, and he lives with two other people and each pay a little over $300 a month. Not bad. COL very accommodating.

[AMo4Sho]

I'm in at UP. Im from Chicago, and never even been to the east coast/PA. Kinda nervous, but pretty PUMPED!

[Jones, Dow]

I'm in at UP. Im from Chicago, and never even been to the east coast/PA. Kinda nervous, but pretty PUMPED!

State College and Chicago have a lot in common so you should be OK.

[mari]

I'm in at UP. Im from Chicago, and never even been to the east coast/PA. Kinda nervous, but pretty PUMPED!

State College and Chicago have a lot in common so you should be OK.

Dow, how? The pizza? The snow? What is your new avatar trying to tell us?

AMo4Sho, you'll love it here in Central PA. Congrats!

We'll be the east coast, after the sea level rises and takes out Philly.

[Jones, Dow]

The things that State College and Chicago have in common:

Air
Dirt
Grass
A love of football

That's about all I can come up with. Anyone think of anything else?

The prego tar was a joke in ref. to one of the greatest threads I've ever read:

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... =9&t=67432

enjoy!!

[BlueDemon]

I'm headed to UP from Chicago as well, I went to State College for the first time last week and I really enjoyed it. The best thing was the reverse sticker shock. Some bar I went to had 25 cent drafts. I get excited when there's $2.50 drafts around here.

[AMo4Sho]

I'm headed to UP from Chicago as well, I went to State College for the first time last week and I really enjoyed it. The best thing was the reverse sticker shock. Some bar I went to had 25 cent drafts. I get excited when there's $2.50 drafts around here.

25 cents? thats ridiculous. Where are you staying at UP? I'm in those White Course Apts.

[AMo4Sho]

Anything will be amazing after my undergrad. I went to undergrad just outside St Louis (i have a baseball scholarship, which is the only reason I went here.) Country music everywhere, and the school put me in a house that is older than my parents. The roof is leaking as I write this. STL= world's worst pizza and world's worst drivers (they dont have to a driver's ed class).

[mari]

Today I drove past the Katz Building in State College. The new arboretum next to it is coming right along. Some of the trees are in, and there's some grass. If I had $325,000 I would buy this house: http://www.statecollegehomesales.com/ml ... esidential Click on the picture of its back deck, and you will be looking out across the arboretum toward the Katz Building. Anybody want to buy this house and rent me a room?

[Jones, Dow]

freaking expensive!

[SoxyPirate]

I just want to bump the thread...and make sure my name is at the bottom.

[dlmbrown]

I'm in at Carlisle.

[mari]

I'm in at Carlisle.

Yay! I'll look forward to meeting you on camera from UP, if not sooner in person. That is, if I can get the parking challenges figured out for UP.

[Jones, Dow]

I'm in at Carlisle.

Yay! I'll look forward to meeting you on camera from UP, if not sooner in person. That is, if I can get the parking challenges figured out for UP.

what have you figured out about parking? from what i hear if you pay for parking at the new building you probably won't be able to afford a car payment as well...

[mari]

I'm in at Carlisle.

Yay! I'll look forward to meeting you on camera from UP, if not sooner in person. That is, if I can get the parking challenges figured out for UP.

what have you figured out about parking? from what i hear if you pay for parking at the new building you probably won't be able to afford a car payment as well...

At UP, 1L's cannot park at the new building at all. The limited spaces allotted for student parking go to 3L's by a lottery system. I have not yet even asked about cost. You can see that online, I think, but it would likely rise next year anyway.

The parking for 1L's is at one of the commuter lots near the stadium. That's about a half-mile walk, which will be pleasant in September-October, but not when it snows and sleets. The path is not direct, unless you cut across some sports fields, but it looks like they are trying to block that with temporary fences. They say there is a shuttle from the stadium lot to the Katz Building. Actually, it runs four times an hour, and it goes on a one-way circular route -- away from the law school. Which gives you a 20-minute shuttle ride in the morning and a 5-minute ride at the end of the day. The seats are limited on the shuttle as well.

Two further factors complicate this for me personally. I happen to live in a nearby county, a 50-minute drive south of campus. So that's about an 80-minute commute each way, door to door, if I use the shuttle on a snowy day, assuming my car makes it over the mountain in the snow. Also, I will turn 60 next year and falling on ice is a fear for me.

Anyway, the creative solution for me will be some kind of car-pooling from home. Maybe I can get someone to drop me off at the Katz Building every day, in exchange for my providing gas money. It has to work out, somehow. If anyone will be living in Huntingdon county, PM me and let's make some schemes.

The campus busses and the town busses do not go to the law school. You can see the routes online.

[Jones, Dow]

Oh boy. This is not good news. This is not good at all.