Top Law Schools

Mich: $10k/year, so I have to pay about $36k/year
UT: Can't remember the exact amount, but I have to pay about $20k/year (I forgot about the instate tuition waiver)
Bama: Full scholly.

I have no desire for big law. Finding a job that allows me to pay back my loan is enough for me. I have financial accounting background (currently working as a tax accountant) so ideally I would like to intern at/work for SEC or IRS. I know the competition for government positions is fierce but I still like to give it a try. I don't particularly care about where I work. My SO is from the south so I guess somewhere closer to the south is better but preferably a relatively big and cool city. However, I would like to go to a school in a cool city/town that is in/close to a large city. I don't expect myself to be in the top 10-20% of the class. If I can get in the top third, I will be very happy.

Another option is retake the test and try to get a higher score, and hopefully that will turn into more scholarships from some T-14 schools. I'll just apply for next year.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

Full ride at Alabama sounds like the best choice. You want to work in the South and you don't want biglaw so there's no reason to explode with debt form Michigan or Texas.

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Thanks! But do Alabama's graduates pretty much stay in Alabama for employment? I would like to go a little north or someplace bigger (like Texas). So I guess I do care about where I work.

Does the Alabama scholarship have GPA requirements? Don't want to wind up paying sticker at Alabama after the first year. Some schools put all scholarship students in the same section. If GPA requirement is top third, 2/3 will be paying sticker the following year with no hopes of a transfer.

Also, I think if you got money at Texas you also get in state tuition. Austin is a great city and UT is a great school.

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If you don't want big law or legal academia, then I think it would be foolish to turn down a full ride at a T30.

I think you´re insane not to take money at Michigan. Normally I´m a big advocate of scholarships over ranking... but $10,000 a year at Michigan? I´d take it!

littlebit wrote:Does the Alabama scholarship have GPA requirements? Don't want to wind up paying sticker at Alabama after the first year. Some schools put all scholarship students in the same section. If GPA requirement is top third, 2/3 will be paying sticker the following year with no hopes of a transfer.

Yeah you are required to be in the top 1/3 to keep the shcolarships. While in Mich, you just have to keep a 2.0 gpa. Not sure about Texas.

Apple Tree wrote:

littlebit wrote:Does the Alabama scholarship have GPA requirements? Don't want to wind up paying sticker at Alabama after the first year. Some schools put all scholarship students in the same section. If GPA requirement is top third, 2/3 will be paying sticker the following year with no hopes of a transfer.

Yeah you are required to be in the top 1/3 to keep the shcolarships. While in Mich, you just have to keep a 2.0 gpa. Not sure about Texas.

Texas requirement is good standing.

littlebit wrote:Does the Alabama scholarship have GPA requirements? Don't want to wind up paying sticker at Alabama after the first year. Some schools put all scholarship students in the same section. If GPA requirement is top third, 2/3 will be paying sticker the following year with no hopes of a transfer.

Also, I think if you got money at Texas you also get in state tuition. Austin is a great city and UT is a great school.

That's right, I forgot!!

Apple Tree wrote:Thanks! But do Alabama's graduates pretty much stay in Alabama for employment? I would like to go a little north or someplace bigger (like Texas). So I guess I do care about where I work.

If you want to live in TX, go to UT. Simple.

Scholarship at UT =/= In-state tuition. I have a merit scholarship at UT, but I don't have in-state tuition. So make sure to look twice at your offer.

Honestly, it sounds to me like you are destined for UT. Ann Arbor is cold as hell during the winter, and your SO will have to find a job in a state with a horrible economy. Plus, you said you wanted:

a school in a cool city/town that is in/close to a large city.

I can''t imagine a better way to describe Austin. The city itself is amazingly fun, and you are three hours or less from three of the biggest cities in the U.S. (Houston, Dallas, San-Antonio).

Texas is a national school (admittedly not as national as Michigan, but pretty damn good in its own right) so you'll have some portability if you want to work in DC, NYC, LA, etc.

bias note: I'm a 1L at UT Law

lawschooliseasy wrote:I think you´re insane not to take money at Michigan. Normally I´m a big advocate of scholarships over ranking... but $10,000 a year at Michigan? I´d take it!

I second this motion... I can see a struggle between Michigan and UT but Michigan and Bama; UT and Bama are no brainers. Whatever you decide to do just know a degree from Michigan or UT speaks louder than a degree from Bama any day of the week.

Apple Tree wrote: I would like to go to a school in a cool city/town that is in/close to a large city.

Tuscaloosa is definitely not a cool town, and the big city you're closest to is Birmingham, which isn't that great either. I've lived in Tuscaloosa for 3 years, and I cannot wait to get out.

I think Texas is your best option. Austin is great, you have a decent scholarship there, and it's one of the best schools in the south. I think you'd absolutely love it.

Apple Tree wrote:

littlebit wrote:Does the Alabama scholarship have GPA requirements? Don't want to wind up paying sticker at Alabama after the first year. Some schools put all scholarship students in the same section. If GPA requirement is top third, 2/3 will be paying sticker the following year with no hopes of a transfer.

Yeah you are required to be in the top 1/3 to keep the shcolarships. While in Mich, you just have to keep a 2.0 gpa. Not sure about Texas.

With this ... and the thought that you actually like TX and think you could want to live there, I'm going to say TX.

With the top 1/3 restriction at Alabama, I'd tell you Texas. You don't want to get to Alabama, finish top 34% and end up paying sticker when you could've gone to Texas for $20k/year.

If you want to go to a big, southern city, Texas places ridiculously in Texas' big cities like Dallas (a city that I personally don't care for, but tons of people love it), Houston, or San Antonio. Other big southern options are Atlanta or Charlotte, and Texas should carry you into those, too.

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hellokitty wrote:Alabama is my undergrad. I have been to their law school. It is very small. You could honestly see everything in less than 5 mins. And Tuscaloosa is superboring, unless you are into college football and Greek life. Even Birmingham is pretty boring and that's the "big city". My advice is, if you don't want to practice in Alabama, go somewhere else. Even if they gave you a full ride, I doubt it's worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I would have gotten as far away from Tuscaloosa, Alabama as physically possible.

Wow, my sentiments exactly.

Alabama puts on a good show. Very friendly, with impressive staff/recruiters at both the undergraduate and law levels. Then you get here, and you're stuck at a mediocre state school, in the middle of Tuscaloosa, no less. You want a great public school in the south? Go to Texas. Don't waste three years at Bama.