what's the lowest ranked law school you would attend? Forum

[Bankhead]

When you are in at a T10, it's easy to say, "I wouldn't attend any less than T10 at sticker". When you don't have those kind of options, it's a whole other ballgame.

[Cleareyes]

When you are in at a T10, it's easy to say, "I wouldn't attend any less than T10 at sticker". When you don't have those kind of options, it's a whole other ballgame.

It depends what your goals and options are, going into the process. Rayiner is an engineer and can afford to keep on engineering until there ain't nothing left to engineer or he turns 28 and is fired for being too old. That doesn't mean it's always a mistake to pay sticker for a non T10 school for everyone.

[Leeroy Jenkins]

I would attend any school that gets me a license to practice law. Two reasons:

1. I'm independently wealthy so I'm not worried about tuition
2. I'm opening my own practice so I don't need to worry about impressing some deutschebag who cares more about my degree name than my inate ability to drum up business and clients

Let's not be racist against Germans, now.

[Spaceman_Stiff]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better flipping burgers?

[Kohinoor]

Cornell

[Cleareyes]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better off selling drugs?

It really depends on your situation, your goals, and the schools in question. There's a forum where people will give opinions.

[LawandOrder]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better off selling drugs?

Drugs. Seriously. How do you plan to pay off $100,000 in loan when you won't able to land BigLaw from 38? ITE (which may be showing signs of beginning to turn around, or at least slowing down the slide), when Georgetown kids are struggling, why would schools be dipping down to T38U?

[solidsnake]

What's with the sticker/full-ride dichotomy in this thread?

Make it interesting and pick the lowest ranked school you would attend on something like a half tuition scholarship. Or better yet, do it in 25% increments. That would probably be more insightful than simply saying 'no sticker below T14.' Don't you think?

[penni_rose]

I would only attend UT. Want to live/work in Austin when I'm done. My husband has a job here. Not too expensive. I suppose if I'd had the LSAT for HYS, things would be different...

I turned down a full-ride a Baylor. Not worth it to me.

[calizner]

GW with 100k ... which I'm doing.

[JuryDueT1000]

I would attend any school that gets me a license to practice law. Two reasons:

1. I'm independently wealthy so I'm not worried about tuition
2. I'm opening my own practice so I don't need to worry about impressing some deutschebag who cares more about my degree name than my inate ability to drum up business and clients

Let's not be racist against Germans, now.

lol, I was too lazy to google the right spelling.

[rayiner]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better off selling drugs?

Drugs. Seriously. How do you plan to pay off $100,000 in loan when you won't able to land BigLaw from 38? ITE (which may be showing signs of beginning to turn around, or at least slowing down the slide), when Georgetown kids are struggling, why would schools be dipping down to T38U?

People pay off $100k loans all the time without biglaw salaries. That's roughly $1,100 a month in loan payments for 10 years. There is no #38 this year, but let's use Wisconsin (#35) as an example. Say you graduate from Wisconsin at the median and get out making $55k. Your take-home is roughly $3,200 per month your first year. After loan payments you've got $2,100 a month left over. You can live reasonably on that in Wisconsin. Tight, but not terrible in your late 20s. After that, your salary will increase, and by your mid-30s (with 30 years of career still ahead of you) you'll be debt-free.

[LawandOrder]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better off selling drugs?

Drugs. Seriously. How do you plan to pay off $100,000 in loan when you won't able to land BigLaw from 38? ITE (which may be showing signs of beginning to turn around, or at least slowing down the slide), when Georgetown kids are struggling, why would schools be dipping down to T38U?

People pay off $100k loans all the time without biglaw salaries. That's roughly $1,100 a month in loan payments for 10 years. There is no #38 this year, but let's use Wisconsin (#35) as an example. Say you graduate from Wisconsin at the median and get out making $55k. Your take-home is roughly $3,200 per month your first year. After loan payments you've got $2,100 a month left over. You can live reasonably on that in Wisconsin. Tight, but not terrible in your late 20s. After that, your salary will increase, and by your mid-30s (with 30 years of career still ahead of you) you'll be debt-free.

I don't consider it acceptable to be unable to raise your standard of living after spending $100k + three years of your life in law school.

