HLS or UVa (Dean's Scholly)

[almightypush]

Hello, all

Currently deciding between HLS (w/ assumed need-based aid) and UVa (w/ tuition covered). I am looking for BigLaw, and prefer to remain on the East Coast following law school.

Any help on the matter would be much appreciated.

Edit:

Just got the call from Yale!!

My previous quandary has been rendered moot.

[Law Sauce]

Its nearly the same discussion as the Darrow discussion http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=147702 or the hamilton http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57313. Except that UVA may be appealing in its proximity to DC if government is your interest. Consensus seems to be that taking the money for straight Biglaw is likely better. HLS for other purposes. visit them perhaps, the two feel very different it seems. Also I believe vanwinkle was at UVA for 1L and then transferred to Harvard. You could pm him perhaps. Dont quote me on that tho...


Also let me be the first to congratulate you.

[DeepSeaLaw]

First, you can find a ton of threads like this using the search function.

I faced a pretty similar situation last year (H/S vs. a couple of full-rides at T14s) and ended up choosing the higher-ranked school. That being said, I think if your goals are just "biglaw on the East Coast," UVA is probably the right choice. The decision depends on so many things, though. If the decision is UVA with just (low) living expenses vs. Harvard paying the full cost of attendance, Virginia is practically a no-brainer for someone who wants biglaw. The difference between paying of $200,000 or so vs. $50,000 or $60,000 is just immense.

However, if you have other sources of income, or if you get a significant financial aid package from Harvard (which is probably more likely than you think), the decision becomes more difficult. Harvard's LIPP is probably one of the two most flexible LRAP programs -- it covers any low-income legal work or any low-paying public interest work, even if it's not legally-oriented -- which reduces the chance of actually being crushed under high debt and low income pretty low. Then there are the advantages of non-traditional grading, better 1L summer options, and the most powerful alumni network in the world. Still, if you think you want to do biglaw anyway and you don't get any help from HLS or elsewhere -- it'd be pretty hard to justify taking on the massive full cost of Harvard.

At the very least, wait until you get a financial aid package from Harvard. But given your goals, it would have to be a pretty big package.

[almightypush]

Its nearly the same discussion as the Darrow discussion http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=147702 or the hamilton http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57313. Except that UVA may be appealing in its proximity to DC if government is your interest. Consensus seems to be that taking the money for straight Biglaw is likely better. HLS for other purposes. visit them perhaps, the two feel very different it seems. Also I believe vanwinkle was at UVA for 1L and then transferred to Harvard. You could pm him perhaps. Dont quote me on that tho...


Also let me be the first to congratulate you.

thank you. and regarding visiting the schools, i actually just booked my flight/hotel for HLS ASW coming up in a couple of weeks. hopefully my first taste of Boston will help clear things up a bit (one way or the other).

[Law Sauce]

yea

Its nearly the same discussion as the Darrow discussion http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=147702 or the hamilton http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57313. Except that UVA may be appealing in its proximity to DC if government is your interest. Consensus seems to be that taking the money for straight Biglaw is likely better. HLS for other purposes. visit them perhaps, the two feel very different it seems. Also I believe vanwinkle was at UVA for 1L and then transferred to Harvard. You could pm him perhaps. Dont quote me on that tho...


Also let me be the first to congratulate you.

thank you. and regarding visiting the schools, i actually just booked my flight/hotel for HLS ASW coming up in a couple of weeks. hopefully my first taste of Boston will help clear things up a bit (one way or the other).

Yea, I hear the Boston area is a great place to be student, Harvard, BC, BU, tons of other schools, bars, events...
(plus you'd be at the top of the heap )

If you fall in love with Harvard it would be hard to go anywhere else...

[thecilent]

Hls, hands down.

[vanwinkle]

I'll vote for HLS for two reasons:

1) We're still in economic recovery mode, and there are still people at UVA who are struggling to find BigLaw. If that's your goal and you're sure of it, HLS is going to open doors for you that UVA won't. You'll have better odds of getting BigLaw from HLS.

2) If you don't get BigLaw, or change your mind about wanting BigLaw, you'll have more opportunities to find other jobs through HLS than UVA. You'll have more loans from HLS, but HLS also has LIPP that will help you pay those loans off. So I think you'd be in a better job position even without BigLaw, coming from HLS.

[almightypush]

First, you can find a ton of threads like this using the search function.

I faced a pretty similar situation last year (H/S vs. a couple of full-rides at T14s) and ended up choosing the higher-ranked school. That being said, I think if your goals are just "biglaw on the East Coast," UVA is probably the right choice. The decision depends on so many things, though. If the decision is UVA with just (low) living expenses vs. Harvard paying the full cost of attendance, Virginia is practically a no-brainer for someone who wants biglaw. The difference between paying of $200,000 or so vs. $50,000 or $60,000 is just immense.

However, if you have other sources of income, or if you get a significant financial aid package from Harvard (which is probably more likely than you think), the decision becomes more difficult. Harvard's LIPP is probably one of the two most flexible LRAP programs -- it covers any low-income legal work or any low-paying public interest work, even if it's not legally-oriented -- which reduces the chance of actually being crushed under high debt and low income pretty low. Then there are the advantages of non-traditional grading, better 1L summer options, and the most powerful alumni network in the world. Still, if you think you want to do biglaw anyway and you don't get any help from HLS or elsewhere -- it'd be pretty hard to justify taking on the massive full cost of Harvard.

At the very least, wait until you get a financial aid package from Harvard. But given your goals, it would have to be a pretty big package.

great points throughout. i know i say i want BigLaw (and i do), but there are tons of things that can change--goal wise--between now and 2014 (and beyond).

[showNprove]

If you want a good, well-paying firm job, then UVa is the better bet. But Harvard is Harvard, and its safer, and it opens more doors.

And the Red Sox are going to be wicked awesome over the next few years.

[Law Sauce]

yale! congrats!

[almightypush]

yale! congrats!

thanks, Law Sauce... for both the 'grats and the suggestions you gave me yesterday.

[vanwinkle]

The correct answer is always Yale. Congrats.

[Law Sauce]

yale! congrats!

thanks, Law Sauce... for both the 'grats and the suggestions you gave me yesterday.

No problem, you deserve it.