UIUC 2015 Forum

[jsvaughn]

I have 10K from Indiana and 10K from Alabama, while UIUC gave me 5K

Do I have a legitimate shot at getting any extra money from UIUC with these current offers?

[bigben5289]

I have 10K from Indiana and 10K from Alabama, while UIUC gave me 5K

Do I have a legitimate shot at getting any extra money from UIUC with these current offers?

Alabama and Illinois are not peer schools so probably not.

Indiana and Illinois is a closer call but I do not think so. I had the opposite issue last year. Money from Illinois and I was trying to get Indiana to increase but they said no.

Just my two cents

[tmon]

I have 10K from Indiana and 10K from Alabama, while UIUC gave me 5K

Do I have a legitimate shot at getting any extra money from UIUC with these current offers?

Alabama and Illinois are not peer schools so probably not.

Indiana and Illinois is a closer call but I do not think so. I had the opposite issue last year. Money from Illinois and I was trying to get Indiana to increase but they said no.

Just my two cents

I know in the past Illinois didn't consider Indiana a peer school, but they tended to give out massive scholarships to tons of people, which they seem to have cut down on this year. Perhaps there were other factors in play, but it really seemed like schools stopped acknowledging IU-B scholarships just because they didn't want to match/compete with them.

At the end of the day, TCR is "it doesn't hurt to try" though.

[illini22]

I have 10K from Indiana and 10K from Alabama, while UIUC gave me 5K

Do I have a legitimate shot at getting any extra money from UIUC with these current offers?

Alabama and Illinois are not peer schools so probably not.

Indiana and Illinois is a closer call but I do not think so. I had the opposite issue last year. Money from Illinois and I was trying to get Indiana to increase but they said no.

Just my two cents

I know in the past Illinois didn't consider Indiana a peer school, but they tended to give out massive scholarships to tons of people, which they seem to have cut down on this year. Perhaps there were other factors in play, but it really seemed like schools stopped acknowledging IU-B scholarships just because they didn't want to match/compete with them.

At the end of the day, TCR is "it doesn't hurt to try" though.

From what I saw my year (Under Dean Pless), the school was more willing to negotiate when students had a full ride from your home market, even if TT, than to "match" something from Indiana or another similarly ranked school. I received more money from Minnesota, and the school was unwilling to match. At the end, Since I liked Illinois more, I didnt think that 5k/year was enough money to change my mind. Especially since cost of living here was cheaper. 5k sounds like a lot, but when you talk about being 70k in debt vs 85k in debt, the loan payments that you would make on the 15k difference accumulated over 3 years is really peanuts.

[tmon]

From what I saw my year (Under Dean Pless), the school was more willing to negotiate when students had a full ride from your home market, even if TT, than to "match" something from Indiana or another similarly ranked school. I received more money from Minnesota, and the school was unwilling to match. At the end, Since I liked Illinois more, I didnt think that 5k/year was enough money to change my mind. Especially since cost of living here was cheaper. 5k sounds like a lot, but when you talk about being 70k in debt vs 85k in debt, the loan payments that you would make on the 15k difference accumulated over 3 years is really peanuts.

5K would especially be a wash once you factor in tuition hikes at other schools, since Illinois' doesn't change for a given class once they enter, right?

[janoobee]

Big ben I have some questions.

Is the school any help as far as getting 1L summer opportunities are concerned or do you mostly do that on your own?

Do you know if they are flexible in regards to negotiating scholarships?

Hows the quality of life, do most people live next to campus and is it convenient/enjoyable?


Its understandable if you don't have an opinion concerning any of the above, thanks for taking questions.

To answer your first question, it is a little bit of both. The Career Services Office has lectures throughout the semester explaining how to write a good resume/cover letter and you can send it to your advisor to correct. You can also go to the office and do mock interviews which I did which was helpful. At the same time Career Services is not going to hand all the 1Ls jobs, you need to do most of the work on your own. Like most other schools, all students have a symplicity account.

It depends on where your other offers are from. They will only be flexible if the other offer is from a peer school. Where are your other offer?

Quality of life is great if you like living in a college town. If you went to a school that is in a city then going here will be a "shock." I went to the University of Florida in Gainesville for undergrad so I am used to and like living in a college town. The University runs the town. Campus shuts down on home games in the fall. I live in Savoy which is about a 10-15 min drive. I park in a commuter lot and take a bus to the law school. A lot of the law students/grad students live in Savoy and they all seem to like it including myself. A few of my friends live right on campus and they like it but it has some drawbacks. My one friends lives next to the fraternity houses so it can get loud on the weekends.

