Top Law Schools

Hey all,

Is it true that some schools that give merit scholarships just don't give full scholarships? I'm trying to pick my two safeties (Midwest schools, I want to practice in the Midwest). I was thinking ND would be one of them, as I used to live in South B and am interested in philosophy...

But I am fully, absolutely committed to PI law, and as I research ND's LRAP, I see now that I would have a hard hard hard time paying off the debt I'd incur at that school on a realistic PI salary (40k), unless I get a full ride or something close to it. (And for various reasons I'd prefer to be backed up by a strong institutional LRAP than just trusting myself and my family to Uncle Sam and IBR.)

As I look through TLS and LSN, I don't see anybody ever mentioning they got a full ride to ND. Does it ever happen? Anyone know where I could find this out?

bedefan wrote:Hey all,

Is it true that some schools that give merit scholarships just don't give full scholarships? I'm trying to pick my two safeties (Midwest schools, I want to practice in the Midwest). I was thinking ND would be one of them, as I used to live in South B and am interested in philosophy...

But I am fully, absolutely committed to PI law, and as I research ND's LRAP, I see now that I would have a hard hard hard time paying off the debt I'd incur at that school on a realistic PI salary (40k), unless I get a full ride or something close to it. (And for various reasons I'd prefer to be backed up by a strong institutional LRAP than just trusting myself and my family to Uncle Sam and IBR.)

As I look through TLS and LSN, I don't see anybody ever mentioning they got a full ride to ND. Does it ever happen? Anyone know where I could find this out?

Just apply to WashU and Illinois as well. If your numbers are good enough for a full ride, you'll get fee waivers. There's no reason not to apply for free if your primary concern is $.

Edit: Yikes. Yeah, you'd get a full ride if you wanted one. You may have to convince these schools that you actually want to attend them, though. Also, you have absolutely no need for a safety if those are your real numbers.

Does anybody with a 179/3.8 ever apply to ND?

I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that there's probably next to no applicants with your numbers to compare against, so who knows what kind of scholarship those numbers will get?

Also, WUSTL will almost definitely give you a full ride.

Yes, they're my real numbers. And of course I'd apply to ND, it's a great school, as are UIUC and WUSTL... Or have I not learned this elitism thing yet? No, really, I have (what I consider to be) some complicated background things, which require addenda, and which I think will make me a less attractive candidate to top law schools. So I want two safeties.

Plus, I really just want to practice law in a small town in the Midwest, and so going to Iowa or ND seems to make as much sense or more compared to going to Boalt or whatever.

And I don't want to go to WUStl... For whatever reason. I just can't stand the thought of St. Louis? I don't know. It's a weird mental block.

Oh, and needing to convince a school like ND or UIUC or one of the other 20-30 ranked Midwest schools I actually would attend -- yikes, I hadn't thought of that. How do you do that? Attach a "No, seriously, I would attend Minnesota (or wherever)" addendum?

bedefan wrote:Yes, they're my real numbers. And of course I'd apply to ND, it's a great school, as are UIUC and WUSTL... (1) Or have I not learned this elitism thing yet? No, really, I have (what I consider to be) some complicated background things involving the, ahem, (2) police, which require addenda, and which I think will make me a less attractive candidate to top law schools. So I want two safeties.

Plus, I really just want to practice law in a small town in the Midwest, and so going to Iowa or ND seems to make as much sense or more compared to going to Boalt or whatever.

And I don't want to go to (3) WUStl... For whatever reason. I just can't stand the thought of St. Louis? I don't know. It's a weird mental block.

(1) Obviously not
(2) Not gonna matter unless you went to prison, in which case it still won't matter and Michigan will probably give you a Darrow for it
(3)

Oh, sorry. I was just joking about hating StL (though I do think Pujols takes vitamin R). I've been there a few times. Seems fine, even if I do prefer KC as my Missouri city of choice.

eskimo wrote:Does anybody with a 179/3.8 ever apply to ND?

I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that there's probably next to no applicants with your numbers to compare against, so who knows what kind of scholarship those numbers will get?

If there is a T50 who does get 179/3.8 it would ND. Irish Catholic fanaticism ftw.

Desert Fox wrote:

eskimo wrote:Does anybody with a 179/3.8 ever apply to ND?

I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that there's probably next to no applicants with your numbers to compare against, so who knows what kind of scholarship those numbers will get?

If there is a T50 who does get 179/3.8 it would ND. Irish Catholic fanaticism ftw.

Could just be a big Sean Astin Fan

CoaltoNewCastle got a full ride to Northwestern if he would defer for a year. His numbers are identical.