Emory 75K vs SMU Full (LESS THAN 72 HOURS TO DECIDE!) Forum

[gbpackerbacker]

Ugh. Well, I rest my case.

[ArchRoark]

Interesting, my SMU scholarship had no stipulations other than to maintain good academic standing.

If it was SMU full no stipulations, I would easily take SMU.... The stipulations make it a much more difficult choice.

Disclaimer: I chose SMU full no stips over sticker T14 options. I loathe debt.

[aquyenl]

Interesting, my SMU scholarship had no stipulations other than to maintain good academic standing.

If it was SMU full no stipulations, I would easily take SMU.... The stipulations make it a much more difficult choice.

Disclaimer: I chose SMU full no stips over sticker T14 options. I loathe debt.

the scholarship i received was from one of the private foundations you had to write an optional essay for, so it is not directly from the law school. that is why the dean was not able to lower the stips. but yeah, falling out of top 25% would be horrifying...

[ArchRoark]

Interesting, my SMU scholarship had no stipulations other than to maintain good academic standing.

If it was SMU full no stipulations, I would easily take SMU.... The stipulations make it a much more difficult choice.

Disclaimer: I chose SMU full no stips over sticker T14 options. I loathe debt.

the scholarship i received was from one of the private foundations you had to write an optional essay for, so it is not directly from the law school. that is why the dean was not able to lower the stips. but yeah, falling out of top 25% would be horrifying...

Whaaaa.... I hope it isn't the same one I was awarded. PM'd

[david787]

SMU will give you better options for working in TX when you graduate, period. As for the money, that's tough, everyone wants to be in the top of their class, and everyone thinks they can. Now if you weren't in the top 25% at SMU that would mean you certainly wouldn't be in the top 25% at Emory, and SMU's access to the Texas legal market would become more important, since a non-top student at Emory would have a much harder time getting a job in Texas than a non-top student at SMU unless you have a great TX personal network.

SMU is riskier for the $ and debt, but much safer for job prospects, especially since you want to be in Texas.

[bartleby]

SMU will give you better options for working in TX when you graduate, period. As for the money, that's tough, everyone wants to be in the top of their class, and everyone thinks they can. Now if you weren't in the top 25% at SMU that would mean you certainly wouldn't be in the top 25% at Emory, and SMU's access to the Texas legal market would become more important, since a non-top student at Emory would have a much harder time getting a job in Texas than a non-top student at SMU unless you have a great TX personal network.

SMU is riskier for the $ and debt, but much safer for job prospects, especially since you want to be in Texas.

lulz

[FGCUguy123]

EMORY

[drummerboy]

emory of course.

[gbpackerbacker]

Have you tried asking Emory for more money?

[Aberzombie1892]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Regardless, does anyone have a COA for OP for both assuming he/she loses the SMU scholarship?

[aquyenl]

Have you tried asking Emory for more money?

Emory states that all financial awards are final and non-negotiable. I've read from others who tried negotiating and were given that same response, so I haven't bothered trying to negotiate.

[fathergoose]

Current SMU student here.

With stipulations like that, go to Emory. Scholarships with stipulations are a suckers bet.

I've never heard of an SMU scholarship with stipulations, mine are all contingent on "good academic standing" which seems to mean 2.0+

[ELS2010]

I think that SMU is even with Emory, or might even have an edge, for finding a j-o-b. While I am not completely familiar with SMU's employment stats, I know that Emory's are atrocious.

The cluelessness!!!! IT BURNS!!!!!!

[ELS2010]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Funny, I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in your posts.

[FGCUguy123]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Funny, I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in your posts.

I like your style ELS.

[Aberzombie1892]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Funny, I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in your posts.

I like your style ELS.

Both of them are ~20% big law since 2005. I'm unsure of what you are talking about.

EDIT - In fact -
42% of Emory's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher
47% of SMU's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher

I'm just saying.

[gbpackerbacker]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Funny, I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in your posts.

I like your style ELS.

Both of them are ~20% big law since 2005. I'm unsure of what you are talking about.

