Pepperdine Vs. Loyola Forum

[Ash;-)]

Hi guys,

it seems like that i could to choose B/w loyola and pepperdine. with new rankings it seems like loyola surpassed pepperdine, and i heard loyola will use a new grading curve which i think will lead to further ranking boost. additionally loyola has a better bar passage than pepperdine. on the other hand loyola looks like a prison and pepperdine is like paradise...[probably no one cares about this factor in this forum anyways... lol...] i think it would so much more enjoyable to study at pepperdine than loyola...

so i am confused and don't know which one to pick... [by the way both offered me big scolly but loyola offered 10k more]

so which one would you pick and why? thanks everyone in advance...

[bk1]

Stipulations on your scholarships?

How much did they offer?

[leapincamelleopard]

Do you currently live in Southern California? If yes then go tour the schools and sit in on a class. My friend was making this same decision and after sitting in classes on both campuses she decided to go with Loyola. From what she said, she knew as soon as she sat down that Loyola was a better fit for her.

If you don't live in California (or just can't visit) I would go with whichever one comes out as cheaper.

[071816]

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[Sean1269]

Both are good schools. Pepperdine's bar passage rate was higher last year at 88%. Go to whoever gives you the most $$.

[Ash;-)]

Both are good schools. Pepperdine's bar passage rate was higher last year at 88%. Go to whoever gives you the most $$.

both scolly comes with stip. so at the end of the day they are only 100% for the first year...

I do live in Los Angeles and visited both schools... at first before i visited i made my mind to go to Loyola, but after the visit i could not get the pepperdine's ambiounce out of my mind... at first before i go to pepperdine, loyola seemed a little cheesy looking, but after i went to pepperdine it just seemed like prison...lol

on one hand i hear loyola has a better network and prospects, on the other hand i don't really want to work for a firm ... and recently i have been getting interested in JD/MBA and for that definitely pepperdine is a better choice [but not sure if i will do that]... but all n all can't make up my mind... i wished loyloa was not as cheesy looking compare to pepperdine.. then making my decision would have been so much easier...

[071816]

Both are good schools. Pepperdine's bar passage rate was higher last year at 88%. Go to whoever gives you the most $$.

both scolly comes with stip. so at the end of the day they are only 100% for the first year...

I do live in Los Angeles and visited both schools... at first before i visited i made my mind to go to Loyola, but after the visit i could not get the pepperdine's ambiounce out of my mind... at first before i go to pepperdine, loyola seemed a little cheesy looking, but after i went to pepperdine it just seemed like prison...lol

on one hand i hear loyola has a better network and prospects, on the other hand i don't really want to work for a firm ... and recently i have been getting interested in JD/MBA and for that definitely pepperdine is a better choice [but not sure if i will do that]... but all n all can't make up my mind... i wished loyloa was not as cheesy looking compare to pepperdine.. then making my decision would have been so much easier...

Who gives a shit what the school looks like

[Ash;-)]

I knew you will say that...lol

[Ash;-)]

Loyola

edit: Loyola's large alumni network will prove beneficial down the line when seeking employment,internships, externships, etc. as will its central location in Los Angeles. Pepperdine is a very small school and thus has a much smaller alumni base and more limited reach. Just something to consider.

do you attend loyola now by any chance?

[071816]

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[Ash;-)]

I agree with you on that note... but how about if i want to do JD/MBA?...then hands down Pepperdine would be the better school

by the way I got into Davis and will not go...so there will be one more seat available for you...good luck though...

[071816]

.

[Sean1269]

I too faced the Pepperdine/Loyala/Davis/Hastings dilemma. I narrowed it down to Pepp/loyola for monetary reasons because, IMHO paying sticker for any law school is a bad idea b/c 160K+ in debt is crushing (especially taking into account interest) regardless of whether or not you get biglaw...

Loyala from what I have heard places better than Pepperdine into biglaw. I'm not sure if that's more a function of self-selection bias though. My experience at Pepperdine is that most students do not want to do biglaw. When I visted both schools I got a stronger sense from Pepperdine that the students, on the whole, wanted public interest more. Like I said before though, both are good schools.

Campus wise, it's a no brainer. People will say "why do you care where you go", but at the end of the day it's where you spend three years of your life, it's difficult to put a price on quality of life.

Re Loyola's alumni network, it's conceded that the alumni network is much larger at Loyola, but if I'm not mistaken the school is also larger as well. So will be competing for jobs with alums amongst a larger group. An important measure to look at would be Alumni in Ca/Size of graduating class. Not sure what that is for either school.

Lastly, Pepp's new dean is putting a huge focus on jobs. We can't all be Davis with 97% employment rates at graduation. The new dean is going to spend most of her first year traveling the country trying to set up jobs for Pepp grads. This will affect incoming students more than current students, so take that into account to.


