IN at University of Iowa Forum

[rainmaker614]

If you work your ass off and impress your profs, it sounds like you'll get one. Don't forget the TA jobs.

That assumes others won't do the same. It doesn't say anywhere that hard work/good impressions = RA position. Nothing guarantees it anywhere. It sounds all rosy and nice, but what of those few out-of-staters that get the shaft? They pay full-price, too bad, better luck next time? Sounds like it. Now I have no real reason for choosing it over several other mid-west schools.

And I'm not qualified to TA. I stopped majoring in music so I wouldn't have to teach. It'd have to be RA or bust for me.

I thought to be a TA the only qualification was that your major had to be the same as the class you are a TA for? I don't think there are qualifications required other than that.

[New Madrid]

I asked specifically about the RA positions at ASD. You guys who were there will remember that Dean Byrd said that any given year approximately 70 percent of out-of-state students get RA or TA jobs. That's not 70 percent of those who applied for them, but 70 percent of all out-of-state students. It would figure that some simply do not want to RA, either because they're not that worried about cost, are already on a full ride, or don't want to work for another reason (family, maximizing GPA, etc). While the administration does not offer guarantees, Dean Byrd reassured me privately that very, very few students try and fail to land an RA or TA.

Yes, as an out-of state student there is a bit more financial uncertainty with Iowa than with some other schools. As much as I don't like to take big financial gambles, in my case I believe the risk is justified by the fact that it's the best school I've gotten into, and it's in the region where I want to practice.

Crystal, I knew we should've grabbed a beer during ASW. I've been having similar thoughts until the past couple of days.

[hoosier1508]

I asked specifically about the RA positions at ASD. You guys who were there will remember that Dean Byrd said that any given year approximately 70 percent of out-of-state students get RA or TA jobs. That's not 70 percent of those who applied for them, but 70 percent of all out-of-state students. It would figure that some simply do not want to RA, either because they're not that worried about cost, are already on a full ride, or don't want to work for another reason (family, maximizing GPA, etc). While the administration does not offer guarantees, Dean Byrd reassured me privately that very, very few students try and fail to land an RA or TA.

Yes, as an out-of state student there is a bit more financial uncertainty with Iowa than with some other schools. As much as I don't like to take big financial gambles, in my case I believe the risk is justified by the fact that it's the best school I've gotten into, and it's in the region where I want to practice.

Crystal, I knew we should've grabbed a beer during ASW. I've been having similar thoughts until the past couple of days.

Good info. Although I highly doubt there are very many people whom meet the criteria you described. Scholarship recipients (atleast Merit Scholars) are required to participate, and I cannot imagine very many people not wanting to save $40k.

70% then is probably a good figure to gauge your chances. That's pretty solid considering there are other alternatives to gain residency status.

[pomona]

Yeah, these decisions are difficult. On the one hand, everyone I met - from professors (not to mention Byrd, who rules) to current students to prospective students - was pretty awesome. On the other hand, I think it's Boyd. For me, the building is just really underwhelming. And as much as they tout their library, I was kind of disappointed with the layout.

They tout the content of the library, which is pretty amazing IMHO. I didn't hear anyone at ASD speaking to it's architectual beauty.

[New Madrid]

Scholarship recipients (atleast Merit Scholars) are required to participate, and I cannot imagine very many people not wanting to save $40k.

I got a merit scholarship and there's no requirement to RA. Purely optional.

[pomona]

Can someone answer this question:

What else does Iowa have going for them aside from the USNWR ranking?

Great faculty and very loyal alumni.

+ location (for some), collegial atmosphere (aside from Westside).

What do other comparably ranked schools have going for them that Iowa doesn't?

Location- probably for most if not all.
Employment Prospects- higher at comparatively ranked schools.
Specialization rankings- see USNWR specialization rankings
More diverse alumni networks
Newer facilities, Better weather.