EDIT - In fact -
42% of Emory's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher
47% of SMU's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher

I'm just saying.

[FGCUguy123]

I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in this thread.

Emory has never been noticeably better at placing students in big law than SMU. At least, not since 2005.

The schools have always been peers in terms of high paying jobs.

Funny, I'm seeing a lot of erroneous information in your posts.

I like your style ELS.

Both of them are ~20% big law since 2005. I'm unsure of what you are talking about.

EDIT - In fact -
42% of Emory's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher
47% of SMU's class of 2009 made $75,000 or higher

I'm just saying.

lol. that's funny. 5%. how compelling.

[Aberzombie1892]

Why doesn't the OP have the COA for both? This is needed to make a more informed response.

OP -

Regardless of anything, the schools are peers in terms of high paying jobs. Because you want TX, SMU is worth a little more money than Emory (maybe $20,000-$30,000 total).

[fathergoose]

Honestly you'd be better off OP with 30k a year with no stipulations than full ride with top quarter stipulations. I've never heard of anybody negotiating their scholarship money down but it'd be worth it to remove the stipulation. Otherwise take the 25k a year and go to Emory.

[ArchRoark]

Honestly you'd be better off OP with 30k a year with no stipulations than full ride with top quarter stipulations. I've never heard of anybody negotiating their scholarship money down but it'd be worth it to remove the stipulation. Otherwise take the 25k a year and go to Emory.

The scholarship is awarded by an outside foundation, I doubt they wool be willing to negotiate.

[reverendt]

Emory as long as you don't mind working in Atlanta for a while.
Top 25% is a completely ridiculous stipulation. Odds are 3 to 1 that you lose that scholly after the first year.
What I'd do is crunch the numbers. See how much more 2 years of paying sticker at SMU would cost you than 3 years at Emory with your scholarship. If the difference isn't that huge, then maybe consider SMU.
But while weighing this...remember that you will probably have to pay sticker price for 2 years at SMU.

[HeavenWood]

Those stips are bullshit. Emory.

[DubPoker]

Couldn't find NLJ for top 50 for all years, or article III for a couple years. The lack of info is not selective, it is literally what is on the interwebs. I don't go to, and haven't even applied to either of these schools btw.

2010:
NLJ 250 (http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/goto%20l ... s_main.pdf)
Emory 21.18%
SMU 16.22%

2009:
NLJ 250 (http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/law%20sc ... page12.pdf)
Emory 23.5%
SMU 23%

Article III (LST)
Emory 5%
SMU 3.6%

2008:
Article III (LST)
Emory 8.6%
SMU 2.2%

2005: (http://www.law.com/pdf/nlj/20080414empl ... trends.pdf)
NLJ 250
Emory 22%
SMU 18%

Clerkships (Doesn't specify if just article III, though I think it is)
Emory: 10%
SMU: 5%

My personal conclusion. Emory places slightly better (but it is noticeable) in NLJ but historically places way more in Article III. Emory is a better school. While outside the T14 there are a lot of peer schools, there is a noticeable difference between 50 and 30 (in Emory's defense they have been around 20 for a while)

The stipulations on your SMU scholarship are atrocious, you see more of those steep stips at TTT and TTTT schools. Top 25% is not something I would want, especially when offered 25K a year no stip from a better school. I would take Emory if you want a job more than you want to live in Texas.

Edit: I also think your poll would be a landslide towards Emory if next to SMU's "full tuition" you wrote "top 25% stip" people don't read the op before voting.

[whuts4lunch]

Top 25% ... Odds are 3 to 1 that you lose that scholly after the first year.

Not necessarily the case. I know that at UMiami there is a top 3rd stip on most of their scholarships, yet over 80% of the recipients maintain the award at least after the first year. See if you can find out the number and percentage of students that receive the same scholarship keep it for second and third year.

Regardless, stipulations are terrible, because the situation where you lose the scholarship is the very situation where a scholarship is most necessary (lower grades --> fewer job options --> difficulty servicing higher debt).