Seattle University vs. UNLV Forum

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Seattle University vs. UNLV

Seattle University (more $)
22
76%
UNLV (less $)
7
24%
 
Total votes: 29

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christine2013

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Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by christine2013 » Fri Mar 19, 2010 7:09 pm

So I have boiled it down to my final two schools: Seattle University and UNLV. - desert or rain LOL

Both have positives, both have negatives - and I am TORN. I would def LOVE to live in Seattle more than Las Vegas - but I am going for the education, not the location, as I would like to move back and work in the SF bay area (if I go to UNLV I would not want to stay in Nevada - may stay a while if I go to Seattle)

Here are the pros/cons of each:

Seattle:

Pros - #1 in legal writing in nation, ranked # 78, located in Seattle (which I could see myself living for a few years after law school), beautiful campus, received a 3 year renewable scholarship (top 1/2 of class requirement) (most tuition could be $104 (Yikes!), least it could cost $78), no real life experience with faculty yet.

Cons - poor bar passage rate compared to other WA law schools, saturated legal market (hearsay), the Top law school summary was not too favorable (reported unhelpful career service dept, overcrowded classes, unhelpful teachers - not sure what to think - I have many other GOOD things about the teaching and professors), more money than UNLV (even with scholarship - but especially if I don’t make the 1/2 of class requirement), higher living expenses over all.

UNLV:

Pros: new facilities, wonderful teachers (great interaction with everyone there so far), #75 (and hopefully on the rise), #3 in legal writing, #9 in clinical training, #12 in dispute resolution, compared to the SF bay area - CHEAP living cost (rentals), lots of sun, better employment statistics than Seattle (also more people reported; it is also the only law school in Nevada and therefore faces no competition for externships, ect. ), received scholarship as well (renewable if top 33%) cheaper than Seattle (most tuition is 60k, least is 47k)

Cons - This could be a pro to a lot of people - but location. I like my trees, and not a fan of the desert, and not so much a fan of Las Vegas. It is hot and pretty cultureless and treeless. I would not be interested in living/staying after graduation - I would like to return immediately to Cali. Not sure I could focus my best there.

I am to the point where I am now dreaming about this stuff lol - so any helpful thoughts would be awesome. Again, I could see myself living in Seattle (although I would return to Cali eventually), but almost feel UNLV is slightly better in all areas (except location) - and cheaper.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by wxw30 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:35 pm

hey, I am sorta in the same boat. I actually just got my admission packet from Seattle today. They only gave 7k per year, and have to be top 25% to keep it. on the other hand, UNLV gave me half, and plus I talked to the admission director at UNLV, apparently its extremely easy to get residency at Nevada, so even if you dont have any scholarship, your 2l and 3l is only around 20,000 a year. So though Seattle is a good school, with the market in Seattle being a bit tight, especially with so much competition in the general region, I am heavily leaning toward UNLV.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by yo! » Sat Mar 20, 2010 4:53 pm

If you can't stand living in Vegas, don't go to UNLV; they place almost exslusively in Nevada. Dean White personally told me that UNLV had only about 100 Alumni working in CA (granted, there are only like 1200 total).The point is that you shouldn't go there and expect to work in CA without any connections. You may be able to network your ass off, but it's unlikely. Plan to work in Nevada for at least 5 years. Why aren't you looking at schools in CA if you want to live there?

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by ddav87 » Sat Mar 20, 2010 10:57 pm

I'm hopefully in the same boat if UNLV would ever get back to me. Seattle Gave me the 7k top 25% requirement and I'm from Seattle and took my LSAT at Seattle U. From what i can tell UNLV is the better choice because of the lack of competition because in Seattle UW grads get first pick, then Seattle, then if anything is left top Gonzaga grads. As much as i like it here with a similar offer from UNLV and the option for lower tuition in the 2nd and 3rd year UNLV wins by a lot for me.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by christine2013 » Sun Mar 21, 2010 6:56 am

Hey yo!