I'd love to see the analysis you did that led you to these conclusions. That is, of course, if you even did any sort of analysis (which I sorta doubt given your habit of making baseless claims).

[hoosier1508]

Scholarship recipients (atleast Merit Scholars) are required to participate, and I cannot imagine very many people not wanting to save $40k.

I got a merit scholarship and there's no requirement to RA. Purely optional.

Are you out of state? Mine specifically says years 2 & 3 it is required.

[coolkatz321]

Location- probably for most if not all.
Employment Prospects- higher at comparatively ranked schools.
Specialization rankings- see USNWR specialization rankings
More diverse alumni networks
Newer facilities, Better weather.

I'd love to see the analysis you did that led you to these conclusions. That is, of course, if you even did any sort of analysis (which I sorta doubt given your habit of making baseless claims).

I will say this-- it's tough to argue with the weather analysis. Then again, I live in Buffalo, so what do I know?

[hoosier1508]

Location- probably for most if not all.
Employment Prospects- higher at comparatively ranked schools.
Specialization rankings- see USNWR specialization rankings
More diverse alumni networks
Newer facilities, Better weather.

I'd love to see the analysis you did that led you to these conclusions. That is, of course, if you even did any sort of analysis (which I sorta doubt given your habit of making baseless claims).

I will say this-- it's tough to argue with the weather analysis. Then again, I live in Buffalo, so what do I know?

I don't know, if you look at schools ranked #22-27 I don't see a whole lot of better weather options. Emory will be warmer but outside of that Iowa looks decent.

[pomona]

Location- probably for most if not all.
Employment Prospects- higher at comparatively ranked schools.
Specialization rankings- see USNWR specialization rankings
More diverse alumni networks
Newer facilities, Better weather.

I'd love to see the analysis you did that led you to these conclusions. That is, of course, if you even did any sort of analysis (which I sorta doubt given your habit of making baseless claims).

I will say this-- it's tough to argue with the weather analysis. Then again, I live in Buffalo, so what do I know?

Well, comparing it to similarly ranked schools I can think of a few that are basically the same or worse: Illinois has basically the same weather, Minn has worse weather for sure, STL is only a little better, Ohio is about the same.

[New Madrid]

Scholarship recipients (atleast Merit Scholars) are required to participate, and I cannot imagine very many people not wanting to save $40k.

I got a merit scholarship and there's no requirement to RA. Purely optional.

Are you out of state? Mine specifically says years 2 & 3 it is required.

My award letter says RA positions are "available" for some, but not all, second and third year students. I wish mine were guaranteed/required. You and I must have different types or levels of merit scholarships.

[IpunchedCharlieRose]

They tout the content of the library, which is pretty amazing IMHO. I didn't hear anyone at ASD speaking to it's architectual beauty.

No doubt they have an insane amount of materials. That's great, but, in my research, how far afield will I realistically go?

[pomona]

They tout the content of the library, which is pretty amazing IMHO. I didn't hear anyone at ASD speaking to it's architectual beauty.

No doubt they have an insane amount of materials. That's great, but, in my research, how far afield will I realistically go?

That depends on what you're interested in/what research you do I suppose. I personally like to dig up more unique, esoteric sources when writing papers if possible.

[hoosier1508]

They tout the content of the library, which is pretty amazing IMHO. I didn't hear anyone at ASD speaking to it's architectual beauty.

No doubt they have an insane amount of materials. That's great, but, in my research, how far afield will I realistically go?

That depends on what you're interested in/what research you do I suppose. I personally like to dig up more unique, esoteric sources when writing papers if possible.

Charlie could always research the greatness of Kirk Ferentz. He's very good.

[IpunchedCharlieRose]

Charlie could always research the greatness of Kirk Ferentz. He's very good.

He seems alright. I wouldn't punch him.

[mikeytwoshoes]

They tout the content of the library, which is pretty amazing IMHO. I didn't hear anyone at ASD speaking to it's architectual beauty.

