Need help with decision Forum

[callen7828]

Hello all, I have a decision to make, it may not be the best decsion but I have to make one. I have been accepted to the Thomas Jefferson, University of D.C., University of Baltimore, and Suffolk. Which of these school should I seriously think about? I know everyone is going to say retake the lsat and go to a better school but that is not an option, I have already taken the test twice with a 138 the first time and a 150 the second so I feel this will be the best I can do on the test. So please just give advice to which of these three I should think about, and none of the above is not an answer for to me. FYI I am not that interested in big law I am more interested in eventually having my own practice, or possibly government work.

[classix]

If you're honestly going to do this, pick UDC for dirt cheap tuition.

The schools are all basically the same caliber. Baltimore and Suffolk with kill you with 150+ student debt and no better job prospects.

If its any consolation, I took my LSAT at UDC and it wasn't awful there...kinda not bad actually. Only a metro ride away from some great neighborhoods in DC.

But you should really just think about everything really hard.

[snapdragon]

Wow I had no idea how much cheaper UDC was. If you must choose from these, that is probably the best bet on price alone.

[Grizz]

I wouldn't go at all, but if you must go, whatever's cheapest.

[swc65]

I wouldn't go at all, but if you must go, whatever's cheapest.

do you have any other interests? What about nursing? Masters in public health? architect schools. Butler school anything else useful? hanging a shingle is a great idea, but you probably are not going to be a viable lawyer straight out of law school. You will need to convince someone to hire you and train you. Plus, you will need a lot of business acumen which you will probably not be exposed to at a school where everyone crossing their fingers for a low rung govt. job or shitlaw.

Also, why are you so opposed to a retake? Are you 87 and just can't wait another year or three to practice/work harder and up your score? If you wait you can always go back, if you go now it's unlikely you'll be able to transfer and you will never wipe the stain of UDC law off your resume.


This is a huge gamble (as I am sure you know). It sucks to watch people running into a fire ignoring the smoke, the heat, and the flames just to hear them complaining that they got burned later. Not saying YOU will do this, but that is a fairly common story. Shit, people who scored in the 99%tile and attend the best schools in the country are jobless! Even Gtown (whose graduates you'll be competing with, not to mention GW, UM, richmond, UVA etc).

[buckilaw]

I have a decision to make, it may not be the best decsion but I have to make one.

You do not have to attend one of these schools.

I know everyone is going to say retake the lsat and go to a better school but that is not an option...

I wonder why?

I have already taken the test twice with a 138 the first time and a 150 the second so I feel this will be the best I can do on the test.

You improved 12 points from one test to the next, this suggests you can improve further. If you want to do government work the prestige of your school will play a large part in your abillity to get said work. If you want to start your own practice you should limit your debt as much as possible. A higher LSAT would give you the option to go to law school with a scholarship, or attend a more prestigious school.

[callen7828]

No I am not 87 but I am 35 and I have a family to support so I need to get through law school soon. I do not think I will do much better on the lsat because I practiced alot and all of my practice scores were around the same. I also took a princeton review course already. I have talked to many attornies and they have told me after the first few years your law school does not matter anymore as long as you have been practicing.

[classix]

Okay, which prankster picked Suffolk?

[red_alertz]

don't listen to these elitist ppl, since you already have a family, you may already have some connections, get your JD at the cheapest school since they are not much different from one another, then go from there

[classix]

I wouldn't go at all, but if you must go, whatever's cheapest.

do you have any other interests? What about nursing? Masters in public health? architect schools. Butler school anything else useful? hanging a shingle is a great idea, but you probably are not going to be a viable lawyer straight out of law school. You will need to convince someone to hire you and train you. Plus, you will need a lot of business acumen which you will probably not be exposed to at a school where everyone crossing their fingers for a low rung govt. job or shitlaw.

Also, why are you so opposed to a retake? Are you 87 and just can't wait another year or three to practice/work harder and up your score? If you wait you can always go back, if you go now it's unlikely you'll be able to transfer and you will never wipe the stain of UDC law off your resume.


This is a huge gamble (as I am sure you know). It sucks to watch people running into a fire ignoring the smoke, the heat, and the flames just to hear them complaining that they got burned later. Not saying YOU will do this, but that is a fairly common story. Shit, people who scored in the 99%tile and attend the best schools in the country are jobless! Even Gtown (whose graduates you'll be competing with, not to mention GW, UM, richmond, UVA etc).

And GMU, and W&L.

[ndirish2010]

Please, please, please, please do not go to law school. Take a look at that Emory employment survey on the employment board. That is a T30 school! Less than half the class has a job right now! What do you think is going to happen to you from one of these TTTTs? If you have a family to support, get a job or stay in your current job, do not waste any money or three years of your life for a worthless degree from a school like this.

