WashU Law Your Next Steps

[Intro voiceover]: Welcome to Navigating Grad Law at WashU — your guide to admissions, academics, and more. Today, sit down with Jamie Rogan and Rachel Johnson while they chat about WashU Law next steps.

Rachel Johnson: Hello, I’m Rachel Johnson.

Jamie Rogan: And I’m Jamie Rogan. Today, we are going to talk about next steps that students should take after they have been admitted.

Rachel Johnson: Yeah — so you’re at the step where you’ve applied and you’ve been accepted to WashU Law. If you’re an international student, you’ve submitted your I-20 or DS-2019 paperwork. So, what now? What are the next steps you should take?

Jamie Rogan: You will receive this information that we’re going to discuss in this podcast in an email entitled “WashU Law Next Steps.” Rachel and I are going to go over that email in a little bit more detail today. So, Rachel — do you want to get us started? What is the first step these admitted students should take?

Rachel Johnson: The first and possibly most important step that students should take, before being able to complete the different action items, is to set up their WUSTL Key or WashU Key. Just a quick note here: we will use these terms interchangeably in our discussion today. It is currently the WUSTL Key, but it is likely to change to WashU Key. These are really the same thing.

An email from the University Registrar’s Office — with the subject line “Activate your WUSTL Key” (or “WashU Key” in the future) — will be sent to the email address used on your application. You will want to check your spam and junk folders for this email. We have heard from former students that the email unfortunately went to their spam folder. This email is typically sent in mid-May to early June.

If students are worried that they haven’t received the email, they should definitely contact us at gradlaw@wustl.edu. Now, Jamie — after students set up their WUSTL Key, what is their next step?

Jamie Rogan: Yeah — so the next step involves registration. Admitted students will receive information on a course registration meeting. It varies from year to year, but the meeting typically takes place in May or early June. If the meeting has already taken place by the time the student is admitted and has received their WUSTL Key, they’ll get a link to the recording of that session.

It’s very important to either attend the meeting or watch the recording, because this will explain how to register for classes — and a lot of students will be able to, or should even, register before arriving on campus. Those taking the summer ILEP classes in person may be registering after they have arrived here on campus, but regardless of where you are registering, students should plan on registering as soon as possible after registration opens.

So now, Rachel — now that they have set up their WUSTL Key and reviewed the registration materials, what’s the next step?

Rachel Johnson: Students will want to research housing options. In the next steps email, they will find a link to a website that lists local housing options. Unfortunately, WashU doesn’t offer housing for graduate law students on campus. This information also applies to exchange students. However, students can also check the university’s Apartment Referral Service webpage at ars.wustl.edu. This website can direct them to different housing accommodations off campus.

Now, Jamie — what is next for students?

Jamie Rogan: Next, they’ll want to apply for a campus card. They’ll go to card.wustl.edu (and WUSTL is W-U-S-T-L) and click on the heading that says “New and Replacement WashU ID.” You’ll complete that form and upload a recent photograph of yourself. You should note that if the photo is not of you — if you upload someone else, or it’s more than six months old — you’ll have to get a new ID card created, and the replacement fee is $25. So students will want to get their campus card as soon as possible after they arrive on campus.

Rachel Johnson: Yes, for sure. It is a very helpful card. It gets students into buildings and allows them to make purchases tax-free. So, students — you can buy your meals using this card, or even some WashU swag.

Jamie Rogan: Rachel, the campus card is also needed to use the U-Pass. Tell us about the U-Pass and how students can apply for one.

Rachel Johnson: Of course. The U-Pass is free to all WashU Law students who are enrolled full-time. The U-Pass gives you unlimited rides on the MetroLink and MetroBus system. To apply for a U-Pass, students will need to go to the website parking.wustl.edu and scroll down to “Register for U-Pass,” then click on “Get Permits” on the next page, and finally choose “Affiliated Login” on the last page. Again, students will need their WUSTL or WashU Key to continue registering for their U-Pass.

Now, Jamie — what is the next step students should take?

Jamie Rogan: Yeah — so this is very important to note: all LLM, MLS, and exchange students should attend orientation. I encourage you to make any travel plans with orientation in mind, as classes begin on the first day of orientation. The exact date is typically specified in your admission letter or in follow-up emails. In the past, students who have attended ILEP have incorrectly assumed that they don’t need to attend orientation. But let’s be clear: orientation is required for everyone, even ILEP students.

There is one exception: if you hold a JD degree from a U.S. law school, orientation is not required. Rachel, what about JSD students? Do they need to attend orientation?

Rachel Johnson: It is recommended that JSD students attend orientation, though it is not required, since a separate orientation will be held for JSD students — with the program specifics — shortly after the start of the semester, or if not, shortly before.

