I'm Admitted— Now What?
Admitted Student Checklist
Fall 2012 Entering Class
On This Page
Washburn Law has compiled a checklist of information to help you prepare for the start of your law school experience. Please feel free to contact the Admissions Office at (800) 927-4529 or admissions [at] washburnlaw.edu) if you have any additional questions.
Seat Deposit
Please send your seat deposit by the date indicated on your admittance letter to:
Washburn Law Admissions Office
1700 SW College Ave.
Topeka, KS 66621
If you have decided not to attend Washburn Law, please notify the Admissions Office in writing by mail or e-mail at admissions [at] washburnlaw.edu. This enables your seat to be offered to another applicant.
Residency Form
A Residency Form is required for each student admitted to Washburn University School of Law at the time the seat deposit is due. The form is used to determine residency status for tuition purposes. All students, including Kansas residents, non-residents, and international students, are required to complete this form. Your Residency Form must be processed before you will receive a financial aid award letter. See: Residency Form, Residency Qualifications, and Residency Information and Checklist
Financial Aid
- Law students qualify for Federal Student Aid through the Stafford and Graduate PLUS loan programs. To ensure that loan funds are available when classes begin, we encourage you to apply online now for federal financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Designate the Washburn University code in our school code number of 001949 and the Financial Aid Office will receive your FAFSA record electronically. (You will apply for federal loans each year through the FAFSA.)
- If you have questions about the FAFSA application or about the Federal Stafford and Grad PLUS loan programs, please contact the Financial Aid Office at (800) 524-8447 and ask for Tom Stuart, Assistant Director. He will also be able to answer questions regarding private loan eligibility.
- Once your Residency Form is completed and processed, and the Financial Aid Office has your FAFSA results, you will be sent either a letter requesting additional information or a paper award letter.
- After the award letter is received, read the entire document for instructions, sign and return or accept online through your My.Washburn account (described below).
- If you have been awarded a Washburn Law scholarship, it will be included on the financial aid award letter.
- You may check your financial aid status online after receiving an award letter from the Financial Aid Office:
- Visit http://my.washburn.edu.
- On the right side of the screen, select "Retrieve Account Information".
- Read the usage policy.
- Enter your WIN number (can be found toward the top of your Financial Aid Award Letter).
- Enter the last 4 digits of your account activation code (provided by the Office of Admissions).
- Submit the request.
- You will receive an initial password in approximately 24 hours.
- Log in using the initial password and change your password.
- Upon completion of this process, you should have access to your account.
- If you accept a Federal Stafford and/or Grad PLUS loan, you must also complete Federal Loan Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) online at www.washburn.edu/financial-aid.
- Loan Entrance Counseling is located on the right side of the web page.
- "How to Apply" for student loans is located on the left side of the web page. Select "Loans for Graduate/Law Students".
- Loan entrance counseling and the MPN must be completed to ensure that funds are available at the time classes begin.
- See also our general financial aid information.
Online New Student Forum
- Washburn Law provides the online New Student Forum as a great way to meet future classmates and discuss various topics. The Admissions Office also uses it to answer questions and post information about the first week of classes, housing and roommates, insurance, scholarships, daycare, etc. You will receive an email from us with your username and password.
- Visit the forums.
First Day of Classes
First Year Students begin classes Monday, August 20, 2012.
- During your first week at Washburn Law, which is scheduled to begin Monday, August 20, you will have a series of structured opportunities to become acclimated to the law school curriculum and way of life. You will explore a "first year" class at a slower pace, taking time to look closely at the expectations of professors and the learning process that will be occurring throughout law school. New students tell us this week is one of the most useful and meaningful parts of their Washburn Law experience, and are instrumental in establishing a sense of camaraderie within the class.
Official Undergraduate Transcript
The accreditation standards of the American Bar Association require that an official copy of your final undergraduate transcript, demonstrating that you have received your Bachelors Degree, be on file at your law school. The transcript must be official and sent directly from the institution in which you graduated to the Washburn University Law School Admissions Office by August 20, 2012. Please note that copies of transcripts provided to CAS (previously LSDAS), for admissions purposes, do not fulfill this requirement. If you have questions about this requirement contact the Admissions Office.
Fall 2012 Enrollment
Pre-enrollment of classes for the entering Fall 2012 class is not required. The Admissions Office will formally enroll you in your first semester courses.
Housing
The Admissions Office has many resources available to help you:
- Washburn Village: At the Residential Living website review the Washburn Village information and Costs and Contracts Several law students lived at the Village this year and seemed pleased.
- Student Survey Apartment Guide: Current Washburn Law students responded to a survey regarding the apartment complex where they live.
- The Topeka Apartment Guide.
- The Topeka Capital-Journal: classifieds list real estate for rent and real estate for sale.
Student Health Insurance (Optional)
- Information is available in the Student Health Center (Morgan Hall, Room 170, 785-670-1470). Purchase of the health insurance plan is optional for students and their dependents. This plan is not required for visits to the Student Health Center.
- Provider information: Student Assurance Services, Inc., PO Box 8126, Wichita, KS 67208-0126, (316) 686-3373 or (800) 245-0486.
- See also our Student Health Services and Health Insurance Coverage information.
General Topeka Information
- Map of Topeka: paper copies of a very detailed map of the Topeka community are available in the Admissions Office. A general visitor map is also online at the Visit Topeka Inc. (convention / visitors bureau) web site.
- Topeka Chamber of Commerce - Visit this website for a listing of employment, housing, government, education, healthcare, utilities, cultural activities, sports and recreational activities, attractions, and other opportunities.
- Topeka news: Topeka Capital-Journal, WIBW-TV, KSNT-TV, KTKA-TV
Optional Leisure Reading
Optional Leisure Reading: We have identified several books related to adjusting to law school. You may find these interesting to read during your leisure time. Links to more information at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and publisher websites are provided. Again, these are not mandatory readings.
- A. General
- Bridging the Gap Between College and Law School: Strategies for Success by Ruta K. Stropus and Charlotte D. Taylor (2001) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Reading Like a Lawyer: Time-Saving Strategies for Reading Law Like an Expert by Ruth Ann McKinney. (Carolina Academic Press, 2005) (CAP website)
- B. How to Think About Studying Law
- Introduction to the Study and Practice of Law by Kenney F. Hegland (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- A Student's Guide to Legal Analysis by Patrick M. McFadden (2001) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- C. How to Adjust Academically
- 1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School by Andrew J. McClurg (2009) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble | West)
- The Law School Survival Guide (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Acing Your First Year of Law School by Shana Connell Noyes and Henry S. Noyes (1999) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Starting Off Right in Law School by Carolyn J. Nygren (1997) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- Law School Without Fear by Helene Shapo and Marshall Shapo. 2nd ed. (2002) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- 1000 Days to the Bar by Dennis J. Tonsing (2003) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- D. How to Do Well On Exams
- How to Study Law and Take Law Exams by Ann M. Burkhart and Robert A. Stein (1996) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
- How To Do Your Best on Law School Exams by John Delaney (1993) (Amazon.com)
- Getting to Maybe: How to Excel on Law School Exams by Richard Michael Fischl and Jeremy Paul (1999) (Amazon.com | Barnes and Noble)
