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Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:37 am
by roxbury16
I have been checking everyday and it has said file complete since 1/05/10, and then 2/15 it said decision rendered-Admitted. So, I was really excited. However, I am from Florida and was accepted to FSU (which is ranked higher) but, I really think I want to practice in Texas. I'm so bummed about the tuition increase! It is hard to pay the extra money for a school that is lower ranked, but would it be worth it if I wanted to practice in Houston or Dallas?
On a positive note, I was happy to hear that University of Houston was #2 in health law, something that I have definitely considered...is that true?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:43 am
by Josh the Goat
drwjr21 wrote:I have been concerned by what I have heard about the facilities. What are the study areas like, particularly the library?
Each 1L gets their own carrel study space, which is basically a cubicle which has a desk, lamp, shelf, and small locker. For most people, this is sufficient to get your studying done if you just put on headphones and focus. If you need to go to a much quieter environment, there's almost always desk space in the library, and it's a good environment to get work done. People are actually quiet, the temperature is relatively consistent, and there's water fountains available. At the very least you can go downstairs into sub-basement where the student organization offices are located, and just study at the various tables down there.
The school doesn't look incredible or anything, but it's very functional and sufficient. But those that really want the incredibly aesthetic surroundings, I'm guessing they aren't even considering the city of Houston to begin with.
If you want pictures, I'd be glad to snap a few tomorrow in between classes of the basic setup of the study areas.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:47 am
by moonmaster3
Josh the Goat wrote:drwjr21 wrote:I have been concerned by what I have heard about the facilities. What are the study areas like, particularly the library?
Each 1L gets their own carrel study space, which is basically a cubicle which has a desk, lamp, shelf, and small locker. For most people, this is sufficient to get your studying done if you just put on headphones and focus. If you need to go to a much quieter environment, there's almost always desk space in the library, and it's a good environment to get work done. People are actually quiet, the temperature is relatively consistent, and there's water fountains available. At the very least you can go downstairs into sub-basement where the student organization offices are located, and just study at the various tables down there.
The school doesn't look incredible or anything, but it's very functional and sufficient. But those that really want the incredibly aesthetic surroundings, I'm guessing they aren't even considering the city of Houston to begin with.
If you want pictures, I'd be glad to snap a few tomorrow in between classes of the basic setup of the study areas.
This might sound stupid but what is the outlet situation like? Are there enough outlets for everyone in class and are there outlets in each cubicle?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:51 am
by drwjr21
Josh the Goat wrote:drwjr21 wrote:I have been concerned by what I have heard about the facilities. What are the study areas like, particularly the library?
Each 1L gets their own carrel study space, which is basically a cubicle which has a desk, lamp, shelf, and small locker. For most people, this is sufficient to get your studying done if you just put on headphones and focus. If you need to go to a much quieter environment, there's almost always desk space in the library, and it's a good environment to get work done. People are actually quiet, the temperature is relatively consistent, and there's water fountains available. At the very least you can go downstairs into sub-basement where the student organization offices are located, and just study at the various tables down there.
The school doesn't look incredible or anything, but it's very functional and sufficient. But those that really want the incredibly aesthetic surroundings, I'm guessing they aren't even considering the city of Houston to begin with.
Not neccessary, thanks for the answer. I will probably take a trip to check it out in a month or so
If you want pictures, I'd be glad to snap a few tomorrow in between classes of the basic setup of the study areas.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:53 am
by Josh the Goat
moonmaster3 wrote:This might sound stupid but what is the outlet situation like? Are there enough outlets for everyone in class and are there outlets in each cubicle?
There's plenty of outlets, each seat has one in the classrooms, and each 1L carrel has an outlet for you to use.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:54 am
by moonmaster3
Josh the Goat wrote:moonmaster3 wrote:This might sound stupid but what is the outlet situation like? Are there enough outlets for everyone in class and are there outlets in each cubicle?
There's plenty of outlets, each seat has one in the classrooms, and each 1L carrel has an outlet for you to use.