Yea I wouldnt mind a college town, I just want to end up living in some suburb feeling completely removed from the campus. I would like to be surrounded by and in close proximity to other students. I don't know what they consider peer schools but I have 15 K from william and mary and 10 k from fordham. Both closer to me than Illinois as I am from Boston. Are there a lot of people not from Illinois there? Hows the social scene?

[givemea170]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

[STLMizzou]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Did you factor in cost of living? Also, I run into quite a few DePaul/Loyola/John Marshal grads at the courthouse still clerking. Just saying, Chicago TTT’s don’t have the advantage most TTT’s have in the mid-west.

[mattviphky]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Did you factor in cost of living? Also, I run into quite a few DePaul/Loyola/John Marshal grads at the courthouse still clerking. Just saying, Chicago TTT’s don’t have the advantage most TTT’s have in the mid-west.

That's a concern of mine, as well. TT/TTTs are pretty regional, and some regions are just better off than others. Costs being equal, I would go to SLU if it was between DeP/Loy/Kent and SLU. Although lower ranked, SLU is pretty much the tits for St. Louis region...chiu is bad

[bigben5289]

Big ben I have some questions.

Is the school any help as far as getting 1L summer opportunities are concerned or do you mostly do that on your own?

Do you know if they are flexible in regards to negotiating scholarships?

Hows the quality of life, do most people live next to campus and is it convenient/enjoyable?


Its understandable if you don't have an opinion concerning any of the above, thanks for taking questions.

To answer your first question, it is a little bit of both. The Career Services Office has lectures throughout the semester explaining how to write a good resume/cover letter and you can send it to your advisor to correct. You can also go to the office and do mock interviews which I did which was helpful. At the same time Career Services is not going to hand all the 1Ls jobs, you need to do most of the work on your own. Like most other schools, all students have a symplicity account.

It depends on where your other offers are from. They will only be flexible if the other offer is from a peer school. Where are your other offer?

Quality of life is great if you like living in a college town. If you went to a school that is in a city then going here will be a "shock." I went to the University of Florida in Gainesville for undergrad so I am used to and like living in a college town. The University runs the town. Campus shuts down on home games in the fall. I live in Savoy which is about a 10-15 min drive. I park in a commuter lot and take a bus to the law school. A lot of the law students/grad students live in Savoy and they all seem to like it including myself. A few of my friends live right on campus and they like it but it has some drawbacks. My one friends lives next to the fraternity houses so it can get loud on the weekends.

Yea I wouldnt mind a college town, I just want to end up living in some suburb feeling completely removed from the campus. I would like to be surrounded by and in close proximity to other students. I don't know what they consider peer schools but I have 15 K from william and mary and 10 k from fordham. Both closer to me than Illinois as I am from Boston. Are there a lot of people not from Illinois there? Hows the social scene?

A lot of the people that go here are from the suburbs of Chicago but there are some who are not. I am from Florida and I know 3 other people who are also from Florida but we all have connections in Chicago. There are some people from Minnesota and Wisconsin and a few from California.

The social scene is like any other college town. Lots of bars next to campus and downtown. As law students you time to go to bars is limited but I know a lot of people that go out every weekend.

[bigben5289]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Did you factor in cost of living? Also, I run into quite a few DePaul/Loyola/John Marshal grads at the courthouse still clerking. Just saying, Chicago TTT’s don’t have the advantage most TTT’s have in the mid-west.

That's a concern of mine, as well. TT/TTTs are pretty regional, and some regions are just better off than others. Costs being equal, I would go to SLU if it was between DeP/Loy/Kent and SLU. Although lower ranked, SLU is pretty much the tits for St. Louis region...chiu is bad

How much cheaper?

[naw]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Same here, buddy. Kent full-tuition vs. UIUC 75% is giving me all sorts of headache. Definitely leaning UIUC, if I can find a sponsor and funds for the joint MA in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

[Opie]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Same here, buddy. Kent full-tuition vs. UIUC 75% is giving me all sorts of headache. Definitely leaning UIUC, if I can find a sponsor and funds for the joint MA in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

I would go UIUC all the way on that. COL makes them almost equal in cost.

ETA: does Kent have stips? Also, do they guaranty that the price won't increase each year?

[tmon]

It looks like the Chicago schools are going to end up being a lot less expensive than Illinois.

What to do, what to do...

Same here, buddy. Kent full-tuition vs. UIUC 75% is giving me all sorts of headache. Definitely leaning UIUC, if I can find a sponsor and funds for the joint MA in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences.

That sounds like a pretty obvious decision in favor of UIUC. Why do you think otherwise?