I actually applied to 5 in CA - I have heard back from only one so far (a no) but am still waiting on the other four - a yes response from any of them will have a huge impact on what I end up doing. For now I am working with what I have (and with deposit deadlines approaching I need to be prepared for anything to happen). I do understand your point - and it is the biggest reason for me to go to Seattle (location). I have been considering the pros/cons of working in Nevada for a bit after graduation and am becoming more open to it. On another note I am thinking that if I can (key word can) work/intern in the bay area my second summer and make some connections i might be a little bit more set up to move home. The cost and actually quality of education are continuing to pull me toward UNLV. Thank you for your input. Where are you from and where did you decide to go if I may ask?

Wxw30(congrats) and ddav87( hopefully congrats :)...) - glad to meet some people who have the same choice as I do.

Wxw30 - yes it is easy to get residency. You do have to stay the entire first 12 months though (and work in Nevada exclusively your first summer) - that is what I was told. I was actually leaning toward Seattle U at first but there seem to be so many pros to UNLV - combined with the 4,000 increase per year for Seattle's tuition :( Dude ...there goes some of the scholarship money I thought I had. I am getting used to the idea of living in Vegas and am already realizing more of the pros. The summary Top law school gives is pretty accurate - the school is great, staff is great, classrooms are new. The only part that has changed is I don't know how "actively" they are recruiting new faculty but the positive is the UNLV financial situation seems pretty under control. Are you from CA?

ddav87 - I hope you get in!!!! And thanks for the input - it was super helpful. I know Seattle is a great school and seems to have great teachers/writing programs but being second pick combined with the $$$ is .... alot. Because it is still a consideration for me I am actually going there this weekend for the open house - are you going? Ill be there all weekend to talk to faculty, students, look around the city ect and make a final decision. Even if you went to UNLV where would you want to work after since you are from Seattle?

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by yo! » Sun Mar 21, 2010 11:25 am

christine2013 wrote:Hey yo!

I actually applied to 5 in CA - I have heard back from only one so far (a no) but am still waiting on the other four - a yes response from any of them will have a huge impact on what I end up doing. For now I am working with what I have (and with deposit deadlines approaching I need to be prepared for anything to happen). I do understand your point - and it is the biggest reason for me to go to Seattle (location). I have been considering the pros/cons of working in Nevada for a bit after graduation and am becoming more open to it. On another note I am thinking that if I can (key word can) work/intern in the bay area my second summer and make some connections i might be a little bit more set up to move home. The cost and actually quality of education are continuing to pull me toward UNLV. Thank you for your input. Where are you from and where did you decide to go if I may ask?

Wxw30(congrats) and ddav87( hopefully congrats :)...) - glad to meet some people who have the same choice as I do.

Wxw30 - yes it is easy to get residency. You do have to stay the entire first 12 months though (and work in Nevada exclusively your first summer) - that is what I was told. I was actually leaning toward Seattle U at first but there seem to be so many pros to UNLV - combined with the 4,000 increase per year for Seattle's tuition :( Dude ...there goes some of the scholarship money I thought I had. I am getting used to the idea of living in Vegas and am already realizing more of the pros. The summary Top law school gives is pretty accurate - the school is great, staff is great, classrooms are new. The only part that has changed is I don't know how "actively" they are recruiting new faculty but the positive is the UNLV financial situation seems pretty under control. Are you from CA?

ddav87 - I hope you get in!!!! And thanks for the input - it was super helpful. I know Seattle is a great school and seems to have great teachers/writing programs but being second pick combined with the $$$ is .... alot. Because it is still a consideration for me I am actually going there this weekend for the open house - are you going? Ill be there all weekend to talk to faculty, students, look around the city ect and make a final decision. Even if you went to UNLV where would you want to work after since you are from Seattle?
I'm actually from Northern CA and probably attending UNLV :lol: Unless if Davis accepts me and makes a decent offer, I will be moving to Vegas. I eventually want to return, but I plan on living in Vegas for at least 5 years.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by Vegas_Rebel » Sun Mar 21, 2010 12:38 pm

I love UNLV, but if you're not going to live in NV you're better off going somewhere closer to where you want to practice.