[jdn012]

probably something in the UT/UCLA/USC for full price.

[TheNerdProject]

T14, UCLA, USC, Fordham, Emory, Florida, Miami (in that order).

Rationale: T14 are national schools; UCLA and USC would get me jobs in LA, a solid legal market; Fordham in NYC; and Florida and Miami in South Florida (Palm Beach, Broward and Dade Counties). There are other strong regional programs out there but not ones that would necessarily make me a strong candidate for employment in LA, NYC or Miami, three places I wouldn't mind living at in the LR.

[NayBoer]

What's with the sticker/full-ride dichotomy in this thread?

Make it interesting and pick the lowest ranked school you would attend on something like a half tuition scholarship. Or better yet, do it in 25% increments. That would probably be more insightful than simply saying 'no sticker below T14.' Don't you think?

No, every opinion must be expressed briefly and superficially with a sturdy reliance on unstated conventional wisdom, otherwise it's not worth having.

[crabbycakes]

Fordham

[sbalive]

At what point is it a mistake? I'm not T10,and in all likelihood not T25 either (I'm looking at you UMN.)

Is a 38 school worth 100k+ in debt over a 60th ranked school?

Or am I better off selling drugs?

Drugs. Seriously. How do you plan to pay off $100,000 in loan when you won't able to land BigLaw from 38? ITE (which may be showing signs of beginning to turn around, or at least slowing down the slide), when Georgetown kids are struggling, why would schools be dipping down to T38U?

People pay off $100k loans all the time without biglaw salaries. That's roughly $1,100 a month in loan payments for 10 years. There is no #38 this year, but let's use Wisconsin (#35) as an example. Say you graduate from Wisconsin at the median and get out making $55k. Your take-home is roughly $3,200 per month your first year. After loan payments you've got $2,100 a month left over. You can live reasonably on that in Wisconsin. Tight, but not terrible in your late 20s. After that, your salary will increase, and by your mid-30s (with 30 years of career still ahead of you) you'll be debt-free.

I don't consider it acceptable to be unable to raise your standard of living after spending $100k + three years of your life in law school.

The point is what you'll be making when you're 35, 45, 55, 65... Just because your standard of living might be the same taking into account loan payments, law school is an investment.

[rayiner]

I don't consider it acceptable to be unable to raise your standard of living after spending $100k + three years of your life in law school.

I mean, in the long run, it depends on your alternatives. If you've got a BA and are looking at $35k topping out at $70-80k, $100k at a T50 will still raise your standard of living.

[General Tso]

I don't consider it acceptable to be unable to raise your standard of living after spending $100k + three years of your life in law school.

I mean, in the long run, it depends on your alternatives. If you've got a BA and are looking at $35k topping out at $70-80k, $100k at a T50 will still raise your standard of living.

+1

[Detail]

People pay off $100k loans all the time without biglaw salaries. That's roughly $1,100 a month in loan payments for 10 years. There is no #38 this year, but let's use Wisconsin (#35) as an example. Say you graduate from Wisconsin at the median and get out making $55k. Your take-home is roughly $3,200 per month your first year. After loan payments you've got $2,100 a month left over. You can live reasonably on that in Wisconsin. Tight, but not terrible in your late 20s. After that, your salary will increase, and by your mid-30s (with 30 years of career still ahead of you) you'll be debt-free.

lol sounds horrible

[heyyitskatie]

Before being accepted anywhere and discovering TLS: BU at sticker

After getting some acceptances under my belt, getting a few scholarship offers, and after discovering TLS: UCLA or Texas w/ half ride

[Aeroplane]

I mean, in the long run, it depends on your alternatives. If you've got a BA and are looking at $35k topping out at $70-80k, $100k at a T50 will still raise your standard of living.

Why would a BA mean you top out at $70-80K?

Oh, and congrats on GULC! It was inevitable you would get some WL love with that LSAT.

[gatorlion]

Aiming for Academia + 3.1 undergrad GPA = Effort comes better late than never?

[DerrickRose]

If you've got a BA and are looking at $35k

An aside: If you've got a BA and are looking at $35k you are either walking through a time machine to 2005 or taking a tour of the US mint.