Full ride at U Minnesota or Sticker at UC Berkeley? Forum

[Tangerine Gleam]

Unless your parents are going to be funding your education, they should have no say in this. Family relationships are important, but this is your career that you're talking about. Your life. If you don't go to the law school they wanted because you were accepted at one of the top 10 schools in the country, they will eventually get over it.

Now some thoughts:

remember debt is very real; so have a plan on how you would pay off over 100k in debt if you take sticker at boalt.

Try 200k+, before interest. Berkeley tuition + COL is very high.

Did you try to get Berkeley to match any of the UMN offer?

Berk won't consider matching UMN...they only consider matching scholarships from twelve "peer schools" (basically the rest of the T14 minus Northwestern).

OP, I am a huge Berkeley fan...given your interests, I would vote Berkeley. It is an incredible school and it will open many more doors for you. Your life will be different with a Berkeley degree.

However, your life will also be different under the yoke of a lot of debt. It's huge. Huge huge. You should visit and see how you feel. Luckily, Berkeley's LRAP is really great, which will play well into your public interest pursuits.

[reverendt]

The whole "regional school v. national school thing" mostly applies to those seeking jobs with firms.
I don't think it's as applicable to non-profit/PI hiring.

So I would seriously consider Minn. unless you think you'd be miserable there.
Besides the twin cities are supposed to be pretty cool....

[Mitchske]

Go to Berkeley. This isn't a difficult decision, although you may want to inform UCB of your full ride at Minn and use it as leverage to get any money.

[scribelaw]

Unless your parents are going to be funding your education, they should have no say in this. Family relationships are important, but this is your career that you're talking about. Your life. If you don't go to the law school they wanted because you were accepted at one of the top 10 schools in the country, they will eventually get over it.

Now some thoughts:

remember debt is very real; so have a plan on how you would pay off over 100k in debt if you take sticker at boalt.

Try 200k+, before interest. Berkeley tuition + COL is very high.

Did you try to get Berkeley to match any of the UMN offer?

Berk won't consider matching UMN...they only consider matching scholarships from twelve "peer schools" (basically the rest of the T14 minus Northwestern).

OP, I am a huge Berkeley fan...given your interests, I would vote Berkeley. It is an incredible school and it will open many more doors for you. Your life will be different with a Berkeley degree.

However, your life will also be different under the yoke of a lot of debt. It's huge. Huge huge. You should visit and see how you feel. Luckily, Berkeley's LRAP is really great, which will play well into your public interest pursuits.

Why would they match every school in the T14 except Northwestern?

[kittenmittons]

Unless your parents are going to be funding your education, they should have no say in this. Family relationships are important, but this is your career that you're talking about. Your life. If you don't go to the law school they wanted because you were accepted at one of the top 10 schools in the country, they will eventually get over it.

Now some thoughts:

remember debt is very real; so have a plan on how you would pay off over 100k in debt if you take sticker at boalt.

Try 200k+, before interest. Berkeley tuition + COL is very high.

Did you try to get Berkeley to match any of the UMN offer?

Berk won't consider matching UMN...they only consider matching scholarships from twelve "peer schools" (basically the rest of the T14 minus Northwestern).

OP, I am a huge Berkeley fan...given your interests, I would vote Berkeley. It is an incredible school and it will open many more doors for you. Your life will be different with a Berkeley degree.

However, your life will also be different under the yoke of a lot of debt. It's huge. Huge huge. You should visit and see how you feel. Luckily, Berkeley's LRAP is really great, which will play well into your public interest pursuits.

Why would they match every school in the T14 except Northwestern?

Because NU hands out money like Lindsay Lohan goes through coke.

[Ayeshabelle]

Thank you very much for your advice. I think I will visit both schools but it will probably be Berkeley in the end (unless my ritual sacrifices to Posiedan have worked and HYS let me in) And Tangerine, my parents are not the most accepting of deviation. I've finally gotten "permission" to become a lawyer instead of a doctor, and I do not want to receive any more nightly phone calls bemoaning my "bad life decisions." Some fights are just better not to have.

