Top Law Schools

I am having a very hard time deciding between the two schools. I really like how Southwestern is only 20 minutes away from home. Also, what I heard about their two-year program really impressed me. Chapman is higher ranked, though. Uuum...

.

GueritaPeloChino wrote:Highest LSAT: 166
GPA: 3.0
Ethnic Minority?:Yes
General Information: Female Mexican-American, raised in a disadvantaged South Central Los Angeles neighborhood, skipped 4 grades, applied pretty late in the cycle...

Neither. Reapply.

Both are horrible choices that will likely leave you unemployed and possibly buried under a mountain of debt. Don't go to either one.

As a URM, you have far better options with a 2.7/166. If you studied your ass off and added 5 points to that LSAT score, your options would improve tremendously.

GueritaPeloChino wrote:Chapman is higher ranked, though.

I just wanted to address the flaws in this kind of thinking by comparing the employment stats between the classes of 2010 at SW and Chapman:

Unemployed and seeking:
Chapman: 26/171 (15.2%)
Southwestern: 7/301 (2.3%)

Employed Full Time (temp AND permanent):
Chapman: 88/171 (51.5%)
Southwestern: 190/301 (63.1%)

Employed Full Time (Bar Passage Required, temp AND permanent):
Chapman: 64/171 (37.4%)
Southwestern: 143/301 (47.5%)

Law firm reported salaries (25th / 75th percentiles):
Chapman: $38,080 / $75,000 based on 42/79 (53%) students reporting
Southwestern: $66,250 / $82,750 based on 42/112 (37.5%) students reporting

A lot of good that higher ranking is doing Chapman, right?

Thank you all for your advice and input.

I've just been admitted into Loyola Los Angeles and I am now having trouble deciding between Loyola and Southwestern. Had I not become enamored with the idea of graduating in 2 years, the decision would be much easier.

Any thoughts on Loyola?

I haven't received scholarship offers from any school. I was thinking of getting in contact with them for a possible consideration for one, but I have no offers to negotiate with =/

Also, waitlisted at UC Irvine and Davis.

Do NOT consider Chapman or SW (and especially not SCALE). I am happy to discuss Loyola with you off line. I am graduating in three weeks (I transferred in from SW, so I know about both places.)

splitbrain wrote:Employed Full Time (Bar Passage Required, temp AND permanent):
Chapman: 64/171 (37.4%)
Southwestern: 143/301 (47.5%)

My god these numbers are awful.

If you break down Loyola, it is pretty bad too. Check out the latest reports for the c/o 2010 (which is before the economy really hit rock bottom).

Only 235 of 388 graduates were employed long-term (legal jobs and non-legal jobs) at 9 months out. Of the 235 FT employed:

104 into firms of 25 attorneys or less
37 into business and industry

Sure, some of these small firm jobs are probably good jobs, but most are not going to pay well. And yes, some of these "biz & industry" jobs may be okay, but a lot (most?) don't even require a JD. I'd be willing to bet a lot of those "short-term, business and industry) are doing doc review.

And finally, a paltry 18.81% were placed into federal jobs, government jobs, PI, and firms of 50+ attorneys combined.

OP, paying sticker for Loyola would be financial idiocy of the highest degree. Do not go without a substantial scholarship. These job prospects simply do not justify it.