Top Law Schools

I'm having a hard time choosing between 3 of them, but figured I'd list all 4 competitors. First, however, are my stats.

AA (Redacted) with the following:
-16* LSAT
-3.* GPA (3.2-3.4)
-2 Years Work Experience as a (Cubical Slave)
-Volunteer (For multiple organizations).
-Prefer to be in the Mid-West

My current offers are as follows:
IU - Bloomington: 90K Cost of Attendance
UIUC: 75K Cost of Attendance
WashU: 95K Cost of Attendance
Howard: Around 60K Cost of Attendance (Full Tuition, Just COL)

Just wanted to know what everyone's opinions are. I don't want BigLaw at all, but I'm definitely going to work toward it just so that I can have options. I would prefer something with the State or Federal Government (Pipe Dream). My ties are to Illinois and to Indiana.

Note: I know this probably fits better with the "Choosing a Law School" thread, so feel free to move it there. I just thought, since I'm considering Howard, it might be best to get a majority URM vote on this first just in case.

Thanks for your time.

Hi OP,

I'll be honest. I don't think you should attend any of these schools, especially considering the goals you have in mind. I am guessing you received scholarships from these schools, but I still think the COAs listed seem far too much for these schools. Would it be possible for you to take a year off, retake for a higher score, and apply next cycle? If you did this (and scored higher), there is a possibility you could receive money from a T20 school or possibly a T14 school. I know admissions is random, especially for URMs, but in the final results thread, there is a poster (jcan91) who has similar stats (3.3, 165) and will be attending NYU in the fall with a full scholarship.

I am curious, what other places did you apply to and when did you submit your applications?

bosmer88 wrote:Hi OP,

I'll be honest. I don't think you should attend any of these schools, especially with the goals you have in mind. Would it be possible for you to take a year off, retake for a higher score, and apply next cycle? I know admissions is random, especially for URMs, but in the final results thread, there is a poster (jcan91) who has similar stats (3.3, 165) and will be attending NYU in the fall.

I am curious, what other places did you apply to and when did you submit your applications?

+100000. You should not be going to any of these schools with a 164 and 3.0+ GPA. You should be choosing between more than one T14 schools. The employment stats coming from these schools are frightening:

Law School Transparency Employment Score (basically, who got a job as a lawyer coming out of the school):
Wash U: 67%
UIUC: 62%
IUB: 53%
Howard: 48%

Law school is too expensive to be taking such a big risk. For your own sake, sit this one out, take another stab at the LSAT and get some better schools. Again, even staying where you're at, you should have better options. Let us help you!

dawyzest1 wrote:Law school is too expensive to be taking such a big risk. For your own sake, sit this one out, take another stab at the LSAT and get some better schools. Again, even staying where you're at, you should have better options. Let us help you!

This. I am wondering what happened during his cycle.

Have you tried negotiating? I feel like those are kind of low offers for a 164/3.3 AA.

I would strongly consider a retake. A couple of points makes you a very, very strong law school candidate.

Thanks for the assessment guys. I'd love to retake, and was considering when I started getting my acceptances, but considering the fact that the BigLaw market in my current city is still a little volatile I'm afraid to sit out this cycle and end up homeless at some point (don't have much family support, lower middle to working class family). There have been a few troubling staff cuts recently, soooo...yeah.

As far a where I applied, I didn't want to aim too high because I didn't want to have too take out too much in loans as I absolutely loathe the idea of working in BigLaw again. I also wanted to stay in Illinois and was hoping that I could get a decent scholarship from a few strong regionals that would make it somewhat affordable. I should point out that I have around a 75% scholarship to UIUC and also applied for the full tuition scholarship they were offering, and maybe I'm just estimating a COA that's a little too high. Also, Indiana just negotiated with me today, so I might try to leverage that with UIUC.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place I guess, lol.

Thanks again for the responses, maybe I can find a way to work things out so that I can retake in October.

Tigerbowl wrote:Thanks for the assessment guys. I'd love to retake, and was considering when I started getting my acceptances, but considering the fact that the BigLaw market in my current city is still a little volatile I'm afraid to sit out this cycle and end up homeless at some point (don't have much family support, lower middle to working class family). There have been a few troubling staff cuts recently, soooo...yeah.

