Indiana University - Bloomington students taking questions Forum

[danquayle]

No one has actually been murdered at the murder Kroger... it just looks like a place someone could get murdered.

...in Bloomington?

Yeah, there is a dumpy Kroger right around the school, while the other ones in Bloomington are nice and new. It's been affectionately called the Murder Kroger by a number of people. I've been in there once, and tend to bump into other law students at the non-Murder Krogers.

Oh please, Bloomington is one of the safest towns I've ever been to, let alone live in. I used to walk to "Murder Krogers" all the time, sometimes well past midnight. I'm not saying thats a brilliant idea in any city, but merely to state I've never encountered anything untoward.

The biggest thing you'll have to worry about in Bloomington is drunken college students and the occasional property damage.

[Spoonmanners]

That is true. Sorry if I was confusing. It's called the "Murder Kroger" because it's old and dumpy, not dangerous at all.

[RMstratosphere]

I'll be interested to see how this year's 1L grade wait compares to last year's fiasco. So far, none reporting.

[Spoonmanners]

Hmm... fiascos? I guess the long wait for most was extreme... I learned how unimportant it was later. Or maybe last year when Bosch sacrificed like 80% of his class for the remaining 20%.

Good luck 1L's. Just remember it really doesn't matter all that much. (I'm saying that knowing I wouldn't have listened to that statement this time last year).

[narkizopoint]

Are you saying the wait doesn't matter that much or that the grades don't matter that much?

[narkizopoint]

Oh please, Bloomington is one of the safest towns I've ever been to, let alone live in. I used to walk to "Murder Krogers" all the time, sometimes well past midnight. I'm not saying thats a brilliant idea in any city, but merely to state I've never encountered anything untoward.

The biggest thing you'll have to worry about in Bloomington is drunken college students and the occasional property damage.

Maybe it is normal is communities where snow falls, but I was a little taken aback by all the snow wieners built around town. Maybe its a college town thing?

[Spoonmanners]

Are you saying the wait doesn't matter that much or that the grades don't matter that much?

The grades. The wait is pointless. Even if a professor is teaching two classes, they really only need to go over a few a day in order to get them in on time, and most manage to do exactly that. I've heard of a few people emailing a professor around this time, and getting the response they were just barely starting to grade the tests.

I missed any "snow wieners" and seriously had to read it about 5 times to figure out what you were talking about. Didn't notice any last year either, but yeah, I wouldn't be surprised.

[tooswolle]

I know these questions have been asked in the past but what kind of environment does the university provide for URM's? Moreover, is there a good presence of URM students at the university? Furthermore, I remember reading on here that the University is quite generous with scholarships for urms can anyone expand on that? I appliied over a month ago to IUB so im definitely considering going there if accepted. Thanks in advance.

[ryanshep]

Does any of the scholarship winners (120k) know what it takes to maintain that scholarship, I emailed the admissions office but no response as of yet

[Spoonmanners]

I know these questions have been asked in the past but what kind of environment does the university provide for URM's? Moreover, is there a good presence of URM students at the university? Furthermore, I remember reading on here that the University is quite generous with scholarships for urms can anyone expand on that? I appliied over a month ago to IUB so im definitely considering going there if accepted. Thanks in advance.

There are a few groups tailored to URM's, I think some URM's meet with some of the staff on a semi-regular basis, and they would offer a prep course type of thing to the URM's before 1L year (I believe all 1L's in Indiana get this). There isn't a huge number of URM students, but that is why the school likes to dish out big scholarships. I have a theory that at this level, all URM's are offered some level of money for comparable schools, and South Indiana isn't a place that most URM's would take a pay cut for. I'm not a URM, and none of the 2L's who post here are URM's either, so this may not be the best place to get good information, but I'm sure they will let you know if/when you get an acceptance. I'd like to say I haven't followed any sort of scholarship information, so I have no idea if they have been or will continue to do the same thing this year.

Ryanshep: I can say that the classes of 2011 and 2012 were told in fall of their 1L years that they simply have to maintain a 2.3 GPA. IU is one of few (if any others) that lowered their requirements to make sure your scholarship money isn't taken away from you a few years before you enter into a bad market. This is one of the few times I think the administration has really done something right, and they should get some credit for it. I'm not sure if they will continue to do it or not. My initial scholarship said something about maintaining a 3.2, then they dropped it to the 2.3, a GPA so low I'm not sure if I could hit it even if I tried.

[tooswolle]

Thanks for your post, currently I have numbers that are strong enough to be considered for admission regardless of urm status I'm just hoping for the right kind of $ to make the decision easier. Anyways another important question how are the ladies out there? Haha also what kind of grading curve does the school have? How far can an iub degree reach and hows oci? thanks for the help.

[Spoonmanners]

Thanks for your post, currently I have numbers that are strong enough to be considered for admission regardless of urm status I'm just hoping for the right kind of $ to make the decision easier. Anyways another important question how are the ladies out there? Haha also what kind of grading curve does the school have? How far can an iub degree reach and hows oci? thanks for the help.

Then you are in great standing. I've seen a few numbers on LSN from the past few years that would be enough to make you fairly competitive for money.

There are loads of undergrads, which is personally a plus for me. Plenty of joggers, and the lawschool separates some sororities and the main strip, for what it's worth.

The school has a 3.3 curve, and depending on your teacher, they will most of the time follow it.

