Yep, you read that right – I got in to Law School! ::happydance::

Thankfully, I had the choice of a few – which made my decision quite difficult.
For me, the decision came down to location.

Stay in Dallas? Move to San Antonio?

I chose to take a leap of faith, stay in Dallas, and begin school at The UNT Dallas College of Law.

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Here’s what you need to know –

  1. This school of law is NOT YET Accredited.
  2. They have applied for Accreditation and will hear back from the ABA this summer.
  3. After hours of research, and speaking to multiple Law School Advisors (even one of my own at Baylor) – there is a great deal of positivity surrounding the approval of this fledgling school.
  4. There are only LOANS and SCHOLARSHIPS available for graduate programs. Yes, you may qualify for a school grant, but there are no federal ones available. Be smart when you research your borrowing options. I’ll post another update on this soon.
  5. If you have a full-time job (like me) and are switching gears to attend law school full time, it is completely acceptable to be freaking out (if you say you’re not, you should be).
  6. I was admitted to the 3rd graduating class for UNT Law.
  7. Tuition at this public institution sits right around $15k, which is just about the nicest figure I could present to my wallet.

 

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Pick your school. Research your options. Make a Pros & Cons list for each school you gained admission for – and be downright honest with everything they are offering, as well as what potential the city it resides in can give you.
  2. Double-Check your FAFSA Submission. Yes, you worked on one for your undergrad, so you should be used to this dog and pony show. Make sure your school has your FAFSA information, and that your enrollment hours are submitted as well. This is important, because your school may not start assessing your financial need until it has been submitted. Every school is different, so be sure to reach out to the Financial Aid office. 
  3. Sign your Letter of Intent & Pay your Seat Deposit. Technically, you cannot reserve multiple seats across law schools. First off – that’s just a jerk move. However, you can pay for a seat if you are unsure you’ll gain admission elsewhere. This year’s admissions cycle was wicked long, so the wait was nearly unbearable. Think proactively. If you get admitted to your second choice school, and the seat deadline is fast approaching – you may want to wait until the day it is due to pay it. This decision is, of course, completely yours. I just want you to know that holding a seat in the hopes that you have a backup is downright mean, especially when you know there’s a waitlist and people (some of my friends) are anxiously waiting in the wings.
  4. Log Into Your Student Account. Monitor your emails, and make sure you have an open correspondence with those on campus. There will likely be Student Mixers, IT Meetings, and Enrollment Dates for you to participate in. Get involved!

 

Get ready for the ride of your life, ladies and gents! This summer will be full of 0L posts, and then we’ll start our 1L year!
This will be challenging, but you’ve got this!

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Cerebellumchef is off to Law School! Getting healthy-fit, and maintaining a study schedule is going to be an intense adventure. Good luck to you!