Indiana University - Bloomington students taking questions Forum

[kings84_wr]

Does anyone know if there is any realistic chance of getting to NYC after graduation with a degree from IU? They offered me a full-tuition scholarship, and my only hesitation in taking it is that I will be trapped in the Midwest after graduation, where I have lived my whole life. On the other hand, I am scared to turn down 120,000 in scholarship to attend Michigan if I have almost no scholarship there, even though I know my chances for NYC are much better.

Anyone who has any experience with NYC OCI firms, let me know what you think.

Nice undergrad GPA LSN member! Congrats on that scholarship. They placed reasonably well into NY, but I don't have the stats with me. If you get the top of the class, it should not be very difficult to get to New York if you put some effort towards it. But it's also hard to say how the market will be in 3.5 years. Even NYU and Columbia are having their OCI programs cut in half, and they are in the middle of NYC.

I would say that in order to turn down a full scholarship, you have to be certain with what you want to do. You can't be too angry about getting out of law school with no debt. Or you could play it safe, take the spot at Indy, make top of the class, and transfer out, saving yourself $30K. Not only that, you could figure out if you could do well at a more competitive school, and if not, you still have a full scholarship.

This doesn't sound safe at all. It sounds positively dangerous. You assume it would be (much) easier to get to the top of the class at IU than Michigan. I disagree. People at IU know they need to get to the top of the class in order to have top opportunities. It's quite cut throat, despite the fact that some will tell you it isn't.

I do agree that Michigan is the choice here, however I have a feeling even Michigan is probably very competitive with the economy as it is.

And while IU is very competitive, outwardly I find that everyone is very cordial and nice and there isn't that awful dog eat dog atmosphere, at least I dont think its expressed.

OP: if you want no debt and a chance at a solid job IU is a good choice, however if you went NYC and big law its really a no-brainer to go to Michigan.

[tylt13]

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I am pretty certain that I want to go to NYC after graduation, so I am leaning towards Michigan, but I am sure going to hate myself if I have 130,000 in loans and no job after graduation as compared to no loans and no job after graduation (assuming worst case scenario of course). I will probably be visiting IU for the visit weekend, just to make sure, and I am going to be discussing this situation with a some lawyers in the next few weeks to get their opinion.

[Spoonmanners]

I disagree that it would be harder here. I think waiting until grades come out would be the best way of measuring how difficult it is. I could understand the theory that many are more motivated, but I can't imagine one could more easily get higher grades at Michigan than IU. Unless everyone at Michigan smokes weed all day loving how smart they are.

To tylt13: you should get a better idea after a visit. I'd love it if I paid zero tuition dollars, but the school you go to follows you for the rest of your life. In 30 years it will still show up on your resume.

[Bankhead]

I disagree that it would be harder here. I think waiting until grades come out would be the best way of measuring how difficult it is. I could understand the theory that many are more motivated, but I can't imagine one could more easily get higher grades at Michigan than IU. Unless everyone at Michigan smokes weed all day loving how smart they are.

To tylt13: you should get a better idea after a visit. I'd love it if I paid zero tuition dollars, but the school you go to follows you for the rest of your life. In 30 years it will still show up on your resume.

I didn't say it would be harder here. I said it wouldn't be much easier. You act as if top 50% at Mich = top 10% at IU or something. I don't think that's necessarily the case, especially considering the LSAT median is only about 4 points apart and the GPA median is the exact same.

Surely you agree that Michigan's job opportunities are far superior to ours though, right?

[Bankhead]

Thanks for all the comments everyone. I am pretty certain that I want to go to NYC after graduation, so I am leaning towards Michigan, but I am sure going to hate myself if I have 130,000 in loans and no job after graduation as compared to no loans and no job after graduation (assuming worst case scenario of course). I will probably be visiting IU for the visit weekend, just to make sure, and I am going to be discussing this situation with a some lawyers in the next few weeks to get their opinion.

You can't look at things in hindsight though, you need to do a cost benefit analysis right now. You want biglaw. One needs to assume the economy will get at least a bit better than it is now (enough signs point toward it). Therefore:

-Graduating with a good job is the most likely scenario if you choose Mich.

-Graduating underemployed is the most likely scenario if you choose IUB.

You realize I'm greatly oversimplifying but you catch my drift. If you do your due diligence I'm sure that you'll come to the above two statements eventually. If you graduate unemployed from Mich, you can't kick yourself and say "oh I should have cut my losses at IU". You need to roll with the odds. If you lose, you lose -- but you shouldn't set yourself up for failure.

Let me ask you this, do you buy an extended warranty on every product you own?

