Want to practice in SF Bay Area - UC Hastings or USC ? Forum

[norcalChk]

Hoping to practice in SF Bay Area. Deciding between UC Hastings (good regional school in Bay Area) and USC (top 20 school in los angeles). Overall COA same.

Also, should parents/boyfriend living in the Bay Area be a factor in my decision?

Any advice would help. Thanks!

[flem]

Hoping to practice in SF Bay Area. Deciding between UC Hastings (good regional school in Bay Area) and USC (top 20 school in los angeles). Overall COA same.

Also, should parents/boyfriend living in the Bay Area be a factor in my decision?

Can you live with them to cut expenses?

And what is the actual COA?

[norcalChk]

Hoping to practice in SF Bay Area. Deciding between UC Hastings (good regional school in Bay Area) and USC (top 20 school in los angeles). Overall COA same.

Also, should parents/boyfriend living in the Bay Area be a factor in my decision?

Can you live with them to cut expenses?

And what is the actual COA?

Yes, factoring in living at home for Hastings, the cost of attendance is the same for both schools (about $60,000 total, or $20,000/yr).

[calawdude]

USC is a great school, but I think I'm gonna have to vote for Hastings because of the location. Hastings is good enough to get respect from the surrounding firms, which I'm guessing is where you want to end up working. I don't know if USC's reputation in this case will outweigh the fact that UC Hastings is a good school located right in heart of SF.

Parents living in the bay is a definite a plus, but the boyfriend question is tough. Stuff like that gets complicated. Haha.

[flem]

Hoping to practice in SF Bay Area. Deciding between UC Hastings (good regional school in Bay Area) and USC (top 20 school in los angeles). Overall COA same.

Also, should parents/boyfriend living in the Bay Area be a factor in my decision?

Can you live with them to cut expenses?

And what is the actual COA?

Yes, factoring in living at home for Hastings, the cost of attendance is the same for both schools (about $60,000 total, or $20,000/yr).

Wait, I'm confused, you'd have to live on your own at USC but the cost of attendance would still remain the same?

[calawdude]

Hoping to practice in SF Bay Area. Deciding between UC Hastings (good regional school in Bay Area) and USC (top 20 school in los angeles). Overall COA same.

Also, should parents/boyfriend living in the Bay Area be a factor in my decision?

Can you live with them to cut expenses?

And what is the actual COA?

Yes, factoring in living at home for Hastings, the cost of attendance is the same for both schools (about $60,000 total, or $20,000/yr).

Wait, I'm confused, you'd have to live on your own at USC but the cost of attendance would still remain the same?

Yea. I was a bit confused about that, too.

[norcalChk]

Sorry for the confusion. Basically, I've been offered a large scholarship at USC, but only a small one at Hastings (because they're a public institution). But since I can live at home while attending Hastings and Hastings' tuition is cheaper, overall cost of attendance is about the same.

[flem]

Sorry for the confusion. Basically, I've been offered a large scholarship at USC, but only a small one at Hastings (because they're a public institution). But since I can live at home while attending Hastings and Hastings' tuition is cheaper, overall cost of attendance is about the same.

I'd say it's a toss-up. USC has a huge alumni network and good lay-prestige, but is 8 hours from your target market. UC-Hastings gives you better networking opportunities but it's not on the level that USC/UCLA are.

Tough call. I'd probably take USC and roll the dice on trying to get back, but that's me. Any other options? Someone with stats to get a huge scholarship at USC likely has T14 acceptances?

[Mr. Somebody]

Sorry for the confusion. Basically, I've been offered a large scholarship at USC, but only a small one at Hastings (because they're a public institution). But since I can live at home while attending Hastings and Hastings' tuition is cheaper, overall cost of attendance is about the same.

What kind of law do you want to do?

[norcalChk]

Tough call. I'd probably take USC and roll the dice on trying to get back, but that's me. Any other options? Someone with stats to get a huge scholarship at USC likely has T14 acceptances?

Waitlisted for T14 schools, but I've realized I really want to be in California, and the best CA schools I got into were UCLA, USC, and Hastings. But I've ruled out UCLA because of cost.

[flem]

Tough call. I'd probably take USC and roll the dice on trying to get back, but that's me. Any other options? Someone with stats to get a huge scholarship at USC likely has T14 acceptances?

Waitlisted for T14 schools, but I've realized I really want to be in California, and the best CA schools I got into were UCLA, USC, and Hastings. But I've ruled out UCLA because of cost.

Fair enough. You on the waitlist at Boalt?

[norcalChk]

Haha I wish but unfortunately no.

