Emory 75K vs SMU Full (LESS THAN 72 HOURS TO DECIDE!) Forum

[fathergoose]

Talk to the people at SMU and see if you can get scholarship money through them and turn down the foundation.

[Noval]

Go to Emory, it's easy to say that you will work hard to go Top 25%, but it's still VERY risky and nothing is guaranteed.

So pick Emory, as it's not a TTT and try to work hard to get what you want.

That said, since 1L is free for you at SMU, if 2L-3L tuition is similar to Emory's total tuition, then you may feel free to decide, if not, tell them to fuck off and go to Emory.

[FGCUguy123]

Time, she is up...OP....where did you pick?

[aquyenl]

Coa for Emory is about 90k and coa for smu is about 30k assuming I don't drop out of 25%. I actually have about a day left to notify the schools, I fudged the time to decide slightly see if I could pull out more responses.

At this moment I am leaning towards Emory. Their nlj employment #s look higher and emorys reputation amongst firms seems a bit higher than smus'. Thanks so much for the responses so far, anyone out there have any inputs that can change my mind?

[forty-two]

Coa for Emory is about 90k and coa for smu is about 30k assuming I don't drop out of 25%. I actually have about a day left to notify the schools, I fudged the time to decide slightly see if I could pull out more responses.

At this moment I am leaning towards Emory. Their nlj employment #s look higher and emorys reputation amongst firms seems a bit higher than smus'. Thanks so much for the responses so far, anyone out there have any inputs that can change my mind?

What would the COA be at SMU if you did drop out of the top 25% after your first year? I honestly think those are the numbers you should be comparing because you don't know for certain where you'll end up on the curve.

[Aberzombie1892]

Coa for Emory is about 90k and coa for smu is about 30k assuming I don't drop out of 25%. I actually have about a day left to notify the schools, I fudged the time to decide slightly see if I could pull out more responses.

At this moment I am leaning towards Emory. Their nlj employment #s look higher and emorys reputation amongst firms seems a bit higher than smus'. Thanks so much for the responses so far, anyone out there have any inputs that can change my mind?

1. Did you ever give the COA assuming you lost the SMU scholarship?
2. There has generally only been a 5% difference in big law between the two schools. Assuming that SMU would about cost the same as Emory if you lose the scholarship, you would be making a questionable decision to go to Emory if you A) believe that Emory will offer you noticeably better employment outcomes than SMU and/or B) you want to work in Texas.

Now if you lost the scholarship and Emory would be $40,000 cheaper, Emory by far.

Coa for Emory is about 90k and coa for smu is about 30k assuming I don't drop out of 25%. I actually have about a day left to notify the schools, I fudged the time to decide slightly see if I could pull out more responses.

At this moment I am leaning towards Emory. Their nlj employment #s look higher and emorys reputation amongst firms seems a bit higher than smus'. Thanks so much for the responses so far, anyone out there have any inputs that can change my mind?

What would the COA be at SMU if you did drop out of the top 25% after your first year? I honestly think those are the numbers you should be comparing because you don't know for certain where you'll end up on the curve.

I'm glad I'm not the only one asking about this. I've asked like 3 times already.

[nouseforaname123]

Coa for Emory is about 90k and coa for smu is about 30k assuming I don't drop out of 25%. I actually have about a day left to notify the schools, I fudged the time to decide slightly see if I could pull out more responses.

At this moment I am leaning towards Emory. Their nlj employment #s look higher and emorys reputation amongst firms seems a bit higher than smus'. Thanks so much for the responses so far, anyone out there have any inputs that can change my mind?

If OP loses scholly, SMU COA is probably going be around $100k.

Worst case scenario at either school is bad. If OP isn't top 25% material at SMU she isn't top 30% material at Emory. Nobody at either school wants to be outside of the top 25/30% at those respective schools.

Given that the worst case outcome is essentially the same at both schools I don't know that Emory's NLJ + Clerkship placement is worth the extra cost OP will pay if she is going to be competitive for those jobs. The NLJ + Art. III difference at Emory is about 6.5% over SMU's combined NLJ + Art. III percentage. If OP is good enough to be competitive for those positions at Emory, she'll be just as competitive out of SMU for $60k less. I would probably base this decision on geographical preferences.

[jh60405]

I would be worried that SMU will be putting all the people with big scholarships in the same section. That would make it really hard to maintain your numbers and would allow SMU to save a lot of money. I wouldn't do it . . . that stipulation just sounds way to fishy. If they believe in you enough to offer you that kind of scholarship they should be confident you will do well, to put on a stipulation like that to me says that they don't want all of their scholarship people to do well because they are giving out more than they really have.

[nouseforaname123]

I would be worried that SMU will be putting all the people with big scholarships in the same section. That would make it really hard to maintain your numbers and would allow SMU to save a lot of money. I wouldn't do it . . . that stipulation just sounds way to fishy. If they believe in you enough to offer you that kind of scholarship they should be confident you will do well, to put on a stipulation like that to me says that they don't want all of their scholarship people to do well because they are giving out more than they really have.

