FIU (Florida International) 1L taking questions Forum

[flhealth]

yes...we have valet parking

[rondemarino]

Do students worry about washing out given the 1L attrition rate of 23%?

[flhealth]

The attrition rate is really not that important unless you happen to fall victim to it and if that is the case, they are probably doing you a favor.

[Mickey Quicknumbers]

How do you like it so far? How do you think it compares to Stetson/FSU/UF/Miami? Are the classes curved low?

[flhealth]

How do you like it so far? How do you think it compares to Stetson/FSU/UF/Miami? Are the classes curved low?

I visited all of those schools last year and sat in classes at all of them. UF clearly had the most "prepared" students and FSU had the least. I know that sounds nuts, but I wasnt impressed by the student body in Tallahassee. Granted, I only visited one class at each school, but I made sure I sat in a Con Law class at each because I wanted to compare the feel at each school. I was accepted at Miami, Stetson and FIU. I chose FIU based on cost, facilities, and location. So far I have not regretted my choice. It was the right choice for me. I have friends that are much younger, and if they can justify 40K per year to go to Miami or Stetson I have no problem with it. The Florida 5th Circuit meets in our on campus courtroom every Monday and Tuesday for oral arguments. Its great to go to a school where you interact with judges on a weekly basis.

[.net]

How is the cost of living in the area close to the school? Also, how hard is it for someone who does not speak spanish to get a regular job (non-law)? What about job prospects for the school, have you heard anything from upper classment in getting summer jobs, etc.??

Sorry, lots of questions, this is one of my schools of choice.....

Thank you for helping your fellow TLSers

[Cupidity]

I've heard from people in the know that FIU is on an upward trend. FIU is a little below my numbers, but it is a young school with some talent pouring in, and it might be as good as UF in a couple years. (Thats the story I've heard) Do you think this is true?

[flhealth]

How is the cost of living in the area close to the school? Also, how hard is it for someone who does not speak spanish to get a regular job (non-law)? What about job prospects for the school, have you heard anything from upper classment in getting summer jobs, etc.??

Sorry, lots of questions, this is one of my schools of choice.....

Thank you for helping your fellow TLSers

I am from North Florida and I had heard the cost of living was extremely high down here. In a sense this is true and yet in another it is not accurate. Going out to eat and drinking at bars is definitely more expensive (beer is usually 6 bucks a pop, maybe 8 in SoBe)...Gas is about 10 cents per gallon higher...but groceries and utilities are are about the same and rent is reasonable as long as you're not comparing it to college towns like g'ville and tallahassee...there is no getting around it, miami is a spanish city, however most of my classmates (self included) do not speak spanish and we manage fine...most of us live in Brickell, Coconut Grove or Doral where English is spoken more (compared to other parts of MIA)...Job prospects right now are tough, but theyre tough everywhere...from what I've gathered in the short amount of time I've been here is the people that are the most successful at finding jobs are not the people who graduaute with a piece of paper in their hand and expect to be given a 140K gig...the people that are finding jobs are networking from day 1...thats the beautiful thing about FIU is you are exposed to a huge market EVERYDAY and have the ability to make meaningful connections that will help you land a job in one of the few markets that can even come close to competing with (notice i didnt say were as good as) NYC and DC...I HIGHLY recommend you visit...hit me up, I'll show you around

[flhealth]

I've heard from people in the know that FIU is on an upward trend. FIU is a little below my numbers, but it is a young school with some talent pouring in, and it might be as good as UF in a couple years. (Thats the story I've heard) Do you think this is true?

It def FEELS like an upward trend...but I think its overstating things to imagine being "as good as Florida in a couple years"...I just dont think we will have the alum to make it comparable even if the academic numbers eventually come around...I'll be honest. if you're young (under 30) and want to practice in Florida....bust your ass and get into UF or FSU, however if that doesnt happen (budget cuts have killed UFs class size) FIU is not a bad fallback, especially at 11,500 per year...Our Dean is the former US Attorney and he "gets it"...he told me personally his 2 main jobs are 1) getting us jobs and 2) moving the school up the rankings....Can he get it done? we'll see, but the dude has been successful at everything he's done, so I'm not going to be betting against him

[lz06]

People in Doral speak English? Since when?

[ren12ay]

People in Doral speak English? Since when?

I know right thats like a Spanish city.

[colemf]

This may be a long shot but maybe you can help me, i'm a huge cigar aficionado and am currently considering a few schools in florida(Cigars aside), from what i hear the cigar shops in florida are amazing, could you provide any insight?

[Bmg08d]

I would be interested if you could elaborate further on the entire spanish influence thing. I plan to visit the school soon, everything about it seems great. However, anytime I mention the city miami to anyone, I get that its expensive and that its really spanish. So I had a couple questions for ya.
1. Isn't the student body around 40% spanish?
2. What is tamiami? (its right near FIU on googlemaps, and just sounds spanish)
3. Is school in a spanish neighborhood?
4. To live in an english area, what would the drive be like one way?
5. Is FIU very giving with scholarships, despite their already low pricing?


From what I gather, theres a huge parking garage making the commute very stressfree. Also next door is the campus gym, which is awesome. I kinda sound racist or something with my prior questions, but the miami stereotype is there. I want to feel like I'm going to school in America and not in Latin America...thats all.

Thanks
-Bryan

[Ende]

So what does your schedule look like? I'm assuming you are attending full time. Can you give me a little idea of your work load, studying, free time, etc ? Are you literally slammed with work?

