UF Class of 2016 Applicants (2012-2013 cycle) Forum

[seancris]

OK, thanks for clearing that up. I haven't been following law school tuition for schools other than UF since I started law school, and I guess I still assumed that UF was relatively cheap compared to the other instate schools.

With that said- I will say that I believe that my degree from UF was an advantage when looking for a job. I had a couple of interviewers mention that the fact that I went to UF was a big deal. I don't know if that makes it worth to attend UF over FSU, since I have no idea how they may have viewed an FSU grad.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I received some scholarship money when I attended UF. For that reason, UF was a very clear choice for me, and I didn't have to engage in a serious cost/benefit analysis of whether to attend UF or another school. Sorry I can't be of much help. :/

That's actually a big help. There's definitely value to being part of the UF network, which is worth more money. Just not too much more. I applied last year and it would've been much cheaper for me to attend Ohio State and several other higher-ranked schools at out-of-state prices due to the amount of merit-aid they offered compared to UF.

Personally hoping for a decent scholarship from UF this time around that will allow me to stay in Gainesville!

On the subject of scholarships, I know that UF has grade-based stipulations on their merit scholarships. Did you or anyone you knew have any issues keeping their scholarship based on the stipulations? Just trying to get a feel for how difficult the scholarships are to retain.

And do you have any general advice about what kinds of things we can do to put ourselves in a competitive position when it comes to landing a legal job soon after graduation? IE pursuing a certificate, joining student orgs, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to help us out, btw.

[Ex Cearulo]

With that said- I will say that I believe that my degree from UF was an advantage when looking for a job. I had a couple of interviewers mention that the fact that I went to UF was a big deal. I don't know if that makes it worth to attend UF over FSU, since I have no idea how they may have viewed an FSU grad.

FWIW, my younger sister is currently a 2L at UF. She was accepted to FSU and accepted to UF off the waitlist. When I asked her why she chose UF, she said that after doing all of her own research it came down to the current strength of UF's alumni network and connections around the state, and that she believed that a UF degree would be more beneficial to her after law school. I can't vouch for how she came to that conclusion, and I don't know if she got any merit aid (likely not, coming off the waitlist), but it was enough to convince her.

That all being said, it's hard to dispute FSU's upward momentum over the last several years. The two schools are so closely ranked right now, and have similar job placement numbers, that it's perfectly conceivable that FSU becomes higher ranked than UF (in law schools, not football ) in the next couple years and becomes a better investment as their alumni network grows and strengthens. Who knows? I hope to be accepted to both, visit FSU (went to undergrad at UF and already toured the law school), and have the fortunate problem of having to choose between the two if I stay in-state. I'd have to say, though, that as a Gator grad whose father went to law school there and whose sister is there now, it would be very tough to turn down Gainesville for Tallahassee. Unless Stetson offers me a full-ride...then it gets interesting, haha.

[FLGrad]

OK, thanks for clearing that up. I haven't been following law school tuition for schools other than UF since I started law school, and I guess I still assumed that UF was relatively cheap compared to the other instate schools.

With that said- I will say that I believe that my degree from UF was an advantage when looking for a job. I had a couple of interviewers mention that the fact that I went to UF was a big deal. I don't know if that makes it worth to attend UF over FSU, since I have no idea how they may have viewed an FSU grad.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I received some scholarship money when I attended UF. For that reason, UF was a very clear choice for me, and I didn't have to engage in a serious cost/benefit analysis of whether to attend UF or another school. Sorry I can't be of much help. :/

That's actually a big help. There's definitely value to being part of the UF network, which is worth more money. Just not too much more. I applied last year and it would've been much cheaper for me to attend Ohio State and several other higher-ranked schools at out-of-state prices due to the amount of merit-aid they offered compared to UF.

Personally hoping for a decent scholarship from UF this time around that will allow me to stay in Gainesville!

On the subject of scholarships, I know that UF has grade-based stipulations on their merit scholarships. Did you or anyone you knew have any issues keeping their scholarship based on the stipulations? Just trying to get a feel for how difficult the scholarships are to retain.

And do you have any general advice about what kinds of things we can do to put ourselves in a competitive position when it comes to landing a legal job soon after graduation? IE pursuing a certificate, joining student orgs, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to help us out, btw.

