Indiana University - Bloomington students taking questions Forum

[lawandi]

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

Please post the answer if they email you back. I'm wondering this too....

[kings84_wr]

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.

I know there were quite a few strange distributions last year. Boshkoff gave 0 A-'s, Hoffman tends to give a billion B+'s, and Legal prof is a complete different curve all together.

Some profs hate to give out anything below a B-, some won't even give out B-'s. I tend to think things would actually be better with a harsher curve requirement just to spread out the distribution a little bit. The curve makes it easy on profs who feel bad giving out bad grades, and can just give out tons of B+'s and stay within the range pretty easily.

[narkizopoint]

Some profs hate to give out anything below a B-, some won't even give out B-'s. I tend to think things would actually be better with a harsher curve requirement just to spread out the distribution a little bit. The curve makes it easy on profs who feel bad giving out bad grades, and can just give out tons of B+'s and stay within the range pretty easily.

This sounds completely accurate. A few C's would provide a bigger window for A- and A's but alas, a professor would have to deal with the irate law student in his office and he would have to deal with the guilt of branding said law student as not very good.

[danquayle]

Some profs hate to give out anything below a B-, some won't even give out B-'s. I tend to think things would actually be better with a harsher curve requirement just to spread out the distribution a little bit. The curve makes it easy on profs who feel bad giving out bad grades, and can just give out tons of B+'s and stay within the range pretty easily.

This sounds completely accurate. A few C's would provide a bigger window for A- and A's but alas, a professor would have to deal with the irate law student in his office and he would have to deal with the guilt of branding said law student as not very good.

They used to enforce a curve that was meant to average between a 2.9 and 3.1. It actually really upset my class because they made the switch after our 1L year, which totally messed up our class distribution. And made us look far worse than all the following classes.

The idea was that a higher GPA curve would made IU students look better relative to other law schools, many of which also had a GPA curve. This makes senses to the degree that many job postings require a certain GPA threshold. Say if a gpa of 3.4 is required for a job posting. With the previous curve, that would probably take a top 20% class standing to apply. Under the new distribution, you'd probably only need a top 40% class standing...

it makes sense, they just kind of botched the delivery.

[nadiab420]

How many kids don't have a car? Would you suggest it? I'm about 80% committed to IUB and would most probably not be bringing my car down..bad idea? Not asking if its possible, more so if its extremely inconvenient..?

[RMstratosphere]

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

Please post the answer if they email you back. I'm wondering this too....

If c/o 2014's full ride scholarships are the same as c/o 2013, which I assume they are, then the minimum requirement is maintaining satisfactory academic standing or some other jargon to mean...

Your gpa > 2.3

[RMstratosphere]

How many kids don't have a car? Would you suggest it? I'm about 80% committed to IUB and would most probably not be bringing my car down..bad idea? Not asking if its possible, more so if its extremely inconvenient..?

There are people who don't have a car at school, but I'm sure they're in the minority. It is certainly possible to live without one but as you allude to, probably leads to some inconvenient conclusions. There is a bus system in IU-B but I've not had positive experiences when using it (frequently late).

[danquayle]

How many kids don't have a car? Would you suggest it? I'm about 80% committed to IUB and would most probably not be bringing my car down..bad idea? Not asking if its possible, more so if its extremely inconvenient..?

Depends on what you preferences are. I liked living close to the law school, and didn't mind the undergrads all around me. I also didn't shop a terrible amount. I had a car on campus for visiting home, but rarely used it on campus. There are certain stores that require cars to get to, but virtually all of the restaurants and many of the requisite stores are reachable my foot or bus.

So, I wouldn't call it inconvenient. If anything I found my car more of a burden. But I do know people that, given their housing preferences and lifestyle, would have found it extremely inconvenient. Bloomington is pretty nice in that, unlike other college towns, it is very accommodating to a wide range of lifestyles. Keep in mind, it's also a massive school, so there are things like an airport shuttles and transits, etc. You're also very likely to make friends at the law school who have cars.

[superflush]

How many kids don't have a car? Would you suggest it? I'm about 80% committed to IUB and would most probably not be bringing my car down..bad idea? Not asking if its possible, more so if its extremely inconvenient..?