Would you recommend commuting to school or living near campus? If I commute...I'd be coming from the SW so it would take probably 30 minutes each way.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:01 am
by Josh the Goat
moonmaster3 wrote:Would you recommend commuting to school or living near campus? If I commute...I'd be coming from the SW so it would take probably 30 minutes each way.
That one's totally up to you. Some of the 1L's are staying at the new graduate dorm on campus. From what I've heard, they seem to like it, but it's overpriced in my opinion. Most people probably stay in the montrose/med center area, or commute from the suburbs. If you're going to be driving 30 minutes each day, I would recommend you buy some of the "law school legends" or "Sum & Substance" cd's that give outlines of the courses, and just listen to those during your commute.
I commute from the galleria area, it's about 15 minutes without traffic. The major issue when driving is finding a parking space on campus. You need to get there before 9:30 if you want a parking space remotely near the law school. Most people have their first class at 9, so it's not normally a problem though.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:38 am
by roxbury16
Sorry to ask again, but does anyone have any advice or can anyone answer my question?
I have been checking everyday and it has said file complete since 1/05/10, and then 2/15 it said decision rendered-Admitted. So, I was really excited. However, I am from Florida and was accepted to FSU (which is ranked higher) but, I really think I want to practice in Texas. I'm so bummed about the tuition increase! It is hard to pay the extra money for a school that is lower ranked, but would it be worth it if I wanted to practice in Houston or Dallas?
On a positive note, I was happy to hear that University of Houston was #2 in health law, something that I have definitely considered...is that true?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:40 am
by hotdog123
roxbury16 wrote:Sorry to ask again, but does anyone have any advice or can anyone answer my question?
I have been checking everyday and it has said file complete since 1/05/10, and then 2/15 it said decision rendered-Admitted. So, I was really excited. However, I am from Florida and was accepted to FSU (which is ranked higher) but, I really think I want to practice in Texas. I'm so bummed about the tuition increase! It is hard to pay the extra money for a school that is lower ranked, but would it be worth it if I wanted to practice in Houston or Dallas?
On a positive note, I was happy to hear that University of Houston was #2 in health law, something that I have definitely considered...is that true?
If you want to work in Texas, especially Houston, obviously it is worth it.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 11:55 am
by FunkyJD
DonnyMost wrote:roxbury16 wrote:I really think I want to practice in Texas. I'm so bummed about the tuition increase! It is hard to pay the extra money for a school that is lower ranked, but would it be worth it if I wanted to practice in Houston or Dallas?
If you want to work in Texas, especially Houston, obviously it is worth it.
This.
Unless you already have excellent personal or professional ties established here in Texas, do not bet on FSU breaking you into this market. Texas is a very insular market.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:06 pm
by hotdog123
roxbury16 wrote:Sorry to ask again, but does anyone have any advice or can anyone answer my question?
I have been checking everyday and it has said file complete since 1/05/10, and then 2/15 it said decision rendered-Admitted. So, I was really excited. However, I am from Florida and was accepted to FSU (which is ranked higher) but, I really think I want to practice in Texas. I'm so bummed about the tuition increase! It is hard to pay the extra money for a school that is lower ranked, but would it be worth it if I wanted to practice in Houston or Dallas?
On a positive note, I was happy to hear that University of Houston was #2 in health law, something that I have definitely considered...is that true?
And yes, Houston's strength lies in their Health and IP programs.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:17 am
by bigred77
Josh the Goat,
I have a couple of questions for you as I am waiting on receiving my FEB LSAT score before I apply to UH PT program.
First, Congrats on the internship in the O/G Land dept. I started that way as an intern right out of undergrad and am now in a full time position. Your law degree will help you alot. I had to learn on the fly about assignments, contracts, leases, ect with only a business background. I think you will like the work alot and if youd rather be in business instead of a practicing attorney theres no better way to start for you, the pay aint bad either. PM me if you feel like tellin me which company and ill let you know who Im with.