Good luck with your decision

[071816]

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[Ash;-)]

So Sean I'm gathering that u will pick Pepp over loyola... Right?

[eagle0889]

I was facing the same dilemma and decided to eliminate Pepperdine today for some of the reasons above but also because it seems Loyola has a lot more externship and clinical opportunities than Pepperdine and its location in downtown LA places it closer to where the internships/externships would be. Also since both schools are fairly regional (SoCal only) it makes sense to go with the one with the bigger local alumni base.
Good luck with the decision though.

[Sean1269]

So Sean I'm gathering that u will pick Pepp over loyola... Right?

I picked Pepperdine last year, I was initially mildy disappointed I did not go to Davis after the new rankings came out, couldn't be happier now that I am at an LA school, w/ scholly and a summer job.

Pepp/Loyola grads do compete with T14/USC/UCLA kids and a few others, but similar situations arise in other geographic areas as well (most geographic areas as well). However, most of my peers have gotten summer jobs so far, a lot of working for federal/state judges, DA offices, a handful are in various JAG programs, private firms, and a bunch of other PI like things.

Re the rankings, first the rankings are gimmicked, I would bet $ that many/most of the schools game their employment. a direct quote from Hastings CDO on admitted students day when asked about the Davis rankings, "I think they've opened a creative writing department..." Pepp and Loyola are close there, Pepp is 1 pt. away (not not ranking spots, points wise), from being in the top 50, with it being hurt most in "peer rankings" i.e. what other professors think of the school. This should get better with the new dean, but time will tell.

Good luck in the decisions, pepp and loyola are both great schools, my friends at loyola love it there too.

[rolandgill]

I heard there are too many law schools graduates these days, and not enough jobs to go around, especially true during the recession. If you have connections/know people who work in law, your chances are better of securing a job. But a degree from either school wont guarantee it.

[071816]

I heard there are too many law schools graduates these days, and not enough jobs to go around, especially true during the recession. If you have connections/know people who work in law, your chances are better of securing a job. But a degree from either school wont guarantee it.

Thanks captain obvious.

[tittsburghfeelers]

I heard there are too many law schools graduates these days, and not enough jobs to go around, especially true during the recession. If you have connections/know people who work in law, your chances are better of securing a job. But a degree from either school wont guarantee it.

Thanks captain obvious.

[danielle9281]

I am thinking about attending Loyola next fall, but I am wondering if it would be worth it since I got into the university of wisconsin with scholarship. This is a broad question, don't ask where I would rather live, because obviously CA would be nicer. I am not worried about that. All I am wondering is if Loyola is a bad choice for job prospects compared to a school such as UW. I am hoping for a biglaw job.

[arhmcpo]

go check out the amazing stickied thread of the guy who compiled job prospect data for all ABA schools using US News data. Pepperdine and Loyola had virtually identical job prospects with very slight variations - more gov. at loyola and more business at pepp if I recall right.

Its really a personal preference situation. Urban experience versus Ocean/Rural (by LA standards). Big School v. Small School. With Loyola's size there will be much more class variety/options and clinical opportunities (especially government). With Pepperdine's small size you get much more one-on-one attention and the tight-nit student body vibe.

Pepperdine has a significantly higher prestige score from lawyers in Judges in US News than Loyola, but within LA, there's no clear consensus other than that UCLA and USC top grads will always win out. For every attorney claiming Loyola is superior I can find a an attorney claiming Pepp is and vice versa.

To sum it up Prestige in LA & Job Prospects pretty identical from both schools.
All things being equal I think I would choose Loyola with increased scholly money although I think the stip at Loyola is slighlty harsher (like T30% v. T1/3rd) but I like to gamble.

[1ferret!]

Many people face this choice if they want to be in LA. Many times the scholarships are comparable. In passing I would note that I originally thought, like most do, that Loyola's large alumni network would provide on its own for better job prospects. As pointed out above and elsewhere however, the numbers don't really show that to be the case, at least as far as initial job prospects are concerned.
I don't much care about the clinical opportunities offered at either school, as the last year of work experience has provided far more real world training than I might expect working with a clinic. I suspect firm experience is far more beneficial than clinical experience when it comes to preparing you for post graduation work.
The real difference is the location. It cuts both ways. Loyola's proximity to downtown definitely helps if you will be traveling between the school and downtown employers, or between home and downtown assuming that you choose to live as close as possible to the school.
The commute from Pepperdine to downtown is more difficult. Many students choose to live in Santa Monica or the West Side and it makes the commute from home to downtown less difficult than one might otherwise imagine. There are also many desirable places to work on the West Side, so its not necessarily a deal killer for me.
Many Big Law firms are located downtown, so in the event that a student secures an SA, they will likely have a bit more of a commute. But these same firms don't ordinarily keep law clerks during the school year from my understanding, so its not like you would find yourself getting out of class and having to make the drive to downtown.
The one issue that really weighs toward Loyola job-wise is the ability to take an unpaid position during the year given its closer proximity to most of those employers. If your ability to take that work is a consideration for you, that should factor into the equation.
Given the above, the one difference I find really determinative is the "feel" of both schools as has been discussed at length. Very different class size and culture. I know the name of almost every person in my class, including the transfer students. I have a beautiful view, closed campus, and no one has to worry about the neighborhood. I haven't had to pay for lunch in two years. Everyone is kind and supportive, and the school lacks anything close to what I would consider a competitive atmosphere. Just my experience.
Its a very individual choice, and the advice of visiting both schools is especially true of these two.

