T1 ($$) or T14 (Sticker) Forum

[curry4bfast]

.

[cavalier1138]

I'm confused. Is your goal biglaw, or is your goal non-profit PI? Because NGOs don't really go recruiting biglaw associates...

[curry4bfast]

I'm confused. Is your goal biglaw, or is your goal non-profit PI? Because NGOs don't really go recruiting biglaw associates...

yea lol I guess that's why I was asking if my goals made sense. I would want to start in big law, work their for a few years and then transition out into something PI related. Is that feasible or does it make no sense

[cavalier1138]

I'm confused. Is your goal biglaw, or is your goal non-profit PI? Because NGOs don't really go recruiting biglaw associates...

yea lol I guess that's why I was asking if my goals made sense. I would want to start in big law, work their for a few years and then transition out into something PI related. Is that feasible or does it make no sense

I mean, it's not unheard of, but it's really not the regular route. What are your long-term career goals?

[Lawl_Schoolz]

.

[curry4bfast]

I'm confused. Is your goal biglaw, or is your goal non-profit PI? Because NGOs don't really go recruiting biglaw associates...

yea lol I guess that's why I was asking if my goals made sense. I would want to start in big law, work their for a few years and then transition out into something PI related. Is that feasible or does it make no sense

I mean, it's not unheard of, but it's really not the regular route. What are your long-term career goals?

I think doing some type of impact litigation with a private firm or public interest org

[Rigo]

I'm thinking UIUC but if truly biglaw or bust then that doesn't seem that great. However, its definitely the most bang for your buck choice here for Chicago.

Northwestern ding?

[Rigo]

BU and USC don't make sense. I'd cross off BU but use USC to negotiate with WUSTL and Michigan.
Cornell doesn't really make sense since you're targeting Midwest and have Michigan on the table. But try negotiating both with them and using them.

[curry4bfast]

I think you are significantly underestimating the COA and need to be more realistic in your assessment so you can consider the debt load. Michigan at sticker is well above 186k. The tuition and fees just to attend are going to be 55k or 58k depending on whether you are in state or out of state. They tend to increase tuition and fees a few percent a year. So, you need to figure you have at least 165k+ in tuition and fees - thats assuming NO increases. Then even if you found a place for 700 bucks a month, which would be on the lower side and didn't have a lease in the summer you've got another 19k-ish in rent alone. You then have to eat - so even at a few hundred dollars a month you're looking at another 8k-ish over your 3 years. There alone you're looking at over 200k without any loan fees or interest.

Michigan is a great school, but I think realistically you're looking closer to 225k to 250k at sticker. LST says 275k-ish and with a 25% reduction in estimated cost of living you're at 250. 70k is a lot, and you don't want to be surprised.

You're closer to what I think you'd actually spend for Cornell. Either of these options is not ideal in my opinion.

Yeah, I definitely get where you're coming from and maybe I am underestimating the COL specifically at Michigan. My reasoning was because of friends who pay under 400/mo in rent there currently and my own experience paying ~350 in rent and utilities/mo in Chicago for 4 years, which is a higher COL area than Ann Arbor. That's probably dumb seeing they're different areas and all but just thought I'd explain my reasoning behind that. and if it makes a difference I won't be financing COL through loans at all, my own savings and my parents help would account for that.

[curry4bfast]

I'm thinking UIUC but if truly biglaw or bust then that doesn't seem that great. However, its definitely the most bang for your buck choice here for Chicago.

Northwestern ding?

[umichman]

I think you are significantly underestimating the COA and need to be more realistic in your assessment so you can consider the debt load. Michigan at sticker is well above 186k. The tuition and fees just to attend are going to be 55k or 58k depending on whether you are in state or out of state. They tend to increase tuition and fees a few percent a year. So, you need to figure you have at least 165k+ in tuition and fees - thats assuming NO increases. Then even if you found a place for 700 bucks a month, which would be on the lower side and didn't have a lease in the summer you've got another 19k-ish in rent alone. You then have to eat - so even at a few hundred dollars a month you're looking at another 8k-ish over your 3 years. There alone you're looking at over 200k without any loan fees or interest.

Michigan is a great school, but I think realistically you're looking closer to 225k to 250k at sticker. LST says 275k-ish and with a 25% reduction in estimated cost of living you're at 250. 70k is a lot, and you don't want to be surprised.

You're closer to what I think you'd actually spend for Cornell. Either of these options is not ideal in my opinion.

Yeah, I definitely get where you're coming from and maybe I am underestimating the COL specifically at Michigan. My reasoning was because of friends who pay under 400/mo in rent there currently and my own experience paying ~350 in rent and utilities/mo in Chicago for 4 years, which is a higher COL area than Ann Arbor. That's probably dumb seeing they're different areas and all but just thought I'd explain my reasoning behind that. and if it makes a difference I won't be financing COL through loans at all, my own savings and my parents help would account for that.

rent will be closer to 800.

[nyu2019maybeplease]

If you're really cost-sensitive (and it sounds like you are), retake. A 168 or 169 gets you more money at Michigan and northwestern, and those are the schools you should be going to for Chicago BigLaw.

If you're not going to retake, take WUSTL, USC, and BU offers to Michigan admissions, say you really want to go and why, and ask them to help. PM me if you want to talk more bout negotiating at Michigan.

Once you have the offer, I think it has to be Michigan if you're set on BigLaw in the Midwest. WUSTL is defensible too, but be aware about what you'll need to do there and see how many people they place outside St. Louis.

There are ways you can live affordably (I pay less than 800 for rent), but it's still a lot of money.