That's not to denigrate UNLV in any way, but lower T1 on down schools are very local / regional. If I planned on living anywhere else, I wouldn't be going to UNLV either.

You may be able to leverage scholly money however.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by ddav87 » Sun Mar 21, 2010 4:31 pm

I would be ok with practicing in or around Vegas i don't mind the weather at all, but i would miss the trees. I didn't make it to this weekend's event, I'm going sometime early April which ever one i can get a day off work for. How was the open house? Also I'll probably attend that scholarship dinner. At some point I'm going to attempt to negotiate my scholarship a little to make up for the tuition increase at least a little bit. I'll keep you posted if it works.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by Vegas_Rebel » Mon Mar 22, 2010 11:30 am

ddav87 wrote:I would be ok with practicing in or around Vegas i don't mind the weather at all, but i would miss the trees. I didn't make it to this weekend's event, I'm going sometime early April which ever one i can get a day off work for. How was the open house? Also I'll probably attend that scholarship dinner. At some point I'm going to attempt to negotiate my scholarship a little to make up for the tuition increase at least a little bit. I'll keep you posted if it works.
There are trees around Vegas (and not just of the palm variety.)

For instance, here's a shot I took from Mt. Charleston, roughly half an hour away:

--ImageRemoved--

The date is wrong, but I think this was in September of last year? Anyway, it's not Florida, but it's not the Saharan desert either ;)

Good luck!

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christine2013

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by christine2013 » Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:03 pm

Vegas_Rebel wrote:
ddav87 wrote:I would be ok with practicing in or around Vegas i don't mind the weather at all, but i would miss the trees. I didn't make it to this weekend's event, I'm going sometime early April which ever one i can get a day off work for. How was the open house? Also I'll probably attend that scholarship dinner. At some point I'm going to attempt to negotiate my scholarship a little to make up for the tuition increase at least a little bit. I'll keep you posted if it works.
There are trees around Vegas (and not just of the palm variety.)

For instance, here's a shot I took from Mt. Charleston, roughly half an hour away:

--ImageRemoved--

The date is wrong, but I think this was in September of last year? Anyway, it's not Florida, but it's not the Saharan desert either ;)

Good luck!

That is a beautiful pic....glad to know lots of trees exist :)


ddav87 - the open house is this weekend so I will let you know how it goes...I want to attend the dinner but no way I am making two trips. I am going to do the same thing with Seattle - but yes, please let me know how your negotiation attempt goes.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by jackdaw » Mon Mar 22, 2010 4:50 pm

Something to keep in mind regarding Unlv is that while the school is hugely regional and doesn't have a lot of alumni in other states there is a reason for that. Unlv gives a lot of preference to people who are nv residents so a lot of people have their homes here and never planned to leave nv in the first place. Couple this with the still relatively new status of the school and our small classes means we don't have a lot of graduates period. However, I personally know 2 people from the 2009 class who landed 6 figure jobs in San Diego and Los Angeles respectively. Is it an uphill battle getting jobs in other states, undoubtedly, is it impossible, no.

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darknightbegins

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by darknightbegins » Mon Mar 22, 2010 5:04 pm

One thing I'm uneasy about is the financial situation of UNLV. The school is going into the red, this has to affect the Law School part of the school in some way.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by Vegas_Rebel » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:30 am

darknightbegins wrote:One thing I'm uneasy about is the financial situation of UNLV. The school is going into the red, this has to affect the Law School part of the school in some way.
Very little.

