Michigan v. Northwestern v. UCLA Forum

[ht2988]

If it's true OP that ties through your parents will always propel you further and ensure you land on your feet, then I would also change my vote to UCLA because really who cares about employment prospects if you're going to be mega-rich and successful either way?
If, as is the feeling I get from this thread, you want to make it on your own, not rely on (or possibly not always have) incredible financial support and employment prospects are a major issue if your parents cannot hand you jobs opportunity after job opportunity, then I stick with what I have been saying.

I feel like if OP was 100% set because "lol rich parents" then he/she would not even bother making this thread...but I could be wrong.

I kind of got the sense that the OP wants the go ahead to go to UCLA but the T14 or bust attitude around here is holding him back from pulling the trigger so he wanted to see what TLS said. Could be wrong though.

You're spot on with this. I'm going to keep deliberating on all of the great feedback here, but I'm still leaning towards UCLA.

[Micdiddy]

If it's true OP that ties through your parents will always propel you further and ensure you land on your feet, then I would also change my vote to UCLA because really who cares about employment prospects if you're going to be mega-rich and successful either way?
If, as is the feeling I get from this thread, you want to make it on your own, not rely on (or possibly not always have) incredible financial support and employment prospects are a major issue if your parents cannot hand you jobs opportunity after job opportunity, then I stick with what I have been saying.

I feel like if OP was 100% set because "lol rich parents" then he/she would not even bother making this thread...but I could be wrong.

I kind of got the sense that the OP wants the go ahead to go to UCLA but the T14 or bust attitude around here is holding him back from pulling the trigger so he wanted to see what TLS said. Could be wrong though.

I get that sense also, but still if OP was completely set forever, why bother?
It's up to OP. I also don't think TLS should lead OP astray by saying "well, who cares, you're rich biatch!"
But clearly OP has no bad option.

ETA: For reference,

[de5igual]

UCLA all the way. Life is short, and three years is a long time. It is almost a third of your 20's, so you should go somewhere you can enjoy yourself. I also think it would be roughly as difficult to get top 1/3 at UCLA as it would be to get top 1/2 at NU or Michigan because the competition is slightly weaker.

I don't think the one point difference on the LSAT makes any statistical difference in competition.

[ht2988]

If it's true OP that ties through your parents will always propel you further and ensure you land on your feet, then I would also change my vote to UCLA because really who cares about employment prospects if you're going to be mega-rich and successful either way?
If, as is the feeling I get from this thread, you want to make it on your own, not rely on (or possibly not always have) incredible financial support and employment prospects are a major issue if your parents cannot hand you jobs opportunity after job opportunity, then I stick with what I have been saying.

I feel like if OP was 100% set because "lol rich parents" then he/she would not even bother making this thread...but I could be wrong.

I kind of got the sense that the OP wants the go ahead to go to UCLA but the T14 or bust attitude around here is holding him back from pulling the trigger so he wanted to see what TLS said. Could be wrong though.

I get that sense also, but still if OP was completely set forever, why bother?
It's up to OP. I also don't think TLS should lead OP astray by saying "well, who cares, you're rich biatch!"
But clearly OP has no bad option.

ETA: For reference,

omg haha i'm not completely set forever! i wouldn't bother with law school if i was. i'm comfortably situated, though, with a cozy security net if anything goes wrong. i'm not planning on using it, though. another reason i'm posting here is because TLS helped me with my LSAT, so i trust the wisdom here, and so far i really appreciate y'all for chiming in.

[megagnarley]

Have you tried negotiating? I understand your parents are paying but please give them as big of a break as possible! If they are totally and completely loaded and NU at sticker is the tiniest drop in the bucket, go there. If not, it's hard to justify either of these options over the lots of money at UCLA.

NU and Mich were the two I was considering and alumni and faculty from both told me I have a good chance of getting back to Cali (obviously, take it with a grain of salt, but searching firm associates alma maters does support some of what they say).

Is money an issue at all in anyway? If not, make that more clear in your op. Again, if they are totally loaded go to NU, if they are taking out their own loans, putting themselves under financial pressure, etc. try negotiating and then prob end up at UCLA.

OP has no real ties to CA, his résumé will scream Midwest and I don't think attending law school in the Midwest will help him snag CA big law without tippy top grades.

This is what I want to know about ties. Isn't what they want to hear just that you want to be in that city? Why is the fact my Uncle, who I barely speak to, living in Marin is more of a tie than "OMG SF IS MY DREAM CITY I WILL STAY HERE FOREVER AND EVER?" It's just a reason for them to believe I will stick around. But OP can give them a million reasons why he/she will stick around despite not having random relatives in the area or "one time I was barista in Burbank."
Seriously, if OP makes their OCI bidding Cali centric and prepares a spiel, why would employers not believe that he/she's in it for the long haul?

I'm just thinking that there will be so many kids with good grades from the T14, plus all the CA school kids who have top grades from those schools that if the OP ends up median at NU or Michigan they probably won't get CA big law no matter how much they love it. Then again if they are median at UCLA they probably won't get CA big law either. I don't really know what the right answer is, I think NU and Michigan are unquestionably better schools but UCLA would at least allow the OP to start a CA narrative and establish some roots/contacts in the city he wants to end up in.

Well this depends. If you are basing it on ties that may be the case. But if you are basing it on solely being at median, that is false. I know for a fact a number of LA firms take Mich students at median and even slightly below.

ETA: If you're dead set on LA and money doesn't matter, go plant yourself in the city you want to practice in. UCLA.

[ht2988]

Thanks for all the feedback. I withdrew from Michigan and Northwestern just now. I'll be depositing at UCLA as soon as I hear back from Columbia.

[jbagelboy]

Thanks for all the feedback. I withdrew from Michigan and Northwestern just now. I'll be depositing at UCLA as soon as I hear back from Columbia.

congrats on your decision!