As far a where I applied, I didn't want to aim too high because I didn't want to have too take out too much in loans as I absolutely loathe the idea of working in BigLaw again. I also wanted to stay in Illinois and was hoping that I could get a decent scholarship from a few strong regionals that would make it somewhat affordable. I should point out that I have an 80% scholarship to UIUC and also applied for the full tuition scholarship they were offering, and maybe I'm just estimating a COA that's a little too high. Also, Indiana just negotiated with me today, so I might try to leverage that with UIUC.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place I guess, lol.

Thanks again for the responses, maybe I can find a way to work things out so that I can retake in October.

Can you describe your big law experience? We don't get the perspective of it from AA males too often around here. I know you weren't an attorney, but I'd love to hear your insights. (no thread hijack)

californiauser wrote:

Tigerbowl wrote:Thanks for the assessment guys. I'd love to retake, and was considering when I started getting my acceptances, but considering the fact that the BigLaw market in my current city is still a little volatile I'm afraid to sit out this cycle and end up homeless at some point (don't have much family support, lower middle to working class family). There have been a few troubling staff cuts recently, soooo...yeah.

As far a where I applied, I didn't want to aim too high because I didn't want to have too take out too much in loans as I absolutely loathe the idea of working in BigLaw again. I also wanted to stay in Illinois and was hoping that I could get a decent scholarship from a few strong regionals that would make it somewhat affordable. I should point out that I have an 80% scholarship to UIUC and also applied for the full tuition scholarship they were offering, and maybe I'm just estimating a COA that's a little too high. Also, Indiana just negotiated with me today, so I might try to leverage that with UIUC.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place I guess, lol.

Thanks again for the responses, maybe I can find a way to work things out so that I can retake in October.

Can you describe your big law experience? We don't get the perspective of it from AA males too often around here. I know you weren't an attorney, but I'd love to hear your insights. (no thread hijack)

Edit: Feel free to PM me if you want the redacted info.

Tigerbowl wrote:Thanks for the assessment guys. I'd love to retake, and was considering when I started getting my acceptances, but considering the fact that the BigLaw market in my current city is still a little volatile I'm afraid to sit out this cycle and end up homeless at some point (don't have much family support, lower middle to working class family). There have been a few troubling staff cuts recently, soooo...yeah.

As far a where I applied, I didn't want to aim too high because I didn't want to have too take out too much in loans as I absolutely loathe the idea of working in BigLaw again. I also wanted to stay in Illinois and was hoping that I could get a decent scholarship from a few strong regionals that would make it somewhat affordable. I should point out that I have an 80% scholarship to UIUC and also applied for the full tuition scholarship they were offering, and maybe I'm just estimating a COA that's a little too high. Also, Indiana just negotiated with me today, so I might try to leverage that with UIUC.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place I guess, lol.

Thanks again for the responses, maybe I can find a way to work things out so that I can retake in October.

Ok, I'll take you at your word and advise you given your current options. I think Wash U is your best bet. Looks like you got a good discount (did you negotiate this at all?) And as long as you're open to the mid-west in general, they seem to have not entirely horrible placement. 67% chance at being a lawyer would be too low for me, but I don't think it's indefensible in general.

How big is your WUSTL scholarship? Have you tried negotiating? Where are your ties in Illinois and where are you looking to work in the state?

I'm a WUSTL student with downstate Illinois ties. I took WUSTL with a decent sized scholarship over UIUC with a full ride, which is probably not something I would advise someone doing if they're set on the state of Illinois. But I do know a lot about both schools and the markets in the midwest generally, so I can answer any questions you might have.

romothesavior wrote:How big is your WUSTL scholarship? Have you tried negotiating? Where are your ties in Illinois and where are you looking to work in the state?

I'm a WUSTL student with downstate Illinois ties. I took WUSTL with a decent sized scholarship over UIUC with a full ride, which is probably not something I would advise someone doing if they're set on the state of Illinois. But I do know a lot about both schools and the markets in the midwest generally, so I can answer any questions you might have.

I'm getting slightly more than half tuition from WUSTL, though I've only negotiated with them once. I am also dead-set on Illinois, with a focus on Cook the surrounding counties, though my ties are primarily to Cook and Will. Considering this, I thought that UIUC, at around 75K COA, wasn't too bad a deal considering that I wouldn't necessarily need BigLaw to pay it back. Still, if WUSTL has better overall placement, I'm definitely not above trying to negotiate with them again, though they are the "highest ranked" law school I've been accepted to.

