USC v. UCLA Forum

[ajauffret]

So here is my dilemma, one that I am definitely not complaining about, and don't take my seemed bias for one school over the other as evidence that i have made up my mind, i am just more educated on what USC has to offer at this point.

SO I was accepted to USC with $60,000 merit scholarship back in February, and Just last friday got off the wait list at UCLA and assume there will be no merit based funding for someone accepted this late. I am going for a tour on wednesday and I am sure Dean Schwartz will do a great job selling me on UCLA but I was wondering if forfeiting my deposits and ultimately paying about $10,000 more a year to attend UCLA is worth it?

Before the questions come I intend on staying in LA/OC to work after law school, the USC football program is not a deciding factor, and the neighborhood of either place is not a huge factor either as I will likely be living at home (equidistant from both schools).

Your input is greatly appreciated.

[tallboone]

If you want to do biglaw, the schools are functionally equivalent. If you want to do anything else, including a clerkship, it might be worth it to attend UCLA. Also, you never know what will happen in life, so the added degree portability of UCLA might be worth it.

[legalease9]

Interesting choices. Find out the exact cost of USC vs. UCLA as it stands now (without a UCLA scholarship offer but with a USC offer). Write UCLA and try to negotiate them to matching the cost so both schools cost the same.

In terms of difference, I would probably pay 5,000 more per year to attend UCLA. Any more than that, go USC.

[ajauffret]

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[SplitterPride]

More UCLA alums end up in Latham than USC, as is true with firms of similar prestige. Pay the extra money, its well worth it in the end. You would be fooling yourself not to. Yea the scholarship money looks good for now, but its a fleeting feeling, when you wont the offer. Give yourself a better chance, as you are a fellow LA native, I probably dont have to remind you in how many ways doors can open up later in your career as you change jobs and UCLA has that broad base from which to build, much more than USC has. Sure if you were going to medicine, go to USC. For law, UCLA would give you the better shot at things.

p.s. {Bruin bias, but i tried to be objective}

[Curry]

So here is my dilemma, one that I am definitely not complaining about, and don't take my seemed bias for one school over the other as evidence that i have made up my mind, i am just more educated on what USC has to offer at this point.

SO I was accepted to USC with $60,000 merit scholarship back in February, and Just last friday got off the wait list at UCLA and assume there will be no merit based funding for someone accepted this late. I am going for a tour on wednesday and I am sure Dean Schwartz will do a great job selling me on UCLA but I was wondering if forfeiting my deposits and ultimately paying about $10,000 more a year to attend UCLA is worth it?

Before the questions come I intend on staying in LA/OC to work after law school, the USC football program is not a deciding factor, and the neighborhood of either place is not a huge factor either as I will likely be living at home (equidistant from both schools).

Your input is greatly appreciated.

For $10,000 a year, do you really want to risk not making biglaw and having the lesser degree for all other points of comparison?

[jay115]

For the record, I'm an incoming UCLA 1L.

If you want to practice in USC and USC's rough neighborhood doesn't bother you, then it sounds like USC is the place to go. 20k/year + USC's incoming classes are smaller than UCLA's, so a higher percentage of USC grads get LA biglaw jobs. UCLA has better biglaw reach outside of LA, but that doesn't seem to be an issue with you. Either way, you'll know whether UCLA is your future law school when you visit - I had a great time hanging out with current law students.

I personally would pick UCLA for various reasons - better degree portability, instate tuition, nicer location, more people, better access to appellate clerkships, gorgeous campus - but my reasons are obviously my own. In your situation, UCLA might not be the best pick. Of course, that doesn't mean UCLA isn't a superior school.

Good luck wherever you choose to go!

[Hopefullawstudent]

More UCLA alums end up in Latham than USC, as is true with firms of similar prestige. Pay the extra money, its well worth it in the end. You would be fooling yourself not to. Yea the scholarship money looks good for now, but its a fleeting feeling, when you wont the offer. Give yourself a better chance, as you are a fellow LA native, I probably dont have to remind you in how many ways doors can open up later in your career as you change jobs and UCLA has that broad base from which to build, much more than USC has. Sure if you were going to medicine, go to USC. For law, UCLA would give you the better shot at things.

p.s. {Bruin bias, but i tried to be objective}

This has to be a typo. If it isn't, your judgment is highly suspect.

[im_blue]

UCLA's tuition will be $40,000 and $43,800 for the next 2 years, while USC will be $46,800 this year. Assuming 5% tuition increases, that means your total tuition costs will be about $130k for UCLA vs $88k for USC. IMO, the 42k difference for UCLA is worth it only if you plan to work outside of LA.

