U. Miami Applicants c/o 2014 Forum

[alicrimson]

This acceptance has ruined me. Ruined me! Now I can't stop thinking about the warm South Florida weather. It's so cold in NY, so very, very cold...

I'm having a hard time too... Mainly because I've always wanted to say "I'm taking my talents to South Beach".

Me too! I literally want to say it until one of my friends punches me in the face.

Hahahaha.I've said it a couple of times. Still waiting on the other two schools in the state to let me know what's happening but....as of now, kickin' it with the King.

[ChiCubs14]

So,

If there's no more scholarship money going out then what do they expect a student to do?

Take out a loan for $20,000+ every year, then pay the rest out of pocket?

I just received my acceptance a week ago and now I've missed the March 1st deadline to apply for their scholarship program...but they were out of money anyway at this point apparently.

Not saying it's not my fault that I didn't apply earlier, but I'm sorta just f'ed...that is a lot of debt to handle...

I thought I was doing well by applying in January (December LSAT), but that is even considered late by most...

[Justathought]

So,

If there's no more scholarship money going out then what do they expect a student to do?

Take out a loan for $20,000+ every year, then pay the rest out of pocket?

I just received my acceptance a week ago and now I've missed the March 1st deadline to apply for their scholarship program...but they were out of money anyway at this point apparently.

Not saying it's not my fault that I didn't apply earlier, but I'm sorta just f'ed...that is a lot of debt to handle...

I thought I was doing well by applying in January (December LSAT), but that is even considered late by most...

Well I think we are talking more like $60,000 in loans at sticker, and the rest out of pocket. That does seem to be what they expect, and it is a daunting proposition to say the least.

[bookofcarpetsamples]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

[rman1201]

So,

If there's no more scholarship money going out then what do they expect a student to do?

Take out a loan for $20,000+ every year, then pay the rest out of pocket?

I just received my acceptance a week ago and now I've missed the March 1st deadline to apply for their scholarship program...but they were out of money anyway at this point apparently.

Not saying it's not my fault that I didn't apply earlier, but I'm sorta just f'ed...that is a lot of debt to handle...

I thought I was doing well by applying in January (December LSAT), but that is even considered late by most...

Well I think we are talking more like $60,000 in loans at sticker, and the rest out of pocket. That does seem to be what they expect, and it is a daunting proposition to say the least.

The rest would come from GradPlus loans.

[alicrimson]

v

So,

If there's no more scholarship money going out then what do they expect a student to do?

Take out a loan for $20,000+ every year, then pay the rest out of pocket?

I just received my acceptance a week ago and now I've missed the March 1st deadline to apply for their scholarship program...but they were out of money anyway at this point apparently.

Not saying it's not my fault that I didn't apply earlier, but I'm sorta just f'ed...that is a lot of debt to handle...

I thought I was doing well by applying in January (December LSAT), but that is even considered late by most...

I would still get your fafsa and stuff in. I spoke with someone from financial aid and they said that priority deadline is just to get people to turn their stuff in. I know mine went in February 26th and I feared I wouldn't get it in with the necessary processing on their end. Just fill out all the stuff and see what happens.

[Justathought]

So,

If there's no more scholarship money going out then what do they expect a student to do?

Take out a loan for $20,000+ every year, then pay the rest out of pocket?

I just received my acceptance a week ago and now I've missed the March 1st deadline to apply for their scholarship program...but they were out of money anyway at this point apparently.

Not saying it's not my fault that I didn't apply earlier, but I'm sorta just f'ed...that is a lot of debt to handle...

I thought I was doing well by applying in January (December LSAT), but that is even considered late by most...

Well I think we are talking more like $60,000 in loans at sticker, and the rest out of pocket. That does seem to be what they expect, and it is a daunting proposition to say the least.

The rest would come from GradPlus loans.

Yeah, about $60,000 in loans, total. 38k for tuition and 22k for living. That should cover it unless you are trying to go in on an apartment share with Lebron. Even though I don't need loans, numbers like this may keep my talents firmly rooted in Newark.

[FeelTheHeat]

Yeah, about $60,000 in loans, total. 38k for tuition and 22k for living. That should cover it unless you are trying to go in on an apartment share with Lebron. Even though I don't need loans, numbers like this may keep my talents firmly rooted in Newark.

And that's why mine will be heading to Tally or Gville, my friend.