Jamie Rogan: Thanks, Rachel. Just a couple more points. After you arrive — and maybe even before — you’ll hear us talk a lot about the potentially dreaded hold on your account. A hold just means that you cannot register for the next semester’s classes. The good news is that all of these holds are preventable. You just have to follow a few important steps that we’ll talk about next. So, Rachel — what is one way a student can avoid a hold on their account?

Rachel Johnson: Well — first, they can send us their official transcripts. Our office has to receive them by September 1 for the fall semester at the very latest, and February 1 for those beginning in the spring semester. Official transcripts are typically not what you use to complete your application. They need to come either directly from your previous school or university. Students can submit the transcripts in a number of ways.

First, if they have an LSAC account, they can have their CAS report sent directly to us. You can send us an email at gradlaw@wustl.edu with your LSAC number, and we can check on it for you.

The second option is to have their previous school email or mail it to us. Again, our email address is gradlaw@wustl.edu. And if they decide to have the transcript mailed to us, they can use the physical mailing address listed in the Next Steps email.

A third option is to send it via Parchment to Washington University. Parchment is a service — a clearinghouse — that holds the transcripts and makes those arrangements for sending transcripts to schools. Choose this specific department: it is “Washington University in St. Louis School of Law — LLM/MLS/JSD Admissions.”

And finally, the last option they could consider is bringing the transcripts to our office when they arrive on campus. To choose this option, the transcript must be in an unopened envelope sealed by their previous school. This is an important point that I’m going to state again: note, the seal on the envelope cannot be broken on your transcript, or it will be considered unofficial and you will have to arrange for a new one.

Now, Jamie — what is another reason holds are often put on students’ accounts?

Jamie Rogan: So another reason we sometimes see holds on accounts is that a student fails to provide proof of immunization. For the fall semester, this proof needs to be uploaded to the student portal by August 1. For students enrolling in the spring semester, it needs to be uploaded by January 1. After you have set up your WUSTL Key, you will log in to the student portal, which is studenthealth.wustl.edu, to provide your immunization history. You can find the full immunization requirements at students.wustl.edu/immunizations. But we’ll go over just a couple of important ones next.

All incoming students must provide proof of immunization for two vaccines each for measles, mumps, and rubella, and they’ll also need to do a tuberculosis screening. Based on that screening, a student may be required to do a tuberculosis test. That documentation proof should have the student’s name and date of birth, and should be uploaded to the student portal I mentioned earlier. This does have to be in English. So, if needed, students can use JR translation services to translate their proof of immunizations to English. You can check the next steps email for more information and for links on how to do this.

Rachel — if students don’t have proof of immunization, or they need a blood test for compliance, do you know what they can do?

Rachel Johnson: Once they arrive, they can visit Habif Health and Wellness for immunizations and blood tests. Habif Health and Wellness is conveniently located on campus. Students should note that appointments do fill up quickly. They can make an appointment Monday through Friday, 9 to 12 and 1 to 4:30, and these appointments can be made through the portal that Jamie mentioned earlier.

We should note that students can see if they are compliant by visiting that same portal. After they have uploaded their immunization proof, within about three days, their status should be updated on the portal, and students can see if they are still missing anything.

Thanks, Rachel. And what is the next potential hold students may have?

Jamie Rogan: This one is specifically for international students. To avoid a hold, they need to check in with the Office of International Students and Scholars — also known as OISS — as soon as possible after arriving in the U.S. They’re required to upload their immigration documents and complete an online check-in form. You can find this form at oiss.wustl.edu — click on “Getting Started,” then scroll down to “After Arrival to U.S. and WashU.” When you click on that, you’ll be directed to a page where you’ll find a link to check in.

So, Rachel — that brings us to the final potential hold. What else can students do to avoid a hold on their account?

Rachel Johnson: Well, students will need to pay tuition to avoid a hold. In other words, if a student doesn’t pay their tuition by the deadline, a hold will be placed on their account. Students should note that tuition is due by August 20 for the fall semester and January 20 for the spring semester, and it is divided up over each semester. Students can view their bill or account inquiry in WebSTAC for the most up-to-date information.

Jamie Rogan: Thanks, Rachel. So I think that covers the next steps students should take after they have been admitted. Rachel, do you have anything to add?

Rachel Johnson: Just that we are all excited to meet our new students, and we look forward to seeing you all on campus soon.

Jamie Rogan: Yes, we are. We hope this podcast helped you prepare to join us here on campus, and thanks for listening.

[Closing voiceover]: Adiós. Au revoir. 再见. Arrivederci. Güle güle. Arrivederci. Goodbye. 안녕히 계세요. Salut. Hasta la vista. Sayonara.