So as not to repeat myself too many places, come see the UNLV thread here: Link

Super Quick Version: The UG is going into the red, but the law school is almost entirely separate from the UG financially, and I haven't yet heard any cause for concern about the law school. If I do, of course, I'll post up.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by General Tso » Tue Mar 23, 2010 12:39 am

my $.02 --

it will be hard coming back to CA once you leave; many of my CA T1 classmates (and me too) are having very hard times finding summer job in NorCal. You are going to do something extraordinary to distinguish yourself at either of these schools. There will be no place in a major CA market for a run of the mill Seattle U or UNLV grad, except maybe some kind of public interest (and even these will be competitive -- a lot of my classmates have struggled landing PI jobs in fields like Environmental).

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by yo! » Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:00 am

swheat wrote:my $.02 --

it will be hard coming back to CA once you leave; many of my CA T1 classmates (and me too) are having very hard times finding summer job in NorCal. You are going to do something extraordinary to distinguish yourself at either of these schools. There will be no place in a major CA market for a run of the mill Seattle U or UNLV grad, except maybe some kind of public interest (and even these will be competitive -- a lot of my classmates have struggled landing PI jobs in fields like Environmental).
credited

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by General Tso » Tue Mar 23, 2010 1:44 am

yo! wrote:
swheat wrote:my $.02 --

it will be hard coming back to CA once you leave; many of my CA T1 classmates (and me too) are having very hard times finding summer job in NorCal. You are going NEED TO to do something extraordinary to distinguish yourself at either of these schools. There will be no place in a major CA market for a run of the mill Seattle U or UNLV grad, except maybe some kind of public interest (and even these will be competitive -- a lot of my classmates have struggled landing PI jobs in fields like Environmental).
credited
typo correct above

I think either option is okay, but only if you want to practice in Vegas or Seattle. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to land a legal job in the Bay Area until you have tried. As for me, 150+ applications so far and practically zero interest. My grades are not shabby either.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by christine2013 » Tue Mar 23, 2010 2:14 am

swheat wrote:
yo! wrote:
swheat wrote:my $.02 --

it will be hard coming back to CA once you leave; many of my CA T1 classmates (and me too) are having very hard times finding summer job in NorCal. You are going NEED TO to do something extraordinary to distinguish yourself at either of these schools. There will be no place in a major CA market for a run of the mill Seattle U or UNLV grad, except maybe some kind of public interest (and even these will be competitive -- a lot of my classmates have struggled landing PI jobs in fields like Environmental).
credited
typo correct above

I think either option is okay, but only if you want to practice in Vegas or Seattle. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to land a legal job in the Bay Area until you have tried. As for me, 150+ applications so far and practically zero interest. My grades are not shabby either.
Wow - thank you for the input. And good luck to you! Where are you going to school btw?

Darknightbegins - I second Vegas_Rebel. That was my concern as well and I spoke directly to the Admissions Director about it - the budget cuts will impact the law school minimally (as in very very minimally). He quoted me a 6% budget cut for higher education in Nevada....but 6% is a lot less than the % cut that was first proposed. I have no worries about the financial situation in any way negatively affecting the quality of education or faculty if I decide to go. Additionally, the Law School is in a very good position because of the many private donors who contribute to it.


And another school just got added to my list of options - University of Oregon with a 6,000 renewable scholly. Anyone also considering this school against Seattle or UNLV? Any thoughts?

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by General Tso » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:32 am

I am a 1L at Hastings. I think you have some nice options, but what would really help us give you advice would be for you to post your projected debt levels at each.

I would vote for the cheapest option between Oregon and Seattle Univ. The PNW is a great place to live, in some ways I think it is better than the Bay Area (cheaper COL, less crowded, and I prefer the greener scenery). That said, the economy in WA and OR is weaker - fewer jobs and generally lower salaries. If you like the area and could see yourself living there long term, then I think it's a sacrifice worth making.