No doubt they have an insane amount of materials. That's great, but, in my research, how far afield will I realistically go?

That depends on what you're interested in/what research you do I suppose. I personally like to dig up more unique, esoteric sources when writing papers if possible.

I have a similar tendency. However, I have no doubts that law school will break me of this habit. The useful cases for any given fact pattern are largely already known. Statutes are very dry.

FWIW the best thing about the library at Iowa is the amount of time the library is open and staffed.

[hoosier1508]

Charlie could always research the greatness of Kirk Ferentz. He's very good.

He seems alright. I wouldn't punch him.

Probably a good call on your part.

[rainmaker614]

Scholarship recipients (atleast Merit Scholars) are required to participate, and I cannot imagine very many people not wanting to save $40k.

I got a merit scholarship and there's no requirement to RA. Purely optional.

Are you out of state? Mine specifically says years 2 & 3 it is required.

My award letter says RA positions are "available" for some, but not all, second and third year students. I wish mine were guaranteed/required. You and I must have different types or levels of merit scholarships.

I think he meant for full rides. I think all the full rides they offer give the student a RA position automatically simply because it costs them less (the state will subsidize the difference between instate and out of state costs if the student has a RA position, so Iowa gives all their full rides this, I think). I have the Law Opportunity Fellowship and this is what mine says. I would imagine it would be the same for Merit and Need scholarships. For scholarships that aren't full rides, they don't gain lose or gain money by offering the student a RA position (guaranteed) so they don't.

Regardless I think too many people are stressing over this. Byrd said 80% get RA positions that are out of state and that WASN'T counting TA positions. Considering that TA positions are basically guaranteed from what I've gathered, I think this would be a small risk worth taking for all out of staters (and I'm not one to usually take financial risks). From what students told me, the only ones that don't get RA positions are the ones that weren't determined to and the teachers just really didn't like. The way I see it, if your grades aren't good enough to get you a RA position (which is basically the criteria for a RA position, combined with your resume) then you have bigger things to worry about than getting a RA position, such as the likely possibility of being unemployed after graduation (or at least being unable to find a good paying job) and I would consider dropping out if you originally wanted a high paying job (cut your losses short). If you aren't looking to get a high paying job after graduation (public interest, etc.) or realize that such a job is your only option (your grades are too low, in which case you might not get the RA position) then the difference in loan amounts won't matter anyways as you will likely be paying the same monthly payments for the same amount of time under the newly approved IBR loan forgiveness program (probably around $230 a month for 10 years).

Ultimately, the only real risk I see is the possibility of the following situation: you have good grades, teachers like you, you want a high paying position after school, you're highly ambitious, BUT you don't get the RA position or a TA position. Considering that the position is primarily grades and resume based, this shitty situation is extremely (emphasis on extremely) improbable. Thus a risk worth taking, IMO.

[mikeytwoshoes]

I got a merit scholarship and there's no requirement to RA. Purely optional.

Are you out of state? Mine specifically says years 2 & 3 it is required.

My award letter says RA positions are "available" for some, but not all, second and third year students. I wish mine were guaranteed/required. You and I must have different types or levels of merit scholarships.

I think he meant for full rides. I think all the full rides they offer give the student a RA position automatically simply because it costs them less (the state will subsidize the difference between instate and out of state costs if the student has a RA position, so Iowa gives all their full rides this, I think). I have the Law Opportunity Fellowship and this is what mine says. I would imagine it would be the same for Merit and Need scholarships. For scholarships that aren't full rides, they don't gain lose or gain money by offering the student a RA position (guaranteed) so they don't.

