SMU Class of 2011 (& Facebook Grp)

[txstatelaw]

Just wondering if anyone has any idea if SMU gives out need based grants based on your EFC. Saw that many other schools do and wondering if we should expect any extra $.

[jer]

Just wondering if anyone has any idea if SMU gives out need based grants based on your EFC. Saw that many other schools do and wondering if we should expect any extra $.

honestly....it doesn't matter where you go, law school ain't cheap.
but SMU does give out a lot of $$$ in scholarships and aid, and even if i didn't get any $$$ i would have been happy at smu.
excellent networking and job placement, especially if you want to stay in DFW or Texas.
I'm a lowly 1L and i have a sweet summer position and i'm excited about more opportunities next summer

don't worry about the $$$.
it's not that much money when you consider your earning potential the rest of your career.
SMU is in a much better spot than other schools, even those ranked higher. SMU is in DFW and the economy is great, housing bubble is not bad here at all, and cost of living is pretty cheap.
lots of legal jobs in many different indistries, and the only real competition is from UT grads who all want to stay in austin.  about 85% of smu law grads stay in dfw and they love to hire other people from smu

[txstatelaw]

Thanks, makes me feel alot better. Yeah even with scholly it is still looking pretty pricey, but it was my #1 going into the cycle so my mind was made up to go there as soon as I got in. Looking forward to living in Dallas. Got family up there and they love it. So besides $$$ I am pretty psyched.

[thedude08]

So I wrote an email to the admissions office asking about their scholarship process.  Basically, I received a substantial scholarship offer from Emory, and I was going to see if SMU would match it.  They wrote back telling me that while they don't match offers, they 'on occasion, after we see what our deposits look like, we are able to extend additional scholarship money to our highly qualified applicants.'

Does anyone have any experience or stories of this actually occurring?

[Betty_Crocker]

Just wondering if anyone has any idea if SMU gives out need based grants based on your EFC. Saw that many other schools do and wondering if we should expect any extra $.

honestly....it doesn't matter where you go, law school ain't cheap.
but SMU does give out a lot of $$$ in scholarships and aid, and even if i didn't get any $$$ i would have been happy at smu.
excellent networking and job placement, especially if you want to stay in DFW or Texas.
I'm a lowly 1L and i have a sweet summer position and i'm excited about more opportunities next summer

don't worry about the $$$.
it's not that much money when you consider your earning potential the rest of your career.
SMU is in a much better spot than other schools, even those ranked higher. SMU is in DFW and the economy is great, housing bubble is not bad here at all, and cost of living is pretty cheap.
lots of legal jobs in many different indistries, and the only real competition is from UT grads who all want to stay in austin.  about 85% of smu law grads stay in dfw and they love to hire other people from smu

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer here, but make sure you really consider the financial implications BEFORE attending ANY law school. I didn't get a single scholarship and maxed out the loan amounts and will be looking at paying $2000/month in just loans. I am a 3L in the top third of the class and still don't have a job offer, so it is not entirely rosey for me. That being said, I am still optimistic and not too worried about my job prospects because I know I will get a job, I just don't know when. Luckily I'm single with no family obligations, so the short-term hardship isn't too disconcerting for me either.

Whatever school you are visiting and when someone tells you that they have a great job or whatnot try to get their approximate class ranking. If they are in the top 10%, I would take their employment prospects with a grain of salt; if the student is around the 50% range of their class, their job prospects are a little more realistic for comparison purposes. Sorry for my "caveat emptor" moment, but I want to make sure y'all know what y'all are getting yourself into for law school in general, and not just SMU. I'm happy with choosing SMU, my degree, and my job prospects even though it is not defined yet. Even though Dallas is better off economically than most large cities, law students at most schools are still struggling to find jobs, whether it's SMU, Tulane, Houston, Baylor or even Texas, this year is going to be a little bit harder. Heck when I entered law school, the economy was booming and the job prospects were seemingly endless, so a lot can change for y'all in the next 3 years or so.   

[jer]

Just wondering if anyone has any idea if SMU gives out need based grants based on your EFC. Saw that many other schools do and wondering if we should expect any extra $.

honestly....it doesn't matter where you go, law school ain't cheap.
but SMU does give out a lot of $$$ in scholarships and aid, and even if i didn't get any $$$ i would have been happy at smu.
excellent networking and job placement, especially if you want to stay in DFW or Texas.
I'm a lowly 1L and i have a sweet summer position and i'm excited about more opportunities next summer

don't worry about the $$$.
it's not that much money when you consider your earning potential the rest of your career.
SMU is in a much better spot than other schools, even those ranked higher. SMU is in DFW and the economy is great, housing bubble is not bad here at all, and cost of living is pretty cheap.
lots of legal jobs in many different indistries, and the only real competition is from UT grads who all want to stay in austin. about 85% of smu law grads stay in dfw and they love to hire other people from smu

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer here, but make sure you really consider the financial implications BEFORE attending ANY law school. I didn't get a single scholarship and maxed out the loan amounts and will be looking at paying $2000/month in just loans. I am a 3L in the top third of the class and still don't have a job offer, so it is not entirely rosey for me. That being said, I am still optimistic and not too worried about my job prospects because I know I will get a job, I just don't know when. Luckily I'm single with no family obligations, so the short-term hardship isn't too disconcerting for me either.

