School Choices Forum

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crazywafflez

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School Choices

Post by crazywafflez » Fri Apr 27, 2018 9:39 am

Hey y'all, love the forum and just looking for a bit of advice on schools. At the moment my options seem to be UTk at full ride, Tulane 35k scholly a year, Emory Sticker, wait list at Cornell, wl at William and Mary as well. Have yet to hear back from Vandy.
Goals: To be honest I'm not really quite sure yet. I like the sound of doing local gov't stuff, crim, healthcare, energy, environmental, admiralty, and international treaty/trade law (I assume this last one won't happen given my options). I want to be in the South or east Texas, (however, not Mississippi or Alabama).
I am a minority but not a URM. My parents have offered to cover at least half the cost of living expenses.
I have strong ties to California, Arizona, and Tennessee. Weak ties to Texas, NOLA, and Atlanta.
I am a quasi international, however, I am a citizen and plan on living in the southeast, Texas, or possibly AZ (but would prefer not to) after graduation. I don't mind any of the states listed above as long as I'm in a city at least the size of Knoxville (prefer bigger though) and not as big as LA...
COA @ UTk: 30-40k
COA @ Tulane: 60-80k
COA @ Emory: 180-200k
COA @ Cornell (if accepted): 180-200K
COA @ W&M (if accepted): I believe about 100k as they give a fellowship that makes the cost in-state. However, I could be wrong on this!

Thanks everyone for all the help!

sparkytrainer

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Re: School Choices

Post by sparkytrainer » Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:07 am

The COAs for these options are really bad. There isn't an acceptable option here OP. You need to retake and reapply. This is not my default advice, but in your case each option for the price is really bad. Emory is defensible if its free. U of Tennessee is defensible if its 100% free, a stipend to cover living expenses, and you are okay making 40k in Tenn.

Given you do not have a strong location preference, these options are not good for the prices.

crazywafflez

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Re: School Choices

Post by crazywafflez » Fri Apr 27, 2018 12:31 pm

Thanks for the reply! You think even over three years a total COA at around 40-80k is a bad option? Even if doing shitlaw that debt can be paid off on a salary of 40-70k especially if I do gov't work, I think? I don't know the legal market too well and have a job lined up for me but not in an ideal location or an ideal choice. I was really leaning towards Tulane, as I felt it was a good compromise, but you feel that 60-80 is too much for there? I do think Emory at sticker is a bad call though. Would you advise Vandy or Cornell at sticker? Thanks again for your help.

sparkytrainer

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Re: School Choices

Post by sparkytrainer » Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:06 pm

crazywafflez wrote:Thanks for the reply! You think even over three years a total COA at around 40-80k is a bad option? Even if doing shitlaw that debt can be paid off on a salary of 40-70k especially if I do gov't work, I think? I don't know the legal market too well and have a job lined up for me but not in an ideal location or an ideal choice. I was really leaning towards Tulane, as I felt it was a good compromise, but you feel that 60-80 is too much for there? I do think Emory at sticker is a bad call though. Would you advise Vandy or Cornell at sticker? Thanks again for your help.
I advise against all these options at the price point. Tulane is alright for free, but 80k in loans turns into 120-140k at repayment with interest. That’s 1.5k a month for the next ten years. When you are taking home 30k after taxes and subtracting 15k in loan payments a year, do you think you can build a life on 15-20k a year? The correct answer is you cannot.

crazywafflez

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Re: School Choices

Post by crazywafflez » Fri Apr 27, 2018 1:31 pm

Fair enough; and you feel that Tulane's outcomes are certainly more geared towards shitlaw at 30k take home? I just thought it was the best school in the state and a good feeder into NOLA.
Would you advise an individual to pay sticker at Vandy or Cornell? Thanks again for the responses Sparky, I appreciate it.

