ND vs. UIUC vs. Minn vs. WUSTL Forum

[brose002]

So here is the deal. These are the four schools I am looking at assuming I do not get into USC(Which is extremely likely that I wont). I have been accepted to Minn and UIUC already. Minnesota gave me $12k per year contingent upon a 2.5 GPA. UIUC gave me $25k per year, so long as I remain in good standing at the school. I have been waitlisted at ND and I have yet to hear back from WUSTL, but I am likely to get it with my LSAT score(168). The truth is that I do not have any definite plans on what to do after law school. I have considered JAG and have also considered joining the FBI. I know for sure that Biglaw is not for me though. So I do not plan on making big dollars coming out of law school. I also do not know what region I want to end up in after law school. I have spent my entire life in Los Angeles, and am definitely open to living somewhere else. So based on these options which should I choose?

[ViP]

Well, if you don't plan on making big money out of school, it might help to go to the school that offers you the most money (considering how comparable these schools are in terms of quality).

If you don't care where you work/live, I'd say choose UIUC... But you should try to visit a couple of these places, if possible.

[sluguy14]

All of the schools mentioned place strongly in the midwest and give you a good shot at having a solid (non-biglaw) job in the region. If you're not quite sure where you want to land after graduation, I would be inclined to go with the option that minimizes your debt- particularly if you're not going to go the BigLaw route. That means, with where you currently stand, I would go Illinois over Minnesota. Wait to see what WUSTL gives you, though, as that might change your outlook and/or give you bargaining room with the other schools.

I also think that these schools have more portability than TLS gives them credit for, especially for those of us who are not strictly shooting for BigLaw. You can't go wrong with any of them, but Illinois (and possibly WUSTL) is your best bet. Just my $.02.

[redginseng]

Probably the deciding factor would be money. However, if you are coming from LA, St. Louis is probably the best location for you among the choices.

[wadeny]

Well, all your current options are in the Midwest, so location isn't really too much of a factor here. They're fine schools and have some national reach (especially ND with its alumni network), but they are still pretty regional, so wherever you end up, I wouldn't depend on placing in LA upon graduation. You're also not looking into biglaw, so debt becomes a bigger consideration.

With that said, it sounds like $$$ should be your primary concern. WUSTL likes high LSATs and you might end up with good $$$ there - if you do, it's probably your best option, rather than holding out for a ND WL to come through. UIUC's offer isn't bad and I would seriously consider it if WUSTL doesn't work out.