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Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:37 am
by scs0179
Here are some schools that I have applied to:
1. Southern Methodist University
2. Houston Law Center
3. Chicago Kent
4. Chicago Loyola
5. University of Florida
6. Benjamin N. Cardozo
7. Loyola Los Angeles
8. UC Davis
My question is: which of these schools, based on employment aspects and rankings, do you think are not worth attending without financial aid, and how much do you think would justify attending?
Thanks guys!
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:38 am
by Adjudicator
In before "none of them."
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:39 am
by bk1
Adjudicator wrote:In before "none of them."
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:40 am
by deadhipsters
It would only be worth attending Florida, only if you are in-state. Unless they still give residency to students after their first year.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:42 am
by stratocophic
deadhipsters wrote:It would only be worth attending Florida, only if you are in-state. Unless they still give residency to students after their first year.
CR /thread
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:44 am
by paratactical
stratocophic wrote:deadhipsters wrote:It would only be worth attending Florida, only if you are in-state. Unless they still give residency to students after their first year.
CR /thread
Except for the part where you'd have to live in Florida where people kill babies over farmville.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:46 am
by scs0179
I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:48 am
by stratocophic
paratactical wrote:stratocophic wrote:deadhipsters wrote:It would only be worth attending Florida, only if you are in-state. Unless they still give residency to students after their first year.
CR /thread
Except for the part where you'd have to live in Florida where people kill babies over farmville.
Fair point. fixt
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:55 am
by deadhipsters
And lets not forget about buring Korans and stealing elections. Ohhhhh, Florida. What will we do with you?
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 11:57 am
by Aqualibrium
scs0179 wrote:I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...
You ask for advice then you disregard it?
The only one of those schools worth attending at sticker is Florida with in state tuition. You'd need at least half tuition at the others imo to make them worth the investment.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:14 pm
by scs0179
Aqualibrium wrote:scs0179 wrote:I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...
You ask for advice then you disregard it?
The only one of those schools worth attending at sticker is Florida with in state tuition. You'd need at least half tuition at the others imo to make them worth the investment.
Why is Florida the only choice on the list worth attending full sticker price? UC Davis is higher ranked and the job prospects are a lot better in Texas than Florida. Is there something about the University of Florida that I dont know?
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:15 pm
by paratactical
scs0179 wrote:Is there something about the University of Florida that I dont know?
They offer instate tutition and they're only worth "full price" if you get that rate. Otherwise, you'd probably be better off earning income for 3 years than attentind law school.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:17 pm
by bk1
Simply put, at sticker these schools are going to put you in 6 figure debt with very little chance of a 6 figure salary.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:19 pm
by thegovernor
SMU is worth attending if you want to practice in or around Texas, money or not. You can get a great job in Dallas with an SMU Law degree. Plus Texas has one of the strongest economies in the US, thus, even more so.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:20 pm
by thegovernor
And I'm from Dallas, where SMU is located. Just for the record
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:21 pm
by 2011Law
paratactical wrote:scs0179 wrote:Is there something about the University of Florida that I dont know?
They offer instate tutition and they're only worth "full price" if you get that rate. Otherwise, you'd probably be better off earning income for 3 years than attentind law school.
+1, from florida so UF is my final safety, since its 15 a year and prospects aren't too bad in the state (reason its my final fall back is b/c I don't want to spend the rest of my life in Florida).
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:22 pm
by Aqualibrium
scs0179 wrote:Aqualibrium wrote:scs0179 wrote:I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...
You ask for advice then you disregard it?
The only one of those schools worth attending at sticker is Florida with in state tuition. You'd need at least half tuition at the others imo to make them worth the investment.
Why is Florida the only choice on the list worth attending full sticker price? UC Davis is higher ranked and the job prospects are a lot better in Texas than Florida. Is there something about the University of Florida that I dont know?
Again with the not listening!!!
UF has very cheap instate tuition. You aren't a resident though, so that doesn't matter.
The rankings dont matter. If you're outside the top 25% (perhaps top 15%) at any of the schools you listed you're going to have an uphill battle in the job market. It won't be impossible, but it will be very difficult. There is absolutely no reason to take on 100k in debt to attend any of those schools. That's not to say they are bad schools, it's just reality. If you're going to go, do not pay sticker.
What are your numbers?
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:23 pm
by Aqualibrium
thegovernor wrote:SMU is worth attending if you want to practice in or around Texas, money or not. You can literally run shit in Dallas with an SMU Law degree. Plus Texas has the strongest economy in the US, so, even more so.
