Top Law Schools

I just got off the waitlist today at Vanderbilt. They offered me 23k a year plus a one time 5K stipened I can use in the summer or for my second year tuition.

I have already put down a deposit for the University of Texas. They offered me in state tuition plus 12k a year. Vandy ends up being more expensive, but not by that much.

I am pretty flexible where I end up. DC would be great, but i wouldnt mind coming back to Florida (I know that might be hard with the current legal market). I think I want biglaw but as a 0L is it hard to say.

Any insight would be great. Is there anything about either of these schools makes one stand out from the other?

You'll get better feedback if you follow the format in this post: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=206299

TYIA

1) What is your total cost of attendance for both schools?

2) FL and DC are both very unlikely from Vandy or Texas.. You should not factor into the decision the ability to go to DC because it's not very likely to happen. If you would prefer to work in Texas, go UT. If you would prefer to work in the South (maybe NYC), go Vandy.

I have read on this site that Vandy is the best non-T14 for Florida. No idea if that's true but if that's the case I would roll with Vandy (assume COA is reasonable). I would not go to UT unless I had both Texas ties AND a desire to work in Texas.

Didn't you also get into Cornell? I think you're really pushing the upper bounds of what UT/Vandy might be worth. If you're going to need big law anyway then I would take on the extra debt and just go to Cornell (assuming you're not going to retake, of course).

,

I would say go to Vandy, not just because I'm biased since that's where I'm going. I've read on TLS and Vault reviews that a lot of non-Texas firms are a bit skeptical of UT grads because they assume they all want to stay in Texas. That isn't true, of course, but that is said to be the perception (although, to be fair, I think around 70% of UT grads end up in TX for their first job). Plus, Vandy has the best prestige factor for the southeast besides UVA (for schools in the region, I mean). If you're looking for D.C., about 7.5-10% of Vandy's graduating class end up in D.C., and anywhere between 5-10 students go to Florida from each class.

Have you thought about Atlanta? Same region, huge legal market. Vandy does great there.

,

Listen to rad lulz when it comes to Vandy. That guy knows his shit.

rad lulz wrote:

Dylanlj13 wrote: Have you thought about Atlanta? Same region, huge legal market. Vandy does great there.

The large/midsize firms are VERY grade conscious so you will do "great" if your grades are very very good

Duly noted.

Dylanlj13 wrote:I would say go to Vandy, not just because I'm biased since that's where I'm going. I've read on TLS and Vault reviews that a lot of non-Texas firms are a bit skeptical of UT grads because they assume they all want to stay in Texas. That isn't true, of course, but that is said to be the perception (although, to be fair, I think around 70% of UT grads end up in TX for their first job). Plus, Vandy has the best prestige factor for the southeast besides UVA (for schools in the region, I mean). If you're looking for D.C., about 7.5-10% of Vandy's graduating class end up in D.C., and anywhere between 5-10 students go to Florida from each class.

Have you thought about Atlanta? Same region, huge legal market. Vandy does great there.

I would certainly be happy in Atlanta. Like I said, I am pretty flexible about where I end up.

The southeast isn't impossible from UT but I imagine it has got to be much easier coming out of Vanderbilt. How much is all of this costing btw?

Dylanlj13 wrote:I would say go to Vandy, not just because I'm biased since that's where I'm going. I've read on TLS and Vault reviews that a lot of non-Texas firms are a bit skeptical of UT grads because they assume they all want to stay in Texas. That isn't true, of course, but that is said to be the perception (although, to be fair, I think around 70% of UT grads end up in TX for their first job). Plus, Vandy has the best prestige factor for the southeast besides UVA (for schools in the region, I mean). If you're looking for D.C., about 7.5-10% of Vandy's graduating class end up in D.C., and anywhere between 5-10 students go to Florida from each class.

Have you thought about Atlanta? Same region, huge legal market. Vandy does great there.

