For prospective members of MSU Law class of 2012. Questions/comments on MSU...post them and invite feedback.

Currently between here and University of St. Thomas. After the admitted student weekend I was very impressed with the school, making my decision that much more difficult.

I am in. The only question I have, so far, is wether anyone has been able to get a living stipend out of MSU? I called today and started my inquiry.

I am looking forward to help building a tradition of excellence at MSU law. I have ideas I would like to propose to the dean about how to use some the enterprises the university is already engaging in to help advance the law schools ability to solicit funds from private donors, and enhance its international appeal and standing.

I'm in at MSU as well, but a little dissapointed there was no $$$ attached. I really like the school and the program, but it just seems a bit pricier than many other options...

I applied on a whim to MSU the beginning of this month and received almost a full ride (it was free to apply, so why not). I'm choosing Iowa at rez tuition instead. I'm curious if any of you have been accepted to higher ranked schools (ie tier ones) and if so, why would you not go there?

Congrats on MSU, it is going to be a great school for sure. I am just curious about your thoughts on MSU and the potentially risky debt you'll be coming out with if you choose it over a well-known program (notice how I didn't say better!).

I also got into Marquette (T2). However, Michigan State seems to be a better program, although it's not T2. I'm actually between MSU and University of St. Thomas. I like UST's school, the faculty, and location.

I'm still sort of between UST and Iowa actually. Got a full ride there. I'll be 140k in debt (counting UG loans) when I get out of Iowa, so no debt would be nice, plus I LOVE MSP.

I like MSU's program and facilities, although I'm worried about Michigan's economy (and MSU didn't give me any money, which would have made all the difference). I was admitted to a few T2 schools including Hofstra, St. Louis, Syracuse and Stetson. Unless you're talking about T14 schools, the prevailing wisdom is that applicants should select a school where we want to practice. I looked at the legal markets and whether I could see myself living/practicing law in that location when considering each school. St. Louis is #1 for health law and claims to place its students in health law nationally, but I wasn't absolutely sure that I wanted a certificate in health law.

I'll stay on a few T2 waitlists, but I decided to send in a MSU seat deposit.

Yes and no though. At Iowa or Minnesota or Indiana, or even OSU, tons of grads practice out of that respective state. 70% did last year from Iowa alone. I want to wind up in the twin cities when I graduate, and I think the odds of getting I higher paying job there wen I get out go up dramatically if I go to Iowa over UST.

MSU carries a Big10 name that carries weight outside of Michigan. I've told people who don't know about the US News Rankings that I put down a seat deposit at Michigan State, and they leaped to the conclusion that it's a good law school based on being associated with the university. I also told two older lawyers, who assumed it was a competitive school because it has big-school resources. I guess we'll know whether the choice was worth the debt in three years... if I'm living in my parent's basement and working as a lifeguard after law school, I'll know I should have picked a different school.

For those who are interested, MSU told me they do not give more in scholarship than the cost of tuition. The reason given was that they want to be able to give more money to a greater percentage of the class. Though I do appreciate this sentiment, I would really like an additional costs stipend.

GO STATE!!!





Another Final Four appearance would be awesome.

I'm in love.

As for your question. Yes, I was accepted to higher ranked schools. I am choosing MSU for a few reasons. I really like the state of Michigan, I think it is really beautiful, and I would like to contribute to its redevelopment in some way. Second, I wanted to be closer to my family in Michigan (they live in Grand Rapids). Third, full tuition is awesome. Fourth, I would like my future work to compliment my masters degree in Middle Eastern Studies. Michigan provides me a great opportunity to do this because of the large Arab-American population in the state. Also, MSU is close to the state capital and will provide some opportunities to work with interest groups there, even if only in a small role because of time constrains. Finally, I am banking a little bit on the assumption that MSU will move up in the rankings and be considered a pretty good law school eventually (at least good enough to match the university's reputation in general).