Is 75K total COA that bad for Illinois?

dawyzest1 wrote:

Tigerbowl wrote:Thanks for the assessment guys. I'd love to retake, and was considering when I started getting my acceptances, but considering the fact that the BigLaw market in my current city is still a little volatile I'm afraid to sit out this cycle and end up homeless at some point (don't have much family support, lower middle to working class family). There have been a few troubling staff cuts recently, soooo...yeah.

As far a where I applied, I didn't want to aim too high because I didn't want to have too take out too much in loans as I absolutely loathe the idea of working in BigLaw again. I also wanted to stay in Illinois and was hoping that I could get a decent scholarship from a few strong regionals that would make it somewhat affordable. I should point out that I have an 80% scholarship to UIUC and also applied for the full tuition scholarship they were offering, and maybe I'm just estimating a COA that's a little too high. Also, Indiana just negotiated with me today, so I might try to leverage that with UIUC.

I'm really stuck between a rock and a hard place I guess, lol.

Thanks again for the responses, maybe I can find a way to work things out so that I can retake in October.

Ok, I'll take you at your word and advise you given your current options. I think Wash U is your best bet. Looks like you got a good discount (did you negotiate this at all?) And as long as you're open to the mid-west in general, they seem to have not entirely horrible placement. 67% chance at being a lawyer would be too low for me, but I don't think it's indefensible in general.

Thanks for your vote, I really appreciate it. Also, to answer your question, yes I did negotiate with them once and got a little over half tuition, though with the yearly increases I'm sure it amounts to about half tuition over all three years. I really wish I had the option to retake, so I'll be making moves to hopefully make that a reality. However, until then and just in case, determining my best option is the best I can do.

I think UIUC is your best bet as of now. If you can get WUSTL to come down a bit more I might give them the nod, but I don't think its worth 30-40k more than Illinois given your ties and goals.

Retake. (Unless you get more $$ from WUSTL)

Illinois is TTT.

Dr. Dre wrote:Retake. (Unless you get more $$ from WUSTL)

Illinois is TTT.

Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol. Seriously though, a relative contacted me and told me that, if my employment situation goes south, I'm free to stay with them until next fall. So it looks like I'll be retaking, or at the very least reapplying for some higher ranked schools.

Thanks for all of the solid advice romo and dawyzest1, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Tigerbowl wrote:

Dr. Dre wrote:Retake. (Unless you get more $$ from WUSTL)

Illinois is TTT.

Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol. Seriously though, a relative contacted me and told me that, if my employment situation goes south, I'm free to stay with them until next fall. So it looks like I'll be retaking, or at the very least reapplying for some higher ranked schools.

Thanks for all of the solid advice romo and dawyzest1, and thanks to everyone who voted.

Oh thank goodness! Don't sell yourself short. Retake, blanket the T14, negotiate, and profit.

Tigerbowl wrote:

Dr. Dre wrote:Retake. (Unless you get more $$ from WUSTL)

Illinois is TTT.

Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol. Seriously though, a relative contacted me and told me that, if my employment situation goes south, I'm free to stay with them until next fall. So it looks like I'll be retaking, or at the very least reapplying for some higher ranked schools.

Thanks for all of the solid advice romo and dawyzest1, and thanks to everyone who voted.

I'm relieved to hear this. If you end up scoring in the high 160s or even break the 170s, you're going to crush it next cycle. Keep us posted on how you do and where you end up applying!

Good to hear OP! Best of luck preparing for the LSAT!

Tigerbowl wrote:
Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol.

I'm glad I could help. This is basically you right now.

Dr. Dre wrote:

Tigerbowl wrote:
Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol.

I'm glad I could help. This is basically you right now.

Haha did OP save your life too, Dre?

PRgradBYU wrote:

Dr. Dre wrote:

Tigerbowl wrote:
Dre just sold me on it, I'm retaking. lol.

I'm glad I could help. This is basically you right now.

Haha did OP save your life too, Dre?

not yet.

Lol, thanks Dre.

And I'll definitely do my best to keep everyone informed of my progress. Hopefully I'll have better news and results next year. Thanks again!