[starstruck393]

Thank you very much for your advice. I think I will visit both schools but it will probably be Berkeley in the end (unless my ritual sacrifices to Posiedan have worked and HYS let me in) And Tangerine, my parents are not the most accepting of deviation. I've finally gotten "permission" to become a lawyer instead of a doctor, and I do not want to receive any more nightly phone calls bemoaning my "bad life decisions." Some fights are just better not to have.

I mean, in all fairness, you probably should have become a doctor...

(jk, jk...)

[nematoad]

Cal

[BenJ]

Because NU hands out money like Lindsay Lohan goes through coke.

And because Northwestern is apparently not thought of highly by the rest of the T14. On the "peer rankings" section of the USNWR rankings, Northwestern is tied with UCLA and behind Texas. The rest of the T14 stick together (although Georgetown and Texas are tied).

http://www.prelawhandbook.com/2010_top_50

[Tangerine Gleam]

And Tangerine, my parents are not the most accepting of deviation. I've finally gotten "permission" to become a lawyer instead of a doctor, and I do not want to receive any more nightly phone calls bemoaning my "bad life decisions." Some fights are just better not to have.

I understand...of all people, strangers on message boards are completely oblivious to the complicated and delicate scope of unknown inidivuals' family dynamics. In other words, even if you are an adult, simply ignoring your parents is easier said than done, I'm sure. I certainly didn't mean to downplay whatever effects this decision will have on your family life...those elements can hold serious sway. They're your parents, after all...I can only imagine that their opinion/reaction is very significant, and you're completely justified in that.

However, the one good thing about advice from strangers is that they can perhaps give a more objective look at things...assessing your options, as they pertain to your interests, in a vacuum devoid of your parents' concerns. And, from where I'm standing, "attending one of the country's best law schools" doesn't qualify for harsh "deviation". You may not be a doctor, but fuck...it's not like you're dropping out of school to pursue an acting career or join a metal band. You may not have been successful in the way they envisioned, but you're hardly rebelling.

So,just as they eventually gave you "permission" to become a lawyer, hopefully they will eventually see the benefit to your attending the 2nd-best law school west of the Mississippi. You're in a position that thousands and thousands would kill to be in, and hopefully they'll one day be amply proud of you for it.

At the end of the day, though, it is true that you should do what you want, regardless of what they say...no matter how hard it may be at first. If they're not footing the bill, then they have to accept your choice. They may be hard on you for it, but not as hard as you will likely be on yourself if, for the rest of your life, you always wish you had gone to Berkeley.

It's a good thing that you're visiting both schools, and a good thing that you have two more months to marinate on your options and make the best choice. Good luck and keep us updated!

[jack duluoz]

Always pay as much as possible for your legal education. TCR.

[starstruck393]

Always pay as much as possible for your legal education. TCR.

NYLS ftw, then! http://www.ilrg.com/rankings/law/tuitio ... sc/Tuition

[Ayeshabelle]

However, the one good thing about advice from strangers is that they can perhaps give a more objective look at things...assessing your options, as they pertain to your interests, in a vacuum devoid of your parents' concerns.

Exactly why I'm asking you guys at TLS before I talk to them. Thanks a lot =)

[Tangerine Gleam]

However, the one good thing about advice from strangers is that they can perhaps give a more objective look at things...assessing your options, as they pertain to your interests, in a vacuum devoid of your parents' concerns.

Exactly why I'm asking you guys at TLS before I talk to them. Thanks a lot =)

Word...hope I didn't come across as too preachy in that previous post. I personally get miffed when I hear about parents giving their kids a hard time, especially in a case like this, where you've accomplished so much and they have loads to be proud of.

But seriously, best of luck!

[roxj]

I also got a full ride at Minn and sticker at Berkeley.

I haven't gotten to visit, but everything I hear about Minneapolis I love. It's supposed to be a great city, and it's somewhere I could see myself settling down. However, I am too unsure about what my actual goals/interests will be a few years done the road, so I'm leaning towards a t10.

I would definitely at least give Minn a fair look, especially if your biggest concern is lack of diversity, because as others have said, that won't be an issue there.

I'm a URM too, btw.