[thepete]

Many people face this choice if they want to be in LA. Many times the scholarships are comparable. In passing I would note that I originally thought, like most do, that Loyola's large alumni network would provide on its own for better job prospects. As pointed out above and elsewhere however, the numbers don't really show that to be the case, at least as far as initial job prospects are concerned.
I don't much care about the clinical opportunities offered at either school, as the last year of work experience has provided far more real world training than I might expect working with a clinic. I suspect firm experience is far more beneficial than clinical experience when it comes to preparing you for post graduation work.
The real difference is the location. It cuts both ways. Loyola's proximity to downtown definitely helps if you will be traveling between the school and downtown employers, or between home and downtown assuming that you choose to live as close as possible to the school.
The commute from Pepperdine to downtown is more difficult. Many students choose to live in Santa Monica or the West Side and it makes the commute from home to downtown less difficult than one might otherwise imagine. There are also many desirable places to work on the West Side, so its not necessarily a deal killer for me.
Many Big Law firms are located downtown, so in the event that a student secures an SA, they will likely have a bit more of a commute. But these same firms don't ordinarily keep law clerks during the school year from my understanding, so its not like you would find yourself getting out of class and having to make the drive to downtown.
The one issue that really weighs toward Loyola job-wise is the ability to take an unpaid position during the year given its closer proximity to most of those employers. If your ability to take that work is a consideration for you, that should factor into the equation.
Given the above, the one difference I find really determinative is the "feel" of both schools as has been discussed at length. Very different class size and culture. I know the name of almost every person in my class, including the transfer students. I have a beautiful view, closed campus, and no one has to worry about the neighborhood. I haven't had to pay for lunch in two years. Everyone is kind and supportive, and the school lacks anything close to what I would consider a competitive atmosphere. Just my experience.
Its a very individual choice, and the advice of visiting both schools is especially true of these two.

What?? Are you telling me that at Pepperdine, people give free food?

[Sean1269]

Many people face this choice if they want to be in LA. Many times the scholarships are comparable. In passing I would note that I originally thought, like most do, that Loyola's large alumni network would provide on its own for better job prospects. As pointed out above and elsewhere however, the numbers don't really show that to be the case, at least as far as initial job prospects are concerned.
I don't much care about the clinical opportunities offered at either school, as the last year of work experience has provided far more real world training than I might expect working with a clinic. I suspect firm experience is far more beneficial than clinical experience when it comes to preparing you for post graduation work.
The real difference is the location. It cuts both ways. Loyola's proximity to downtown definitely helps if you will be traveling between the school and downtown employers, or between home and downtown assuming that you choose to live as close as possible to the school.
The commute from Pepperdine to downtown is more difficult. Many students choose to live in Santa Monica or the West Side and it makes the commute from home to downtown less difficult than one might otherwise imagine. There are also many desirable places to work on the West Side, so its not necessarily a deal killer for me.
Many Big Law firms are located downtown, so in the event that a student secures an SA, they will likely have a bit more of a commute. But these same firms don't ordinarily keep law clerks during the school year from my understanding, so its not like you would find yourself getting out of class and having to make the drive to downtown.
The one issue that really weighs toward Loyola job-wise is the ability to take an unpaid position during the year given its closer proximity to most of those employers. If your ability to take that work is a consideration for you, that should factor into the equation.
Given the above, the one difference I find really determinative is the "feel" of both schools as has been discussed at length. Very different class size and culture. I know the name of almost every person in my class, including the transfer students. I have a beautiful view, closed campus, and no one has to worry about the neighborhood. I haven't had to pay for lunch in two years. Everyone is kind and supportive, and the school lacks anything close to what I would consider a competitive atmosphere. Just my experience.
Its a very individual choice, and the advice of visiting both schools is especially true of these two.

What?? Are you telling me that at Pepperdine, people give free food?

Nearly everyday, monday mornings there are free bagels and coffee. Nearly every afternoon some group or club is giving free Pizza, and if you're lucky....there are free burritos, hotdogs, "soul food", etc.