Top Law Schools

Have you tried negotiating? Michigan might even give you some money.

I think the answer is clearly Michigan unless you know for certain you want Texas. If you get BigLaw, then the extra tuition (which is 78 if the numbers cited earlier are accurate) won't really matter. (+ you may be able to take less in loans if you save money from your job). If you don't get biglaw, then Michigan's LRAP is very solid and, depending on the salary of your job, the loan payments won't be that different. I think if you want BigLaw it's best to maximize your probability of success knowing that LRAP will save you (us all) if you don't get it.

I know I'm pretty late, but what did you decide OP? I'm actually preparing to make the exact same decision between the exact same schools with the exact same scholarships.

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This is a really hard choice. I think what it should come down to one question.

Would you rather be working/living in Texas with 80K less debt, or would you prefer living working somewhere else with about at least 80K more debt attached to you?

Your answer to this question should be the final deal breaker.


I will say this, UT has graded LRW, Michigan has P/F. This may seem to be of minuscule importance to you now, but trust me, it's a crucial distinction. For example, I know for a fact that if UVA graded LRW on a curve that I would have gotten a C. That would basically mean that before I even took my final exams, I was at the bottom of the class. But because we have P/F LRW, I get a P just like the person in my class who is going to win best memo. So realize that this means you will have to work harder all year long at UT to achieve an equivalent out of state job that Michigan could provide you with. And I"m saying that based solely off of the fact that LRW is graded at UT, you're also going to have to work harder because you will need better grades to get a non Texas job at UT than you would at Michigan.

I ended up deciding on the University of Michigan. Honestly, it was one of the hardest choices I have had to make. One partner at law firm told me this though... "It is a great problem to have" and "It is a choice that you will never end up knowing which one is right." I wavered for days, but really you have to make an informed decision and not look back. If you have any other questions regarding the basis for my decision pm me.

Bentley7 wrote:I ended up deciding on the University of Michigan. Honestly, it was one of the hardest choices I have had to make. One partner at law firm told me this though... "It is a great problem to have" and "It is a choice that you will never end up knowing which one is right." I wavered for days, but really you have to make an informed decision and not look back.

sounds like something that should be in a presidential memoir....

HowdyYall wrote:

Bentley7 wrote:I ended up deciding on the University of Michigan. Honestly, it was one of the hardest choices I have had to make. One partner at law firm told me this though... "It is a great problem to have" and "It is a choice that you will never end up knowing which one is right." I wavered for days, but really you have to make an informed decision and not look back.

sounds like something that should be in a presidential memoir....

Haha...sorry, I did not mean it to sound like that. It really was a difficult decision for me though.

There are four things I would put as primary factors:

1. Which school/region you like better (basically Texas vs the Northeast)
2. How big the gap is financially between attending either school (and how important it is to you)
3. Whether you can/are willing to wait another year (for me personally, waiting another year would feel like a century)
4. Which football team you like better (if you have no preference, feel free to replace "football" with "stadium")

Obviously I am kidding (or am I ) about #4 but college ball is a VERY serious matter....

Ultimately IMO unless you're completely comfortable with the thought of living/working in Texas, go to Michigan. My experience with Texas is that it is not really a place you want to commit too unless you know for certain it's you're kinda place

Both seem to be great social party schools, with great towns..the rest aside, which school parties more and has a lot of social networking to offer?
More importantly, though, which has a bit greater national weight?

I say michigan soley because that w/e will help you find a job. But you can probably have the same deal at UT if you wait, no?

BruceWayne wrote:This is a really hard choice. I think what it should come down to one question.

Would you rather be working/living in Texas with 80K less debt, or would you prefer living working somewhere else with about at least 80K more debt attached to you?

Your answer to this question should be the final deal breaker.


I will say this, UT has graded LRW, Michigan has P/F. This may seem to be of minuscule importance to you now, but trust me, it's a crucial distinction. For example, I know for a fact that if UVA graded LRW on a curve that I would have gotten a C. That would basically mean that before I even took my final exams, I was at the bottom of the class. But because we have P/F LRW, I get a P just like the person in my class who is going to win best memo. So realize that this means you will have to work harder all year long at UT to achieve an equivalent out of state job that Michigan could provide you with. And I"m saying that based solely off of the fact that LRW is graded at UT, you're also going to have to work harder because you will need better grades to get a non Texas job at UT than you would at Michigan.

TCR

P/F LRW for the win. Not that I'm advocating laziness, but Michigan also has 2 retroactive pass/fails for upper division courses, which is a life saver when you are taking Sec Reg, Secured Transactions, etc. (And you can also take MBA courses at Ross/other department grad school courses for pass/fail credit that go towards your JD.)