Georgia State University - 2011 Applicants Forum

[TT09]

In 1/18, submitted 11/22...3.5, 157/158

Are you a GA resident?

[txag10]

In Review changed again to today's date.

[Sandro]

In Review changed again to today's date.

Mine went UR a few days ago, looks like GSU is getting ready for some more decisions soon

[uwgbluedevil]

In Review changed again to today's date.

Mine went UR a few days ago, looks like GSU is getting ready for some more decisions soon

When did you go complete?

[Sandro]

a few days after I applied in mid december.

[txag10]

a few days after I applied in mid december.

+1

[Sandro]

did the last wave of admits even go under review ? How long you think we are looking at ?

[uwgbluedevil]

I went complete in mid-december as well, so im hoping im in this next batch. They are my top school after UGA which is a reach for me, so i really want to hear from them soon.

[ccoons24]

Huh. My "In Review" date changed from 1/6/11 to 1/21/11. Probably means nothing, but still. I'd like to hear from them.

[pinkcamellia]

They sent me a fee waiver today... I wish they had done that before I applied right after the December LSAT scores came in!

I'm a Georgia resident hoping to get in with a 160/3.7x

[dchunny614]

I got my acceptance letter in the mail today. I am out of state..applied 12/17..accepted 1/18..3.2/154

[mbutterfly]

GSU 1L here, willing to take questions on about anything. Fire away!

[BamaGrad09]

I applied mid December, and still haven't received a link for a status checker yet. Frustrating.

[uwgbluedevil]

GSU 1L here, willing to take questions on about anything. Fire away!

Ga State is my #1 choice after UGA which is a reach.

How are the facilities?

Where do you live in terms of the law school? Do you have a long commute?

Does the lack of clinical opportunities worry you with regards to gaining some real experience?

How competitive is the student body or does everyone seem pretty friendly?

Does the large amount of PT students lead the student body to be more isolated from each other or do people tend to hang out like most law schools?

Thats all I can think of at the moment.

[mbutterfly]

How are the facilities?
The facilities are alright I would say. You shouldn't expect much because as a law student you don't really need cutting edge technology or anything. The law library is kind of depressing since there are no windows or any natural light, but it gets the job done. The classrooms are pretty typical too, something one would see in a public institution. The gym is pretty nice and it's right across from the law school. It's never really packed and has high-quality machines and amenities. As a law student, you really don't wander outside of the law building. You're pretty much isolated from the undergrad (which, in my opinion, is a good thing).

Where do you live in terms of the law school? Do you have a long commute?
I live near a MARTA station that directly takes me to the GSU MARTA Station which proves to be a 15-20 minute commute every day. It's not uncommon for some students to have a 45min to 1 hour commute since they live in Alpharetta or Marietta or some other suburb of Atlanta.

Does the lack of clinical opportunities worry you with regards to gaining some real experience?
I don't have much experience with clinical opportunities as I am still a 1L, but I don't believe there is a lack of them. The GSU externship clinic offers a pretty good choice of externships like in tax, human rights, etc.

How competitive is the student body or does everyone seem pretty friendly?
The student body isn't as competitive as one would think. Again, I can't really speak of how it may be at UGA or Emory, but GSU kids are sort of more laid-back (probably the reason they didn't get into Emory or UGA) and pretty friendly. For the most part, everyone's motivated to do well, but no one is "out to get" anyone.

Does the large amount of PT students lead the student body to be more isolated from each other or do people tend to hang out like most law schools?
GSU has 3 or 4 events every semester where a student organization will provide plenty of drinks and most of the kids from law school come. This isn't really like undergrad where you have a lot free time to just hang out on the weekends or to be hungover on saturday. So naturally, people tend to hang out and socialize less. However, when everyone does find free time or a slow weekend, most people do end up hanging out together and party.

Let me know if you want me to clear up any answers or if you have any more questions!

[uwgbluedevil]

Thanks for replying quickly.

I have a few more questions.

If you dont mind, can you tell me how much you spend per month on rent, feel free to PM. I'm trying to figure out what to expect, as my UG, apartments around were insanely cheap and I know it wont be the same in Atlanta.

When I was referring to hanging out with other students, I wasnt really talking about like partying, just more or less relaxing, away from class, being close-knit etc. So I was jus wondering if because of the large number of PT students, if that sense of closeness was less defined.

How much time do you estimate you spent, outside of class, per week, working on school-related work? I'm not really worried about not being motivated, its just more of wanting to get a sense of what is standard.

[uwgbluedevil]

Also, do you live alone, or with someone else? Which would you recommend? If you recommend having a roommate, would you prefer another law student?

