UVA Law- worth it at sticker? Forum

[kingjones59]

I want to put a hypothetical out there because alot of the advice seems to stem from my 50-60K job potential....

What if I do not get extended this offer? Also, I have no major ties anywhere and am willing to go where the job is should NYC/DC not work out. Would the advice change at all?

[rayiner]

I want to put a hypothetical out there because alot of the advice seems to stem from my 50-60K job potential....

What if I do not get extended this offer? Also, I have no major ties anywhere and am willing to go where the job is should NYC/DC not work out. Would the advice change at all?

Can you get some job that you can support yourself for a year? If so, then no, my advice would not change.

I took several months off after undergrad, and just blew all the money I had saved up. It was fucking awesome---I highly recommend it.

[MrKappus]

I want to put a hypothetical out there because alot of the advice seems to stem from my 50-60K job potential....

What if I do not get extended this offer? Also, I have no major ties anywhere and am willing to go where the job is should NYC/DC not work out. Would the advice change at all?

Can you get some job that you can support yourself for a year? If so, then no, my advice would not change.

I took several months off after undergrad, and just blew all the money I had saved up. It was fucking awesome---I highly recommend it.

Wow! Several months? That sounds cool!

[joeshmo39]

I would add that if you think you have a good chance at getting a solid job for a few years, do it. A lot of students are older and you won't stand out when you do attend in regards to socializing (By older, I mean 26, so not really older at all...). Where you will stand out is in the interview room. As someone who did OGI after coming straight through I can't tell you how much I wished I had taken 2 years off and worked somewhere. For me, I don't know if that was really an option, but for you it seems that it is. There was one interview in particular where I thought to myself "my lack of work experience is going to preclude me from getting an offer here." It did, I was fine at the callbacks but as soon as I walked out of the building I knew it was a no-go.

Take 2 years, work a decent job, and find time to squeeze in an LSAT boosting score. I still think UVA is worth it at sticker, but my judgment is clouded like Desertlaw's is because it worked out for us. In addition, I had a decision between lower ranked schools on schollie and UVA at sticker and I picked UVA. Put my money where my mouth is on this one - that works on so many levels for this post.

[Odd Future Wolf Gang]

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[crit_racer]

I graduated in May this year. Shitty UGPA at a non-prestigious school with a humanities major (lol). Now I work in NYC for about 35k a year. I was supposed to take the LSAT last week, but I pushed it back to December because I felt I wasn't ready.

I feel like I am in a similar situation as some of the people here. Actually a bit worse probably, since people here seem to have HYP background or 3.95 in a degree that actually has potential. Even if I do hit 170+ in December, I am best looking at a "splitter cycle," locked out of YHS CCN and stuck with MVP on down (with the exception of Boalt and Duke).

I honestly have no idea whether I am making a good decision trying to get into law school (at sticker, most likely). Should I just stick to this job for a couple of years and pay off my UG debt at least?

How are you going to work off your UG debt while making 35k/year in NYC? Not to say that you shouldn't work for a few years and pay off your UG debt (because I absolutely think this is the thing to do), but it doesn't look like you're in the position to be doing that right now...

[ThomasMN]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation. I decided to take UVA at "sticker" - I am also a reverse splitter - but I am also a veteran with some GI Bill benefits left so my first year is free (even COL) and the remaining two years will be at in-state rates. Hopefully my wife will get a decent enough job in C'ville so I don't have to take COL loans, but even then I will go in debt about $100K and that alone scares me. That and I am no kid JD with zero work experience.

I think you should take your econ job for or at least a year or two as once you attend law school you will not really have the option of taking that job. For all you know you will fall in love with the field. If not you will have some real work experience, some savings, a shot at a better LSAT score with a reake, and UVA will still be there for ED reverse splitters.

That all being said, I still think that T-14/UVA at sticker is a better choice than a vast majority of tier one schools for free.

[desertlaw]

I still think UVA is worth it at sticker, but my judgment is clouded like Desertlaw's is because it worked out for us.

Who knows though, we might end up just practicing pro bono toxic tort law.

[Citizen Genet]

My opinion: there's some serious economic instability still. A double-dip will likely be shallow, but could significantly affect job prospects for the next 2-3 years. If for some reasons things turn south even harder, then a job in the hand will be much more important than a potential career in the bush. If you can wait out the economy in the job force, I would take that option. Then, when the economy is better, sticker at UVa will be a much more practical choice.

Conclusion: Sticker at UVa a very big risk. If you can take some of the risk out of it by biding your time against the economy, then it will be a wiser choice.

[desertlaw]

Is Dean Donovan CitizenGanet? Cause that "bird in the hand, something in the bush" phrase is one of his favorites. And I still don't understand it.

