Decisions Decisions 101- Cal Western or Whittier or Thomas J Forum

[dreamz01]

NEW SCENARIO: Im in a weird situation. If I dont get off waitlist at some other schools, I have to choose between Cal Western, Whittier and Thomas Jefferson.

Which school would you choose and why?

[General Tso]

both are really bad, but Cal Western is less bad

[Always Credited]

Im in a weird situation. If I dont get off waitlist at some other schools, I have to choose between Cal Western and Whittier.

Which school would you choose and why?

I wouldn't exactly characterize this situation as weird so much as...unfortunate.

[quadsixm]

[]

[Kilpatrick]

If these are honestly your only two options (if retake and reapply is not an option) go with Cal Western. I don't know much about it, but it can't be worse than Whittier. Whittier is like a DeVry for law school. My mom used to work in a building across the street from the Whittier building. And I remember even as a kid thinking "Is that a real law school?" It's not. Don't go there.

[D. H2Oman]

Powerscore.

[dreamz01]

Im in a weird situation. If I dont get off waitlist at some other schools, I have to choose between Cal Western and Whittier.

Which school would you choose and why?

I wouldn't exactly characterize this situation as weird so much as...unfortunate.

haha this is funny! I know it's unfortunate but i'm trying to look at the bright side mr/ms pessimistic! hahaha

[dreamz01]

If these are honestly your only two options (if retake and reapply is not an option) go with Cal Western. I don't know much about it, but it can't be worse than Whittier. Whittier is like a DeVry for law school. My mom used to work in a building across the street from the Whittier building. And I remember even as a kid thinking "Is that a real law school?" It's not. Don't go there.

thank you for this comment. i was actually wondering about the schools reputation by surrounding people

[dreamz01]

Cal Western has a decent rep in its region (San Diego). Cal Western and USD are a notch above Thomas Jefferson in that small market.

Can't say the same for Whittier - it is co and also UCLA and USC for the OC & LA markets. They don't compare favorably.

These are good points. Thank you!

[GATORTIM]

Im in a weird situation. If I dont get off waitlist at some other schools, I have to choose between Cal Western and Whittier.

Which school would you choose and why?

I wouldn't exactly characterize this situation as weird so much as...unfortunate.

haha this is funny! I know it's unfortunate but i'm trying to look at the bright side mr/ms pessimistic! hahaha

You don't seem thrilled at the prospect of attending either which is going to impact your performance once you are in. If nobody is threatening your life to attend one of these schools this year, perhaps it would be better to reapply to schools you would be happy to attend.

[270910]

[dreamz01]

Im in a weird situation. If I dont get off waitlist at some other schools, I have to choose between Cal Western and Whittier.

Which school would you choose and why?

I wouldn't exactly characterize this situation as weird so much as...unfortunate.

haha this is funny! I know it's unfortunate but i'm trying to look at the bright side mr/ms pessimistic! hahaha

You don't seem thrilled at the prospect of attending either which is going to impact your performance once you are in. If nobody is threatening your life to attend one of these schools this year, perhaps it would be better to reapply to schools you would be happy to attend.

To the contrary, I'm am really happy that I got accepted SOMEWHERE due to my very low lsat score. I'm just trying to figure out which one I should settle for if I dont get off waitlist at some higher ranked schools that are closer to where I currently live.

[dreamz01]

I dont think so. I think that I will get the most at whatever school I attend and that is EDUCATION. I really dont care about the money, I just care about learning.

Also in the end, no matter what school we go to, all of us are going to be categorized on the same occupational level (that is after the bar is passed) as attorneys.

[GirlInTx]

Are you paying for it? If so, fuck both. Retake the LSAT and aim higher even if your GPA sucks. My ex is at Cal Western right now and about to graduate. He had a free ride, but he wants to work in SD which already has a smaller legal market and lower pay for a city of that size. I personally think he's screwed, but at least he only wasted time. It's better than wasting time and money. CW tuition is outrageous, plus you'll be taking out loans to cover SD living expenses which are also outrageous. It's not worth a JD that holds no prestige IMO. I don't mean to be harsh, just realistic.

[GATORTIM]

haha this is funny! I know it's unfortunate.....

Then

To the contrary, I'm am really happy that I got accepted.....

does not compute

[dreamz01]

haha this is funny! I know it's unfortunate.....

Then

To the contrary, I'm am really happy that I got accepted.....

does not compute

you said i dont seem thrilled.... i took that as me not being appreciative of being accepted to law school when i am. it may not be the highest ranked school in california which makes it unfortunate, but it's nevertheless a school that i can have a chance to attend.

[Ryou]

OP you may be right that the education quality isn't inferior and that after we pass the bar we will all be attorneys. But neither of those facts is relevant to how desirable you will be for employers. The point about burning money isn't about the education being a waste it's about the investment. If you end up with a low paying job then all law school gets you is a lot of student loan debt.

This is a story I related in the recent thread about TTT and TTTT law schools.