[SixStrings11]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

My application must have been one of the first ones in. I filled it out as soon as it became available, and submitted it literally within minutes of their application cycle beginning because I really needed to make sure I got scholarship. I was accepted in the first batch of acceptances, but no scholly offer... And for Miami, my numbers were definitely auto-admit (158/3.65). I think in order to have been considered for scholly, you needed to apply early and have at least a 160 LSAT. I don't think they care about GPA as much in respect to scholarships.

It sucks, but it is what it is. If you read the stats, Miami apparently accepts over 50% of the people that apply. That ends up being around 2,400 acceptances (according to TSL's 2009 stats). If they offered scholarship to everyone with decent numbers they would have way too many students enrolling. Would I prefer they accept less people and offer scholarship to more? Probably (...if I were one of the ones benefitting).. But the way they do things, I definitely understand why they don't have much scholly to go around towards the middle/end of the cycle..

[FeelTheHeat]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

My application must have been one of the first ones in. I filled it out as soon as it became available, and submitted it literally within minutes of their application cycle beginning because I really needed to make sure I got scholarship. I was accepted in the first batch of acceptances, but no scholly offer... And for Miami, my numbers were definitely auto-admit (158/3.65). I think in order to have been considered for scholly, you needed to apply early and have at least a 160 LSAT. I don't think they care about GPA as much in respect to scholarships.

It sucks, but it is what it is. If you read the stats, Miami apparently accepts over 50% of the people that apply. That ends up being around 2,400 acceptances (according to TSL). If they offered scholarship to everyone with decent numbers they would have way too many students enrolling. Would I prefer they accept less people and offer scholarship to more? Probably (...if I were one of the ones benefitting).. But the way they do things, I definitely understand why they don't have much scholly to go around towards the middle/end of the cycle..

Not sure the LSAT score and ambivalence to GPA is true. Case in point, my stats, I'm from Miami, LoR from UM Law alum, and not a penny. Alas.

[SixStrings11]

Not sure the LSAT score and ambivalence to GPA is true. Case in point, my stats, I'm from Miami, LoR from UM Law alum, and not a penny. Alas.

Yea, not claiming to really know the numbers they look for. Just seemed that the people posting that they got scholarship offers tended to have at least a 160 LSAT and GPAs varied.. but then again I'm sure they're not throwing scholarship at someone with a 160/2.00GPA. Not sure about your stats.. I don't know.. I don't know anything..

[Justathought]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

My application must have been one of the first ones in. I filled it out as soon as it became available, and submitted it literally within minutes of their application cycle beginning because I really needed to make sure I got scholarship. I was accepted in the first batch of acceptances, but no scholly offer... And for Miami, my numbers were definitely auto-admit (158/3.65). I think in order to have been considered for scholly, you needed to apply early and have at least a 160 LSAT. I don't think they care about GPA as much in respect to scholarships.

It sucks, but it is what it is. If you read the stats, Miami apparently accepts over 50% of the people that apply. That ends up being around 2,400 acceptances (according to TSL). If they offered scholarship to everyone with decent numbers they would have way too many students enrolling. Would I prefer they accept less people and offer scholarship to more? Probably (...if I were one of the ones benefitting).. But the way they do things, I definitely understand why they don't have much scholly to go around towards the middle/end of the cycle..

Not sure the LSAT score and ambivalence to GPA is true. Case in point, my stats, I'm from Miami, LoR from UM Law alum, and not a penny. Alas.

I agree, but you have a very solid LSAT, and a 3.0 GPA is honestly acceptable for most non-t25 schools. They might have offered less because they doubted you would enroll. Sometimes schools do that. I am going to ask if I get nothing, which I assume will be the case. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, they have some diversity money laying around. Sometimes schools have a little extra cash for applicants who will help improve their numbers on that front. I doubt it, but we shall see.

Edit: Although with your Miami connections, it does seem odd. Though I consider that to be similar to what Hofstra did to me, I got nothing, and I live 20 mins from the school, and my LSAT is way over their 75%.

[yepyep]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

My application must have been one of the first ones in. I filled it out as soon as it became available, and submitted it literally within minutes of their application cycle beginning because I really needed to make sure I got scholarship. I was accepted in the first batch of acceptances, but no scholly offer... And for Miami, my numbers were definitely auto-admit (158/3.65). I think in order to have been considered for scholly, you needed to apply early and have at least a 160 LSAT. I don't think they care about GPA as much in respect to scholarships.