If you really want to live in CA above all else and don't have any desirable law school options in CA, you might want to think about choosing another career path. Nothing about that is meant to disparage you in any way...the legal job market in CA is a cruel beast. I have some ideas about alternatives to the traditional JD and MBA educational routes, if you are interested.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by Kat.Ander » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:41 am

Just went to Vegas for Spring Break. It is a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there. The economy there is horrible: taxi drivers are former white collar professionals, all construction has stopped on the strip... It's not somewhere you want to be right now!!

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by darknightbegins » Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:07 am

christine2013 wrote:
swheat wrote:
yo! wrote:
swheat wrote:my $.02 --

it will be hard coming back to CA once you leave; many of my CA T1 classmates (and me too) are having very hard times finding summer job in NorCal. You are going NEED TO to do something extraordinary to distinguish yourself at either of these schools. There will be no place in a major CA market for a run of the mill Seattle U or UNLV grad, except maybe some kind of public interest (and even these will be competitive -- a lot of my classmates have struggled landing PI jobs in fields like Environmental).
credited
typo correct above

I think either option is okay, but only if you want to practice in Vegas or Seattle. You cannot imagine how difficult it is to land a legal job in the Bay Area until you have tried. As for me, 150+ applications so far and practically zero interest. My grades are not shabby either.
Wow - thank you for the input. And good luck to you! Where are you going to school btw?

Darknightbegins - I second Vegas_Rebel. That was my concern as well and I spoke directly to the Admissions Director about it - the budget cuts will impact the law school minimally (as in very very minimally). He quoted me a 6% budget cut for higher education in Nevada....but 6% is a lot less than the % cut that was first proposed. I have no worries about the financial situation in any way negatively affecting the quality of education or faculty if I decide to go. Additionally, the Law School is in a very good position because of the many private donors who contribute to it.


And another school just got added to my list of options - University of Oregon with a 6,000 renewable scholly. Anyone also considering this school against Seattle or UNLV? Any thoughts?
I'm glad you have no problem with it. The Admissions Director may have an incentive to put the best spin on the situation as well. We are talking over the course of a 3 year period, not just the first day of class in August. Again, I have no evidence to support a belief that it will have a negative impact on the law school, that is why I said I was uneasy.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by darknightbegins » Tue Mar 23, 2010 4:08 am

Kat.Ander wrote:Just went to Vegas for Spring Break. It is a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there. The economy there is horrible: taxi drivers are former white collar professionals, all construction has stopped on the strip... It's not somewhere you want to be right now!!
Jesus, guess that boom that was going on has really busted hard.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by christine2013 » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:09 pm

swheat wrote:I am a 1L at Hastings. I think you have some nice options, but what would really help us give you advice would be for you to post your projected debt levels at each.

I would vote for the cheapest option between Oregon and Seattle Univ. The PNW is a great place to live, in some ways I think it is better than the Bay Area (cheaper COL, less crowded, and I prefer the greener scenery). That said, the economy in WA and OR is weaker - fewer jobs and generally lower salaries. If you like the area and could see yourself living there long term, then I think it's a sacrifice worth making.

If you really want to live in CA above all else and don't have any desirable law school options in CA, you might want to think about choosing another career path. Nothing about that is meant to disparage you in any way...the legal job market in CA is a cruel beast. I have some ideas about alternatives to the traditional JD and MBA educational routes, if you are interested.
Thank you - these are the projected debt levels:

1. Seattle - received a 3 year renewable scholarship (top 1/2 of class requirement). Most debt = 164k Least debt= 138k

2. U of Oregon - recieved 3 year renewable scholarship no stipulations. Most debt = 120,000 ( living is cheap and they don't really give out residency to students i guess)

3. UNLV - 3 year renewable if top 33% - Most debt = 122,000 Least debt = 109,000


And good luck with the job hunt . Hastings is a good school...