In all honesty, if I had been admitted to University of Michigan, I would have gone there, even without any scholarship. However, anything outside of the T20 (maybe the T25), I would have chosen the full tuition scholarship at MSU over it. I have raked up a substantial amount of debt in my masters program, and I don't want to see it increase too much.


Oh, btw, did you see the cheerleaders.

Meh, cheerleaders will be at almost every school.

I'm not for sure going to MSU yet, but I am debating it more seriously now. I visited on Thursday and I must say, what an awesome campus. They have a forest randomly in the middle of campus, right next to the river. It doesn't get much better. The law building is spiffy, too, for those who haven't visited.

I've been accepted to Iowa (obviously) and was all but set on going, but the thought of those six-figures in debt vs. the 75% scholarship MSU offered is pretty damn ugly. If they up me to a full-ride, I will be going. If not, I'm not sure, but it will be hard to say no.

The one big deterrant for most is the liklihood of having to practice in Michigan. First of all, it isn't a certainty. MSU doesn't place terrifically OOS, but they are not all-inclusive for Michigan. Plenty go to Chicago, New Jersey, even Florida, oddly enough. And second, staying here wouldn't kill me. Living in Dexter, White Lake, or some such area and commuting to Ann Arbor, Troy, Birmingham, maybe even Detroit, to work would not be too bad a life. I wouldn't be making the big money, but with only ~$50K in debt toal, including UG and living costs, I wouldn't have to. I could live happily working 50-60hrs/wk. and live in an area very underappreciated.

P.S: Have you seen MSU's course offerings? They have some serious choices!

Just found this video on the school. Great shots of the school especially the Moot Court room.

How is that guy a 4L? Does that mean part-time or should I assume a serious typo?

I just got the course catalogue as well and was seriously impressed with the choices...WHY is it so pricey....I hate making decisions...................

I'm in. MSU is rising fast, and I'm excited to get on board.

If you do well first year, they do make scholarship offers for 2/3Ls. So, you know, just excel at an incredibly rigorous line of study and you're golden....

Anyone have any luck negotiating up a scholly?

For those of you that went to the March ASW, can you tell me how the "Housing Option" informational was? Was it useful? What did they tell you? Unfortunately, I can only stay in Michigan for one day during April's ASW and will be missing this part.

What did everyone think of the ASD for those of us who couldn't make it? What were the prospective students like? The current students?

Anyone get any info about the grad student dorm at the ASD? I can't get away from school to go to an ASD, which is frustrating.

I read in one of the law school books that the singles in the grad student dorm are really small. What exactly does that mean? A big closet? Positives: rolling out of bed and getting to class in five minutes, not worrying about shoveling out a car and driving to school in MI snow, and having a year to check out apartments and find a compatible roommate.

On the other hand, I'm not sure about being surrounded by other law students 24-7. I also can't imagine inviting someone over to my "dorm room" at my age, made even worse if it's a closet.

I didn't take the tour of the on-campus housing, but given the low cost of living in most of the mid-west, I'd just get an apartment. One current student said she'd never live in the grad housing. The short walk would be nice, but I would want a place away from the school, to feel like you "get away" somewhere.

Current students seemed pretty cool, although my tour guide was a bit hyper. Didn't seem too uptight all around and did talk a lot about open-door professors and the like. Being as big as it is, I don't know what kind of community feeling you'd get, maybe a bit competitive due to the strict requirements for OCI. But with E. Lansing being as cool as it is, and campus as nice, there would likely be plenty to do to get away.

Yeah, cake...

I'm having a hard time making a decision about MSU law school. I'm relatively attached to the state and was offered a full ride as part of the King Scholars program (which includes some pretty cool stuff outside of just the tuition). However, I was also offered half tuition at U of Illinois. What do people think? I've heard a lot about MSU's poor ranking and how this could seriously cripple job prospects elsewhere, but does anyone know how this is affected if you graduate near the top of your class?