Joining Rutgers-N Minority Student Program...Good or Bad Idea?

[RCrews]

Can anyone comment on Rutgers Minority Student Program? I understand it is a rather large time commitment in terms of mandatory study sesssions and the like. In trying to decide whether or not to join, is this program the best use of one's time? Is it beneficial...for those familiar, would you recommend it?

 Thank you.

[Wunjin]

And by a minority in Newark you mean what exactly?

[jillibean]

The minority= race and/or economic status, so whites and asians can be in the program as well.
I would assume it would be a good idea- whatever helps gets you through law school right??

[laur0212]

Having no minority characteristics myself, I was not in MSP at R-N.  I am however, going to be a 3L there in the fall so I'll give you what information I have on the subject. 

There are many who believe that participating in MSP really helped them.  From what I understand, it is a substantial time commitment.  I'm not sure if its for each of your courses or for 1 per semester, but you'll have a study group led by an upperclass facilitator who got (and don't quote me on this) a B+ (might be A- though) or better in the course that they're holding the study group for, and they took the course with the professor that you have.  They outline the course with you, and work with the professor to do so.  Toward the end of the semester they will give you a sample exam question and they grade your answers according to what the professor looks for. 

To be completely honest, I'm not sure how helpful all of it is since, as I said, I was not a part of the program.  Therefore, I'm also not sure how much help this post has been, but if you want, I can attempt to put you into contact with someone who did participate.  Either way, I'm assuming that I will be seeing you in the fall, so enjoy the rest of your summer and see you in August.

[RCrews]

...There are many who believe that participating in MSP really helped them.  From what I understand, it is a substantial time commitment.  ...

Thank you all for your replies, I really appreciate it.

laur0212, yes, the time commitment is something I was a little concerned about. Someone told me it is "a lot of handholding and not the best use of ones time...but if you commit to the program, you must attend everything or be dropped."

How do other students view members of this program. Is there any animosity towards the "MSP-ers"?
Do do they become their own private clique or is their participation viewed as inconsequential to the rest of the students. (I thought I remember reading somewhere on the net a post by a Rutgers student that sounded rather angry about biased opportunites provided to MSP students. I don't know that much about the program, but I could certainly understand his views if MSP students were "fast-tracked" to law review or other such perks as he claimed).

Bottom line I guess...laur0212, I know you said you have no minority characteristics, but if you did...is it something you would do, would you join the program?

Thank you very much...I really appreciate your help!!

[laur0212]

There are a lot of misconceptions among the other first year students concerning the MSP program so there is a bit of animosity towards them.  People believe that they get outlines that no one else is allowed to have, etc.  However, I think that the misconceptions come from the fact that students who are not involved in MSP are given next to no information concerning it...and it comes off seeming as if they're trying to keep secrets from the other students.

To answer your question, if I had any minority characteristics that would have made me eligible to participate in the program, I definitely would have.  Anything that gives you a leg up can't be bad right?  As for the handholding, that may be true, but I kind of wish someone had been holding my hand through my first year.  I think it would have been helpful to have other students who had already survived 1L helping me out and giving me advice. 

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

[RCrews]

laur0212, thank you very much for sharing your insight on this!

I have been struggling with this decision bkz, as you say, it might be helpful. On the other hand, I have found in the past that study groups don't always work too well for me. I find I usually accomplish more sitting by myself and focusing in on the material where I can work on what I don't know and move more quickly throught that which makes sense to me. Law school. of course, is a new experience and maybe I cannot apply past experience bkz the type of work is different to what I have studied in the past.

I also understand that the MSP program has mandatory "social" events and other outside mandatory functions. Some of these things could be fun and possibly rewarding I imagine, but I can also see times where it could be a bit of a frustrating time drain.

Would you have any other thoughts on this? Thank you very mcuh!

[laur0212]

Networking events, no matter how much of a pain in the butt they are, are always good, and with MSP you'll get invited to ones that students not participating in MSP will not be. 

As for study groups, I don't do that well with them either, at least not until I have reviewed the material for myself.  Once I feel like I know the material then I can talk to other people about it, but not before.  Some people think they really help them though.  For me they've never worked, whether in college or law school, but that's just me.