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ExperssioUnius

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Re: School Choices

Post by ExperssioUnius » Sat Apr 28, 2018 2:27 am

If you actually want to commit your self to admiralty law, Tulane is likely the best program in the country and would be a wonderful option at that price.
Otherwise, given you potential markets and your interests Emory is the next best option.
Without knowing what your numbers are and how your LSAT score compared to your practice test scores, there is no basis for suggesting that sitting out a year and reapplying will put you in any better of a position than you are now, other than you''ll be one year delayed from becoming a lawyer.

crazywafflez

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Re: School Choices

Post by crazywafflez » Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:18 am

Thanks, Espressio, for the response. I do like the idea of admiralty law, and find it quite compelling, however, I do not want to lock myself down to just one concept yet. I studied intensely for about 2 months for the LSAT, one month of which I took off of work to do so. The first month of study I was spending about 20 hours a week studying. The second month I spent about 35-50 hours a week studying. I also had a private tutor for one lesson but I found it not to be helpful. My PTs were all over the board, they ranged from 155-165. I scored in the low 160s. LGs were my strongest section followed by the reading section. LR has always been a toss up for me. I'm not sure how much I could improve to be honest, but I did apply late in the cycle due to my own fault and sending things in from international areas. Thanks again and sorry for not including the information.

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deadpanic

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Re: School Choices

Post by deadpanic » Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:12 am

I'm normally pretty skeptical, but a full ride to UTenn with ties to TN and being okay with local gov't work, crim, etc. I think UT is a decent choice here.

sparkytrainer

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Re: School Choices

Post by sparkytrainer » Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:15 am

ExperssioUnius wrote:If you actually want to commit your self to admiralty law, Tulane is likely the best program in the country and would be a wonderful option at that price.
Otherwise, given you potential markets and your interests Emory is the next best option.
Without knowing what your numbers are and how your LSAT score compared to your practice test scores, there is no basis for suggesting that sitting out a year and reapplying will put you in any better of a position than you are now, other than you''ll be one year delayed from becoming a lawyer.
Your advice in each thread has been wrong and unhelpful, if not hurtful to posters actual chances. Too bad TLS got taken over because the old mods would have just banned you for straight bullshitting.

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crazywafflez

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Re: School Choices

Post by crazywafflez » Sat Apr 28, 2018 11:36 am

Thank you all so much. Really appreciate it.

DerKatze

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Re: School Choices

Post by DerKatze » Wed May 02, 2018 6:22 pm

sparkytrainer wrote:The COAs for these options are really bad. There isn't an acceptable option here OP. You need to retake and reapply. This is not my default advice, but in your case each option for the price is really bad.
What is your default advice? Don't ever go to law school?
sparkytrainer wrote:Your advice in each thread has been wrong and unhelpful, if not hurtful to posters actual chances. Too bad TLS got taken over because the old mods would have just banned you for straight bullshitting.
I agree that they are wrong about Tulane and UNLV, but this would put you on thin ice. Considering this applies to basically everything you say to someone who hasn't applied yet.

(For everyone else: Tulane is a good school for admiralty law because that's where a large portion of the admiralty jobs are. It would be like a decent regional school in the region you want to practice in. Dumb, that is, if you can get into T14.)

sparkytrainer

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Re: School Choices

Post by sparkytrainer » Wed May 02, 2018 7:24 pm

DerKatze wrote:
sparkytrainer wrote:The COAs for these options are really bad. There isn't an acceptable option here OP. You need to retake and reapply. This is not my default advice, but in your case each option for the price is really bad.
What is your default advice? Don't ever go to law school?
sparkytrainer wrote:Your advice in each thread has been wrong and unhelpful, if not hurtful to posters actual chances. Too bad TLS got taken over because the old mods would have just banned you for straight bullshitting.
I agree that they are wrong about Tulane and UNLV, but this would put you on thin ice. Considering this applies to basically everything you say to someone who hasn't applied yet.

(For everyone else: Tulane is a good school for admiralty law because that's where a large portion of the admiralty jobs are. It would be like a decent regional school in the region you want to practice in. Dumb, that is, if you can get into T14.)
No, my default advice to look at the options and prices. Hence the COA. Cost of attendance. None of these options are good for the price. I stated that earlier. I said Emory is defensible for free, but that clearly isn't the case here.

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