The reason Im applying so late in the cycle is that I really hadn't thought about law school at all untill late in 2009. My company agreed to foot a large chunck of the bill if i went PT and UH is the only decent program in the city. I have a VERY poor UGGPA but I'm expecting a 160+ LSAT score so I'm hoping I stand a chance. I have good WE and strong softs and LOR. My question is that I've heard alot of people trying to "backdoor" the system and apply to PT programs because they think their stats are more competitive compared with the FT program. In your experience are their issues like this with UH? I mean are the PT students their because they actualy have full time positions or are they workin BS jobs and doin the PT program because they didnt think they could get in if they applied FT? I guess Im just hoping since I actually have a good job and am looking into a PT program it will help me compared to a guy who took the only job he could find after he graduated 6 months ago and and is applying with a better GPA than me. (PS my LSAC GPA is < 2.5, I was NOT mature as an 18-21 yr old but I have a decent addendum.)
I also live in the Galleria area, how is the traffic between here and campus between 4-6pm (I know it sucks but but does it suck or does it SUUUUUCK?)
Thanks for your insight on these boards.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 11:49 am
by RSN_M3
I can answer the traffic question. Between the Galleria and UH, be prepared for 30-40 minute drive if you're headed from the Galleria to the school. If you're headed from school to the Galleria the drive is 25-35 minutes or so. At night this distance can be covered in 15 minutes easy. In my opinon the 4-6 PM commute SUUUCKS, especially if you're exiting Westheimer or Post Oak.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:16 pm
by FB567
How much are the scholarships typically? Would it help to use other accepted schools' scholarships as leverage?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 1:59 pm
by hotdog123
The easiest places to commute to UH from are the medical center and midtown.
Med center is cheap but removed from mostly everything worth doing in Houston (except for Hermann Park and Rice)
Midtown is overpriced but it is near a lot of cool stuff... more nightlife for sure.
So pick your poison.
If you're a trust fund baby, live on Washington, bahahaha.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 2:07 pm
by RSN_M3
DonnyMost wrote:The easiest places to commute to UH from are the medical center and midtown.
Med center is cheap but removed from mostly everything worth doing in Houston (except for Hermann Park and Rice)
Midtown is overpriced but it is near a lot of cool stuff... more nightlife for sure.
So pick your poison.
If you're a trust fund baby, live on Washington, bahahaha.
If you want to increase the odds of getting shot or robbed, but otherwise have a good time live on Washington. If you're a trust fund baby live south of Washington closer to Memorial / River Oaks.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 4:15 pm
by Bustang
With the increase in tuition+my research into acceptable places to live around the school, I think i'll be withdrawing my offer from U of H. Good luck to you all!
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 7:11 pm
by Josh the Goat
bigred77 wrote:I've heard alot of people trying to "backdoor" the system and apply to PT programs because they think their stats are more competitive compared with the FT program. In your experience are their issues like this with UH? I mean are the PT students their because they actualy have full time positions or are they workin BS jobs and doin the PT program because they didnt think they could get in if they applied FT?
I've taken a few classes in the evenings, and it seems to me that most of the people are working legitimate full time jobs and are doing law school to further their careers. I'm sure there's people that just do part time because they're afraid of not getting a full time spot, but I don't really have any evidence one way or the other. I'm really not sure how admissions handles those cases or what they use.
FB567 wrote:How much are the scholarships typically? Would it help to use other accepted schools' scholarships as leverage?
After I received my acceptance email to UH, I received scholarships from both LSU and South Texas. I really wanted to go to UH, but couldn't pass up free money, so I sent an email to the person I had been speaking with at admissions which read,
Hi xxxxxx,
I was recently admitted to the University of Houston Law School, and was ecstatic when thinking about attending UH for the next three years. However, I was recently given very generous scholarships to both LSU and the South Texas College of Law, but I have not received any scholarship information from the University of Houston. Although my top choice for law school had been the University of Houston, I have been forced to reconsider due to my recent scholarships. Does the University of Houston ever reconsider award packages of admitted students based upon award packages from other universities? If there was any chance of reducing the cost of attending the University of Houston, it would easily become my top choice again.
Sincerely,
xxxxx
LSAC Account # xxxxx
I got an email response two days later with a scholarship offer. I'm honesty not sure if my email made the scholarship happen, or if they just happened to send out the scholarship email then.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 8:04 pm
by moonmaster3
Would you mind telling us how much they gave you?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 9:54 pm
by hotdog123
RSN_M3 wrote:DonnyMost wrote:The easiest places to commute to UH from are the medical center and midtown.
