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I'm just not really sure.

I'd like to work on East or West Coast, not really sure in what field of law. I haven't negotiated yet - should I?


GW (sticker)
IUB (120k scholarship)
WUSTL (84k scholarship)
USC (sticker) - Southern California, not South Carolina

Best option for what you want (either coast with least likelihood of being drowned by debt): USC

Best option for west coast: USC.

Best option for east coast: GW.

Best option for avoiding soulcrushing debt with the high chance that you end up in an area you don't necessarily want to be in: WUSTL

What I would do: retake/reapply considering USC/GW at sticker are really risky decisions and WUSTL doesn't place where you want to be. Aim for better scholly offers from east/west coast schools or better east/west coast schools.

bk187 wrote:Best option for what you want (either coast with least likelihood of being drowned by debt): USC

Best option for east coast: USC.

Best option for west coast: GW.

Best option for avoiding soulcrushing debt with the high chance that you end up in an area you don't necessarily want to be in: WUSTL

What I would do: retake/reapply considering USC/GW at sticker are really risky decisions and WUSTL doesn't place where you want to be. Aim for better scholly offers from east/west coast schools or better east/west coast schools.

Think you switched some things above, but I get what you mean.

Does having ties to west coast (ugrad + native) matter when considering WUSTL?

Also, I have a 172 - doubt raising it much higher is worth it, am i right?

bloopyblooper wrote:Think you switched some things above, but I get what you mean.

Does having ties to west coast (ugrad + native) matter when considering WUSTL?

Also, I have a 172 - doubt raising it much higher is worth it, am i right?

You're right I switched them on accident.

It does matter (and I'm actually at the WUSTL ASW right now). However it is still going to be really hard to get a job on the west coast, especially one you prefer. You're going to need better grades than you would for a comparable midwest job and you're going to have to hustle your ass off for it considering west coast firms aren't really out here so you're going to have to constantly be going to them. On top of that, CA employment is in the shitter with 20-30% of UCD/UCH grads ending up unemployed or employed part time so CA is really tough.

What I would say is that you have a real chance of going back to CA from WUSTL. It's going to take a lot of work, and grades will be really helpful here, but it is definitely possible. That being said, ending up in the midwest is definitely possible as well considering you may miss out on CA jobs (even the small firm and less prestigious ones) because those jobs are scarce and have tons of competition from local schools and those who go to the T14. So, if you are okay with a high chance (just ballparking I'd say it is something like 50/50 but that is just a feeling) of ending up in the midwest rather than CA then I'd say go to WUSTL.

As for retaking, if you have a 172 then yes it isn't really worth it. I'm just surprised that with a 172 these are your best offers. GPA? No T14's or UCD/UCH with $?

The level of horrible that GW or USC at sticker represents ITE cannot be overstated.

Veyron wrote:The level of horrible that GW or USC at sticker represents ITE cannot be overstated.

+1. Don't know anything about USC, but GW at sticker is a bad choice.

bk187 wrote:

bloopyblooper wrote:Think you switched some things above, but I get what you mean.

Does having ties to west coast (ugrad + native) matter when considering WUSTL?

Also, I have a 172 - doubt raising it much higher is worth it, am i right?

You're right I switched them on accident.

It does matter (and I'm actually at the WUSTL ASW right now). However it is still going to be really hard to get a job on the west coast, especially one you prefer. You're going to need better grades than you would for a comparable midwest job and you're going to have to hustle your ass off for it considering west coast firms aren't really out here so you're going to have to constantly be going to them. On top of that, CA employment is in the shitter with 20-30% of UCD/UCH grads ending up unemployed or employed part time so CA is really tough.

What I would say is that you have a real chance of going back to CA from WUSTL. It's going to take a lot of work, and grades will be really helpful here, but it is definitely possible. That being said, ending up in the midwest is definitely possible as well considering you may miss out on CA jobs (even the small firm and less prestigious ones) because those jobs are scarce and have tons of competition from local schools and those who go to the T14. So, if you are okay with a high chance (just ballparking I'd say it is something like 50/50 but that is just a feeling) of ending up in the midwest rather than CA then I'd say go to WUSTL.

As for retaking, if you have a 172 then yes it isn't really worth it. I'm just surprised that with a 172 these are your best offers. GPA? No T14's or UCD/UCH with $?

Thanks for your comments everyone, in particular yours, bk - really substantive.

My gpa is slightly higher than 3.0, and I'm on WL everywhere :\ didn't ED to any specific school.

bloopyblooper wrote: Thanks for your comments everyone, in particular yours, bk - really substantive.

My gpa is slightly higher than 3.0, and I'm on WL everywhere :\

No problem.

And the waitlist thing sucks (in a similar situation). I'd say you should decide between USC and WUSTL with what you have. USC is really really risky at sticker but it will pretty much guarantee you get a job (but not necessarily one that can service your debt) in SoCal. If I get accepted to USC (unlikely for me, but I still haven't heard yet) it would be hard to turn it down for the scholarship offers I have at WUSTL/GW because I want to work in CA so bad. I think, objectively, taking USC at sticker is a poor decision but my desire to be in CA is a very subjective thing. However I think I would have to convince myself that the midwest (or east coast in my case) with manageable debt is a much better place to be than being in CA with soulcrushing debt. It would be hard to convince myself of that but I think I would eventually have to do it.

Had this been pre-ITE, I would be okay with USC at sticker (when 40%+ were getting biglaw) but now that it is only 25-30% or so it is hard to justify taking it at sticker.

bk187 wrote:

bloopyblooper wrote: Thanks for your comments everyone, in particular yours, bk - really substantive.

My gpa is slightly higher than 3.0, and I'm on WL everywhere :\

No problem.

And the waitlist thing sucks (in a similar situation). I'd say you should decide between USC and WUSTL with what you have. USC is really really risky at sticker but it will pretty much guarantee you get a job (but not necessarily one that can service your debt) in SoCal. If I get accepted to USC (unlikely for me, but I still haven't heard yet) it would be hard to turn it down for the scholarship offers I have at WUSTL/GW because I want to work in CA so bad. I think, objectively, taking USC at sticker is a poor decision but my desire to be in CA is a very subjective thing. However I think I would have to convince myself that the midwest (or east coast in my case) with manageable debt is a much better place to be than being in CA with soulcrushing debt. It would be hard to convince myself of that but I think I would eventually have to do it.

Had this been pre-ITE, I would be okay with USC at sticker (when 40%+ were getting biglaw) but now that it is only 25-30% or so it is hard to justify taking it at sticker.

Well man, best of luck to both of us. agggh

bump for some more votes

ED to UVA next year as soon as it opens up applications.