The degree seems pretty mobile, considering only a small percentage try to stay in Indiana. It's not a shoe in for anywhere, especially places of great distance, but it can be done. Kings transferred for better job opportunities in California, but just note that just about every law school will be limited in places 2,000+ miles away that aren't HYS.

OCI has been terrible, but as is my understanding, that is the situation in most schools, including similarly placed schools. It should pick up, or at least I assume that.

[ryanshep]

Ryanshep: I can say that the classes of 2011 and 2012 were told in fall of their 1L years that they simply have to maintain a 2.3 GPA. IU is one of few (if any others) that lowered their requirements to make sure your scholarship money isn't taken away from you a few years before you enter into a bad market. This is one of the few times I think the administration has really done something right, and they should get some credit for it. I'm not sure if they will continue to do it or not. My initial scholarship said something about maintaining a 3.2, then they dropped it to the 2.3, a GPA so low I'm not sure if I could hit it even if I tried.

If this is true, then I will most certainly be in attendance come the fall. Does IUB offer travel stipends for students to come visit?

[Spoonmanners]

Yes, if you pester them for it.

[tooswolle]

Thanks for keeping this thread alive man. I feel you on the young girls haha. Anywas how are the schools legal clinics? How does moot court work (I've competed for years and have argued in national tournaments so I'd like to continue it) how does law review work? Sorry for all the questions, thanks again for answering the questions.

[Spoonmanners]

I guess I'll keep this going, as answering this thread is the only productive thing I've done all week.

Legal clinics: I haven't taken part in any. Some require you to have taken a class or two before you do it. I dunno, just wasn't really important to me, but I'm going to try to get in one or two. It gives you some real legal experience, but it will probably be pretty limited.

Moot court: anyone can join. They give you an overly complicated nonsensical fact pattern. I think about 140 did it this year, and 32 move on. You and a partner split research and writing, but you argue by yourself. Judges will then ask you dumb questions. You will probably also take appellate advocacy with it, which is pretty limited work.

There's also a number of other moot court type programs that you can participate in that are national competitions, dealing with a bunch of different kinds of legal areas. I know a few people who decided to skip IU's moot court competition because they were planning to join one of these.

Journal: You either grade or write on, and then regret you ever did it. Journal is a lot of tedious work, and the school currently has three. A few different groups are trying to start other ones, but I have no idea if any will actually happen soon, or if at all.

[biggiemike000]

This may be a dumb question. When it shows the letter grade and gpa, is it the same for everyone that got that grade? Like if it says A- for the grade, 14.8 grade points and 3.7 gpa is that how it shows for everyone? I am just trying to see if there is anyway to distinguish how I did compared to everyone else. Thanks.

[ryanshep]

What's rent like, preferably in a "quiet" area close to campus? Gracias

[RMstratosphere]

This may be a dumb question. When it shows the letter grade and gpa, is it the same for everyone that got that grade? Like if it says A- for the grade, 14.8 grade points and 3.7 gpa is that how it shows for everyone? I am just trying to see if there is anyway to distinguish how I did compared to everyone else. Thanks.

Yes.

[RMstratosphere]

What's rent like, preferably in a "quiet" area close to campus? Gracias

$5-700. Prices generally increase as your proximity to campus decreases.

[superflush]

What's rent like, preferably in a "quiet" area close to campus? Gracias

$5-700. Prices generally increase as your proximity to campus decreases.

This. The noisiest places would be on Kirkwood or Walnut. Outside of that, I think it really depends on who lives on your block (a lot of undergrads or not), and whether people tend to walk by your place en masse. I occasionally hear loud random people walking by my place at night, but some blocks may have more of that.

[danquayle]

What's rent like, preferably in a "quiet" area close to campus? Gracias

$5-700. Prices generally increase as your proximity to campus decreases.

This. The noisiest places would be on Kirkwood or Walnut. Outside of that, I think it really depends on who lives on your block (a lot of undergrads or not), and whether people tend to walk by your place en masse. I occasionally hear loud random people walking by my place at night, but some blocks may have more of that.

I had an apartment on 8th and Dunn where two of us split $500 a month. Honestly, I never though any place is Bloomington ever got obnoxiously loud, outside of the places immediately adjacent to bars.

[superflush]

I had an apartment on 8th and Dunn where two of us split $500 a month. Honestly, I never though any place is Bloomington ever got obnoxiously loud, outside of the places immediately adjacent to bars.

Okay. I would think being right on Kirkwood would be really bad unless your place was very well insulated. For me, I only get occasional groups of loud people walking by.

[LogosEther]

Thanks for your post, currently I have numbers that are strong enough to be considered for admission regardless of urm status I'm just hoping for the right kind of $ to make the decision easier. Anyways another important question how are the ladies out there? Haha also what kind of grading curve does the school have? How far can an iub degree reach and hows oci? thanks for the help.

Also for the grading curve:

The school has a 3.3 curve (with a bit of room for the profs, of course) but the standard deviation isn't set. So at some other law schools professors are required to hand out 7% A's, 10% A-'s, 25% B+'s, etc. (as an example). Not so at IU. Most professors stick to a pretty good and rational deviation but there is one outlier that I know of.

[Spoonmanners]

Smaller classes, of course, are uncurved. I think anything under... 20 or so students there is no forced curve. Some still stick around 3.3-3.4, while others say to hell with it and pump out 3.7 or higher.

Logos: Prepare for more outliers who irrationally blow any sensical curves.