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WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:15 pm
by ocajavati
Yeah, it's me again. Just got another late admission off WL.

BU's big law hiring seems to be much better than WUSTL's, and its placement seems to be stronger, despite being of lower rank.

The cost of living in Saint Louis is obviously much lower.

I've heard a lot about Saint Louis firms being relatively unwilling to hire out-of-state graduates. Many are saying that WUSTL's job prospect doesn't match its ranking. Law school report states that, in 2010, 18.96% of the graduates from WUSTL placed in NLJ250, and 30% of the graduates from BU placed in NLJ250.

How much of that is true? I know WUSTL is relatively new to the top 20 scene, and, while I prefer Northeast to Midwest, the cost difference is staggering.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:21 pm
by Law Sauce
How far in debt will you be coming out of either one?

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:24 pm
by top30man
I'd still go wustl. That is too much for BU and the chance at big law is not great at either. With the scholly you end up in a much better place at wustl if big law doesn't work out.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:43 pm
by Sauer Grapes
top30man wrote:I'd still go wustl. That is too much for BU and the chance at big law is not great at either. With the scholly you end up in a much better place at wustl if big law doesn't work out.
Try and get BU to match WUSTL.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 5:45 pm
by ocajavati
Sauer Grapes wrote:
top30man wrote:I'd still go wustl. That is too much for BU and the chance at big law is not great at either. With the scholly you end up in a much better place at wustl if big law doesn't work out.
Try and get BU to match WUSTL.
Problem being that I've already submitted my second deposit for BU, and I'm not sure if it's too late to ask for anything more.

That and I've already been bugging their financial aids office for months now.

But I will, of course, attempt.
Law Sauce wrote:How far in debt will you be coming out of either one?
I will be somewhere around $52,500 in debt coming out of WUSTL, and around $110,000 in debt coming out of Boston.

I might be able to lower both number by a bit, but this is my estimate.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:34 pm
by Law Sauce
ocajavati wrote:
Law Sauce wrote:How far in debt will you be coming out of either one?
I will be somewhere around $52,500 in debt coming out of WUSTL, and around $110,000 in debt coming out of Boston.

I might be able to lower both number by a bit, but this is my estimate.
Then, I would vote Wustl. 50k is not a lot of debt at all for law school. Wustl should allow you to find something and in a few years be debt free. You do not need big law or even that high paying of a job to service that kind of debt (many if not most undergrads do it on very little). the 110k from BC requires Biglaw which may be a little bit of a long shot. I vote wustl because it is safer and still gives you a decent shot at big law from the top of the class. A marginally better chance at big law from BC doesn't seem to be worth the large additional risk.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:37 pm
by CanadianWolf
Miss America attends BU---so what more do you want ? :D

Tough call, but if you're targeting the Boston market, then BU may be the better choice. However, if you're willing to work in the Midwest, then WashUStL offers a bit more financial flexibility---but, to state the obvious, the Midwest is quite a bit different than the Northeast.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:39 pm
by ocajavati
Thanks a lot for the input. It's a lot to consider and I'm sort of overloading right now.

BU is leading in the poll right now, and I'm actually really interested in hearing why.

It's not really that I'm targeting the BU market, it's more so that Saint Louis market seems very insular, if that's the right word here.

Re: WUSTL ($114,000) vs BU ($60,000)

Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2012 6:40 pm
by CanadianWolf
Better job prospects; plus, it's where you want to be after law school.

One basic viewpoint might ask: Do you want to be trapped in the Midwest or trapped by higher debt ?