[BamaGrad09]

I'm interested in knowing about what rent is like as well. GSU is my #1 choice now. I'll be moving to Atlanta with my girlfriend, assuming that I'm accepted, so we'll be splitting the cost of rent and utilities. It would still be good to plan and save now for the first couple of months that she will be looking for a job.

The $14,000 allowance for cost of living seems a little low. Mercer has an allowance of over $17,000. Macon is much cheaper than Atlanta. We just want to have all of our ducks in a row, so to speak.

Where are the best areas to get affordable housing around Atlanta near MARTA that are in relatively safe areas?

[mbutterfly]

My rent is about $600 bucks a month per person (I have 1 roommate who has a 9am-6pm job in downtown ATL), and we live near the Lindbergh MARTA station. Our utilities are about 60-75 bucks each. You can find places for $500-700 a month that are close to MARTA stations. I definitely recommend living with someone who is either a law student or some sort of graduate student, or even someone who has a busy work schedule that won't be partying much, even on the weekends. Trust me, you will be in bed by 11pm on some nights and up by 6am, or awake till 3am and up at 6am, so you can't really risk having a partying roommate. Especially during finals time.

I'd say places around Lindbergh are pretty safe because they're all students or young professionals. Also, you might want to check out places that aren't by MARTA and just drive to campus by investing in a parking pass for M-deck (runs about 230 bucks per semester).

Yea, the loans don't cover it all unless you apply for the Federal PLUS Loans, which gives you extra loans.

If you want to split an apartment with a girlfriend or significant other, there are single-unit apartments walking distance from the law school that have rent for about 800-900 bucks that are pretty nice and safe.

In regards to hanging out with other students, you can definitely find a few friends you will like in your classes that you regularly hang out with. Overall, the FT 1L class is a pretty good group, where everyone knows everyone (in contrast to big undergrads like UGA).

For school-related work, it's a tough question. Sometimes you will spend entire days on a memo. The reading per class is generally about 15-20 pages average, so it usually consumes about an hour per class. It's not so bad earlier in the semester. It just gets kind of tight around a month before finals when memos and briefs are due, along with reading assignments, along with catching up on outlining and what not. But it's hard to say how much time one spends on a class. But just be prepared to treat it like a 9 to 5 career with lots of overtime expected during finals month.

[uwgbluedevil]

Is there anything that you know now, that you wish you had known as an 0L? Any steps you would have taken to perform better, or be better prepared for exams?

[southernsnapp]

In 1/18, submitted 11/22...3.5, 157/158

Are you a GA resident?

nope

[NonTradHealthLaw]

Although this website is housed on Emory's server, it may prove helpful to GSU students as well, if for no other reason than to get a feeling for Atlanta COL.

https://housing.emory.edu/off-campus/home.cfm

Where are the best areas to get affordable housing around Atlanta near MARTA that are in relatively safe areas?

As mbutterfly said, Lindbergh is great for MARTA convenience, as are Decatur which is a separate town but essentially Atlanta, Candler Park, Inman Park or Virginia Highlands. These last three would be a combo of bus/subway to get to GSU. Costlier areas would be Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown. Even if you live on a MARTA line, you'll likely need a vehicle. Atlanta's very difficult to navigate without one.

I've been here for 10 years (as student and professional) if anyone has Atlanta-specific questions.

[uwgbluedevil]

Do you know if the Lindbergh Station has a train that goes directly to the GSU MARTA station? I've lived in a suburb north of Atlanta for almost 10 years but ive never ridden MARTA, and I've only been to Georgia State once, so I'm pretty ignorant with regards to living inside the Perimeter.

Although this website is housed on Emory's server, it may prove helpful to GSU students as well, if for no other reason than to get a feeling for Atlanta COL.

https://housing.emory.edu/off-campus/home.cfm

Where are the best areas to get affordable housing around Atlanta near MARTA that are in relatively safe areas?

As mbutterfly said, Lindbergh is great for MARTA convenience, as are Decatur which is a separate town but essentially Atlanta, Candler Park, Inman Park or Virginia Highlands. These last three would be a combo of bus/subway to get to GSU. Costlier areas would be Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown. Even if you live on a MARTA line, you'll likely need a vehicle. Atlanta's very difficult to navigate without one.

I've been here for 10 years (as student and professional) if anyone has Atlanta-specific questions.

[NonTradHealthLaw]

You just have to switch trains at Five Points, but that's easy enough.

http://www.itsmarta.com/rail-schedules-or-route.aspx

[pinkcamellia]

Complete today, in-state, 160/3.7

Good chance?