"Non Trad" student seeks advice Forum

(Rankings, Profiles, Tuition, Student Life, . . . )
Post Reply
Flahdagal

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:47 am

"Non Trad" student seeks advice

Post by Flahdagal » Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:50 am

"Non traditional". Sounds so much better than "old broad", doesn't it?

Okay, here's the dilemma: I'm accepted at four of the seven schools I've applied to so far.
The lowest ranked, Stetson, is the only school local to me; I live within 20 miles.
If I choose Stetson, I don't have to uproot my husband and elementary-school-aged son.
They've offered me a 50% scholarship, which brings them down in price to match the other schools: UF, FSU, and Wake Forest.
The prevailing attitude toward Stetson's 100th place ranking is: it's a mystery why they don't rank higher, given their program. But they still teeter on the tier 1/tier 2 edge.
Wake Forest has also offered me a scholarship, which in effect prices me as an in-state student.

Sitting recently with a family acquaintance who has been prosecutor, judge and now is a defense attorney, he advised that, "Before you go to school, it's critical which school you go to. Once you're out, it doesn't really matter." I don't have plans to seek employment outside the south.

Trying to balance all this is giving me a two-month headache. Ideas appreciated!

eudaimondaimon

New
Posts: 90
Joined: Tue Feb 09, 2010 9:57 pm

Re: "Non Trad" student seeks advice

Post by eudaimondaimon » Tue Mar 16, 2010 9:54 am

If you don't mind living in the TBA for the rest of your days, Stetson isn't a bad choice.

Flahdagal

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:47 am

Re: "Non Trad" student seeks advice

Post by Flahdagal » Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:20 am

I'm not sure that's still entirely accurate any more. They are placing interns far and wide, and the family friend I mentioned was in Dallas and spoke highly of Stetson grads he had worked with, all outside Florida. But yes, that's historically been the prevailing wisdom.

User avatar
scribelaw

Silver
Posts: 760
Joined: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:27 pm

Re: "Non Trad" student seeks advice

Post by scribelaw » Tue Mar 16, 2010 10:26 am

Tier 1 is 1-50. Tier 2 is 51-100.

Stetson is a Tier 3.

Go to UF or FSU with in-state tuition if you want to practice in Florida.

Flahdagal

New
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:47 am

Re: "Non Trad" student seeks advice

Post by Flahdagal » Wed Mar 17, 2010 11:42 am

Aiiigh, typo. Yes, tier 3. UF and FSU both teeter at the 50-mark, so basically anything close to home is not tier 1. So far, both via correspondence, visiting Gainesville, and meeting the UF folks at the law school forum, I'm wholly unimpressed with UF. And if I have to move to go to either FSU or UF, why not move to Winston Salem and go to Wake, which is tier 1? The money is about the same.

I'm just not sure all the family and household churn will be worth it.

Want to continue reading?

Register now to search topics and post comments!

Absolutely FREE!


Post Reply

Return to “Choosing a Law School”