[tylt13]

Haha, to be honest, I don't think I've ever bought an extended warranty on anything

[Mulliganstew]

Also, are law students eligible for discount basketball tickets? Huge college basketball fan. My mid-major undergraduate would give us undergrad students free tickets but seemed to charge our business students.

I can't really speak to basketball tickets, b/c I have yet to go to a game. However, when I went to a football game, you have to pay for the tickets. You do get a discounted student ticket rate though.

Yeah. It's like 5 bucks. It's a great deal.

Yeah i live about a mile from campus and it feels like I can escape the law school feeling. At the same time it is probably very convenient for everyone at poolside and other close apartments, especially early in the morning. Parking around campus is pretty brutal, I eitehr have to take the bus or walk to class.

There are some landlords that have property within walking distance of school. My landlady owns such a property and she lets me park there and walk to school which isn't bad at all. (Like 4 blocks)

As far as the competitiveness of the school, I've only met one person in our entire class that was so competitive and disrespectful that it made it completely impossible to like him.

Also, the jobs are still there if you're willing to work less glamorous positions. My cousin graduated bottom of his class from a low tier 2, and he got a job at a traffic law firm. Hey, it's something.

[Unjust Enrichment]

As far as the competitiveness of the school, I've only met one person in our entire class that was so competitive and disrespectful that it made it completely impossible to like him.

Agreed, the cutthroat competitors are few and far between. People all work really hard for the most part, so it seems like you have to keep up in order to make grades, but the atmosphere among the students seems like it's about as harmonious as you could ask for.

[Bankhead]

As far as the competitiveness of the school, I've only met one person in our entire class that was so competitive and disrespectful that it made it completely impossible to like him.

Agreed, the cutthroat competitors are few and far between. People all work really hard for the most part, so it seems like you have to keep up in order to make grades, but the atmosphere among the students seems like it's about as harmonious as you could ask for.

Cutthroat was the wrong word. I agree that the atmosphere is cordial. However, this doesn't change the fact that everyone is working really, really hard and competition is fierce.

[Unjust Enrichment]

As far as the competitiveness of the school, I've only met one person in our entire class that was so competitive and disrespectful that it made it completely impossible to like him.

Agreed, the cutthroat competitors are few and far between. People all work really hard for the most part, so it seems like you have to keep up in order to make grades, but the atmosphere among the students seems like it's about as harmonious as you could ask for.

Cutthroat was the wrong word. I agree that the atmosphere is cordial. However, this doesn't change the fact that everyone is working really, really hard and competition is fierce.

Maybe I'm splitting hairs, but tough is probably a more apt description than fierce. People are busting ass to do really well for themselves, and the vast majority of people here are really damn smart, but nobody is doing anything to try to derail anyone else (as far as I can see)...and I've never had trouble getting people to help me out when I've needed it.

Chances are that we agree and we're just wording it differently though.

[kings84_wr]

So what is everyone's summer plans/hopes? Ive really slacked off and just am getting out judicial internship and other stuff now. I blame it on a post finals and holiday laziness haha.

Also do any of you have a the previous years class rank to gpa charts? I saw one a few months ago and lost it, and I probably will want some sort of perspective once we finally do grades.

[Bankhead]

So what is everyone's summer plans/hopes? Ive really slacked off and just am getting out judicial internship and other stuff now. I blame it on a post finals and holiday laziness haha.

Also do any of you have a the previous years class rank to gpa charts? I saw one a few months ago and lost it, and I probably will want some sort of perspective once we finally do grades.

Beats me man, I sent some stuff out to firms but I doubt it will amount to much. I may rely on my own connections to get something, I'm not going to be picky. I'm still wiped from finals and dreading getting grades back, so it's really tough to get motivated... haha.

There is a chart in the law school basement, on the wall, near the recorder's office that has the top 50% rankings and corresponding GPA's for Class of 2009, 2010, and 2011. The GPA median hovers around a 3.3 and I think top 10% is around a 3.7. The chart is probably available online somewhere as well.

Oh and you don't want to come back here, Kings (I'm assuming you went back to CA for break). It's below 0 degree's with wind chill factor!

[kings84_wr]

So what is everyone's summer plans/hopes? Ive really slacked off and just am getting out judicial internship and other stuff now. I blame it on a post finals and holiday laziness haha.

Also do any of you have a the previous years class rank to gpa charts? I saw one a few months ago and lost it, and I probably will want some sort of perspective once we finally do grades.

Beats me man, I sent some stuff out to firms but I doubt it will amount to much. I may rely on my own connections to get something, I'm not going to be picky. I'm still wiped from finals and dreading getting grades back, so it's really tough to get motivated... haha.