Regarding scholarship money- My scholarship had a grade-based stipulation of 3.0 or higher. The curve for most classes was a 3.1-3.2 (all 1L classes use this curve) and classes of 25 students or less use a 3.6 curve. I stayed above a 3.0, so I never had to worry about losing my scholarship. As to other people's scholarship... I really don't know. I never felt comfortable talking about my scholarship with anyone who wasn't a really close friend, and I think most people felt the same. It's one of those things that I think most law students don't want to talk about with others.

Regarding general advice- Certificates are very helpful if you already know that you want to practice a certain type of law. A lot of students didn't pursue certificates, me included. Joining student orgs is generally not enough for anyone to really care. You need to be very involved (ie president, treasurer, etc) for it to really matter.

My final general advice is to consider doing public service work your 1L summer. Although not considered glamorous by the layperson, it will force you to interact with clients, to attend hearings and to start thinking/acting as an attorney. These are skills that many employers (from my experience) are looking for (client interaction, some courtroom experience), and will definitely help you land a job once you graduate.

[CO2016YEAH]

OK, thanks for clearing that up. I haven't been following law school tuition for schools other than UF since I started law school, and I guess I still assumed that UF was relatively cheap compared to the other instate schools.

With that said- I will say that I believe that my degree from UF was an advantage when looking for a job. I had a couple of interviewers mention that the fact that I went to UF was a big deal. I don't know if that makes it worth to attend UF over FSU, since I have no idea how they may have viewed an FSU grad.

I'm not sure if I mentioned this earlier, but I received some scholarship money when I attended UF. For that reason, UF was a very clear choice for me, and I didn't have to engage in a serious cost/benefit analysis of whether to attend UF or another school. Sorry I can't be of much help. :/

That's actually a big help. There's definitely value to being part of the UF network, which is worth more money. Just not too much more. I applied last year and it would've been much cheaper for me to attend Ohio State and several other higher-ranked schools at out-of-state prices due to the amount of merit-aid they offered compared to UF.

Personally hoping for a decent scholarship from UF this time around that will allow me to stay in Gainesville!

On the subject of scholarships, I know that UF has grade-based stipulations on their merit scholarships. Did you or anyone you knew have any issues keeping their scholarship based on the stipulations? Just trying to get a feel for how difficult the scholarships are to retain.

And do you have any general advice about what kinds of things we can do to put ourselves in a competitive position when it comes to landing a legal job soon after graduation? IE pursuing a certificate, joining student orgs, etc.

Thanks for taking the time to help us out, btw.

I know these questions were directed to FLgrad, but I thought I'd touch on the stipulations, as I listened to an informative seminar on financing law school at the L.A. LSAC forum. According to the presenter, the typical law applicant is in the top 10%-20% of his or her undergrad class. This means the bulk of students attending a reasonably well ranked law school are going to be among the brightest of undergrad students. If there is a top 1/3 class stip, 2/3 of the class are going to be ineligible for scholarships as 2L's; there is no other mathematical possibility. The only reason that some who get scholly's wouldn't lose them would be if the top 1/3 of the top 10-20% of students were the only students to get scholly's, and these students consistently maintained their position in the top 1/3 as 1L's. However, scholarship awards don't perfectly correlate with LSAT and GPA numbers, and I would guess some lower "ranked" ug students will bust ass their first year while some who got scholly's will relax a bit--basically, there will be some movement in actual performance from what scores might indicate. The gentleman's rule of thumb was to not bank on scholly's the second year. The reality is most of us (0L's) believe we are above average and will perform very well, but when classes are graded on a standard curve (which apparently most are) this is an impossibility. This is, of course, logical and intuitive, yet many still don't consider that this is a most probable situation.

I'm sure there will be plenty of students across all schools that get significant money as 1L's that wind up paying sticker as 2L's.

Edit: The above example, of course, is considering there IS a 1/3 stip. But I'm sure we've all seen stips ranging from top 1/2 to top 1/4 or above (and there is sometimes a sliding scale, relating to class rank, to determine how much $$$ one is eligible to receive).

[FLGrad]

With that said- I will say that I believe that my degree from UF was an advantage when looking for a job. I had a couple of interviewers mention that the fact that I went to UF was a big deal. I don't know if that makes it worth to attend UF over FSU, since I have no idea how they may have viewed an FSU grad.