[givemea170]

$20,000 at Loyola or Depaul
$36,000 at UIUC

You guys would still take UIUC under that scenario?

[tmon]

$20,000 at Loyola or Depaul
$36,000 at UIUC

You guys would still take UIUC under that scenario?

Total costs? Yes.

[givemea170]

$20,000 at Loyola or Depaul
$36,000 at UIUC

You guys would still take UIUC under that scenario?

Total costs? Yes.

Plus cost of living of course, but I just wish UIUC would have offered a better scholarship. Emailed Jenny but she hasn't responded so I don't think they will negotiate.

[STLMizzou]

$20,000 at Loyola or Depaul
$36,000 at UIUC

You guys would still take UIUC under that scenario?

Is this tuition a year, cost of attending a year (including projected living cost), or some other number?

ETA: scooped. Yes, Chicago will easily be $10,000 more in living expenses a year

[Opie]

$20,000 at Loyola or Depaul
$36,000 at UIUC

You guys would still take UIUC under that scenario?

Total costs? Yes.

Plus cost of living of course, but I just wish UIUC would have offered a better scholarship. Emailed Jenny but she hasn't responded so I don't think they will negotiate.

Job prospects are just a lot better for UIUC than the other two. Some people would tell you that the choice is basically debt with a possible job or debt with no possible job. I'm not quite that doom and gloom, but relatively speaking the comparison still holds.

[givemea170]

In my case, I won't even be in debt because my parents are footing the bill. I would, however, like to be respectful to them and try to make the best decision.

If Northwestern takes me off their hold list, it won't be a problem. lol. I'll apologize to my parents for it being so expensive and go from there.

I will say though that I've heard that LUC places well... maybe not true but is UIUC significantly better than LUC? I think I saw Big Law statistics where UIUC places 17% and LUC places 10%....?

[mattviphky]

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meh, not the best resource, since like a 1/4 of grads in private practice reported salaries, while nearly 90% of UIUC reported their's. Another thing, 75% of UIUC grads have a job a graduation, while only 60% from LUC have one. The numbers are nearly the same at 9 months out...but I think the quality of job is gonna be far different. I would think that nearly everyone who has a job lined up at graduation is going into a legal position, I don't think any fresh graduate would really accept a (presitigous) nonlegal job right out of law school...but after 9 months, desperation might set in. UIUC reports most of the graduates working at 9 months have a legal position, but LUC doesn't offer that info. So maybe 60% of LUC grads have a legal job at graduation, and the rest settle with barista jobs 9 months out in order to stay afloat. I don't think this is the case, but it very well could be if they don't report anything?

[givemea170]

http://www.lawschooltransparency.com/cl ... la-chicago

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meh, not the best resource, since like a 1/4 of grads in private practice reported salaries, while nearly 90% of UIUC reported their's. Another thing, 75% of UIUC grads have a job a graduation, while only 60% from LUC have one. The numbers are nearly the same at 9 months out...but I think the quality of job is gonna be far different. I would think that nearly everyone who has a job lined up at graduation is going into a legal position, I don't think any fresh graduate would really accept a (presitigous) nonlegal job right out of law school...but after 9 months, desperation might set in. UIUC reports most of the graduates working at 9 months have a legal position, but LUC doesn't offer that info. So maybe 60% of LUC grads have a legal job at graduation, and the rest settle with barista jobs 9 months out in order to stay afloat. I don't think this is the case, but it very well could be if they don't report anything?

hmm good points.

I'm going to have to figure this out I guess. I wonder what the stats are for those who finish in the top 10% at each school.

[givemea170]

Or let me put it this way...

Do you think the job prospects would be much different if I was top 10% at LUC or in the middle range at UIUC?

[Opie]

Or let me put it this way...

Do you think the job prospects would be much different if I was top 10% at LUC or in the middle range at UIUC?

I think the comparison would be the same. Also, it is much more beneficial to look at where the median places. Almost nobody is top 10%.

[tmon]

You can't assume you're going to be top 10%, and that's why UIUC is a better investment. If you can get top 10% at Loyola then you can probably get it at Illinois too. MAYBE we can think that top 10% at both schools will give you access to some of the same Chicago firms, but it's much more likely you'll be closer to median and the differences in employment opportunity as you move closer to median on the curve is where the differences are really significant.

Also, the "not reporting salary" figure isn't just a bunch of people with great jobs who didn't feel like sending in their job information form. If you get a job at a top firm the school's going to know and you're going to be counted. I'd wager that number of students the top 3 quartiles on LSN are the only ones actually in that range, and the vast majority are significantly lower.