Urgent! Please help. Case $60k vs Chicago-kent $105k Forum

[lsathelp]

Edit: Kent just increase her scholly again. Now it's 105k, bringing the total
cost of attendance to 15k for all three years and Case 60k. Any advise/opinions? Please guys the deadline is this Friday and School starts in two weeks. She already paid her seat deposit at Case and moved into her apt in Cleveland heights. What should she do?


Hey guys,

My friend and i both were set on attending Case this fall when she received an email from Chicago-kent with an increase scholarship of 30k per year no strings(no gpa requirement) now shes reconsidering attending Case. I keep trying to persuade her that Case is the better school but shes very debt-averse. Is the extra debt at Case worth it? She's not interested in IP law and doesn't care where she ends up.

So should i be supportive and tell her too take the money or the higher rank school.

[Case2L]

The cost of living in Chicago could easily take up the difference in scholarship. I would say Case, b/c the competition for Case grads is not as fierce in Ohio as it would be for Kent grads in Chicago. Rankings don't really matter that much when it comes to choosing b/t these schools, but your friend should consider the fact that Case is a regional powerhouse, whereas Chicago-Kent is low on the totem pole when it comes to getting jobs in Chicago.

[lsathelp]

Thanks,that's the exact same reasoning I had. I really want her to attend Case with me.
Anyone have a different view?

[TommyK]

I concur. Wicked cheap to live in Cleveland. Not so much with Chi-town. When you crunch the numbers, it's probably cheaper to go to Case. If you're okay with practicing in Ohio, I vote Case.

[lsathelp]

Would anyone argue for Kent? What if she got a full tuition scholly,would Case still win? Or would it be a no brainer on Kent's behalf.

[habaptist]

I would argue for kent. Chicago can be very cheap (my rent this year was only $200 a month and I love my neighborhood. In addition Kent may be the fourth ranked school in Chicago but does very well job wise. In fact more Kent students get the most desirable judicial internships than students from NW and Chicago. Its a great school, usually hard to keep the schollies but if there are no strings I say take the extra 30K and enjoy a much more beautiful and fun city...i mean seriously who chooses clevland over chicago???

[TommyK]

I would argue for kent. Chicago can be very cheap (my rent this year was only $200 a month and I love my neighborhood. In addition Kent may be the fourth ranked school in Chicago but does very well job wise. In fact more Kent students get the most desirable judicial internships than students from NW and Chicago. Its a great school, usually hard to keep the schollies but if there are no strings I say take the extra 30K and enjoy a much more beautiful and fun city...i mean seriously who chooses clevland over chicago???

That is true, right there. You've presented a powerful argument. I was thinking from a saturated legal market that Kent grads would be in a difficult spot. Case, though, is the big dog in the city.

I haven't done the research into both schools to see what placement looks like. I'm sure OP is capable of doing that.

Chicago is an incredible city and I could find a lot of reasons to spend three years there.

Go cubbies.

[najumobi]

Hey guys,

My friend and i both were set on attending Case this fall when she received an email from Chicago-kent with an increase scholarship of 30k per year no strings(no gpa requirement) now shes reconsidering attending Case. I keep trying to persuade her that Case is the better school but shes very debt-averse. Is the extra debt at Case worth it? She's not interested in IP law and doesn't care where she ends up.

So should i be supportive and tell her too take the money or the higher rank school.

is there a gpa requirement for case's 60k scholly? if so, she should go with kent, if not she should go with case...

[lsathelp]

Hey guys,

My friend and i both were set on attending Case this fall when she received an email from Chicago-kent with an increase scholarship of 30k per year no strings(no gpa requirement) now shes reconsidering attending Case. I keep trying to persuade her that Case is the better school but shes very debt-averse. Is the extra debt at Case worth it? She's not interested in IP law and doesn't care where she ends up.

So should i be supportive and tell her too take the money or the higher rank school.

is there a gpa requirement for case's 60k scholly? if so, she should go with kent, if not she should go with case...