FWIW, my younger sister is currently a 2L at UF. She was accepted to FSU and accepted to UF off the waitlist. When I asked her why she chose UF, she said that after doing all of her own research it came down to the current strength of UF's alumni network and connections around the state, and that she believed that a UF degree would be more beneficial to her after law school. I can't vouch for how she came to that conclusion, and I don't know if she got any merit aid (likely not, coming off the waitlist), but it was enough to convince her.

That all being said, it's hard to dispute FSU's upward momentum over the last several years. The two schools are so closely ranked right now, and have similar job placement numbers, that it's perfectly conceivable that FSU becomes higher ranked than UF (in law schools, not football ) in the next couple years and becomes a better investment as their alumni network grows and strengthens. Who knows? I hope to be accepted to both, visit FSU (went to undergrad at UF and already toured the law school), and have the fortunate problem of having to choose between the two if I stay in-state. I'd have to say, though, that as a Gator grad whose father went to law school there and whose sister is there now, it would be very tough to turn down Gainesville for Tallahassee. Unless Stetson offers me a full-ride...then it gets interesting, haha.

I wouldn't focus so much on UF's or FSU's individual rankings. I believe that most employers consider UF to be slightly better than FSU (some may consider them about the same) and that is not going to change even if FSU becomes higher ranked than UF. Most employers don't follow the rankings, and I don't think that their perceptions about UF and FSU grads is going to change simply because one became slightly higher ranked than the other.

[Ex Cearulo]

I wouldn't focus so much on UF's or FSU's individual rankings. I believe that most employers consider UF to be slightly better than FSU (some may consider them about the same) and that is not going to change even if FSU becomes higher ranked than UF. Most employers don't follow the rankings, and I don't think that there perceptions about UF and FSU grads is going to change simply because one became slightly higher ranked than the other.

Completely agree. Didn't mean for my post to come across as the opposite. I meant that it's conceivable over the next several years for FSU's alumni network and connections to strengthen to the point that UF's edge in this area will not be good enough alone to choose UF, and other factors like merit aid and tuition will be that much more important. If that translates to a swap in the rankings, so be it. I take individual rankings with a grain of salt. Anyone who has two brain cells to rub together can determine that the USNWR rankings are not a great standard by which to base your law school decision.

[FeelTheHeat]

without turning this topic into fsu v. uf, price being equal, just go to the school you feel more comfortable at. don't need to analyze further than that

[CO2016YEAH]

[/quote]


I wouldn't focus so much on UF's or FSU's individual rankings. I believe that most employers consider UF to be slightly better than FSU (some may consider them about the same) and that is not going to change even if FSU becomes higher ranked than UF. Most employers don't follow the rankings, and I don't think that there perceptions about UF and FSU grads is going to change simply because one became slightly higher ranked than the other.[/quote]

I appreciate that info. To date I have applied to UF but not FSU; I live in Cali but have some family over there. If I go I want it to be for the best possible situation. Also, I like the way blue and orange look together.

[Gator_Law]

UF ended up being cheaper for me which was the main factor but I really enjoyed FSU when I visited. I thought it would be an easy decision and it wasn't.

[Gotallanswers]

So can we expect changes to our statuses tomorrow? because I read in the past most statuses change on Mondays. I'm under initial review and really hope I get accepted.

[slawww]

So can we expect changes to our statuses tomorrow? because I read in the past most statuses change on Mondays. I'm under initial review and really hope I get accepted.

I sure hope so. I've been No Decision Reached for about a week now.

[Gotallanswers]

So can we expect changes to our statuses tomorrow? because I read in the past most statuses change on Mondays. I'm under initial review and really hope I get accepted.

I sure hope so. I've been No Decision Reached for about a week now.

I just checked and my file is showing no decision reached. Have others changed to decision reached in the same day?

[slawww]

So can we expect changes to our statuses tomorrow? because I read in the past most statuses change on Mondays. I'm under initial review and really hope I get accepted.

I sure hope so. I've been No Decision Reached for about a week now.

I just checked and my file is showing no decision reached. Have other changed to decision reached in the same day?

It did for some people on here, but they had auto-admit #'s

[Gotallanswers]

So, anyone get admitted today? Or have a decision rendered status?

[slawww]

So, anyone get admitted today? Or have a decision rendered status?

Still No Decision Reached. Pretty annoying. Especially since my LSAT is above median, I figured they'd be accepting above median LSAT's pretty quickly with the drop in applications & test-takers.

[Gotallanswers]

So, anyone get admitted today? Or have a decision rendered status?

