Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul Forum

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law2015admit

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Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:02 am

I'm deciding between Arkansas, Depaul, and Denver. I have been awarded scholarships to Depaul and Arkansas but not Denver. Denver is the highest ranked school that I got into (about 20 spots above the other two) but it also about $20,000 more a year. I don't want to be in a lot of debt after school, obviously, but want to put myself in the best position to make money after graduation. I am from Texas and would like to be back here possibly. A lot of Arkansas graduates practice in Texas and some from Denver do as well. I guess my ultimate question is: would you go to Denver for that much money a year in order to get a degree from a higher ranked institution or would you go to to Arkansas and still get a Top 100 law school degree? Thanks for all of your responses! And I won't be offended by any response. I want your honest opinions and responses!

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by Lord Randolph McDuff » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:08 am

holy shit you need some good advice...

ok, I was working in texas when I got my full-ride to DU... none of the people I worked with, whether they were attorneys or not, knew that DU existed. Literally.

If you want to work in TX, going to a law school that was in a different state would be stupid. Also sticker at DU is stupid for anyone not in the 1%.

wait I just now realized you might be trolling.. are you?

law2015admit

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 12:15 am

No not trolling. I'm not even sure I know what that means. I talked to people from Arkansas and 70% of grads take the Texas bar. I wouldn't mind living in Colorado though and would actually enjoy it so thats why I'm considering DU so much but sticker price is expensive. I qualified for loans and stuff but obviously has to be paid back

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romothesavior

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by romothesavior » Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:07 am

OP, what are the total costs of attendance for all three? Why are there no Texas schools on your radar? These schools are all primarily regional schools and none of them are worth spending a lot of money on for a degree, especially if you aren't from there or you don't have strong ties there. I wouldn't go to any unless it was dirt cheap.

Also, don't let USNWR be a strong factor in your decision. No one in Texas is going to know how Arkansas is ranked relative to Denver or DePaul.

If you are concerned about jobs, and particularly jobs in Texas, you should retake/reapply and go to UH/SMU with a scholly or to UT.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by rad lulz » Mon Apr 09, 2012 1:53 am

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Last edited by rad lulz on Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:30 am, edited 1 time in total.

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flem

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by flem » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:10 am

rad lulz wrote: This.

Dartboard + USNWR is not a good way to pick schools.
This

Also, as someone who is DU bound, sticker at DU is retarded. Don't do that.

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MarcusAurelius

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by MarcusAurelius » Mon Apr 09, 2012 9:26 am

OP, pray on it

law2015admit

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:02 pm

Thank you all. Everyone has just been pounding it into my head how much rank matters so I wanted other opinions. Arkansas is dirt cheap with the scholly they offered and many graduates live and practice in Texas so the price is worth it in my opinion. Denver sticker is too high. Thank you though!

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by MrAnon » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:06 pm

go to the highest ranked school you can!

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romothesavior

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by romothesavior » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:10 pm

MrAnon wrote:go to the highest ranked school you can!
No.

law2015admit

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 5:23 pm

I don't think rank is worth $20k more a year

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by CanadianWolf » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:16 pm

Arkansas is fine if you're left with minimal debt & your job expectations are reasonable. Texas has a lot of law schools: SMU, Houston, Baylor, Texas Tech & more that might be worth investigating.

What is the total COA for Arkansas ?

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:28 pm

Total COA with the scholarship try offered is right at 30k a year. That's tuition, room and board, books, etc. compared to 57k at Denver. I currently attend tech and haven't back jus yet. Got wait listed at SMU. No way my LSAT would get me into Texas

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by rad lulz » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:31 pm

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Last edited by rad lulz on Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 7:54 pm

Well 71% of graduates work in AR, TX, OK. Theres a lot of Arkansas grads in TX but obviosuly it will be more competitive having to compete with TX law schools but my family also has a few connections with law firms already that I think will help me when I graduate. Thanks for your opinions everyone!

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by rad lulz » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:06 pm

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Last edited by rad lulz on Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:33 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:19 pm

rad lulz wrote:
law2015admit wrote:Well 71% of graduates work in AR, TX, OK. Theres a lot of Arkansas grads in TX but obviosuly it will be more competitive having to compete with TX law schools but my family also has a few connections with law firms already that I think will help me when I graduate. Thanks for your opinions everyone!
Hope those nebulous connections pan out for you brah

sarcasm?