[TheFactor]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation.

No. If 90% of each class got exactly what they wanted, paying sticker would not represent a serious risk.

[ThomasMN]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation.

No. If 90% of each class got exactly what they wanted, paying sticker would not represent a serious risk.

If you read carefully you will see that I was not trying to imply 90% of people getting what they want is a serious risk, but for those 10% that don't it can be a fairly rough deal when you owe that much money.

[TheFactor]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation.

No. If 90% of each class got exactly what they wanted, paying sticker would not represent a serious risk.

If you read carefully you will see that I was not trying to imply 90% of people getting what they want is a serious risk, but for those 10% that don't it can be a fairly rough deal when you owe that much money.

taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk.

[kingjones59]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation.

No. If 90% of each class got exactly what they wanted, paying sticker would not represent a serious risk.

If you read carefully you will see that I was not trying to imply 90% of people getting what they want is a serious risk, but for those 10% that don't it can be a fairly rough deal when you owe that much money.

When is anything in life a 0% risk? Basic principle of life is the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Should people not go to undergrad either? Because the going rate for undergrad is about 30K a year, so $120,000 investment and I can guarantee you not every person gets a job at graduation. All I hear is a bunch of whining wahhh wahh wahh I went to a top law school and I graduated and nobody handed me a job wahhh wahh this is bullshit. Jesus guys. If the top third at UVA is going to get a good job, then be in the top third. If you cant make it then its your own fault and drop out and cut your loses. At no point in this thread did I try and say law school wasn't a risk. Law school is competitive and just like anything else there are winners and there are losers. If you are going to try and tell me this was not apparent when you enrolled you are an idiot.

[ThomasMN]

As I said earlier, read what I said: SOME people will say that taking $200K in debt is not worth it without a 100% chance of some form of return on that investment. Personally I am not in that group as nothing in life is 100%. Heck, a 50/50 odd at being in the upper middle class is a much better deal than most anyone gets in our society. If you notice I also think that UVA at sticker is a good investment, but you should still be aware of what you are getting into. Still, for those people who don't get a great job coming out of a top law school with $$$$ debt life can be rough, which is what I'm trying to point out. I think it is simply prudent to have some kind of a plan b.

Don't cry because you asked for people's advice and they gave it to you. I say go. If you end up at UVA Law in the class of 2015 I will be the first to congratulate you and share a beer with you in C'ville.

[TheFactor]

I think what people are trying to say is that taking $200K in debt without a 100% chance at the ability to pay it back is a serious risk. If you really think about it, even if 90% of the class gets what they want there is that 10% that is stuck in a really bad situation.

No. If 90% of each class got exactly what they wanted, paying sticker would not represent a serious risk.

If you read carefully you will see that I was not trying to imply 90% of people getting what they want is a serious risk, but for those 10% that don't it can be a fairly rough deal when you owe that much money.

When is anything in life a 0% risk? Basic principle of life is the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Should people not go to undergrad either? Because the going rate for undergrad is about 30K a year, so $120,000 investment and I can guarantee you not every person gets a job at graduation. All I hear is a bunch of whining wahhh wahh wahh I went to a top law school and I graduated and nobody handed me a job wahhh wahh this is bullshit. Jesus guys. If the top third at UVA is going to get a good job, then be in the top third. If you cant make it then its your own fault and drop out and cut your loses. At no point in this thread did I try and say law school wasn't a risk. Law school is competitive and just like anything else there are winners and there are losers. If you are going to try and tell me this was not apparent when you enrolled you are an idiot.

This is an incredible display of ignorance.

[Robespierre]

I can't believe you're resisting all this good advice. Take the 55K/yr job for two years. Build up your savings. Let the recession run its course. Turn your 3.95/165 into 3.95/172. Then get into a T6 or T14 with $. Graduate into an improved economy with sterling credentials and money in your pocket. Don't resist success.

[joemoviebuff]

When is anything in life a 0% risk? Basic principle of life is the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Should people not go to undergrad either? Because the going rate for undergrad is about 30K a year, so $120,000 investment and I can guarantee you not every person gets a job at graduation. All I hear is a bunch of whining wahhh wahh wahh I went to a top law school and I graduated and nobody handed me a job wahhh wahh this is bullshit. Jesus guys. If the top third at UVA is going to get a good job, then be in the top third. If you cant make it then its your own fault and drop out and cut your loses. At no point in this thread did I try and say law school wasn't a risk. Law school is competitive and just like anything else there are winners and there are losers. If you are going to try and tell me this was not apparent when you enrolled you are an idiot.

Pull your head out of your ass.