USC (2/3 ride) vs. UC Davis (full ride) Forum

[californiauser]

Retaking and reapplying is still the best option here

Please elaborate.

Your GPA change hurts it somewhat, but if you can improve your LSAT by just two points, you are looking at 80k from lower T-14 schools. I don't know your goals/have much experience in Cali, but it just seems silly to me to retake in June and hope USC gives you more $$. Just wait a year, focus your efforts into the LSAT and you will have a better outcome. Plus a bad 2nd take doesn't mean you can't do well on a third take. Make sure your PT scores are in the range you want before you take the test.

Also if you change the poll every two seconds, you won't get accurate results.

Just trying to make sure the poll reflected the most recent information. If the assumption is that I would improve on the LSAT, then I'd definitely say yes it would be worth it to sit out a year and retake. I don't think it's wise to assume that I'll do any better the third time around. I feel as though the historic data is against me... How many actually improved on their third take? And how many of that number compared to those who didn't improve or did worse?

But at this point, here are my considerations:
- BigLaw is not a make or break for me. I'd be just as happy with modest goals in NorCal, and any connections I do have in the field are here.
- My family lives 40 minutes away from Davis, so I feel like just being in close proximity to parents invites more opportunities to have expenses covered by them and even further savings on the CoA. The support factor doesn't hurt either. Living at home 3L year isn't out of the question.
- You may disagree, but I feel Davis' employment stats are on the rebound and it will continue to be the strongest regional degree in Sacramento (which is a city on the rise and I expect the employment prospects to improve)
- If I were to retake and improve 1-2 points, I'm still very concerned about where my 3.57 GPA would take me. As mentioned above, the odds of me actually improving coupled with this GPA makes sitting out another year questionable. Given my debt and working in CA concerns, there are few T14 offers I could get that would justify a retake given my goals. Too much of a what if to expect a higher score and better money from USC too.

Among other considerations. Thanks for the assistance though, everyone. Assuming USC doesn't respond to me today with an amazing offer, which they won't, I'll be choosing Davis. I think we can all agree that that is way too much to pay for USC, but I think that a retake is out of the question.

Sacramento isn't a real legal market and I think you're underestimating how difficult it is to get a decent legal job in Northern California. Still, a full ride at a decent school isn't a bad situation to find yourself in.

[rpupkin]

Sacramento isn't a real legal market and I think you're underestimating how difficult it is to get a decent legal job in Northern California. Still, a full ride at a decent school isn't a bad situation to find yourself in.

Sacramento certainly isn't a big law city. But if someone is fine with a small-firm job or a government job (both of which will likely pay around $50K - $70K per year to start) in Sacramento, then a full-ride at Davis is a solid choice.

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Retake/reapply.

[YungSlumLord]

deleted

[NotASpecialSnowflake]

Also, not saying Sacramento is a big legal market at all, but whatever situation exists there currently will certainly improve.

How can you be certain about this?

I think with your goals, a full ride isn't bad, but you are selling yourself short imo.

[rpupkin]

Also, not saying Sacramento is a big legal market at all, but whatever situation exists there currently will certainly improve.

How can you be certain about this?

I think with your goals, a full ride isn't bad, but you are selling yourself short imo.

Yeah, I agree that the OP's certainty about Sacarmento's legal market is unwarranted. But the "retake" crowd hasn't been very persuasive in this thread. What is it that a retake will do for the OP exactly? He's not getting into Boalt or Stanford with that GPA. Sure, if he improves his LSAT by a few points, he could get into Cornell or UVA or something. But if he really is content with a regional law outcome in Northern California, then I don't think that those schools (which will likely involve significantly more debt and which don't place that well in Northern California) are good options.

[YungSlumLord]

deleted

[Tiago Splitter]

Exactly. I don't wish to sound like I'm cheerleading the NorCal legal market, but my point is that it isn't as dire or will continue to be as dire as some here would say.

Why do you keep insisting on making this point? Can you see the future?