There is a chart in the law school basement, on the wall, near the recorder's office that has the top 50% rankings and corresponding GPA's for Class of 2009, 2010, and 2011. The GPA median hovers around a 3.3 and I think top 10% is around a 3.7. The chart is probably available online somewhere as well.

Oh and you don't want to come back here, Kings (I'm assuming you went back to CA for break). It's below 0 degree's with wind chill factor!

Yeah I applied to a few firms, but I pretty much figured I was wasting paper. I also may rely on local connections here to try and get something, that and maybe a judicial internship is my best bet I think.

i saw that it was 2 degrees the other night, good God that sounds awful haha, Its 70 in orange county. Its gonna suck coming back

[Mulliganstew]

So what is everyone's summer plans/hopes? Ive really slacked off and just am getting out judicial internship and other stuff now. I blame it on a post finals and holiday laziness haha.

Also do any of you have a the previous years class rank to gpa charts? I saw one a few months ago and lost it, and I probably will want some sort of perspective once we finally do grades.

I've been admittedly slacking even more. I haven't even done an informational interview. I pretty much fell into a coma when I came home from Bloomington. Like you guys, I'm more going to rely on people I know and hope for the best. I'll apply to some judicial internships as well, and I hope I get one, but we'll see. All I know is I hope I at least get a median GPA so I can go to the Florence study abroad option in May and come home in early June to do the internship.

[Spoonmanners]

http://registrar.indiana.edu/distinst.shtml

This lets you look up grade distribution by class, but may be skewed upwards due to a bunch of LLM's who just get automatic A's.

I'm still confused as to the curve, as the numbers don't seem to add up. Or the 3.6 (or whatever) that is a top 10% must have a load of students tied with the same GPA. (For example, 20% of the class could theoretically have a 3.7 GPA, so they would be tied for top 10%, so 30% of the class is top 10% or better. Like I said, doesn't seem to add up).

I'm working on backup stuff for summer. I figured I would only be wasting my time looking up too many firms if I don't know my grades and the curve. It does seem like kind of a waste considering the clusterfuck of jobless 2L's who will take any unpaid job they can put on a resume.

[NatSec]

do many students live/commute from indianapolis? is the school commuter friendly? if I attend I would commute so that my wife could work in the city.

[Spoonmanners]

do many students live/commute from indianapolis? is the school commuter friendly? if I attend I would commute so that my wife could work in the city.

I know a few that commute in from Indy or surrounding cities. It's not that commuter friendly, because it is not like there is an abundance of free parking. Plenty of the surrounding businesses will sell you a spot for around $50 a month, or if you want to put in the hours, park at the lot and leave for free after 9 PM. The street parking is doable, and I know people who move their car every two hours, but I would never do it.

There's not much traffic, because there is nothing between Bloomington and Indy. I'm sure you could find a cheap place between both, and the drive would just be 20-25 minutes.

[kings84_wr]

Well looks like Heidt's grades will be up early next week, that sounds absolutely dreadful. That is the last class that I want to know my grade in haha

[Unjust Enrichment]

Well looks like Heidt's grades will be up early next week, that sounds absolutely dreadful. That is the last class that I want to know my grade in haha

Not that I'm in Heidt, but does this mean you got an e-mail from an admin indicating that timeline?

[CE2JD]

I should know the answer to this one, but is Indiana accredited by the ABA?

[Bankhead]

Yep, just got the Heitd email. Oh god..

unjust, the email was from the prof himself and not an admin.

ce2jd, why are you here?

[kings84_wr]

Yep, just got the Heitd email. Oh god..

unjust, the email was from the prof himself and not an admin.

ce2jd, why are you here?

Yeah im not surprised he's almost done, I have a feeling he is the one prof that loves grading and/or demoralizing his students.

[CE2JD]

Yep, just got the Heitd email. Oh god..

unjust, the email was from the prof himself and not an admin.

ce2jd, why are you here?

Maybe I'm considering a transfer to the prestigious Indiana University Law School?

[Bankhead]

Yep, just got the Heitd email. Oh god..

unjust, the email was from the prof himself and not an admin.

ce2jd, why are you here?

Maybe I'm considering a transfer to the prestigious Indiana University Law School?

Or maybe you're being an asshole?

[Bankhead]

Yep, just got the Heitd email. Oh god..

unjust, the email was from the prof himself and not an admin.

ce2jd, why are you here?

Yeah im not surprised he's almost done, I have a feeling he is the one prof that loves grading and/or demoralizing his students.

Hahaha, maybe. I think he's quite kind and caring actually. He isn't much of a publisher, and really takes the teaching part of his job seriously.

That being said, I wouldn't really mind if he would slow down the grading a bit... I'm not all that eager to find out what I got.