This is bad advice. SMU is not worth attending at sticker cost. Well, I shouldn't say that....SMU is an incredibly risky option at sticker.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:25 pm
by scs0179
bk187 wrote:Simply put, at sticker these schools are going to put you in 6 figure debt with very little chance of a 6 figure salary.
Well, I'm getting the impression that I'm screwd. Such is life.
Despite, S.M.U and U.C Davis having average private sector starting salaries over 100k (at least, according to this website) I guess they still are bad investments. I better pray for financial aid. While I'm still not sure why Florida is worth attending at stricker price for residents and Houston isn't I'm going to assume it has something to do with better job prospects.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:26 pm
by bk1
scs0179 wrote:
Well, I'm getting the impression that I'm screwd. Such is life.
Despite, S.M.U and U.C Davis having average private sector starting salaries over 100k (at least, according to this website) I guess they still are bad investments. I better pray for financial aid. While I'm still not sure why Florida is worth attending at stricker price for residents and Houston isn't I'm going to assume it has something to do with better job prospects.
Look at this to see why the self reported employment statistics are bogus:
http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/
Also, retake the LSAT so you can get those scholarships or go to better schools.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:30 pm
by scs0179
Aqualibrium wrote:scs0179 wrote:Aqualibrium wrote:scs0179 wrote:I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...
You ask for advice then you disregard it?
The only one of those schools worth attending at sticker is Florida with in state tuition. You'd need at least half tuition at the others imo to make them worth the investment.
Why is Florida the only choice on the list worth attending full sticker price? UC Davis is higher ranked and the job prospects are a lot better in Texas than Florida. Is there something about the University of Florida that I dont know?
Again with the not listening!!!
UF has very cheap instate tuition. You aren't a resident though, so that doesn't matter.
The rankings dont matter. If you're outside the top 25% (perhaps top 15%) at any of the schools you listed you're going to have an uphill battle in the job market. It won't be impossible, but it will be very difficult. There is absolutely no reason to take on 100k in debt to attend any of those schools. That's not to say they are bad schools, it's just reality. If you're going to go, do not pay sticker.
What are your numbers?
I'm aware that they offer instate, tuition: that is obvious. Why that is so much better than say Houston which I could also get instate tuition is what I guess I'm asking. I have a 3.5 and I'm waiting on my LSAT but Im pretty sure its in the low to mid 160s.
thegovernor wrote:SMU is worth attending if you want to practice in or around Texas, money or not. You can literally run shit in Dallas with an SMU Law degree. Plus Texas has the strongest economy in the US, so, even more so.
I have noticed this too, as a Dallas resident. I realize that its expensive but the Dallas legal market is very closed to SMU and Austin graduates and I have been given the impression by lawyers that it was worth the sticker price, everybody seems to disagree with this though?
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:32 pm
by thegovernor
Bc they aren't Texan, they just...don't.. understand
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:32 pm
by bk1
If you get a sub-170 LSAT you should retake. Aim for the high 160's at bare minimum.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:33 pm
by paratactical
scs0179 wrote:I have been given the impression by lawyers that it was worth the sticker price, everybody seems to disagree with this though?
Watch the age of the attorneys you get advice from. I thought I was getting great app advice from a partner I've worked closely with for a while and he though low 160s could get me into Harvard. Times have changed.
Re: Schools not worth the sticker price
Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2010 1:35 pm
by Aqualibrium
scs0179 wrote:bk187 wrote:Simply put, at sticker these schools are going to put you in 6 figure debt with very little chance of a 6 figure salary.
Well, I'm getting the impression that I'm screwd. Such is life.
Despite, S.M.U and U.C Davis having average private sector starting salaries over 100k (at least, according to this website) I guess they still are bad investments. I better pray for financial aid. While I'm still not sure why Florida is worth attending at stricker price for residents and Houston isn't I'm going to assume it has something to do with better job prospects.
My main issue with U of H is the competition, and the fact that tuition and col over three years is still very likely to climb above the 100k mark. I suppose if you already live in Houston 21k a year for tuition isn't a bad deal though.
UF charges only 14k a year in tuition to residents, and is the best school in the state. That is what makes it worth it.
Like I said before, I'll stop short of calling any of those schools bad. They are good schools. I'll concede that U of H may not be a bad option for someone who is interested in working at Houston. I don't believe that you'd be doing yourself any favors by going to SMU at sticker though...