Junior with Direct Admit Possibility for IU-B Forum

[BrockovickAaron]

I have not taken the LSAT but IU-B offers a direct admit program for undergraduates with 3.85 GPA's. The program also comes with an automatic 50% scholarship. I am an instater as well which would drop the tuition down to around 16K per year.

The caveat is the program is unsure of letting those they accept take the LSAT to weigh over options.

A confounding variable is I am also admitted for an Accelerated Masters MPA/MSES program to concentrate on environmental policy and science.

I appreciate the help!

[qwertyboard]

soooo you want tlsers to help you decide between those options? Take a practie LSAT and figure out where you at now... if you score well cold forget that first option as having 3.85+ GPA and 170+ can easily get you into a top LS.

[TopLawHopeful]

In this job market, that track is simply not worth it.

Put the work in, get 170+ on the LSAT, and go somewhere better. Not worth going to IU-B Law with 50% scholarship--especially with a 3.85+ GPA.

[twenty]

A 3.85 GPA and a reasonably decent LSAT will get you into the T14. If you really want IU-B after those options (why, I don't know), you'll do a lot better than a 50% scholarship.

EDIT> If your GPA is in the 3.87+ range, you can ED to UVA with even a 162 LSAT score.

[star fox]

Your GPA is good. T14 good if you get the right LSAT. Man up and take the LSAT. Don't confine yourself to IUB and spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened. It's not that scary of a test and it's learnable if you apply yourself.

[Ti Malice]

It's a trap. Don't do it.

[hephaestus]

It's a trap. Don't do it.

Agreed. You can do so much better.

[TheBiggerMediocre]

uhm, I want.

[cahwc12]

I have not taken the LSAT but IU-B offers a direct admit program for undergraduates with 3.85 GPA's. The program also comes with an automatic 50% scholarship. I am an instater as well which would drop the tuition down to around 16K per year.

The caveat is the program is unsure of letting those they accept take the LSAT to weigh over options.

A confounding variable is I am also admitted for an Accelerated Masters MPA/MSES program to concentrate on environmental policy and science.

I appreciate the help!

It sounds like from this post that you don't really know what you want to do. Also that graduate degree sounds useless (and is it free?). I'd advise looking into other possible options, and I wouldn't lock yourself into IUB for law if you're still trying to figure out your place in the universe. Also what's your undergrad degree in? poli sci? or is it a degree that gives you other options besides these two?

If you do really think law school is for you and are just hanging that other option out there, I'll echo what others have said--don't sell yourself short.

[hq2x]

When I was in undergrad, my school (whose law school is ranked comparably to IU-B's) offered me the same kind of deal, except it was 3.8 for a full ride, and the school was private. The IU deal sounds far worse than that, and I didn't even end up taking my offer. With that GPA you can hit HYS with the right LSAT, and with a 170+ you can apply regular decision to IU and probably net a full ride if that's what you want.

[BrockovickAaron]

I appreciate all the help.

I am quite sincere about wanting to focus in environmental law and the school's environmental policy graduate program is ranked #1 in the nation.

The complexity and less than traditional nature of environmental law jobs makes it almost essential to have a strong background in environmental science/policy.

Would that change your advice?

[Ave]

I appreciate all the help.

I am quite sincere about wanting to focus in environmental law and the school's environmental policy program graduate program is ranked #1 in the nation. The complexity and less than traditional nature of environmental law jobs makes it almost essential to have a strong background in environmental science/policy.

Would that change your advice?

No, it will not. If you want to practice law, go to the best law school you can get into.

[cahwc12]

I appreciate all the help.

I am quite sincere about wanting to focus in environmental law and the school's environmental policy graduate program is ranked #1 in the nation.

The complexity and less than traditional nature of environmental law jobs makes it almost essential to have a strong background in environmental science/policy.

Would that change your advice?

Actually this reaffirms the red flag from your earlier post. The fact that you intend to get a job in environmental law and would consider IUB based on it's "#1 environmental law program" shows that you have a strong dissociation with reality. What do you think actually goes into that ranking? Fully half of IUB's graduates end up unemployed. Do you think that people who focus on 'environmental law' will have better job prospects at OCI or upon graduation?

You should wander around the law school one day and talk to students there and ask them about the #1 rated environmental law program--especially if they are graduating 3Ls.