[Mr. Somebody]

I would be really hesitant to go to Hastings.

--LinkRemoved--

Only 59% of the class of 2011 had full-time legal work. It's likely better than that now, but I think your chances of getting a good legal job are way better at USC.

[ryemanhattan]

Hastings is decreasing class size by a full 20% next year... which is really respectable and should help job prospects. I think USC is still probably your better option, given that the costs are equivalent. You should ask for more $ from Hastings, immediately, if you haven't already.

[Mr. Somebody]

Hastings is decreasing class size by a full 20% next year... which is really respectable and should help job prospects. I think USC is still probably your better option, given that the costs are equivalent. You should ask for more $ from Hastings, immediately, if you haven't already.

Also, it sounds like you have strong ties to the Bay, with your parents and boyfriend there, and I assume you grew up there as well. You shouldn't have any problem going back if you attend a top CA school like USC.

Obviously, if you want to live closer to your relatives/SO for the next three years, that's a personal choice you'll have to weigh on your own.

[jon121]

USC no question. Lots of people at Hastings (with good resumes) having a tough time finding a job. USC is a very small school and its graduates are in high demand in LA. Lots of firms have offices in both LA/Bay Area, so I wouldn't be worried about getting back into that market. For California, USC is probably a better bet than many of the more prestigious east coast schools

[kapital98]

I would be really hesitant to go to Hastings.

--LinkRemoved--

Only 59% of the class of 2011 had full-time legal work. It's likely better than that now, but I think your chances of getting a good legal job are way better at USC.

Be careful in comparing those numbers. Official employment numbers are notorious for being unreliable. Hastings may not be gaming the numbers like peer schools.

[Mr. Somebody]

I would be really hesitant to go to Hastings.

--LinkRemoved--

Only 59% of the class of 2011 had full-time legal work. It's likely better than that now, but I think your chances of getting a good legal job are way better at USC.

Be careful in comparing those numbers. Official employment numbers are notorious for being unreliable. Hastings may not be gaming the numbers like peer schools.

I wasn't comparing them and Hastings is not a peer to usc

[norcalChk]

What kind of law do you want to do?

Undecided. Interested in business law (USC) and mediation (Hastings).

[norcalChk]

The other thing is, even though Hastings isnt ranked as well as USC, Hastings seems to offer more in terms of extracurricular activities. For example, Hastings offers more law journals, while USC only offers three.

And I've talked to hiring partners and recruiters who say that performance in law school is more important than school ranking (Basically, doing well at Hastings is better than performing mediocre at USC).

Any thoughts?

[Mr. Somebody]

The other thing is, even though Hastings isnt ranked as well as USC, Hastings seems to offer more in terms of extracurricular activities. For example, Hastings offers more law journals, while USC only offers three.

And I've talked to hiring partners and recruiters who say that performance in law school is more important than school ranking (Basically, doing well at Hastings is better than performing mediocre at USC).

Any thoughts?

This isn't reflected in the employment stats. Big firms take only the tip top 10% of the class at Hastings whereas they take a third of the students at USC

[071816]

All things equal, USC. No doubt about it. With ties to the bay area, you'll have just as good (maybe even better) of a chance at a bay area firm job from USC as you would from Hastings.

[ilovesf]

I would try to negotiate with Hastings to get more money. You must be a great candidate for Hastings if you got into USC with a good scholly. I saw in the Hastings thread that they had recently bumped up schollys for a couple of people, so it could be worth a try. USC is the safer option though at totally equal costs. I am a 1L at Hastings and live at home, and I have to admit that it's actually been really great having that kind of support as a 1L, especially if you get along really well with your family.

[calawdude]

Some folks have mentioned your family ties to the bay area. Unless your family actually has strong professional ties to potential employers in the bay area, I wouldn't consider them ties.

[kapital98]

I would be really hesitant to go to Hastings.

--LinkRemoved--

Only 59% of the class of 2011 had full-time legal work. It's likely better than that now, but I think your chances of getting a good legal job are way better at USC.

Be careful in comparing those numbers. Official employment numbers are notorious for being unreliable. Hastings may not be gaming the numbers like peer schools.

I wasn't comparing them and Hastings is not a peer to usc

The entire point of this thread is to compare the two schools to the bay area. If you'e not comparing the statistics then what you're saying is completely useless. Also, for the Bay Area they should be treated as peer schools. We're not talking about employment throughout the country but rather one specific area. It's possible Hastings has better placement in the Bay Area than USC (no reliable statistics.)

Stick to what the OP is actually asking.