It is pretty much true that most Texas grads want to stay in Texas. That's because most of us are Texas residents, like 65%. And this figure used to be 80% when I was there. It's mandated by the Texas legislature. I'm incredibly biased when it comes to UT Law. And I do not think it is more difficult to get NYC coming from Texas than Vanderbilt. Not many Texas grads even want New York because it might as well be an alien world compared to where most of us have come from. But that is NYC. I know this is anectdotal, but the ones who want NYC seem to get NYC.

But if you want Florida or Atlanta, I think this is a no brainer. You have to go to Vanderbilt. I don't think ANY Florida firms even come to our OCI, at least, I don't remember any. I don't know of any Texas grad that went to Florida to work. So I think your choice is pretty easy. Plus, Vanderbilt has a smaller class. That's ALWAYS better.

I worked in FL after 1L at UT but only because I had connections, and I had no desire to stay (partly because the legal market there is terrible, partly because UT doesn't have much pull in the state). Vandy for sure if you want FL. It will also be tough to get DC from UT, but really that's true of any non-T10.

philosoraptor wrote:I worked in FL after 1L at UT but only because I had connections, and I had no desire to stay (partly because the legal market there is terrible, partly because UT doesn't have much pull in the state). Vandy for sure if you want FL. It will also be tough to get DC from UT, but really that's true of any non-T10.

This is some pretty vicious anti-Duke trolling.

But seriously, I doubt it's easier to get to DC from Michigan than it is from Duke.

OP- How much is this all costing? And was I wrong about you also getting into Cornell? I think both UT and Vandy are awfully risky if they are costing what I think they may cost.

BigZuck wrote:

philosoraptor wrote:I worked in FL after 1L at UT but only because I had connections, and I had no desire to stay (partly because the legal market there is terrible, partly because UT doesn't have much pull in the state). Vandy for sure if you want FL. It will also be tough to get DC from UT, but really that's true of any non-T10.

This is some pretty vicious anti-Duke trolling.

But seriously, I doubt it's easier to get to DC from Michigan than it is from Duke.

OP- How much is this all costing? And was I wrong about you also getting into Cornell? I think both UT and Vandy are awfully risky if they are costing what I think they may cost.

While I love to hate on Duke as much as everyone else, T10 was arbitrary on my part. Point is, to crack DC biglaw you'll need top grades from a top school. And as others have been repeating recently, you need YHS to have a decent shot at DC BigFed.

I generally think UT at in-state tuition plus $12K a year is a great deal, but probably not for what OP seems interested in doing. Do you have any Texas ties, OP?

philosoraptor wrote:

BigZuck wrote:

philosoraptor wrote:I worked in FL after 1L at UT but only because I had connections, and I had no desire to stay (partly because the legal market there is terrible, partly because UT doesn't have much pull in the state). Vandy for sure if you want FL. It will also be tough to get DC from UT, but really that's true of any non-T10.

This is some pretty vicious anti-Duke trolling.

But seriously, I doubt it's easier to get to DC from Michigan than it is from Duke.

OP- How much is this all costing? And was I wrong about you also getting into Cornell? I think both UT and Vandy are awfully risky if they are costing what I think they may cost.

While I love to hate on Duke as much as everyone else, T10 was arbitrary on my part. Point is, to crack DC biglaw you'll need top grades from a top school. And as others have been repeating recently, you need YHS to have a decent shot at DC BigFed.

I generally think UT at in-state tuition plus $12K a year is a great deal, but probably not for what OP seems interested in doing. Do you have any Texas ties, OP?

She would still be paying well over 100K to go to a school that only places about 1/3 of the class into high paying jobs. Without Texas ties I am not loving her chances at median. But you go there so I will defer to your expertise.

Instate plus 12K is about the max I think a Texan should pay for UT. Just not enough people get big law, the LRAP is terrible, and about 1/4 of the class is not even getting lawyer jobs. Paying any more than that is way too risky IMO (but I am very debt/risk averse so maybe that is too pessimistic for the average person).