1. SMU doesn't load up scholarship kids in one section b/c SMU scholarships don't carry stipulations beyond remaining in good academic standing (2.0).

2. As has been established by the OP, the scholarship is coming from an outside foundation, not from SMU. SMU does not put stipulations on its scholarships. All scholarships funded by SMU require that a student remain in good academic standing (2.0).

[aquyenl]

If I lose smu scholly coa will be around 110k

[FGCUguy123]

If I lose smu scholly coa will be around 110k

SMU is NOT worth $110,000 in debt, especially over Emory for significantly less. IMO it is no question...Emory all the way. Futher, as it has been said, I think most people would agree with the sentiment that, had you posted, "If I fail to meet the required terms of the SMU stipulation, which is statistically more likely, I end up having to pay $110,000 (minus 1L)," more people would be inclined to vote Emory over SMU. I am, even further and after hearing the COA should you lose the scholly, in the firm belief that, in this situation, Emory > SMU.

[Nobody]

Here's a question: At both of these schools, everyone agrees that you need to be in the top ten percent or so to have a decent shot at employment, right? That's what makes the SMU stipulation so bad--that it's a double whammy where he has to pay the most in the situation where he's least likely to find a job. At the same time, playing it safe and going to Emory doesn't seem much better if he graduates outside of the top of his class there too.

What's to stop him from doing a year at SMU and just dropping out if he doesn't make the top 25%? Sure, it's a wasted year, but it sounds like everyone agrees that law school would be a waste if he doesn't make the top 25% anyways, and this would at least give him the opportunity for a mulligan. Is there some reason that this is a stupid idea? Any stupider than pledging to go all three years at any law school where graduating outside of the top quarter is a really bad outcome?

[holdencaulfield]

Voted SMU before noticing the stipulations. Definitely go with Emory. Waaaaaay too much to risk.

Here's a question: At both of these schools, everyone agrees that you need to be in the top ten percent or so to have a decent shot at employment, right? That's what makes the SMU stipulation so bad--that it's a double whammy where he has to pay the most in the situation where he's least likely to find a job. At the same time, playing it safe and going to Emory doesn't seem much better if he graduates outside of the top of his class there too.

What's to stop him from doing a year at SMU and just dropping out if he doesn't make the top 25%? Sure, it's a wasted year, but it sounds like everyone agrees that law school would be a waste if he doesn't make the top 25% anyways, and this would at least give him the opportunity for a mulligan. Is there some reason that this is a stupid idea? Any stupider than pledging to go all three years at any law school where graduating outside of the top quarter is a really bad outcome?

Completely false.

[FGCUguy123]

Voted SMU before noticing the stipulations. Definitely go with Emory. Waaaaaay too much to risk.

Here's a question: At both of these schools, everyone agrees that you need to be in the top ten percent or so to have a decent shot at employment, right? That's what makes the SMU stipulation so bad--that it's a double whammy where he has to pay the most in the situation where he's least likely to find a job. At the same time, playing it safe and going to Emory doesn't seem much better if he graduates outside of the top of his class there too.

What's to stop him from doing a year at SMU and just dropping out if he doesn't make the top 25%? Sure, it's a wasted year, but it sounds like everyone agrees that law school would be a waste if he doesn't make the top 25% anyways, and this would at least give him the opportunity for a mulligan. Is there some reason that this is a stupid idea? Any stupider than pledging to go all three years at any law school where graduating outside of the top quarter is a really bad outcome?

Completely false.

Yeah. That's completely absurd. I know MANY Emory students at the median with more than decent employment. Law school isn't magic (apart from YHS), you need to work hard/network. That's the general consensus among law students I've spoken to.

[Nobody]

Sorry, I don't mean to disrespect Emory or anything, I was just going with what I thought some people in this thread were saying. It was really more of a thought experiment, though. Immediately after posting it I was like "Oh geez I hope nobody takes this as advice, haha."

[holdencaulfield]

Sorry, I don't mean to disrespect Emory or anything, I was just going with what I thought some people in this thread were saying. It was really more of a thought experiment, though. Immediately after posting it I was like "Oh geez I hope nobody takes this as advice, haha."

wft is a "thought experiment"

[FGCUguy123]

Sorry, I don't mean to disrespect Emory or anything, I was just going with what I thought some people in this thread were saying. It was really more of a thought experiment, though. Immediately after posting it I was like "Oh geez I hope nobody takes this as advice, haha."

wft is a "thought experiment"

A way to put yourself in a situation to better understand a concept. Unfortunately, nothing Nobody said was a thought experiment. No offense lol.

[aquyenl]

thank you all for your inputs. it looks like i'll be withdrawing from smu and heading to atlanta in the fall. overall, the 25% stipulation was too much of a barrier in choosing smu. atlanta also seems like a nice city to spend 3+ years at. THANKS TLS