And just for kicks, I found the only firm in Indiana that focuses on 'environmental law' and I can't find a single IUB grad in their attorney directory.

[sinfiery]

I was going to say how you should look at recent grads who have actually gotten their foot in the door in regards to practicing environmental law and see if any come from said school but this saint of a person has just done the leg work for you.

[philepistemer]

I appreciate all the help.

I am quite sincere about wanting to focus in environmental law and the school's environmental policy graduate program is ranked #1 in the nation.

The complexity and less than traditional nature of environmental law jobs makes it almost essential to have a strong background in environmental science/policy.

Would that change your advice?

Actually this reaffirms the red flag from your earlier post. The fact that you intend to get a job in environmental law and would consider IUB based on it's "#1 environmental law program" shows that you have a strong dissociation with reality. What do you think actually goes into that ranking? Fully half of IUB's graduates end up unemployed. Do you think that people who focus on 'environmental law' will have better job prospects at OCI or upon graduation?

You should wander around the law school one day and talk to students there and ask them about the #1 rated environmental law program--especially if they are graduating 3Ls.

And just for kicks, I found the only firm in Indiana that focuses on 'environmental law' and I can't find a single IUB grad in their attorney directory.

http://www.psrb.com/attorneys/95

lol, this was like the third person I clicked on.

Regardless, most "highly ranked" specialty programs (especially in areas that are extremely competitive like environmental law) are a joke. See how well you can do on the LSAT before you commit to borrowing over 100k at 8% interest.

[star fox]

I appreciate all the help.

I am quite sincere about wanting to focus in environmental law and the school's environmental policy graduate program is ranked #1 in the nation.

The complexity and less than traditional nature of environmental law jobs makes it almost essential to have a strong background in environmental science/policy.

Would that change your advice?

Actually this reaffirms the red flag from your earlier post. The fact that you intend to get a job in environmental law and would consider IUB based on it's "#1 environmental law program" shows that you have a strong dissociation with reality. What do you think actually goes into that ranking? Fully half of IUB's graduates end up unemployed. Do you think that people who focus on 'environmental law' will have better job prospects at OCI or upon graduation?

You should wander around the law school one day and talk to students there and ask them about the #1 rated environmental law program--especially if they are graduating 3Ls.

And just for kicks, I found the only firm in Indiana that focuses on 'environmental law' and I can't find a single IUB grad in their attorney directory.

http://www.psrb.com/attorneys/95

lol, this was like the third person I clicked on.

Regardless, most "highly ranked" specialty programs (especially in areas that are extremely competitive like environmental law) are a joke. See how well you can do on the LSAT before you commit to borrowing over 100k at 8% interest.

Magna Cum Laude is what? Top 5 %?

Hardly something anybody should bank on.

[BrockovickAaron]

I understand that specialty programs in law schools might be rubbish but that's not the program I am refering to.

This is the one

[http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... c-affairsr]

[aca0260]

I think you are missing the point. What people are saying is if you want to be lawyer, environmental or otherwise, you are better off going to the best law school you can get in to regardless of how acclaimed the graduate school of a related field is.

[gnomgnomuch]

Your GPA is stellar, dont waste it. You have options like Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia and etc with that GPA... why throw them away for 50%schooly at IUB - a at best "okay" law school?

Study hard. Commit yourself to 3 months of hardcore studying. Get a 172 and pretty much no law school will be out of reach.

If you are commited to enviromental law, it will be about which school you went to, not what rank the school has in that type of law. In 99.99999999999999999999% of cases, the t-14 graduate will get the job over the IUB graduate (the .00000001 percent is when the IUB grad is top in his class, and the t-14 graduate is near the bottom). If you are willing to put yourself in debt at IUB, than you would be much better off doing the same thing at a top notch law school.

Also, the masters in enviromental management , what kind of job prospects does that give? Do you have something lined up? is it free? While IUB may have the #1 program, its not recognized as such (for example, while i have heard of IUB before, if asked what school has the top masters in enviromental management i would respond with one of the more well known schools ie, harvard, yale etc.)

You can also do a JD/MS in law schools... not many applicants get in, but its always possible. For example University of Michigan has a great JD/MPP program, they even allow you to use your LSAT in leiu of your GRE.

Basically, you have MUCH better options than IUB... dont throw them away over what is a "percieved" #1 ranking in a small area. The jobs in those areas goes to the graduates from the top schools, with the top grades.