Toledo vs. Cleveland Marshall Forum

[Woo10]

I am having a very hard time deciding between University of Toledo and Cleveland Marshall.

I have a full ride to Toledo and only need to have above a 2.5 GPA to keep it. I have no scholarship to Cleveland (that I know of) so I would be paying a little less than $20,000 a year for my education alone.

I have visited both schools and had very positive experiences at each.

The reason why I am still having a hard time deciding is because I absolutely love the city of Cleveland (I know a lot of people will not understand haha). I love the idea of being in a large city with a lot going on considering I went to undergrad in the middle of nowhere. However, Toledo is a moderately sized city so it’s not like I would be without the city atmosphere if I chose that school.

I know “loving” a city is not a good enough reason to rack up debt but I was really hoping to get some feedback that would make the idea of graduating with debt/no debt worth it. If someone could tell me about the programs/reputations/job opportunities associated with each school I would be extremely grateful.

Also, for those familiar with Cleveland Marshall I was accepted into the LCOP program, if that makes a difference.
Thank you!

[Luis Gomez]

Rumor has it that Toledo engages in some mean section stacking. Usually requesting a 3.0 from their scholars.

[JCUGuy0428]

I've also heard that UT does certain things to prevent schollys from getting renewed. But the fact that Cleveland gave you 0 money makes it hard to turn down.

[A'nold]

Toledo a billion times over. Seriously, a billion.

[Doritos]

I know people at both schools and I would have to vote Toledo. In this fantastic economy I don't think you can reasonably expect amazing high paying jobs from either one of these schools and if I were you I would follow the money. If you can get Cleveland to match or exceed the Toledo scholarship by all means do it and reevaluate but as it stands Toledo

[TTH]

Better options out of C-M than Toledo. See if you can get some money out of 'em.

[findlayswimmer28]

As a Toledo student, I can assure you the sections are not stacked. The scholarship students are pretty evenly dispersed between the sections.

As far as location goes, I would rather be somewhere where there is not as much to do. Let's face it, you are going to law school to go to law school. A professor that I talked to when trying to make a decision put it like this:

"If you want to ski, go to Colorado. If you want to do well in law school, go to Toledo." This was probably some of the best advice that I received. There are people that party all the time and go places for breaks and weekends. Those people are struggling to make grades to stay enrolled.

Additionally, the faculty here are extremely approachable and helpful. As an example, my property professor runs study groups for students that are struggling to grasp the material. This is pretty standard. This doesn't mean the classes are easy. The exams are difficult and the curve is pretty tight. If you come to law school ready to put the time in, you shouldn't have a difficult time keeping your scholarship.

Good luck in making your decision and if you have any particular questions about Toledo, feel free to PM me.

[Case2L]

While I never attended either school, I feel as though I can speak somewhat for C-M. If I was in your shoes, I would choose C-M over Toledo, even if I had to pay sticker price at C-M (although I still think you should use your scholly @ Toledo to get some money from C-M). I definitely know what you mean when you say you love Cleveland. I love Cleveland too; it's a great city despite the jokes - it has an awesome sports scene, great entertainment and restaurants, and a world-class art museum (and I've been to some of the world's finest, including the Louvre, et al.) C-M is right in the heart of Cleveland with great access to internships and volunteer opportunities. C-M also has an excellent alumni network and is generally very well regarded in the region. Toledo, as a university, is better regarded than CSU, and it's law school has been in the top 100 from time to time, but I can assure you that C-M is still the better school for Cleveland. Not that it matters, but I also like the fact that virtually all of CSU's buildings are interconnected, so you can traverse the entire university on a dreary winter day without ever setting foot outside.

[Woo10]

Toledo a billion times over. Seriously, a billion.

Any reasons?!

I really appreciate everyone's help so far! I want to hear more!

[gustrock]

Toledo a billion times over. Seriously, a billion.

Any reasons?!

I really appreciate everyone's help so far! I want to hear more!

I'll be attending! Did you send in your 75 dollar deposit Woo10?

[Case2L]

I still say if you're interested in Cleveland, definitely go to CSU. For Ohio in general, C-M trumps Toledo.

[Woo10]

Toledo a billion times over. Seriously, a billion.

Any reasons?!

I really appreciate everyone's help so far! I want to hear more!

I'll be attending! Did you send in your 75 dollar deposit Woo10?

I did!

[UTStudent12]

Choose Toledo. There are some things going on Downtown usually every weekend. The Student Bar Association also has a night out every Thursday. Toledo is definitely not as glamorous as nearby Detroit (1 hr) or Cleveland (2), but I have friends that make it out that way often, sometimes even during the week for important special events.

Also, the typical scholarship requires 3.3 at UT, so if you got the 2.5 scholarship, you're definitely ahead of the game and reducing your post-grad loans no matter what when you put it up against C-M.

[somewhatwayward]

not as glamorous as nearby Detroit

detroit? glamorous?

[nice cream]

C-M Law. Cleveland has many of the biggest firms in the country. Those firms have great lawyers, many of whom are considered "super lawyers." One of my mentors is a millionaire med mal attorney graduating from C-m. Their moot court team is constantly int he top 8 in the nation including 2011. Almost every judge in Cleveland graduated from C-M. Firms in Cleveland respect C-M Law. Two Case Western grads advised me to go to C-M instead of Case. Those two attorneys are well paid as well. The reputation of C-M is great, especially in Cleveland. All of that including the price makes C-M the easy pick

[mpj_3050]

I would say Toledo if and only if it is reasonable that you can muster the GPA to keep the scholarship. I thought that the scholarship stipulations were a bit tougher there but it looks like you have a favorable stipulation.

But...what type of situation are you in? Family monetary help, married/kids, UG debt? If something financially is in your favor/disfavor you should evaluate these factors.

[Chants]

not as glamorous as nearby Detroit

detroit? glamorous?

Have you ever been to Toledo? In comparison, I would say Detroit is rather glamorous!

[gwuorbust]

not as glamorous as nearby Detroit

detroit? glamorous?

Have you ever been to Toledo? In comparison, I would say Detroit is rather glamorous!

:adds Toledo to "place-to-never-visit-list":

[Doritos]

C-M Law. Cleveland has many of the biggest firms in the country. Those firms have great lawyers, many of whom are considered "super lawyers." One of my mentors is a millionaire med mal attorney graduating from C-m. Their moot court team is constantly int he top 8 in the nation including 2011. Almost every judge in Cleveland graduated from C-M. Firms in Cleveland respect C-M Law. Two Case Western grads advised me to go to C-M instead of Case. Those two attorneys are well paid as well. The reputation of C-M is great, especially in Cleveland. All of that including the price makes C-M the easy pick

That's nice that the few people you know from these schools are making lots of money but I do not think you can realistically count on a huge paycheck coming out of these schools. I would advise minimizing your debt upon graduation.

[Case2L]

This thread is almost a year old. The OP has probably made his/her choice.