UWiPhD2011

I applied, and will be attending, the Information Science PhD program at University of Washington this fall. The department seemed like a great fit and appears to be placing it's graduates fairly well (my fingers are crossed for the future). I am coming from a background in another discipline, and am very excited for the interdisciplinary nature of the UW iSchool's program and of it's faculty (many of whom hold joint/affiliate appointments with other departments on campus, from CS, Engineering, Philosophy, Law, Medicine, etc). Good luck to everyone, wherever you happen to be this fall.

This is an interesting topic. I graduated last year from a top 30 law school and will be entering a PhD program this fall. I found my J.D. and law journal publications to be an incredible asset in my PhD admissions process, and was told by multiple program chairs and potential advisers that my J.D. boosted my application quite a bit. In this regard, I think getting a JD before a PHD won't necessarily impact your chances negatively. However, the fact that my law school debt will continue to accumulate interest over the next few years as I work for a TA/RA wage is a definite con to this route. I loved my law school experience, and it really allowed me to refine and discover my research interests.