Regardless I think too many people are stressing over this. Byrd said 80% get RA positions that are out of state and that WASN'T counting TA positions. Considering that TA positions are basically guaranteed from what I've gathered, I think this would be a small risk worth taking for all out of staters (and I'm not one to usually take financial risks). From what students told me, the only ones that don't get RA positions are the ones that weren't determined to and the teachers just really didn't like. The way I see it, if your grades aren't good enough to get you a RA position (which is basically the criteria for a RA position, combined with your resume) then you have bigger things to worry about than getting a RA position, such as the likely possibility of being unemployed after graduation (or at least being unable to find a good paying job) and I would consider dropping out if you originally wanted a high paying job (cut your losses short). If you aren't looking to get a high paying job after graduation (public interest, etc.) or realize that such a job is your only option (your grades are too low, in which case you might not get the RA position) then the difference in loan amounts won't matter anyways as you will likely be paying the same monthly payments for the same amount of time under the newly approved IBR loan forgiveness program (probably around $230 a month for 10 years).

Ultimately, the only real risk I see is the possibility of the following situation: you have good grades, teachers like you, you want a high paying position after school, you're highly ambitious, BUT you don't get the RA position or a TA position. Considering that the position is primarily grades and resume based, this shitty situation is extremely (emphasis on extremely) improbable. Thus a risk worth taking, IMO.

The good PI jobs (not in terms of pay) are at least as competitive as high paying firm jobs. Also, the pool of applicants from T14 schools has an advantage in LRAP area.

[rainmaker614]

Well I don't necessarily mean jobs with the DJ or anything like that (which are arguably more competitive than top paying firm jobs), I just mean PI jobs in general which aren't as competitive as a decent firm position (public defender, etc.). I know quite a few people who graduated from a Tier 3 that now have public interest jobs and were well into the bottom half of their class. I doubt such a ranking would get you a good firm job. I think it's a given that the best PI jobs are reserved for top graduates of the T14. I wouldn't go to Iowa expecting to do international human rights work for the UN.

As far as the LRAP area, a LRAP program is aside from the new federal IBR program, which almost eliminates the need for most LRAP programs. All debt is erased after 10 years of payments while in public service and the payments are very low (based on income and household situations, similar to taxes). When I was doing the calculations for if I were to go to Cornell, it was the same monthly payment ($230) for $200k in debt from Cornell as it was for $80k of debt somewhere else. Not bad at all.

[mikeytwoshoes]

Well I don't necessarily mean jobs with the DJ or anything like that (which are arguably more competitive than top paying firm jobs), I just mean PI jobs in general which aren't as competitive as a decent firm position (public defender, etc.). I know quite a few people who graduated from a Tier 3 that now have public interest jobs and were well into the bottom half of their class. I doubt such a ranking would get you a good firm job. I think it's a given that the best PI jobs are reserved for top graduates of the T14. I wouldn't go to Iowa expecting to do international human rights work for the UN.

As far as the LRAP area, a LRAP program is aside from the new federal IBR program, which almost eliminates the need for most LRAP programs. All debt is erased after 10 years of payments while in public service and the payments are very low (based on income and household situations, similar to taxes). When I was doing the calculations for if I were to go to Cornell, it was the same monthly payment ($230) for $200k in debt from Cornell as it was for $80k of debt somewhere else. Not bad at all.

I don't think the LRAP is a thing of the past. Top schools are still going to want to poach top PI folk by doing something better than the fed plan. They could try contributing more or reducing the years.You might even see a few schools tinker with the definition of public interest.

[rainmaker614]

That would definitely be a nice plus for students (lowering the 10 year period or something along those lines). Do you plan on going into PI, Mikey?

[mikeytwoshoes]

That would definitely be a nice plus for students (lowering the 10 year period or something along those lines). Do you plan on going into PI, Mikey?

I plan to go into disability law so yes, to answer your question.

[New Madrid]

Well I don't necessarily mean jobs with the DJ or anything like that

You mean like scratchin' wax and stuff?

[mikeytwoshoes]

Well I don't necessarily mean jobs with the DJ or anything like that

You mean like scratchin' wax and stuff?

Well, PI is pretty hip FWIW.