It sucks, but it is what it is. If you read the stats, Miami apparently accepts over 50% of the people that apply. That ends up being around 2,400 acceptances (according to TSL's 2009 stats). If they offered scholarship to everyone with decent numbers they would have way too many students enrolling. Would I prefer they accept less people and offer scholarship to more? Probably (...if I were one of the ones benefitting).. But the way they do things, I definitely understand why they don't have much scholly to go around towards the middle/end of the cycle..

I was accepted the first week of december with a 165 and received nothing.

[snakebones]

i applied in early november, was just accepted a few days ago...so even applying early doesn't guarantee you'll have a shot at any sort of scholarship. so it really should say apply early AND have auto-admit numbers. anyone who was 'held' is out of luck.

My application must have been one of the first ones in. I filled it out as soon as it became available, and submitted it literally within minutes of their application cycle beginning because I really needed to make sure I got scholarship. I was accepted in the first batch of acceptances, but no scholly offer... And for Miami, my numbers were definitely auto-admit (158/3.65). I think in order to have been considered for scholly, you needed to apply early and have at least a 160 LSAT. I don't think they care about GPA as much in respect to scholarships.

It sucks, but it is what it is. If you read the stats, Miami apparently accepts over 50% of the people that apply. That ends up being around 2,400 acceptances (according to TSL). If they offered scholarship to everyone with decent numbers they would have way too many students enrolling. Would I prefer they accept less people and offer scholarship to more? Probably (...if I were one of the ones benefitting).. But the way they do things, I definitely understand why they don't have much scholly to go around towards the middle/end of the cycle..

Not sure the LSAT score and ambivalence to GPA is true. Case in point, my stats, I'm from Miami, LoR from UM Law alum, and not a penny. Alas.

I agree, but you have a very solid LSAT, and a 3.0 GPA is honestly acceptable for most non-t25 schools. They might have offered less because they doubted you would enroll. Sometimes schools do that. I am going to ask if I get nothing, which I assume will be the case. I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe, they have some diversity money laying around. Sometimes schools have a little extra cash for applicants who will help improve their numbers on that front. I doubt it, but we shall see.

Edit: Although with your Miami connections, it does seem odd. Though I consider that to be similar to what Hofstra did to me, I got nothing, and I live 20 mins from the school, and my LSAT is way over their 75%.

Same deal with Hofstra.....that school reallyyy makes no sense...

[ChiCubs14]

I'd like to ask a "what would you do if you were me question."

I want to pursue a JD degree focusing on Sports Law

Miami has a great Sports Law program... but I'm probably not going to get a scholarship this year because they have ran out/I just didn't get one...

I also love FSU, but have not received a decision from them yet, (lets say I get accepted) they don't really have a Sports Law focus, they only offer a few classes....

So what if I get into FSU? Should I Save money and be at a place I know will make me happy(friends that go there and familiarity with the area), BUT NOT focus on the area of law I want to

OR

Go to Miami and pay crazy tuition prices, but study what I want and also be at a place that makes me happy, but not as much as FSU would (probably)

I've also been accepted by the University of South Carolina, but I live in Florida so that's not really an option at the moment..

Anyone have any wise words they could share?

[drummerboy]

no way ever pay ticket to miami unless your rich enough to withstand the debt ramifications later. 100% of people on TLS will emphatically agree with me. Dont get over your head. Im in a similar position with a hold at fsu and admittance to um im tryin g to negotiate a scholly with stetson. my other schools with higher scholly offers are, denver and hofstra. of course nova and fiu were addressed but wont have as much impact as hofstra and denver since both are higher ranked than stetson.

[Justathought]

I'd like to ask a "what would you do if you were me question."

I want to pursue a JD degree focusing on Sports Law

Miami has a great Sports Law program... but I'm probably not going to get a scholarship this year because they have ran out/I just didn't get one...

I also love FSU, but have not received a decision from them yet, (lets say I get accepted) they don't really have a Sports Law focus, they only offer a few classes....

So what if I get into FSU? Should I Save money and be at a place I know will make me happy(friends that go there and familiarity with the area), BUT NOT focus on the area of law I want to

OR

Go to Miami and pay crazy tuition prices, but study what I want and also be at a place that makes me happy, but not as much as FSU would (probably)

I've also been accepted by the University of South Carolina, but I live in Florida so that's not really an option at the moment..