We both have the same scholarship so yea there's a gpa requirement of 3.1. Wow I really thought this was a clear cut choice but I guess I was wrong, I know they said rankings don't matter after t14-30 and everyone else is regional but I figured since Case has less competition and no t14 to compete with that they automatically won.

[najumobi]

Hey guys,

My friend and i both were set on attending Case this fall when she received an email from Chicago-kent with an increase scholarship of 30k per year no strings(no gpa requirement) now shes reconsidering attending Case. I keep trying to persuade her that Case is the better school but shes very debt-averse. Is the extra debt at Case worth it? She's not interested in IP law and doesn't care where she ends up.

So should i be supportive and tell her too take the money or the higher rank school.

is there a gpa requirement for case's 60k scholly? if so, she should go with kent, if not she should go with case...

We both have the same scholarship so yea there's a gpa requirement of 3.1. Wow I really thought this was a clear cut choice but I guess I was wrong, I know they said rankings don't matter after t14-30 and everyone else is regional but I figured since Case has less competition and no t14 to compete with that they automatically won.

hmmm....case definitely has (or had in the recent past) better prospects; before the recession the top 33% at kent were landing jobs in chicago paying 60k/yr or more while the top 33% at case were landing jobs paying the equivalent (after adjusting for cost of living) of 85k/yr in cleveland.

however the fact that your case scholarships aren't guaranteed makes the difference in costs at least 55k after accounting for chicago more expensive cost of living if she fails to make the requirements of scholarship renewal.

i would make the more conservative choice....the better job from case nor the scholarship is guaranteed....the only guaranteed thing is the 90k from kent so i would take that.

[lsathelp]

Hey guys,

My friend and i both were set on attending Case this fall when she received an email from Chicago-kent with an increase scholarship of 30k per year no strings(no gpa requirement) now shes reconsidering attending Case. I keep trying to persuade her that Case is the better school but shes very debt-averse. Is the extra debt at Case worth it? She's not interested in IP law and doesn't care where she ends up.

So should i be supportive and tell her too take the money or the higher rank school.

is there a gpa requirement for case's 60k scholly? if so, she should go with kent, if not she should go with case...

We both have the same scholarship so yea there's a gpa requirement of 3.1. Wow I really thought this was a clear cut choice but I guess I was wrong, I know they said rankings don't matter after t14-30 and everyone else is regional but I figured since Case has less competition and no t14 to compete with that they automatically won.

hmmm....case definitely has (or had in the recent past) better prospects; before the recession the top 33% at kent were landing jobs in chicago paying 60k/yr or more while the top 33% at case were landing jobs paying the equivalent (after adjusting for cost of living) of 85k/yr in cleveland.

however the fact that your case scholarships aren't guaranteed makes the difference in costs at least 55k after accounting for chicago more expensive cost of living if she fails to make the requirements of scholarship renewal.

i would make the more conservative choice....the better job from case nor the scholarship is guaranteed....the only guaranteed thing is the 90k from kent so i would take that.

Good point!

[lsathelp]

Bump! anymore thoughts? Please guys.

[Case2L]

With the bump in scholarship, I say Chicago-Kent wins out. It's hard to pass up that much money. Has this person attempted to get more money out of Case?

[lsathelp]

With the bump in scholarship, I say Chicago-Kent wins out. It's hard to pass up that much money. Has this person attempted to get more money out of Case?

She tried but was denied. Is Case higher rank worth the extra debt?

[Case2L]

With the bump in scholarship, I say Chicago-Kent wins out. It's hard to pass up that much money. Has this person attempted to get more money out of Case?

She tried but was denied. Is Case higher rank worth the extra debt?

I wouldn't give any concern to rank at this level; it's not as though we're talking about Cooley vs Case. I would decide based upon which school feels like a better fit. The scholarship @ Case is decent, and if your friend loves the school and area, then the extra debt would be worth it. Personally, I loved the school and University Circle, and I'm not crazy about Chicago, so this would be an easy decision for me. However, Cleveland is not for everyone. If she wants to work in Ohio, then Case it is. If she prefers Chicago, then Kent it is. That's a long way of saying 'don't focus on the rankings.'

[toolfan]

LeBron James left Ohio, and so should you.