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by yo! » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:14 pm

darknightbegins wrote:
Kat.Ander wrote:Just went to Vegas for Spring Break. It is a great place to visit but you wouldn't want to live there. The economy there is horrible: taxi drivers are former white collar professionals, all construction has stopped on the strip... It's not somewhere you want to be right now!!
Jesus, guess that boom that was going on has really busted hard.
You could reasonably insert any major city name into this paragraph. Vegas' economy will eventually recover, just like most other cities. It wasn't my first choice, but I definitely don't consider it a bad place to live.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by Jerome » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:16 pm

christine2013 wrote:
swheat wrote:I am a 1L at Hastings. I think you have some nice options, but what would really help us give you advice would be for you to post your projected debt levels at each.

I would vote for the cheapest option between Oregon and Seattle Univ. The PNW is a great place to live, in some ways I think it is better than the Bay Area (cheaper COL, less crowded, and I prefer the greener scenery). That said, the economy in WA and OR is weaker - fewer jobs and generally lower salaries. If you like the area and could see yourself living there long term, then I think it's a sacrifice worth making.

If you really want to live in CA above all else and don't have any desirable law school options in CA, you might want to think about choosing another career path. Nothing about that is meant to disparage you in any way...the legal job market in CA is a cruel beast. I have some ideas about alternatives to the traditional JD and MBA educational routes, if you are interested.
Thank you - these are the projected debt levels:

1. Seattle - received a 3 year renewable scholarship (top 1/2 of class requirement). Most debt = 164k Least debt= 138k

2. U of Oregon - recieved 3 year renewable scholarship no stipulations. Most debt = 120,000 ( living is cheap and they don't really give out residency to students i guess)

3. UNLV - 3 year renewable if top 33% - Most debt = 122,000 Least debt = 109,000


And good luck with the job hunt . Hastings is a good school...
I know little about the CA job market, though I do know that Oregon places very well in OR (or has, traditionally). Eugene is also a very cool city. If you have a desire to work in Portland, OR (which is an awesome city) U of O is a good bet.

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Re: Seattle University vs. UNLV

Post by General Tso » Tue Mar 23, 2010 3:17 pm

christine2013 wrote:
swheat wrote:I am a 1L at Hastings. I think you have some nice options, but what would really help us give you advice would be for you to post your projected debt levels at each.

I would vote for the cheapest option between Oregon and Seattle Univ. The PNW is a great place to live, in some ways I think it is better than the Bay Area (cheaper COL, less crowded, and I prefer the greener scenery). That said, the economy in WA and OR is weaker - fewer jobs and generally lower salaries. If you like the area and could see yourself living there long term, then I think it's a sacrifice worth making.

If you really want to live in CA above all else and don't have any desirable law school options in CA, you might want to think about choosing another career path. Nothing about that is meant to disparage you in any way...the legal job market in CA is a cruel beast. I have some ideas about alternatives to the traditional JD and MBA educational routes, if you are interested.
Thank you - these are the projected debt levels:

1. Seattle - received a 3 year renewable scholarship (top 1/2 of class requirement). Most debt = 164k Least debt= 138k

2. U of Oregon - recieved 3 year renewable scholarship no stipulations. Most debt = 120,000 ( living is cheap and they don't really give out residency to students i guess)

3. UNLV - 3 year renewable if top 33% - Most debt = 122,000 Least debt = 109,000


And good luck with the job hunt . Hastings is a good school...
school quality seems to be meaningless these days. connections are everything.

your debt situation is not ideal...are you planning to do public interest? taking out over 100k loans while hoping for private work is an iffy prospect in this economy.

I think you can easily write off Seattle U and UNLV. You would have to earn the absolute maximum salary out of Seattle to justify around 150k in loans. Even with top grades, you would probably be very lucky to earn 80-85k from there. UNLV -- the debt looks okay (109k) but the hangup there is the top 1/3 requirement. I have found that most schools generally axe around 1/2 of scholarship recipients' scholarships after the 1st year. So you are setting yourself up for a 50/50 chance of crushing debt.

Oregon seems like the clear winner, in my opinion. It places well in both WA and OR.

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