WUSTL Recent Grad (and others) Taking Questions Forum

[regulartime]

Also, I see little reason to go to SLU over WUSTL unless it's close to a full ride at SLU versus sticker at WUSTL.

People around STL really fawn over WUSTL...they treat it like it's Harvard. The reason why STL firms don't hire WUSTL students is because they think you're a flight risk to move to cooler cities after you get 1-2 years of experience (because you can)...not because it's not prestigious enough.

I know SLU people that lived in STL all their lives and basically have given up on being a lawyer at this point. SLU is a huge TTT. You're still not going to get Biglaw from WUSTL if you're from STL but below the top third, but there's a bunch of shitlaw firms in this city that will hire you without even asking for your transcript. The same can't be said of SLU. SLU is not a good bet even for being a lawyer at all.

The bolded definitely make sense. I feel like my good scholarship to Wash U almost makes this a no brainer, but free at SLU is hard to beat if, and its a big IF, SLU will get me employed. It doesn't help that I'm not sure I can swing Wash U financially even with the scholarship.

[Iagreetotheseterms]

Thank you hoos89 and JCougar for answering my question.

[PeanutsNJam]

What's the least amount of money one should take for wustl?

[MKC]

What's the least amount of money one should take for wustl?

Well, you're at 60k to stay alive, so I'm going to say 150k.

No one should pay for law school.

[sublime]

..

[sublime]

..

[MKC]

What's the least amount of money one should take for wustl?

Well, you're at 60k to stay alive, so I'm going to say 150k.

No one should pay for law school.

Kind of easy to say in our position, bro.

True. But looking at the outcomes being described by Hoos and other 3Ls ITT for the bottom 2/3s of the class, stacking up an extra 60k on top of undergrad debt starts looking pretty questionable by itself.

[TatteredDignity]

TCR is to take a few years off after undergrad, get hitched, have COL paid for.

I left WUSTl with ~$35k in debt via this method. And I kinda like her, to boot.

[hoos89]

Did anybody say anything about undergrad debt? There are definitely people who should pay for law school, including WUSTL. How much depends on a lot of factors. If you're from STL, you should be willing to take out more debt than if not (all else equal). If your parents are helping out or you have a spouse covering your living expenses (ETA: scooped), then you don't really need a full scholarship. If you have no prospects, a bad GPA, and have maxed your LSAT, then WUSTL can make sense on a partial scholarship.

[PeanutsNJam]

COL covered. No UG debt. No ties, but not picky about location. Midwest, North of Cali (Oregon/Washington), NYC, Florida, whatever. Have lower-interest loan sources available (relative to the fed loans, which are like 7-8%?). What's my bottom line? Unknown prospects, bad GPA (like really bad), high LSAT (172). Regardless of how much they offer, what would be a reasonable amount for me to ask for?

[hoos89]

Honestly I think you need to figure out what your starting point is, which you won't know until you have already received your admissions and scholarship decisions from a decent number of schools (particularly WUSTL). I also wouldn't just come out and quote them a number right away (because it might be lower than they're willing to offer). Come back when you've got some offers on the table and hopefully we'll be able to help you.

[chuckbass]

Honestly I think you need to figure out what your starting point is, which you won't know until you have already received your admissions and scholarship decisions from a decent number of schools (particularly WUSTL). I also wouldn't just come out and quote them a number right away (because it might be lower than they're willing to offer). Come back when you've got some offers on the table and hopefully we'll be able to help you.

Yea they'll make you an offer (which should be good with your LSAT score) and you would just try to negotiate up from there.

[MKC]

Did anybody say anything about undergrad debt? There are definitely people who should pay for law school, including WUSTL. How much depends on a lot of factors. If you're from STL, you should be willing to take out more debt than if not (all else equal). If your parents are helping out or you have a spouse covering your living expenses (ETA: scooped), then you don't really need a full scholarship. If you have no prospects, a bad GPA, and have maxed your LSAT, then WUSTL can make sense on a partial scholarship.

I went a little overboard there, but like every other law student, the shit looks a lot scarier when it's your ass on the line. So far, everything's working out, but I feel for the half** of the class that is going to graduate without a job. I'm sure most of them will be fine eventually, but that has got to suck.

**Represents the percentage of all 2012 graduates who had a full-time job lasting at least a year for which bar passage was required or a J.D. degree was an advantage. These employment rates are part of the data on placement success used to determine a school’s ranking.

[Birdnals]

I would be shocked if our EE stats are as low as they were for 2012 grads. People who graduated from '09-12/13 got hard fucked by the crash. I feel like hiring has picked back up. While it's not 2006 hiring, it is better than it was just a few years ago.


I'll be interested to see where my class ends up, because a vast majority of people I know have either a clerkship or a mid-to-large firm job lined up. I also know these is hugely anecdotal, and I'm sure there are people who I have mentally in my "has a job lined up" category but that isn't the case because people without jobs are hardly outspoken about it.

[hoos89]

I think c/o 2014 stats are coming out in the next month or so (9 month reporting deadline is February 16, but who knows how long after that it'll take the school to post them). I'll be interested to see whether their stats are markedly better than c/o 2013.

[georgej]

TCR is to take a few years off after undergrad, get hitched, have COL paid for.

I left WUSTl with ~$35k in debt via this method. And I kinda like her, to boot.

Best advice in the whole damn thread right here.

[MKC]

TCR is to take a few years off after undergrad, get hitched, have COL paid for.

I left WUSTl with ~$35k in debt via this method. And I kinda like her, to boot.

Best advice in the whole damn thread right here.

Marrying the woman of my dreams was the best damn decision I ever made. If you have to ask if she's the one... she isn't.

If she is, you're an idiot if you don't do whatever it takes to keep her.

[TatteredDignity]

Marrying the woman of my dreams was the best damn decision I ever made. If you have to ask if she's the one... she isn't.

If she is, you're an idiot if you don't do whatever it takes to keep her.

preach

[chuckbass]

I can't get married here, but that's probably for the best tbh

[MKC]

I can't get married here, but that's probably for the best tbh

Yes you can.

[LawsRUs]

^^ Sorry to change the subject there, but have you met anyone at WUSTL who is coming out with ~$100,000+ (including CoL + undergrad loans*) who wants to do gov'tal or PI work, but is relying on this golden formula to repay the loans:

WUSTL's LRAP / PSLF + IBR ? (Is this fwt or nay?)

Thanks !!
(that was a strange question, but I studied WUSTL's LRAP and I noticed that WUSTL offers a very generous LRAP--much more generous than some other schools that I've gotten into)

* I have more than average undergrad loans. D;

[chuckbass]

Oh I didn't know our LRAP was any good, I guess I should look at that. If anything I guess just compare that with PAYE.

[LawsRUs]

Oh I didn't know our LRAP was any good, I guess I should look at that. If anything I guess just compare that with PAYE.

Is PAYE the one payment program where there is a tax bomb?

[chuckbass]

Oh I didn't know our LRAP was any good, I guess I should look at that. If anything I guess just compare that with PAYE.

Is PAYE the one payment program where there is a tax bomb?

Yeah, I'm not sure what happens for PI people though since I've never thought about PI.

[LawsRUs]

Oh I didn't know our LRAP was any good, I guess I should look at that. If anything I guess just compare that with PAYE.

Is PAYE the one payment program where there is a tax bomb?

Yeah, I'm not sure what happens for PI people though since I've never thought about PI.

o i c. i'll go look into it. thanks for letting me know about PAYE--I totally forgot about that one.