USC At Sticker Forum

[flexityflex86]

If somebody wants to spend their life in LA (but does not currently have ties to the region except doing some work in film outside of LA, and winning some small screenwriting contests), is going to USC at sticker smart/dumb?

I don't have a scholarship offer yet, and expect one, but in the worst case scenario want to know how to attack.

I've already withdrawn from 1/2 schollies to ND, Minn and Emory, and 120k to IU: B.

I now have 75k at Wash U, and a bunch of waitlists/holds at top 10s.

Everyone I know tells me I belong in LA, and I want to be there, but at the end of the day I don't want to be unemployed in heavy debt. If I knew I could live in LA living a slightly lower standard of living than I'd be in St. Louis, I'd do that all day. I don't need to be richhhhhhh, but I'd like to be able to support a good family without having to rely on my wife to pay the bills.

For what it's worth: I am very good at hustlin', and when I set my mind to something can work ridiculously hard.

[FiveSermon]

It's not smart. It's not dumb if you want CA with the choices you have.

It's a gamble.

[Naked Dude]

If somebody wants to spend their life in LA (but does not currently have ties to the region except doing some work in film outside of LA, and winning some small screenwriting contests), is going to USC at sticker smart/dumb?

I don't have a scholarship offer yet, and expect one, but in the worst case scenario want to know how to attack.

I've already withdrawn from 1/2 schollies to ND, Minn and Emory, and 120k to IU: B.

I now have 75k at Wash U, and a bunch of waitlists/holds at top 10s.

Everyone I know tells me I belong in LA, and I want to be there, but at the end of the day I don't want to be unemployed in heavy debt. If I knew I could live in LA living a slightly lower standard of living than I'd be in St. Louis, I'd do that all day. I don't need to be richhhhhhh, but I'd like to be able to support a good family without having to rely on my wife to pay the bills.

For what it's worth: I am very good at hustlin', and when I set my mind to something can work ridiculously hard.

I don't think any other school will get you to Cali without serious hustling on your part. Sounds like you want to work in Hollywood-USC is definitely a good place for that. Over 200k is unenviable, but it's a personal decision-how risk averse are you? Also, for a location-inelastic person you should've applied to regional schools instead of going by the rankings (the fact that you applied to Minnesota and Notre Dame when you 100% want LA tells me you went by ranking). Unless your LSAT goes up majorly, you're unlikely to get more money by reapplying, but I suppose you could defer for a year and apply to UC Hastings/Irvine and see if they send you some dough and then weigh the options. I don't know. Just be sure to get as large a sampling group as possible, ask everyone-your age, slightly older than you, etc.

[flexityflex86]

If somebody wants to spend their life in LA (but does not currently have ties to the region except doing some work in film outside of LA, and winning some small screenwriting contests), is going to USC at sticker smart/dumb?

I don't have a scholarship offer yet, and expect one, but in the worst case scenario want to know how to attack.

I've already withdrawn from 1/2 schollies to ND, Minn and Emory, and 120k to IU: B.

I now have 75k at Wash U, and a bunch of waitlists/holds at top 10s.

Everyone I know tells me I belong in LA, and I want to be there, but at the end of the day I don't want to be unemployed in heavy debt. If I knew I could live in LA living a slightly lower standard of living than I'd be in St. Louis, I'd do that all day. I don't need to be richhhhhhh, but I'd like to be able to support a good family without having to rely on my wife to pay the bills.

For what it's worth: I am very good at hustlin', and when I set my mind to something can work ridiculously hard.

I don't think any other school will get you to Cali without serious hustling on your part. Sounds like you want to work in Hollywood-USC is definitely a good place for that. Over 200k is unenviable, but it's a personal decision-how risk averse are you? Also, for a location-inelastic person you should've applied to regional schools instead of going by the rankings (the fact that you applied to Minnesota and Notre Dame when you 100% want LA tells me you went by ranking). Unless your LSAT goes up majorly, you're unlikely to get more money by reapplying, but I suppose you could defer for a year and apply to UC Hastings/Irvine and see if they send you some dough and then weigh the options. I don't know. Just be sure to get as large a sampling group as possible, ask everyone-your age, slightly older than you, etc.

Hastings does not seem to give hugeeee scholarships, and Irvine is unranked.

USC would at least have some solid pull in Arizona and maybe Nevada if LA fell through. I got my scholarship. It's only 30k or 45k less than WUSTL gave me.

[flexityflex86]

FYI I already have a 170s LSAT so retaking won't help that much.

[Metaread]

Pulling 200k debt or so in this economy is nasty, but it is true that going to USC could pay off, in the long term. Looooong term, and that's still assuming the economy recovers nicely (or that you turn out to be a brilliant legal genius, thus earning lotsa k a year and washing the debt away).

[flexityflex86]

Pulling 200k debt or so in this economy is nasty, but it is true that going to USC could pay off, in the long term. Looooong term, and that's still assuming the economy recovers nicely (or that you turn out to be a brilliant legal genius, thus earning lotsa k a year and washing the debt away).

Yes, that's the whole question. I don't know if I'd be a legal genius. I know that if you took me and pinned me up against 100 random people off the street, there's a decent chance I'd be more intelligent than 99 of them, but this is the case with a lot of students at these tier 1 law schools. I cannot predict my success in that which i haven't done before.

I know I am a good hustler, and I always find a way to get by with style. I am also very good at arguing (I know this is cliched among law students), but I have turned many arguments into $ for myself and those close to me.

[thexfactor]

USC is prob around 1/3 biglaw/midlaw
WUSTL is around 20-25%.

Would you pay for that extra 10-15% chance?
Also there is a difference in law firms. WUSTL= midwest firms. USC= california/west coast firms.
Not to mention location. STL vs LA.
I would gladly pay 75k extra for USC.

send LOCI to the wl schools. Do whatever you can to get into one of those schools.