Med center is cheap but removed from mostly everything worth doing in Houston (except for Hermann Park and Rice)
Midtown is overpriced but it is near a lot of cool stuff... more nightlife for sure.
So pick your poison.
If you're a trust fund baby, live on Washington, bahahaha.
If you want to increase the odds of getting shot or robbed, but otherwise have a good time live on Washington. If you're a trust fund baby live south of Washington closer to Memorial / River Oaks.
I live on Washington (I moved here far before it flipped and property values went bonkers) and it's pretty safe around here, honestly. The biggest problem are the drunk drivers and noisy neighbors.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:30 pm
by Josh the Goat
moonmaster3 wrote:Would you mind telling us how much they gave you?
I'd rather not post how much publicly, but it was enough to seal the deal that UH was the school for me.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2010 10:41 pm
by RSN_M3
DonnyMost wrote:RSN_M3 wrote:DonnyMost wrote:The easiest places to commute to UH from are the medical center and midtown.
Med center is cheap but removed from mostly everything worth doing in Houston (except for Hermann Park and Rice)
Midtown is overpriced but it is near a lot of cool stuff... more nightlife for sure.
So pick your poison.
If you're a trust fund baby, live on Washington, bahahaha.
If you want to increase the odds of getting shot or robbed, but otherwise have a good time live on Washington. If you're a trust fund baby live south of Washington closer to Memorial / River Oaks.
I live on Washington (I moved here far before it flipped and property values went bonkers) and it's pretty safe around here, honestly. The biggest problem are the drunk drivers and noisy neighbors.
When I was looking for properties, I toured everything south of Washington because everything north is still very much transitional and there is a railroad not far from there. Granted, the property values there and on the other side of I-10 will continue to increase. I currently live in the Rice / Medical center area and my apartment is pretty safe. In any case, nowadays most areas inside the loop are considerably safer than what they were. Midtown used to be scary, now it's very attractive. I lived in an apartment complex in Midtown during college and really enjoyed it.
If I had to pick, I'd live in Camden Midtown apartments. The Randalls is literally across the street, so is the Chevron. There is a Specs 1 block away. Eateries, including Subway, Quiznos, Buffalo Wild Wings, and various mexican restaurants are within 2 blocks. There is a UPS store across the street as well and a bar (it gets a bit noisy on the weekends). Getting to UH from there takes no more than 5 minutes, even during the busiest times of the day. The rent there is a bit expensive. $1100 for 670 sq ft. BUT, all V&E, Morgan Lewis, Fulbright, King & Spalding, etc. are all within a 10-15 block radius. You can literally walk to work. There is also a Metro Rail which is 2 blocks away. I lived there and would move back if I went to UH law. Unbeatable convenience.
UH has also been doing a lot of building. I drove by the law school the other day and the graduate apartments are VERY conveniently located. There is are more eateries on campus than there were a few years ago. I also visited the UH gym a few years ago with friends who went to UH. It's incredible. The areas around UH are dodgy to say the least. There are no grocery stores right by the school, at least to my knowledge. There is a Randalls in Midtown, 5 minutes away.
If you're into spirited driving, Spur 5 is where it's at.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 3:56 pm
by RyShermanJ
Can anyone make sense of this? I sent my application in November received the email confirming it on 11/13. It said my file went under review on 1/5 then changed to 2/16. I have noticed some people LSN hearing back who applied in January. Does that mean I am headed towards a waitlist or something? Or are the people hearing back the auto-accepts?
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 4:19 pm
by 0 and 16
Since the application deadline has now passed, they have received all the applications they will accept, excluding Feb. LSAT re-takers. I would hope that everyone receives a response before March. However, I'm curious what chances below median LSAT has this year. It seems like the last 2-3 years reflect a different admissions strategy than what's going on in 2010.
Re: In at University of Houston
Posted: Fri Feb 19, 2010 6:17 pm
by skoalkat
hey 0 and 16 what do you mean