Top Law Schools

thoughts?

BC.

Wake Forest would still cost you over 100k.

Similar situation here...I would love to hear some of your reasoning to help me with my decision.

Wake Forest tuition would come out to 14K/yr after scholarship. I don't see how they would be 100k in debt. It's not like Winston-Salem has NYC COL. Wake Forests COL estimates are over-exaggerated on their site... you don't need 20k to survive 9 months in WS... especially if you're living like a student with roommates and all that jazz.

What do you want to do after you graduate? Where do you want to live?

bk187 wrote:BC.

Wake Forest would still cost you over 100k.

With interest etc, it will run you close to 100k.

If you want a shot at BigLaw (probably in Boston), go to BC and get in the top 15-20%...if you would be happy to work in North Carolina (is Charlotte the dominant market for Wake?), choose Wake. It would be pretty difficult to get BigLaw from Wake, I guess possible for the top 5%ish?

Pick BC and get Mass. with limited NE mobility, pick Wake and get NC with even more limited SE mobility. And enjoy extravagant debt.

I'd take Wake

To the above poster on CoA, that is fair as I have never been there. I guess if you can manage something like 70-80k debt and really want to work in NC then go for it.

On a side note, most schools overestimate CoA and in the cheaper places to like the overestimate is often greater.

Curry wrote:

bk187 wrote:BC.

Wake Forest would still cost you over 100k.

With interest etc, it will run you close to 100k.

Eh, that's not fair, I'm just going by Wake Forest's estimated CoA. Most people on this site do not factor in interest when comparing options so as to put them on a level playing field (even though the more expensive option is helped more by not factoring in interest than the cheaper option).

bk187 wrote:To the above poster on CoA, that is fair as I have never been there. I guess if you can manage something like 70-80k debt and really want to work in NC then go for it.

On a side note, most schools overestimate CoA and in the cheaper places to like the overestimate is often greater.

Curry wrote:

bk187 wrote:BC.

Wake Forest would still cost you over 100k.

With interest etc, it will run you close to 100k.

Eh, that's not fair, I'm just going by Wake Forest's estimated CoA. Most people on this site do not factor in interest when comparing options so as to put them on a level playing field (even though the more expensive option is helped more by not factoring in interest than the cheaper option).

Ah ok. I was refferring to the person who said it wont hit 100k and I quoted the wrong post

If you want BigLaw, go to Boston College. If you want to practice in the northeast, go to BC.

If you don't care about biglaw, go to Wake. If you want to work in the southeast, primary NC, go to Wake.

For reference:
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog ... hool-.html

Informative wrote:If you want BigLaw, go to Boston College. If you want to practice in the northeast, go to BC.

I really hate when people say this. I'd guess about 75% of BC grads are not going to get biglaw. Sure, BC gives you a much better shot than Wake, but it's still a shitty shot ITE.

BC will probably cost 180k over three years. That's probably 250k after loans. 250k in debt is a pretty bad gamble at a 15-25% shot at being able to afford to pay it off just because OP may "want biglaw"

RPK34 wrote:I really hate when people say this. I'd guess about 75% of BC grads are not going to get biglaw. Sure, BC gives you a much better shot than Wake, but it's still a shitty shot ITE.

BC will probably cost 180k over three years. That's probably 250k after loans. 250k in debt is a pretty bad gamble at a 15-25% shot at being able to afford to pay it off just because OP may "want biglaw"

You mean 250k after interest, right?

Yes, BC at sticker is pretty meh. I'm still not sold that Wake Forest with 80-100k debt is worth it either.

bk187 wrote:

RPK34 wrote:I really hate when people say this. I'd guess about 75% of BC grads are not going to get biglaw. Sure, BC gives you a much better shot than Wake, but it's still a shitty shot ITE.

BC will probably cost 180k over three years. That's probably 250k after loans. 250k in debt is a pretty bad gamble at a 15-25% shot at being able to afford to pay it off just because OP may "want biglaw"

You mean 250k after interest, right?

Yes, BC at sticker is pretty meh. I'm still not sold that Wake Forest with 80-100k debt is worth it either.

Which leads us to the inevitable conclusion:

Retake LSAT

rad law wrote:Which leads us to the inevitable conclusion:

Retake LSAT

You sir, are very credited.

bk187 wrote:

RPK34 wrote:I really hate when people say this. I'd guess about 75% of BC grads are not going to get biglaw. Sure, BC gives you a much better shot than Wake, but it's still a shitty shot ITE.

BC will probably cost 180k over three years. That's probably 250k after loans. 250k in debt is a pretty bad gamble at a 15-25% shot at being able to afford to pay it off just because OP may "want biglaw"

You mean 250k after interest, right?

Yes, BC at sticker is pretty meh. I'm still not sold that Wake Forest with 80-100k debt is worth it either.

Sorry, that's what I meant, 250k after interest. And agreed, Wake at 80-100k isn't that great either.

NLJ found that 34.6% of Boston College law students obtained BigLaw. Definitely up to you whether that is worth full cost. Cost and employment are big issues ITE and should definitely be analyzed. Definitely a tough decision, but few schools offer better employment chances at BigLaw (18 to be exact).

If you want to work in the North Carolina or near by, you should not go to Boston College. Definitely go to Wake.

Informative wrote:NLJ found that 34.6% of Boston College law students obtained BigLaw. Definitely up to you whether that is worth full cost. Cost and employment are big issues ITE and should definitely be analyzed. Definitely a tough decision, but few schools offer better employment chances at BigLaw (18 to be exact).

If you want to work in the North Carolina or near by, you should not go to Boston College. Definitely go to Wake.

I would bet any amount of money that 34.6% of BC law students did not gain Biglaw last year. Class of 2009 is a different ball game than what's going on right now.

Informative wrote:NLJ found that 34.6% of Boston College law students obtained BigLaw. Definitely up to you whether that is worth full cost. Cost and employment are big issues ITE and should definitely be analyzed. Definitely a tough decision, but few schools offer better employment chances at BigLaw (18 to be exact).

If you want to work in the North Carolina or near by, you should not go to Boston College. Definitely go to Wake.

I suppose it should be thrown in that for comparison's sake, Wake placed 20% in BigLaw according to NLJ, which placed it 31st. Like others have said, depends how much you want BigLaw, but neither is high likelyhood, let alone a sure ticket. The cost of living in NC is definitely markedly lower than the cost of Boston, but then again it's a huge trade off that depends on which atmosphere you'd prefer and how much that atmosphere it worth it to you...

2009 and 2010 were the hardest hit years. My firm is back to normal hiring levels, as are most biglaw firms. Our summer classes for people in those graduating classes were 50% the size they are today, which was pretty much rock bottom.