You don't need a car. Zipcar looks like a pretty good deal if you only need to drive occasionally. If I had to get rid of my car, that's what I use.

[LogosEther]

How many kids don't have a car? Would you suggest it? I'm about 80% committed to IUB and would most probably not be bringing my car down..bad idea? Not asking if its possible, more so if its extremely inconvenient..?

Well this question has been answered pretty well, but yeah, I don't have a car here. I'm the type who enjoys walking and biking, though. Just make sure you live decently close to the law school and you'll be fine. If you can walk to the law school, you can walk/bike/bus to almost everywhere else because the school is centrally located. And, at least for me, I have plenty of friends with cars and they're willing to bail me out if I really need it.

[superflush]

Just make sure you live decently close to the law school and you'll be fine. If you can walk to the law school, you can walk/bike/bus to almost everywhere else because the school is centrally located.

Yes. If this wasn't clear, we should stress this. It is really only on occasion that I need to go significantly far away from the law school (so, it is only on occasion that I need to drive).

And, at least for me, I have plenty of friends with cars and they're willing to bail me out if I really need it.

This as well. Most of the time that I've had to go away from campus in groups, I've gotten rides.

[nadiab420]

Thanks for the replies I know its a little early to be looking for housing, but what places are close by campus that you'd suggest or where did/do you live?

[KINGJV61]

For the person who was inquiring about bringing a car:

By the Student Center you can rent a zipcar via zipcar.com. $35 to register and $8 an hour.
Befriend someone with a car.

For the person who was inquiring about apartments:
I live at 320 South Dunn Street. 1-2 blocks from law school and kirkwood. Built in 2008. I pay $700 a month + Utilities.
Very convenient place to live.
Look under Burham apartments. http://www.burnhamrentals.com/

[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

Please post the answer if they email you back. I'm wondering this too....

If c/o 2014's full ride scholarships are the same as c/o 2013, which I assume they are, then the minimum requirement is maintaining satisfactory academic standing or some other jargon to mean...

Your gpa > 2.3

If this is correct then I will see you all next year. However I still haven't heard back! I also sent another e-mail.... maybe i should call

[superflush]

If this is correct then I will see you all next year. However I still haven't heard back! I also sent another e-mail.... maybe i should call

The admissions office is definitely not the best office in the law school, especially when it comes to communication.
Also, we don't start classes until Thursday, so I don't know who is and who isn't in the building right now.
What questions do you have? Maybe they can be answered here.

[miazdc]

I got an invitation to an interview with Indiana in a few weeks. Any ideas on who they select for interviews, how the process works, etc? Any tips?

Also, I've heard they only interview people from a few cities. How does that work... doesn't that seem unfair?

[ryanshep]

If this is correct then I will see you all next year. However I still haven't heard back! I also sent another e-mail.... maybe i should call

The admissions office is definitely not the best office in the law school, especially when it comes to communication.
Also, we don't start classes until Thursday, so I don't know who is and who isn't in the building right now.
What questions do you have? Maybe they can be answered here.

It was what is required to keep the scholarship, some people mentioned that its maintaining greater than a 2.3GPA but I would like confirmation from the school. That's all.

[danquayle]

If this is correct then I will see you all next year. However I still haven't heard back! I also sent another e-mail.... maybe i should call

The admissions office is definitely not the best office in the law school, especially when it comes to communication.
Also, we don't start classes until Thursday, so I don't know who is and who isn't in the building right now.
What questions do you have? Maybe they can be answered here.

It was what is required to keep the scholarship, some people mentioned that its maintaining greater than a 2.3GPA but I would like confirmation from the school. That's all.

They're pretty good about letting people keep their scholarships. I know way back when I had some friends with scholarships contingent on a 3.0 GPA. They dipped a bit below, but the school let everyone I know keep their money.

[cccZillo]

I feel like I have so many questions, but I guess I'll go one topic at a time

1-- Did anyone in this thread do the summer start, and if so did you find it advantageous?

2-- When do you get your financial aid money for the summer start? Did you have to complete (or change) the previous year's FAFSA?

3-- Did the summer start present any challenges when it came to finding an apartment to live in?

[superflush]

2-- When do you get your financial aid money for the summer start? Did you have to complete (or change) the previous year's FAFSA?