[ajauffret]

More UCLA alums end up in Latham than USC, as is true with firms of similar prestige. Pay the extra money, its well worth it in the end. You would be fooling yourself not to. Yea the scholarship money looks good for now, but its a fleeting feeling, when you wont the offer. Give yourself a better chance, as you are a fellow LA native, I probably dont have to remind you in how many ways doors can open up later in your career as you change jobs and UCLA has that broad base from which to build, much more than USC has. Sure if you were going to medicine, go to USC. For law, UCLA would give you the better shot at things.

p.s. {Bruin bias, but i tried to be objective}

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[fallofrome213]

id definitely agree with everyone who says to go to UCLA.

upfront, you should know that i have a MASSIVE usc bias. but honestly, when it comes to law school, UCLA is the way to go. I recently chose UCLA over USC for law school, but withdrew last week to attend another school (maybe you got my seat!!). while SC is a great great school, when it comes to law school hands down UCLA is considered the more prestigious school. i know you would like to stay in LA, and not only around the country but even in LA I would def say UCLA is considered the better law school. As far as statistics go, for the top 250 law firms in the country, USC employed 41.3% vs. UCLA which employed 35.9%. Now while that may seem a victory for USC, there very well might be more UCLA people who work outside the biglaw grind in things like public service considering the fact that UCLA has an excellent public service program and decidedly more clerkship opportunities than at SC. also, brian leiter did a study of which law schools the 15 most "prestigious" firms according to vault hire from. USC's ratio of the number of graduates at elite firms/the # of people in the graduating class was .27 vs. UCLA's .39. Seems like UCLA wins out on that one when it comes to the biglaw cream of the crop.

Also, while USC's campus is way nicer than UCLA's (more compact, just as, if not more gorgeous buildings, brand new student union opening in a couple months) sadly this does not transition to the law school. The exterior of USC's law school is confusing in that I cannot figure out why it's so ugly and not built in a red-brick style like the other buildings. UCLA has a much nicer looking law school, and the library is truly gorgeous and much nicer than USC's. In addition, UCLA is in westwood, and while downtown is burgeoning at a rapid rate and LA Live is pretty awesome, I'd still probably want to be around UCLA for the time being. but i guess location is not a big factor for you anyway.

either way, it seems to me that despite the added cost, UCLA will allow the most flexibility and give you the best opportunities. Although USC is not too far behind, it is behind enough to make UCLA the better and most logical choice, despite the added dough.

hope that helps, feel free to toss out ny other questions!

[northwood]

what are the conditions of your scholarship at USC? IF they aren't excessive, then I would Stay at USC. UCLA may have nicer facilities and may help get you that job in big law.. but if you dont get it, and have to pay sticker, you would make out better with less debt. WHy dont you talk to a trusted co worker at your internship firm? ASk for their advice, not ours. THey would have a better feel for the LA market and will help you decide what school to go to.

Anyways congrats! It may suck to have to make this decision now, but remember that by just being able to have to decide which to go to is actually a really nice compliment to your schooling and work ethic!!!

[ajauffret]

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[ajauffret]

Most people probably dont care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best choice for me!!!

[Hopefullawstudent]

Most people probably dont care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best choice for me!!!

Ah, your first major mistake as a law student. We at UCLA wish you the best of luck in overcoming it!

[ajauffret]

Most people probably dont care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best choice for me!!!

Ah, your first major mistake as a law student. We at UCLA wish you the best of luck in overcoming it!

^
Case and point... just the type of douchebaggery I despised when i met and spoke to law students at UCLA... and this is just their females haha... confident in my decision

[nematoad]

Most people probably dont care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best choice for me!!!

Ah, your first major mistake as a law student. We at UCLA wish you the best of luck in overcoming it!

^
Case and point... just the type of douchebaggery I despised when i met and spoke to law students at UCLA... and this is just their females haha... confident in my decision

spoken like a true trojan

[ajauffret]

Most people probably dont care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best choice for me!!!

Ah, your first major mistake as a law student. We at UCLA wish you the best of luck in overcoming it!

^
Case and point... just the type of douchebaggery I despised when i met and spoke to law students at UCLA... and this is just their females haha... confident in my decision

spoken like a true trojan

I would agree with your eyeroll if I was making that statement as a usc student who was a ucla reject...

[SHARK WEEK!]

care, but just to bring closure to this thread that I started... I just turned down my offer of admission from the waitlist at UCLA (someone on the waitlist should get excited for a call from dean schwartz)...I decided staying committed at USC was the best

^
Case and point... just the type of douchebaggery I despised when i met and spoke to law students at UCLA... and this is just their females haha... confident in my decision

spoken like a true trojan[/quote]

I would agree with your eyeroll if I was making that statement as a usc student who was a ucla reject...[/quote][/quote]

Ah, let the pathetic quasi-self-inflicted inferiority complex begin...

[martin55]

For all you people saying that UCLA has better access to appellate clerkships:

UCLA has FOUR 2010 grads going to the 9th Circuit, ZERO to any other circuit court.

Two are clerking in 2010, the other two are clerking in 2011.

THREE out of the four worked at Munger Tolles after 2L year, i.e. the most selective firm at UCLA's OCI.

District court clerkships are in similarly short supply, maybe four or five 2010 grads are clerking on CACD.

So...3.3% moving onto federal clerkships = not a good reason to make any decisions.