-Nick

[lz06]

I would be interested if you could elaborate further on the entire spanish influence thing. I plan to visit the school soon, everything about it seems great. However, anytime I mention the city miami to anyone, I get that its expensive and that its really spanish. So I had a couple questions for ya.
1. Isn't the student body around 40% spanish?
2. What is tamiami? (its right near FIU on googlemaps, and just sounds spanish)
3. Is school in a spanish neighborhood?
4. To live in an english area, what would the drive be like one way?
5. Is FIU very giving with scholarships, despite their already low pricing?


From what I gather, theres a huge parking garage making the commute very stressfree. Also next door is the campus gym, which is awesome. I kinda sound racist or something with my prior questions, but the miami stereotype is there. I want to feel like I'm going to school in America and not in Latin America...thats all.

Thanks
-Bryan

lol.... miami is latin america

hth


edit: to actually be somewhat helpful, tamiami just refers to tamiami park right next to FIU. It's nothing "spanish" just a normal park.

[ren12ay]

I would be interested if you could elaborate further on the entire spanish influence thing. I plan to visit the school soon, everything about it seems great. However, anytime I mention the city miami to anyone, I get that its expensive and that its really spanish. So I had a couple questions for ya.
1. Isn't the student body around 40% spanish?
2. What is tamiami? (its right near FIU on googlemaps, and just sounds spanish)
3. Is school in a spanish neighborhood?
4. To live in an english area, what would the drive be like one way?
5. Is FIU very giving with scholarships, despite their already low pricing?


From what I gather, theres a huge parking garage making the commute very stressfree. Also next door is the campus gym, which is awesome. I kinda sound racist or something with my prior questions, but the miami stereotype is there. I want to feel like I'm going to school in America and not in Latin America...thats all.

Thanks
-Bryan

I went to undergrad at FIU the school body is way more than 40% Spanish it seems more 90% (sort of exaggerating but I know its way up there) including the faculty. All the cities around FIU is Spanish from Doral to Kendall; Tamiami I dont really consider it a city it is like a major highway that the school is off of. You are just going to have to live and just get over it I have been lost in Miami by the school where even the billboards are in spanish, you get over it after a while. I dont know much about the law school just the school in general.

[gdane]

Dont go to FIU law if you dont speak spanish. The Miami stereotypes are all correct. The student population is overwhelmingly hispanic (cuban mainly) and the city that surrounds it (Sweetwater) is probably one of the most highly populated cuban cities in Miami. So when you go to any of the local supermarkets, restaurants or shops, chances are you'll find someone that cant speak english very well.

I'm currently a Political Science undergrad and I lived on campus my first year so I'm very familiar with the demographics. I'm also hispanic, but I found it very irritating that people speak spanish first and english second.

The gym is cool though, Im there all the time. The only good thing about Miami is the nightlife, but to get downtown it takes about 20 minutes, to get to Coconut Grove it takes about 25 minutes and South Beach is about 30 minutes away. Approximately.

The most "American" place you can live would probably be Coconut Grove or Pinecrest. Those two places are pretty far from FIU though. The commute would be terrible since you'd probably have to take the 826, which between the constant construction and the moronic drivers (another negative about Miami) is a mission.

Hmm... I think that's all I have to say.

[bitlrc]

also tamiami is another name for rt 41 which runs from tampa to miami

[bryanbass13]

Hi, I just got accepted to FIU earlier this week and everything about the school on paper looks great. Right now my only concern is that when I tell people that I got accepted and after they are done congratulating me, everyone says "I didn't know FIU even had a law school".

[gdane]

Bryan,

Give us more info about yourself. Are you a miami/FL resident? Are you an FIU student?

If you are familiar with the Miami area and are comfortable with it, then I would recommend going to FIU. However, this all depends on what other offers you have.

[bryanbass13]

I'm from West Palm and I just got my B.A. in history from UF. I haven't heard back from UF or FSU yet which are the only other two schools I applied to. I'm not familiar with Miami but I would probably live on campus my first year if I attend FIU.

[Herb Watchfell]

How hot be the bitches?

[tihsgod]

Yep. It seems to be that the only data about FIU attrition rate is at:
http://fiu.lawschoolnumbers.com/
23% seems outrageous!
Top Law schools are usually less than 5%.
So what is going on?
All about the numbers.
FIU seems to be trying to have a high bar pass rate by kicking out nearly 1/4 of their 1L students in the first year.
I tried to get some information from the law school about these number but everything was hush, hush.
FIU Law just said it was not true and that it was more like 10% but again they would not show me the money (data).
What do you expect! This is Miami-Dade, home of some of the worst cheats and liars.
I am sure FIU will eventually clean up their act but for now the facts remain. If you go to FIU there is 23% chance you will be booted in your first year. Who knows what will happen in your 2nd & 3rd years. I would choose not to go to FIU if you are not worried about being in the bottom 25% of the classs. Once you get the door slammed in your face it is unlikely anyone will open it up for you again.

[hardworkingal]

If your in the bottom 25% at FIU law, you don't belong in law school. FIU is picking up it's reputation in Miami and has gone up in the rankings to 132 which is good for such a new law school. I wouldn't pick FIU over UF/FSU but I don't think it's a bad fall back if your a Florida Resident.

[Dripworx]

Got accepted 2 weeks ago, no scholly money or offers yet.
got 15k from hofstra in NY, and In at Nova but im still waiting for about 12 other schools

Waitlisted at UM, and American... so far those are my results