Anyone have any wise words they could share?

My honest opinion is that most sports law programs, including the highly regarded ones, are shams. From my understanding there are two legitimate ways to break into sports law:

1. Go to a T14 program, get into a biglaw firm that represents clients in the sports world, and then make your way over to them after a few years of associate work. Of course, this could be accomplished from another law school, but you would not only need to get biglaw, you would need to be able to select a firm that dealt with specific clients in your area of interest. This is not an easy task when you don't have tons of biglaw options like people coming out of Harvard.

2. Have legitimate connections to the industry. Such as - knowing an owner/GM/higher up in the organization, being friends with professional athletes, or being a former athlete.

Now, with that being said, I don't know the specifics of Miami's program. Do they offer a myriad of externships and summer employment options with professional sports clubs? If so, and only if so, maybe its worth it.

[FeelTheHeat]

I'd like to ask a "what would you do if you were me question."

I want to pursue a JD degree focusing on Sports Law

Miami has a great Sports Law program... but I'm probably not going to get a scholarship this year because they have ran out/I just didn't get one...

I also love FSU, but have not received a decision from them yet, (lets say I get accepted) they don't really have a Sports Law focus, they only offer a few classes....

So what if I get into FSU? Should I Save money and be at a place I know will make me happy(friends that go there and familiarity with the area), BUT NOT focus on the area of law I want to

OR

Go to Miami and pay crazy tuition prices, but study what I want and also be at a place that makes me happy, but not as much as FSU would (probably)

I've also been accepted by the University of South Carolina, but I live in Florida so that's not really an option at the moment..

Anyone have any wise words they could share?

I empathize with your desire to study sports law. I will go in to detail at a later time when I am out of class, but DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES PAY STICKER AT UM. $$$ evening it out with FSU and UF make it a decent option, but please do not pay $40,000/year. Will address in more detail later.

[tas817]

The consensus view is that you should not pay sticker at UM. Does that view hold true if don't have to pay for an apartment and can live very close for free in end only paying tuition and books?

[Justathought]

The consensus view is that you should not pay sticker at UM. Does that view hold true if don't have to pay for an apartment and can live very close for free in end only paying tuition and books?

It depends on your other options. For example, one of my other options is Rutgers, which would cost me around 30k per year with everything included. If I was from S. Florida, wanted to stay there, and I had Rutgers at 30k or Miami at 41-42k, I could see it.

However, only you can address your level of debt tolerance. I'm a 30 year old guy with some savings, so 120k for law school wouldn't ruin my life if I didn't come out making 160k annually or 60k in a sweet P.I. gig with LRAP and IBR to fall back on.

Edit: This isn't meant to discourage either. I'm not a big believer in arbitrarily telling people how to spend their money. I would need details to offer sound advice, details which I won't ask for over the internet. Paying sticker for some is not a concern, for others its a huge gamble. You'll have to decide. I will say, if it is a huge gamble, you probably shouldn't take it.

[SixStrings11]

I'd like to ask a "what would you do if you were me question."

I want to pursue a JD degree focusing on Sports Law

Miami has a great Sports Law program... but I'm probably not going to get a scholarship this year because they have ran out/I just didn't get one...

I also love FSU, but have not received a decision from them yet, (lets say I get accepted) they don't really have a Sports Law focus, they only offer a few classes....

So what if I get into FSU? Should I Save money and be at a place I know will make me happy(friends that go there and familiarity with the area), BUT NOT focus on the area of law I want to

OR

Go to Miami and pay crazy tuition prices, but study what I want and also be at a place that makes me happy, but not as much as FSU would (probably)

I've also been accepted by the University of South Carolina, but I live in Florida so that's not really an option at the moment..

Anyone have any wise words they could share?

Drew Rosenhaus would vouch for Miami's Sport Law.

But, seriously speaking, no one can truly tell you whether or not to pay sticker at Miami. Sure, everyone will say don't do it.. and with good reason. $38,000+ is a lot of money to spend per year on tuition alone. You're probably looking at about $50,000 or more in loans for each year. That's a lot.

Then again - if you like the school, the area, and a specific program, do it if it will make you happy. Just be sure that you can eventually pay off that debt.

You wouldn't be the first to go there without a scholarship. And you wouldn't be the last.

