Joint Degree Applicants Past/Present? Anyone?

[hereshopin]

Just had some questions, wanted to get thoughts from you guys:

I'm applying to joint JD/MPP programs, and I'm wondering if anyone else who's been in a similar boat (or anyone at all) could share experiences or thoughts.

When I'm asking for LOR's, I'm planning on using the same 2-3 professors and 1 employer for both types of schools. Should I be asking them to write two different letters? I know it's an extra hassle, but I feel that the LS letter should be focused more on law stuff, while the other should address my policy interests. One Reccomender is in the law field and the other is in policy, so I figure if they each write one letter about their specialty and what they know about me in that area and one about just generic academic stuff, I should have well rounded apps. Thoughts?

Also, how did you all go about with the timing of taking your other standardized tests? Most schools I'm applying to will take the LSAT in lieu of the GRE, but some are making me take it. I'm not so much worried about the test itself as I am about having the time to prep, take, and submit scores as early as possible. Are policy (or any grad) schools similar to law schools in that everything should be in by mid-October? It seems like I have more time to get stuff together for them, but if I'm applying to a joint program, should I speed it up?

I've seen all the posts talking about how people don't think it's a smart career choice/useful in the long run to do joint degrees, but it's something I really want to do and I know where I want to go with it. My only hesitation is this: Does anything think that the fact that I'm applying to a joint program will tangibly harm my chances of acceptance at the law school? As in, they might see me as "undedicated" to the law or something? Or might it add a little something/make me more interesting?

Sorry for all the questions, I'm just getting increasingly frazzled at the prospect of putting together 25 applications for 2 different types of schools. Blech. Good luck to all with getting everything done!

[LJ]

i was considering mpp programs and found many of those deadlines are prior to law school deadlines...though not exactly sure if policy programs use a rolling deadline so depending on the school/program timing may be more or less.  however a lot of the policy applications are more demanding than law school ones in that they require writing samples and/or more focused essays and there's isn't something similar to lsdas for policy schools so you have to do a separate application for each school...so a separate lor form for each school...different essays, requirements...requires more attention to details and grunt work since it's not streamlined.

on the gre front...gre is less demanding that lsat's.  take a few practice exams and if you feel alright, go ahead and take it.  and policy schools seem more subjective than number focused, so if you have good soft factors they would offset a weaker gre score anyway.

good luck.

[fishdancer]

I can't think of any policy programs that are rolling - I'm in a top one now and I probably didn't get my application in until the end of December. Actually, I took my GREs in mid-December. So don't worry about timing for that as long as you get your stuff in by the deadline - it will take a little while for your GRE scores to get to schools.

You might want to mention somewhere on the law application why you want to do the dual. But admission to one school is totally independent of the other. The law school won't care if the policy school has let you in or not, and vice versa. I'd say the policy schools really won't care why you want to do the dual - most policy programs are less selective than law programs at the same school, anyway. On that note, I think if you don't ask for 2 styles of letters, better to have a letter talking about your potential for law than policy. They are very different skills that the schools are looking for - law will care more about communication and analytical, and policy more about quantitative skills (although you don't need to have them coming in to most policy programs).

[hereshopin]

So is the reason you guys are waiting until 1L because youre not sure if you want to do it, you dont want the hassle of applying all at once, or for some other reason?

[skeeball]

So is the reason you guys are waiting until 1L because youre not sure if you want to do it, you dont want the hassle of applying all at once, or for some other reason?

Both of those.

[hereshopin]

2. My application to these programs would be a lot stronger coming as a 1L from the general category of law schools I believe I will be attending.

Good point. I've been very worried about getting rejected from programs I believe I can do well in, just because I'll be so much younger than the average policy student. An extra year and some more documented maturity would probably help.