I didn't do summer start, but anecdotally, they comped summer start for full ride recipients, and some on partial scholarship as well. If you are talking about loan money, then I’m not sure if 4 credits meets the requirement for "being full-time" to get it. It might meet the minimum requirement, or the requirement might be 6.

edit: grammar

[weis14]

I feel like I have so many questions, but I guess I'll go one topic at a time

1-- Did anyone in this thread do the summer start, and if so did you find it advantageous?

2-- When do you get your financial aid money for the summer start? Did you have to complete (or change) the previous year's FAFSA?

3-- Did the summer start present any challenges when it came to finding an apartment to live in?

1. I did summer start this year. My main reason for doing so was to have a chance to test out law school before I had to take a full semester of classes. I think that learning how to brief cases and be organized for class in the summer allowed me to adapt more quickly to the busier fall schedule.

2. Financial aid money for the summer was distributed shortly before classes started. I don't remember the exact date, but it was only a week or two before classes started. I had been working for several years and did not have a 2009-2010 FAFSA on file so I can't answer that question as I had to fill out a new one.

3. I did not have any problems with finding an apartment, but I don't live near the law school. (My wife and I chose to live in a different area of Bloomington for personal reasons.) I would guess that there would not be a problem with finding an apartment for the summer if you planned on staying in the same place for the fall and spring semesters as well. The law school had a list of students who wanted to sublet their places for the summer as well. I did not pay too much attention to it

[Spoonmanners]

I feel like I have so many questions, but I guess I'll go one topic at a time

1-- Did anyone in this thread do the summer start, and if so did you find it advantageous?

2-- When do you get your financial aid money for the summer start? Did you have to complete (or change) the previous year's FAFSA?

3-- Did the summer start present any challenges when it came to finding an apartment to live in?

1. Yes, I think it helps get you "up to speed" a lot faster, or at least you figure out what works and what doesn't. You also figure out the town, parking, transit, as well as meet a lot of people from summer start.

2. I dunno, they dished out summer money like drunken sailors. I think I paid a few hundred bucks in school fees, and that was it.

3. Not really. Even places that were strictly on 1 year contracts had places open in June and July. I found most places, except the spots on the square, still had opening around April, which was when I was looking around for a place. I think it helps, because there is a flood of undergrads in August who try getting their TV, internet, and utilities all hooked up at the same time, and I've heard of some people waiting over a month just to get someone out.

[LogosEther]

I didn't do summer start, but I'll go against the grain here a little:

1) Most summer starters say that it was advantageous. I didn't do summer start and I definitely did not feel like I was at a disadvantage. I think the key here is that you MUST figure out/practice law school exams before the finals of your first semester. Summer start is one good way to do this, but I did it on my own and felt perfectly comfortable come finals. So summer start can definitely be a good experience, but you're not necessarily going to mess yourself up by not doing it.

It is a good way to meet friends too, but the social situation is much like the exam situation; by the end of the semester, if you're a friendly person and you put in the effort, you'll have friends either way.

3) I think summer start is actually a really good way to grab that good apartment deal before most of the 1L and undergrads come back to town. Just take your time to shop around and get a good deal.

[cccZillo]

Thanks for the input everyone. Two more questions for you off the top of my head:

1- Does anyone know around what time of year the summer start session becomes full?

2- When it comes to finding a place to live, I may be in the minority in that I'm wanting a place that is somewhat secluded; just sort of away from the hustle and bustle. I don't mind a short drive. Can someone point me in the direction of apartments that fit this description? Or does anyone think this is a bad idea?

(Also, sorry for the formal numbering system I keep using. Just think it makes it easier for people to answer).

Thanks again!

[superflush]

2- When it comes to finding a place to live, I may be in the minority in that I'm wanting a place that is somewhat secluded; just sort of away from the hustle and bustle. I don't mind a short drive. Can someone point me in the direction of apartments that fit this description? Or does anyone think this is a bad idea?

I'm probably repeating myself, but as long as you aren't on Kirkwood or Walnut, you should be away from the hustle bustle. If you are looking at apartment complexes, then you probably don't want to live in a place that is undergrad-heavy. You'd want to be in a place of mostly law students or other grad students. I would stick to walking distance.