[ChiCubs14]

Thanks for all of the responses so far...

I'm not totally screwed as far as finances go...

My father will pay my housing...so that's about $10,000 per year right there that I wouldn't be killed with (plus I'm splitting the rent with my gf so that will help even more)

Tuition is going to be the monster...my dad would only be able to help some...the rest would be loans....so that's where I get the 20,000+ from...as far as the numbers I was talking about earlier....

I'm busy tonight, but tomorrow I'm going to actually get real numbers so I'm not just making educated guesses at pricing...

One thing that is in the back of my mind though is the fact that Miami gives out so many admissions that they are just counting on people who are not able to afford tuition...sorta seems like a messed up system...

[SixStrings11]

One thing that is in the back of my mind though is the fact that Miami gives out so many admissions that they are just counting on people who are not able to afford tuition...sorta seems like a messed up system...

It's not so much they count on it, but they just expect it. Miami is a private school so they don't get the state funding that UF and FSU get - hence the higher tuition. And obviously there isn't enough money to give scholarships to everyone. So they need to accept a large number of students knowing most of them will go elsewhere due to the high cost... at least that's how I assume it works.

[FeelTheHeat]

To the poster who said they were interested in sports law...the following is credited reading and well worth your time. Hope it helps.

This seems as good a place as any to weigh in on this topic, as I do have some insight that might be helpful to the OP and others.

Sports law in general is obviously a difficult beast to tackle. When I talk about my career aspirations, I tell people that my "down the road" goal is to work in sports. I usually add the qualifier that I am fully aware of the difficulty of that goal, and how hard it is to tame the mythical beast of "sports law".

The advice above about connections and big law are credited. I've done extensive research on what it takes to break into the world of sports, and I've come up with something of a war strategy. The best way is to have played sports at a high level. Playing pro ball, for instance, gives you an immediate in if you are among the ~10% of pro athletes that are qualified to do more than catch a ball. College experience is a helper.

Other than that, biglaw is the most common path into working with a sports team. Building an impressive resume with a solid firm before moving over is something you see occasionally, though it's still not easy. It still takes more than that. A sports law "certificate" or specialty is only helpful to the extent that you possess other relevant qualifications. It's not enough to even get you near the door.

The answer? Connections. And not just I met a guy connections. I have real, legitimate connections. I'm personally connected to the family of one Major League baseball owner and I'm friends with another owner's nephew. One of my law school professors is best friends with another MLB owner. The first connection I mentioned is one I've massaged for going on five years, and it's a family I'm comfortable calling up at any point in time for any reason. And I'm still not anywhere near the door. I'm a lot closer than I was five years ago, though.

The keys to making it are as follows, in no particular order:

* Connections to someone in a position to help you (owners, GMs, athletes)
* Being in a city where there is action (LA/NYC)
* Having a skill that can help a club in addition to your law degree (being fluent in stat-talk might help you sell a team on your ability to win arbitration hearings for them, for instance)
* Luck (mostly timing in this one - you won't get hired even with the best connections if there is no opening when you need it)
* A really good resume
---This last one is a combination of sports experience and relevant business experience. I'm personally working for a baseball club this summer (1L) on a gig that was set up by the family mentioned above. I'll hope to follow that up with a biglaw 2L summer and then hopefully 5-7 years of biglaw experience. At that point, I'll have a resume that shows some ability to work with clients and conduct myself in a corporate setting along with some experience working in the game. If at that point there's some way for me to use my then 10-12 year relationships to transition into a job in sports, I'll do it. By that point, I will hopefully have saved enough money working in biglaw that I can even take a position that pays less so that I can chase my passion.

If that doesn't work out, I'll enjoy my work other wise. This is just one man's plan for war-gaming the system. What you should take from this is that it's very hard. I've been blessed with as money a connection in the world of sports as anyone could ask for (short of growing up with LeBron James) and it will still take a lot of maneuvering on my part. Even though these people like me, I'll have to provide them something for it to work. They don't get to own big league ball teams by making stupid, irrational hires.

You should (as I am) plan for something different. Can you work in sports? Maybe. Will you get there by studying sports and entertainment law? No, not on that alone.

Also, I called today inquiring about the availability of merit scholarships. They said they were out of money. I should be withdrawing shortly and taking my talents to Tally.

[Justathought]

Acceptance package in the mail today. Lots of green, but no cash.