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by rad lulz » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:23 pm

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Last edited by rad lulz on Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:28 pm

rad lulz wrote:
law2015admit wrote:
rad lulz wrote:
law2015admit wrote:Well 71% of graduates work in AR, TX, OK. Theres a lot of Arkansas grads in TX but obviosuly it will be more competitive having to compete with TX law schools but my family also has a few connections with law firms already that I think will help me when I graduate. Thanks for your opinions everyone!
Hope those nebulous connections pan out for you brah

sarcasm?
No srsly, hope they do. But as someone who is pretty connected (come from generations of lawyers, all in the same town), I would not have done the equivalent of what you're planning to do. Just too risky.
Well thank you. I understand that there is risk but as much as everyone is bashing the legal market most people say that anything outside of the top14 law schools is risky. I dont mind living in Arkansas or Texas or anywhere around there. Its not too expensive to give me the chance of having a job in the southern states and I feel like having a JD and being able to speak three languages will help me if I decide to pursue some kind of government job

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by rad lulz » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:37 pm

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Last edited by rad lulz on Mon Apr 22, 2013 11:32 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Mon Apr 09, 2012 8:49 pm

rad lulz wrote:Look I don't go to a T14 school. But this is 90k for Arkansas here. It's not a question of "not minding living in Arkansas." You may not even be able to get a job IN Arkansas, much less TX. Employers in AK will tend to prefer homers, on the whole. You are not one.

Also I can't find their employment stats on their website. Not a great sign.
Yeah I understand what you're saying. This whole process is stressful, more stressful than I thought it would be

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by romothesavior » Mon Apr 09, 2012 11:40 pm

law2015admit wrote:
rad lulz wrote:Look I don't go to a T14 school. But this is 90k for Arkansas here. It's not a question of "not minding living in Arkansas." You may not even be able to get a job IN Arkansas, much less TX. Employers in AK will tend to prefer homers, on the whole. You are not one.

Also I can't find their employment stats on their website. Not a great sign.
Yeah I understand what you're saying. This whole process is stressful, more stressful than I thought it would be
Look, the stress you're experiencing now is FAR less than it will be in a year or two. At least now you have the benefit of being able to back out, retake and reapply, or don't go at all. I have quite a few friends who are jobless and seriously indebted and they don't have that luxury. Your stress now is minimal because you don't have a debt monkey on your back; you are free to choose, and hopefully choose wisely.

You should be stressed out, because law school is an AWFUL decision right now for many (most?) law students. You should use the stress, fear, and concern that you're feeling now and channel that into helping you make a good decision. I took out ~80-90k for WUSTL and feel like I rolled the dice a bit. 90k for Arkansas with no ties? That's just not wise from a financial and career perspective.

Best decision for you is retake/reapply. If not that, go wherever is cheapest and be prepared to find mid-5 figures to be a good outcome.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by Prospecta8571 » Tue Apr 10, 2012 11:32 am

I live in Texas, and it looks like I will be going to Arkansas. Did you see how easy it is to gain residency? This makes the tuition around $6000/semester, which is about what I paid for undergrad. Cost of living is also a lot lower than say Houston or Austin. I had friends go to Ark law and they loved the experience and now are doing well for themselves. You will have to work a MUCH harder to find internships, etc., in Texas, but it can be done. That is my plan, and I have enough connections in Texas to make it work. Denver is beautiful, and I was accepted there also, but paying sticker for Denver is foolish. I would not go there unless you already have something nice guaranteed after graduation.

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by law2015admit » Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:23 pm

Prospecta8571 wrote:I live in Texas, and it looks like I will be going to Arkansas. Did you see how easy it is to gain residency? This makes the tuition around $6000/semester, which is about what I paid for undergrad. Cost of living is also a lot lower than say Houston or Austin. I had friends go to Ark law and they loved the experience and now are doing well for themselves. You will have to work a MUCH harder to find internships, etc., in Texas, but it can be done. That is my plan, and I have enough connections in Texas to make it work. Denver is beautiful, and I was accepted there also, but paying sticker for Denver is foolish. I would not go there unless you already have something nice guaranteed after graduation.

As of right now it looks like Arkansas for me too, pending decisions from a couple other schools. As much as I like Denver, almost 60k a year may be tough on my parents. One Arkansas saw student that posted on here said that residency can be established in about 5-6 months which means that for 2L you would be able to pay resident price that cuts tuition in half

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Re: Arkansas Vs. Denver Vs. DePaul

Post by Samara » Tue Apr 10, 2012 12:32 pm

Why is retaking and reapplying for Texas schools not an option here?

Seriously? What are you waiting for?

Now there's a charge.
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