Justice Scalia was at a lower rank law school for some event. A student asked him what it would take for her to clerk at the Supreme Court. Scalia basically said it was impossible. He explained that he recruited from the top schools for his clerks because, "You can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse."

Scalia reasoned that if the top schools recruit the best and brightest, then their graduates will be the best and brightest. He acknowledged that the level of instruction at the premiere law schools was not necessarily superior, but argued the quality of instruction was irrelevant. In the end he believed students were not going to be "ruined" by the instruction, so the most qualified matriculating classes would be also the most qualified graduating classes.

I'm not trying to argue whether or not Scalia's logic is sound or justified, I'm trying to illustrate the current reality of the world. Rightly or wrongly, the presumption will be that the reason you didn't attend a top school is because you couldn't get into one, which will then translate to the presumption you are less qualified -- regardless of bar passage. These sorts of mindsets exist and you will have to deal with it. There is a reasonable risk that many employers will think the same way.

Prestige cannot just be brushed off as elitism, even if it would be right to do so. It's a reality that you will have to seek a job and that the institution your degree comes from matters a lot in that search. Now if you have special circumstances, connections and such, it may not matter. But in a shrinking market the people that will be affected the worse are those at lower ranked schools.

[GirlInTx]

both are really bad, but Cal Western is less bad

I love your avatar!

[dreamz01]

OP you may be right that the education quality isn't inferior and that after we pass the bar we will all be attorneys. But neither of those facts is relevant to how desirable you will be for employers. The point about burning money isn't about the education being a waste it's about the investment. If you end up with a low paying job then all law school gets you is a lot of student loan debt.

This is a story I related in the recent thread about TTT and TTTT law schools.

Justice Scalia was at a lower rank law school for some event. A student asked him what it would take for her to clerk at the Supreme Court. Scalia basically said it was impossible. He explained that he recruited from the top schools for his clerks because, "You can't make a sow's ear out of a silk purse."

Scalia reasoned that if the top schools recruit the best and brightest, then their graduates will be the best and brightest. He acknowledged that the level of instruction at the premiere law schools was not necessarily superior, but argued the quality of instruction was irrelevant. In the end he believed students were not going to be "ruined" by the instruction, so the most qualified matriculating classes would be also the most qualified graduating classes.

I'm not trying to argue whether or not Scalia's logic is sound or justified, I'm trying to illustrate the current reality of the world. Rightly or wrongly, the presumption will be that the reason you didn't attend a top school is because you couldn't get into one, which will then translate to the presumption you are less qualified -- regardless of bar passage. These sorts of mindsets exist and you will have to deal with it. There is a reasonable risk that many employers will think the same way.

Prestige cannot just be brushed off as elitism, even if it would be right to do so. It's a reality that you will have to seek a job and that the institution your degree comes from matters a lot in that search. Now if you have special circumstances, connections and such, it may not matter. But in a shrinking market the people that will be affected the worse are those at lower ranked schools.

These are all good points to think about.

[CmonSD]

1.) Do NOT go to Thomas Jefferson

2.) Go to Cal Western ONLY with a scholarship and understand that you can get a job, you just may not get an associate position.

- Cal Western has a good reputation in San Diego, but there aren't a lot of jobs. A woman I met who finished her JD, couldn't get a job so she got her LLM and is currently a paralegal because she still can't get a job.

I personally turned down Cal Western with a scholarship and if I don't get into USD I will be studying my ass off for the LSAT again in September. If you want a study partner, let me know!

[FuManChusco]

Powerscore.

Well done. Quite subtle, yet it drives the point home. +1

[jetlagz28]

Go with Cal Western because it has the best reputation out of the three. Ignore everyone giving you $hit.

[dreamz01]

1.) Do NOT go to Thomas Jefferson

2.) Go to Cal Western ONLY with a scholarship and understand that you can get a job, you just may not get an associate position.

- Cal Western has a good reputation in San Diego, but there aren't a lot of jobs. A woman I met who finished her JD, couldn't get a job so she got her LLM and is currently a paralegal because she still can't get a job.

I personally turned down Cal Western with a scholarship and if I don't get into USD I will be studying my ass off for the LSAT again in September. If you want a study partner, let me know!

It seems like everyone, whether from these forums or in REAL LIFE (haha) say the same thing.... RETAKE the LSAT!

I'm just weighing my options to see if I should just go to the best lower tiered school I can get into, go to a school that takes me off their waitlist with no scholarship money, or take the LSAT again. Again, I dont care about the money too much, I'm just looking at the future. I dont like living with the fact, I could have got money, I could have got into a higher ranked school... I coulda coulda coulda!!! Ahhhh! I'm going crazy! This is so confusing.

[Kilpatrick]

Go with Cal Western because it has the best reputation out of the three. Ignore everyone giving you [strike]$hit[/strike]good advice.

[General Tso]

Go with Cal Western because it has the best reputation out of the three. Ignore everyone giving you [strike]$hit[/strike]good advice.

He should ignore people giving good advice?