Still No Decision Reached. Pretty annoying. Especially since my LSAT is above median, I figured they'd be accepting above median LSAT's pretty quickly with the drop in applications & test-takers.

Mines right below the 25th percentile. But I go to UF and want to get a joint JD/MAcc degree. I'm really anxious because this is the only school I applied to this cycle because of the program. It also will determine how heavy of a load I take next semester in regards to the graduate accounting courses and which ones I don't need to take because of crediting sharing.

Oh and the October LSAT score delay nearly killed me. I hate waiting.

[seancris]

So, anyone get admitted today? Or have a decision rendered status?

Still No Decision Reached. Pretty annoying. Especially since my LSAT is above median, I figured they'd be accepting above median LSAT's pretty quickly with the drop in applications & test-takers.

Mines right below the 25th percentile. But I go to UF and want to get a joint JD/MAcc degree. I'm really anxious because this is the only school I applied to this cycle because of the program. It also will determine how heavy of a load I take next semester in regards to the graduate accounting courses and which ones I don't need to take because of crediting sharing.

Oh and the October LSAT score delay nearly killed me. I hate waiting.

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

[slawww]

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

+1

Re-taking the LSAT was the best choice I've made in regards to applying to law school. I still didn't get the score I wanted and PT'ed at after 3 times, but it definitely made a huge difference so far.

[Gotallanswers]

So, anyone get admitted today? Or have a decision rendered status?

Still No Decision Reached. Pretty annoying. Especially since my LSAT is above median, I figured they'd be accepting above median LSAT's pretty quickly with the drop in applications & test-takers.

Mines right below the 25th percentile. But I go to UF and want to get a joint JD/MAcc degree. I'm really anxious because this is the only school I applied to this cycle because of the program. It also will determine how heavy of a load I take next semester in regards to the graduate accounting courses and which ones I don't need to take because of crediting sharing.

Oh and the October LSAT score delay nearly killed me. I hate waiting.

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

Yea I am considering that, another reason I really want to find out. Retaking the LSAT is a possibility I have until January 18th to figure it out. I really hope I don't have to retake it, but I might have to. I can't apply anywhere else because I won't finish my masters of accounting this spring

[seancris]

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

Yea I am considering that, another reason I really want to find out. Retaking the LSAT is a possibility I have until January 18th to figure it out. I really hope I don't have to retake it, but I might have to. I can't apply anywhere else because I won't finish my masters of accounting this spring

What are you waiting to find out? WL decisions aren't likely to be out before Jan 18th.

[Gotallanswers]

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

Yea I am considering that, another reason I really want to find out. Retaking the LSAT is a possibility I have until January 18th to figure it out. I really hope I don't have to retake it, but I might have to. I can't apply anywhere else because I won't finish my masters of accounting this spring

What are you waiting to find out? WL decisions aren't likely to be out before Jan 18th.

Hopefully an acceptance. I have finals now so I won't even start prepping for 2 weeks. So I'll just pray.

[seancris]

You should really consider applying to other schools and/or retaking in Feb. If you're waitlisted, a higher score will get you in.

Yea I am considering that, another reason I really want to find out. Retaking the LSAT is a possibility I have until January 18th to figure it out. I really hope I don't have to retake it, but I might have to. I can't apply anywhere else because I won't finish my masters of accounting this spring

What are you waiting to find out? WL decisions aren't likely to be out before Jan 18th.

Hopefully an acceptance. I have finals now so I won't even start prepping for 2 weeks. So I'll just pray.

Oh, duh. Sorry. Thought we were talking specifically about WL decisions. Was just reading another thread on the topic so it was on my brain.

Best of luck, hoping you get an admit soon as an early holiday present.

[Gotallanswers]

So did anyone get an acceptance today? Or are they releasing them tomorrow (which I hope is the case).

[slawww]

So did anyone get an acceptance today? Or are they releasing them tomorrow (which I hope is the case).

No, sir. Still NDR.

I'm getting the feeling it could be a few weeks before a decision gets made

[Gotallanswers]

So did anyone get an acceptance today? Or are they releasing them tomorrow (which I hope is the case).

No, sir. Still NDR.

I'm getting the feeling it could be a few weeks before a decision gets made

Yea no one posted that their status changed yesterday. Or on lSN no one posted acceptance made. Hopefully they haven't released the 2nd round of acceptance yet and I'm in it!!