Top Law Schools

I'm between these 5 schools. I am not in everywhere but I will by the time I hear I will probably need to make a snap decision so I want to have a good idea of where I should go before that time comes.

I am looking to go into public interest (specifically public defense) so LRAP differences will make a big impact on my choice. I think most of the schools have similar LRAPs but I could be wrong.

Location is a huge factor for me, I don't really like the idea of living in a northeast big city (DC or NYC) but I could live anywhere for 3-6 years.

I probably will be happy establishing a career around any of these places but eventually I plan to be back on the east coast. That will be way in the future and I'm not concerned with placement.

My current rankings:
1. Berkeley: location is key and I don't see it as significantly worse, despite rankings, than Columbia or NYU. Am I wrong?
2. NYU
3. Georgetown (if I get a 75%-100% scholarship)
4. UCLA (if I get a 75% - 100% scholarship)
5. Columbia: Seems like it would be a big grind and tough mentally. I know law school is tons of work but for some reason I feel that Columbia would be the most cut throat and difficult one to succeed at for me.

thoughts?

If you get that money at Georgetown I don't see how you could pass it up, especially since you want to end up on the east coast. If you don't want biglaw I think it would be a mistake to pay sticker for one of the other schools, even if you rely on LRAP.

bsinoff wrote: 5. Columbia: Seems like it would be a big grind and tough mentally. I know law school is tons of work but for some reason I feel that Columbia would be the most cut throat and difficult one to succeed at for me.

Columbia eases you into law school as well as any school could. I wouldn't worry about it being any more difficult than any others on your list.

Tiago Splitter wrote:

bsinoff wrote: 5. Columbia: Seems like it would be a big grind and tough mentally. I know law school is tons of work but for some reason I feel that Columbia would be the most cut throat and difficult one to succeed at for me.

Columbia eases you into law school as well as any school could. I wouldn't worry about it being any more difficult than any others on your list.

Yeah, I wouldn't factor this into your decision.

If GTown gave you a full ride, that's a pretty decent bet for getting back to the East Coast. Until we have concrete numbers, though, it's really impossible to say for sure.

WahooLaw24 wrote:

Tiago Splitter wrote:

bsinoff wrote: 5. Columbia: Seems like it would be a big grind and tough mentally. I know law school is tons of work but for some reason I feel that Columbia would be the most cut throat and difficult one to succeed at for me.

Columbia eases you into law school as well as any school could. I wouldn't worry about it being any more difficult than any others on your list.

Yeah, I wouldn't factor this into your decision.

If GTown gave you a full ride, that's a pretty decent bet for getting back to the East Coast. Until we have concrete numbers, though, it's really impossible to say for sure.

OP said he DIDN'T want to live on the east coast: "Location is a huge factor for me, I don't really like the idea of living in a northeast big city (DC or NYC) but I could live anywhere for 3-6 years"

That being said, I would wait to see what scholarship Berkeley gives. They haven't even started giving them out yet, and I think if you could get 1/3 tuition covered or so, you should take Berkeley since you seem to like it so much. (This also might just be my own personal bias though since my first choice is also Berkeley, lol).

pannekoeken wrote: OP said he DIDN'T want to live on the east coast: "Location is a huge factor for me, I don't really like the idea of living in a northeast big city (DC or NYC) but I could live anywhere for 3-6 years"

And yet his goal is to end up on the East Coast.

Goal is east coast yes, but honestly that is down the road a bit. I would really love to live in California for a while and in 10 years I really am not worried about where I could get a job around the country. I say this for a few reasons, but partly because I don't know what I will be thinking in 10 years or where my family will be.

Also, Berkeley with scholarship is about as likely as me getting into Yale... which I did not apply to... But I like where your head's at!

I haven't been offered scholarships at UCLA or Gtown, but the reason I put 75%-100% on there is that realistically I wouldn't consider going to either without that much money since I have other prospects.

edit: I realize it sounds weird to say my goal is to live on the east coast but I don't want to live on the east coast...
what I mean is when I settle down and start a family it will probably be on the east coast, but for now I would like to live out west for a few years since I really see it as my only opportunity

What are your real options right now? (not the options you'd like to have)

Come back when you have all your offers

So did you actually get that much money at Gtown and UCLA? I am confused.

I wouldn't be counting chickens before they hatch

Also Lol at 75-100% at Gtown

Aawaldrop wrote:I wouldn't be counting chickens before they hatch

Also Lol at 75-100% at Gtown

This. How exactly are you planing on getting them to offer you anything, let alone a full ride.

Strike UCLA and Georgetown from the list. Also. Go to Columbia or NYU, whichever is cheaper unless Berkeley surprisingly offers you something.

Of course the real answer is probably Cornell or Duke with $$$

I wasn't exactly counting my chickens, as I explained I am trying to be prepared to make a decision within a week or so if it happens.

I am not considering georgetown unless they give me (yes I understand it is unlikely) 75%-100%. I am a toss up at columbia but probably will get wl in which case I'll drop them considering my general lack of interest in their program. I'm in at NYU and wl at berkeley. They are my two top choices if I don't get substantial money anywhere (likely) then I will almost certainly chose them.

Also, if I wait for solid offers I will probably only have a week or so to decide (I believe that when admitted off the wl you get 3 days to 2 weeks depending on when you get admitted) so I need to know before that happens where I would choose. As for scholarship decisions I won't know final till mid april at which point I will need to decide right away between the schools I was admitted at.

BigZuck wrote:

Aawaldrop wrote:I wouldn't be counting chickens before they hatch

Also Lol at 75-100% at Gtown

This. How exactly are you planing on getting them to offer you anything, let alone a full ride.

Strike UCLA and Georgetown from the list. Also. Go to Columbia or NYU, whichever is cheaper unless Berkeley surprisingly offers you something.

Of course the real answer is probably Cornell or Duke with $$$

Didn't apply to cornell or duke mainly because of location, kind of kicking myself on duke because I like NC a lot but its not really the place where I want to develop a career.

Have you visited Berkeley? I went to undergrad there and, depending on what your issue is with living in big cities, Berkeley is not a big city but it is not a nice college town, if that's what you're looking for. It has a high crime rate (I knew multiple people who were mugged and beat up in broad daylight 5 blocks from campus, I was almost attacked once, I came home one day to a sign posted on my door warning of a rapist in my area who strikes around 5:30 PM ...) and there is a large homeless and mentally unstable population, some of whom are violent. There are of course a lot of wonderful things about Berkeley too, but if your issue with big cities is anything like what I mentioned above ...

Also, my understanding is that it's not the easiest thing to move to a different state mid-law career. Connections are really regional, you'd have to retake the bar ... if you want to end up on the east coast, you should start there.