Top Law Schools

I know there are a lot of these boards up, but I am having a very hard time deciding

So as of right now my choices are:
Texas
George Washington (20k / year)
Iowa (33 k / year)
Tulane (40k / year)
University of Miami (basically fully paid for)

and I'm waiting on a few schools, but honestly don't think they'll work out

I'm from LA but I have no desire to come back. I don't know where I do want to work, but I would prefer the coasts, and I really want to work abroad.

I have no idea which school would be the best option (basically between GW and Texas)
so your opinion helps

MacSco wrote:I know there are a lot of these boards up, but I am having a very hard time deciding

So as of right now my choices are:
Texas
George Washington (20k / year)
Iowa (33 k / year)
Tulane (40k / year)
University of Miami (basically fully paid for)

and I'm waiting on a few schools, but honestly don't think they'll work out

I'm from LA but I have no desire to come back. I don't know where I do want to work, but I would prefer the coasts, and I really want to work abroad.

I have no idea which school would be the best option (basically between GW and Texas)
so your opinion helps

If you prefer the coasts, I think it seems relatively clear that GW would be a better location, since Texas only places really well in that region.

I'd focus just on GW and UT.

If the stips on the GW scholly aren't too harsh and you want to be on the coasts, it seems like your best option.

Not sure how hard it is to establish residency in Texas while at UT though. If you can get in-state tuition after a year then that would essentially like getting a scholarship with no stips. Place has very solid employment statistics but don't expect to leave Texas.

PS I don't know if you have been to Austin but I sure as hell wouldn't mind ending up there. Plus, San Antonio and Dallas aren't too bad either. And this is coming from someone living just outside of NYC.

I think this comes down to geography of where you want to practice. I know UT does exceptionally well in the state of Texas, which encompasses two of the largest legal markets in the world in D/FW and Houston, and some strong but lesser legal markets like Austin and San Antonio. Outside Austin, none of those markets are as over-saturated as DC.

I have no idea whether GW places that well in major markets, but I would be surprised if it goes much farther past the Mid-Atlantic and maybe some solid placement in NY.

OP: check out Law School Transparency for the raw data on each school

Texas
GW

The only school that would match your goal of working on the coast (GW) is waaay too expensive even with that discount. Retake.

Retake.
UT with a scholarship negotiation is the only acceptable choice if you're 100 percent willing to live in Texas. Last year in April they gave OOS tuition waivers unsolicited, which translated to a 20 something percent decrease. But still try to negotiate.

Yeah dude, $50,000 for tuition alone is no joke. Plus as I understand, it is very difficult to establish Texas residency after 1L. I am in at Texas (in-state), currently with no $, and I am seriously considering going to Alabama or UGA simply because they have offered manageable scholarships. If you are serious about UT (and it is a good school with solid opportunities all things considered), then my advice would be to take a year, move to Texas and establish residency, save some money, retake and hopefully end up with in-state + $$$. It appears the downward trend for applicants may continue and so you wouldn't be missing out on this current cycle. Otherwise you could be looking at $200,000 in debt with less than a 25% of landing BigLaw (which would be essential to have any hope of paying that size debt).

Okay well last night I was admitted to USC, and this morning they sent scholarship info, 90k over the three year with no GPA or class rank requirement so there is that

i don't really know how good their alumni network is outside of LA and growing up in La, I know if I don't go to school I at least have connections here to rely on if I need them

Given your options now, either go to UT with the intention of working in Texas or Umiami with the intention of working in FL.

None of your schools are nationally strong, so really, the important factor for you is first determining where you want to practice. Don't go to GW though, its a regional school in a competitive region.

MacSco wrote:Okay well last night I was admitted to USC, and this morning they sent scholarship info, 90k over the three year with no GPA or class rank requirement so there is that

i don't really know how good their alumni network is outside of LA and growing up in La, I know if I don't go to school I at least have connections here to rely on if I need them

Use USC as leverage for other schools if you are against working in LA. USC will pretty much limit you to SoCal unless you are top of your class. It should be effective at leveraging more money from UT or GW though.

UT at 50k yr tuition is definitely not worth it.

GW is probably too expensive too.

Forget Iowa, top 1/3 stip is not worth it.

Dont go to Tulane since you prob wont wanna work in Louisiana long term.

Dont go to the 3rd best law school in the state.

Retake is your best option.

MacSco wrote:Okay well last night I was admitted to USC, and this morning they sent scholarship info, 90k over the three year with no GPA or class rank requirement so there is that

Thats your best offer by far.

Try to use that and the GW offers to negotiate with UT.

Go to USC.

CA is great. With 90 K at USC, I would accept USC. Just leave LA afterwards (SD, OC, or try for somewhere in NorCal)

Dmini7 wrote:

MacSco wrote:Okay well last night I was admitted to USC, and this morning they sent scholarship info, 90k over the three year with no GPA or class rank requirement so there is that

Use USC as leverage for other schools if you are against working in LA. USC will pretty much limit you to SoCal unless you are top of your class. It should be effective at leveraging more money from UT or GW though.

This. Use that 90k from USC to see if GWU will match, or at least bump up from 60k.

I don't see how Texas OOS with no scholarship is an option at all.