Whatever school you are visiting and when someone tells you that they have a great job or whatnot try to get their approximate class ranking. If they are in the top 10%, I would take their employment prospects with a grain of salt; if the student is around the 50% range of their class, their job prospects are a little more realistic for comparison purposes. Sorry for my "caveat emptor" moment, but I want to make sure y'all know what y'all are getting yourself into for law school in general, and not just SMU. I'm happy with choosing SMU, my degree, and my job prospects even though it is not defined yet. Even though Dallas is better off economically than most large cities, law students at most schools are still struggling to find jobs, whether it's SMU, Tulane, Houston, Baylor or even Texas, this year is going to be a little bit harder. Heck when I entered law school, the economy was booming and the job prospects were seemingly endless, so a lot can change for y'all in the next 3 years or so.

i'm not in the top 25%,
hence the need for old outlines

[Poetgirl80]

Hey guys! I'm psyched that I can join your group now... just got accepted, so game's over for me!

Anybody looking for a roommate? I'm 27 and have a cat. (I also have a Washer/Dryer, couches, etc. PM me if interested. 

[Changed Name]

I'm joining in on this discussion.

After serious thought (long time ago, and by that, i mean a month), I thought I'd be better off going to Fordham. I went to NY this past week. Hated it. It's great to visit, but I couldn't see myself living in that city.

I booked a ticket and am headed over to Dallas tomorrow. If Dallas is more like California, I think I'll be hard pressed to pass up the scholarship and attend Fordham. I'm HOPING i love Dallas and this decision will be easy for me. I've been to Dallas awhile ago and from what I remember I liked it (but I was young, still am). I just didn't like the weather, almost melted!

Someone convince me that SMU is the RIGHT choice! haha.. Oh and things to check out on campus, the city or whatever will be much appreciated.

[BLUE EYED MONSTER]

Congrats to the new admits. See you soon.

[Betty_Crocker]

Yeah, it depends on what you are looking for. If you like upscale bars/restaurants or the "chic scene," head over to Uptown and the bars on McKinney (go south from SMU campus towards downtown Dallas on I-75 and take EXIT #1: Blackburn/Haskell). Most of the bars in that area are on McKinney. The other neighborhoods to look at are Oaklawn,  Turtle Creek, and the American Airlines center.

If you like the laid back/sports bar type scene, go to lower Greenville. If you are on the SMU campus, take Mockingbird Street towards the east and turn right on Greenville (the third traffic signal after you cross over I-75). The have an eclectic variety of bars - some fratty, some chic, some laid back. The main strip of Greenville is 1.5 miles south where Greenville ends. You can also go left on Greenville, but the bars are spread out sporadic (like Ozonas). 

If you want touristy, you can go to the West End (which is now linked to the American Airlines Center). It is also near the Book Depository and where Kennedy got shot. If you like nature, head off to White Rock Lake (go east on Mockingbird from SMU campus for 5 miles and the Lake and trails will be on your right). You can also visit the Trinity River forest and meadows, but it is really for people who like to hike and take nature walks.

Around campus, focus on the Quad (the 4 law school buildings) and maybe the Rec Center on the main campus. The surrounding neighborhood (Highland Park) is nice, but is really just a neighborhood filled with mansions. If you have a thing for the suburbs, you can check out Frisco, Plano, and maybe South Lake (but that is a 45 minute drive from downtown). Addison is also a nice area (take Hillcrest northbound, which is next to SMU, and turn left on Lemon; you will go right on the Toll Road (bring change) and go down a couple of miles; you will eventually see the Galleria on your right (a nice mall if you are into shopping) and that is where Addison is). There are a lot of restaurants and bars, but it is geared more for the Yuppie crowd and most people will be in their early to late thirties.

Finally, there is Arlington, which has all the attractions including Six Flags, Texas Rangers, Hurricane Harbor, and the future home of the Dallas Cowboys. If you are in that area, head 30 minutes west on I30/I20 and you can visit Ft. Worth. You can see a rodeo or a lot of "western things" and the downtown area is nicer than Dallas downtown IMO. Plus the bars a lot cheaper than Dallas (check out 8.0's and The Library).

Dallas also has a lot of sports including the Mavs, the Stars, Cowboys, Rangers, FC Dallas (pro-soccer) and the Roughnecks (minor league baseball). That is all I can think of at the moment, let me know if you have specific questions.