Deciding between ASU (25k), UC Davis, and Loyola (84k) Forum

[eschilli]

I really want to work in Entertainment Law, but I know that it is not an easy field to enter and may not be practical. I would like to work in LA also. I have an offer for 84k from Loyola, but of course it comes with the scary stipulation that I must stay in the top 30% of my class. Davis is letting me apply late for a grant, but I expect to get around 12k a year. ASU has given me 15k for y1 and 10k for y2. I would also be okay working and living in Phoenix.

I have thought of so many factors, and I really cannot make a decision. UC Davis is the most expensive, but it seems to have great job prospects (They have a lot of alumni in LA firms also). The thing that scares me with Loyola is the top 30% stipulation, plus the possibility of not being able to get a very good job if I do not finish in the top 25% of my class (Loyola grads compete with USC, UCLA, and Pepperdine). I was just at the scholarship reception for Loyola and they made it sound like quite the school, despite being only ranked 56th.

Does anyone have any advice? I love Loyola, and they have treated me very well, but I am still worried about 1) keeping my scholarship, and 2) job prospects after graduation. I have heard that almost no one gets a job in the Entertainment Law field right out of law school.

Can anyone tell me about the job prospects out of Loyola, specifically in Entertainment Law? Is Davis the obvious choice, despite being more expensive?

[eschilli]

One bump. I am desperate for advice. I have researched all these schools to death.

[Borhas]

I don't know anything about entertainment law, or really much of anything concerning law/law school/legal careers

but, if I were you, I'd wait and see what sort of money I'd get at Davis, and then decide. What would it take for me? I dunno, I wouldn't want to live in LA, but that's just my personal preference. The scholarship stipulation is dicey though, try and figure out if they "section stack" at Loyola.

What I would say though is rule out ASU

[savesthedayajb]

No section stacking. They purposefully try to even out each section as evenly as possible.

[eth3n]

UC Davis is the most expensive, but it seems to have great job prospects

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[holydonkey]

UC Davis. Much better than Hastings.

[eschilli]

I did not apply to Hastings.

ASU has gone up in the rankings, and has a decent hold on the Phoenix market. I have it narrowed down to California or Arizona.

Loyola has made several great sales pitches to me, but I am starting to think that graduating in the top 25% of my class might not even be enough to secure a good job.

[PDaddy]

For Entertainment Law, you should go to Loyola, esp. with the money they are offering. Davis and ASU are not necessarily better schools, they are just higher ranked. Even iof they were all offering the same money, it might be a tough choice b/c they are all very regional.

[eschilli]

For Entertainment Law, you should go to Loyola, esp. with the money they are offering. Davis and ASU are not necessarily better schools, they are just higher ranked. Even iof they were all offering the same money, it might be a tough choice b/c they are all very regional.

I think those graduating in the middle of their classes at ASU and Davis might have just as good of job prospects (at least salary wise) as those graduating in the topn 25% of their class at Loyola.

[General Tso]

UC Davis. Much better than Hastings.

Yeah didn't they have like 138.39% more employed at graduation than Hastings?!?!

Hastings isn't even among his options, and yet you still take a shot?

[Borhas]

UC Davis. Much better than Hastings.

Yeah didn't they have like 138.39% more employed at graduation than Hastings?!?!

Hastings isn't even among his options, and yet you still take a shot?

He's probably the coffee stand terrorist, trying to throw people off his scent


keep up the good work donkey soldier

[20160810]

Davis is by far the better school on this list.

Just don't burn down any of our coffee carts. We only have a few left, and we need them.

[eschilli]

Davis is by far the better school on this list.

Just don't burn down any of our coffee carts. We only have a few left, and we need them.

I have come to the same conclusion. Loyola just really treated me well and recruited me very hard.

Is it fair to say that there are some problems with chosing Loyola? I am mostly thinking of the top 30% stipulation, and the lack of good job prospects to those outside the top 25% of the class. I know that starting salary is not a good indicator of job prospects, but it looks like the average Loyola graduate entering the private sector gets a job at a medium sized form and makes 80-90k, and that the top 10-25% might get closer to 120k (is that too high?). For UC Davis, i feel like the average grad entering the private sectore might fare far better and make over 6 figures, and that the top 10-25% might be earning as high as 150k (this is all speculation).

I really like Loyola. The staff were great, and they even took me out to dinner. I would love to go there, but I do not wnna lose my scholarship. I also am afraid that even if I stay in the top 30%, that I might still not end up with that great of job.


I was hoping someone could chime in and tell me to go to Loyola. I love LA and I love their law school, but Davis seems ahrd to say no to.
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[beesknees]

Sounds like Loyola's wining and dining you is a major attraction. Don't let it be. Especially with a stipulation like that. You have to be considering employment prospects vs debt at this point. Whether or not they buy you dinner is irrelevant to either of those factors. Also, don't even cite their employment data. Many of the school's self-reported employment stats are wildly inaccurate to the point that they're almost entirely useless (low response rates means that many of the low-earners/unemployed don't get counted, categorizing employment type (working at a firm doesn't even necessarily mean that they are working in a position that even requires a JD!), etc.)

However, if you truly love the school, then follow the advice of one of the previous posters: take the scholarship and then either make top 30% and keep it or don't and drop out (because if you're not in the top third, you're probably screwed anyway, so disregard sunk costs and just eject).