[red_alertz]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

[ndirish2010]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

Yeah, you are. Except that doesn't matter when you don't have a job.

[classix]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

You are a flame.

if a JD is a JD is a JD is a JD is a JD is a JD is a JD then why does anyone go to any school other than UDC with its ~$9,000 tuition?

are the people that pay sticker at HYS idiots for a getting a JD(is a JD is a JD) @ 150k+?

[swc65]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

yes because we should make decision by what's possible and not what's probable. We should all needlessly stack the deck against ourselves for what's possible.


Edited because I am not sure what's banworthy anymore

[swc65]

No I am not 87 but I am 35 and I have a family to support so I need to get through law school soon. I do not think I will do much better on the lsat because I practiced alot and all of my practice scores were around the same. I also took a princeton review course already. I have talked to many attornies and they have told me after the first few years your law school does not matter anymore as long as you have been practicing.

I understand where you are coming from. I am an older student with family to take of too and the urge to get things done quickly because time just keeps flying by is very strong. However, the older you are the less time you have to recoup your investment, so it is even more important to make safer bets (as in don't gamble with your retirement when you're 64 like you would when you're 25). Also, in three and half years when you graduate from UDC with a lot of debt and no job prospects, how are you going to take care of your family? Don't forget the forgone opportunities. three years is a long time to build a career and move up. All jokes aside, three years at McDonald's and you could be a manager at 50K with benefits and a chance to open your own store at some point. This is just one example (I know people make jokes about JD's working at fast food, but I only bring this example up because McDonald's is hriing 50K workers this month in one day). UDC will take a chunk out of your life, increase your debt (if you're borrowing everything we're still looking at 60-70K of debt), make you work like a dog and you will probably not see any return on your investment.

Working and studying for the LSAT one more year would be very wise. If you could improve another 12 points you could be looking at a completely different world of opportunities.

[classix]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

yes because we should make decision by what's possible and not what's probable. We should all needlessly stack the deck against ourselves for what's possible.


Edited because I am not sure what's banworthy anymore

Aww i like the original.

it was aggressive, but poignant.

[swc65]

a JD is a JD is a JD, it's possible that someone go to a TTTT and pass the bar on the first attempt while some elitist fail to do so, and as long as you pass the bar, you are qualified as an attorney

yes because we should make decision by what's possible and not what's probable. We should all needlessly stack the deck against ourselves for what's possible.


Edited because I am not sure what's banworthy anymore

Aww i like the original.

it was aggressive, but poignant.

Agreed.

[EstboundNDwn]

Wow I had no idea how much cheaper UDC was. If you must choose from these, that is probably the best bet on price alone.

From the looks of this board, +5

It should be criminal to allow anyone to go to TJ law. SD's market is more oversaturated than LA's.

[boalt2l]

No I am not 87 but I am 35 and I have a family to support so I need to get through law school soon. I do not think I will do much better on the lsat because I practiced alot and all of my practice scores were around the same. I also took a princeton review course already. I have talked to many attornies and they have told me after the first few years your law school does not matter anymore as long as you have been practicing.

This is arguably on par with child neglect/ or cruelty. Wasting your family's financial resources in a way analogous to flushing it down the toilet is just plain cruel. Should someone call social services? This poor guy's children...

[classix]

Op,

With all due respect, consider this:

Unless these schools gave you scholarships...like REAL scholarships for significant $$$ and not some sharky GPA stipulation, you will be paying for your peers' education.

There are going to be people more qualified than you that will be going to these schools FOR FREE, and YOU WILL BE PAYING FOR THEIR EDUCATION, because YOU ARE PAYING FULL PRICE.

You will be the donkey in this scenario that does the hard work for other people to take free rides. That cannot be good for you.

If this were a strong T100, then MAYBE you can justify paying in light of predicted future earnings.

But just think that you will likely be, for lack of a better word, the "bitch" that pays full price while everyone is taking free, or very low cost rides through school.


That is the situation: You are going to pay FULL PRICE for a bad school so that your peers (who will be taking your jobs, also) can go to this TTTT FOR FREE.

Think of it this way for a moment when making your decision.

Again, I don't want to piss you off, just offer a fresh perspective.

(I took a Nando style for formatting here.)

[EstboundNDwn]

(I took a Nando style for formatting here.)

Nando is to law school applicants what is Dr. Phil to housewives.

[Grizz]

No I am not 87 but I am 35 and I have a family to support so I need to get through law school soon. I do not think I will do much better on the lsat because I practiced alot and all of my practice scores were around the same. I also took a princeton review course already. I have talked to many attornies and they have told me after the first few years your law school does not matter anymore as long as you have been practicing.

You may not get a job