Top Law Schools

Not totally sure what I want to do. I don't think I want New York big law, but of course it's possible that could change. Looking to do PI/government probably - environmental law, in particular, working for an organization like the EPA, ideally, or maybe something in human rights, public defender, etc. Target markets are DC, Seattle (some ties), Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Nashville, maybe Charlotte. I know I'll get ripped for saying target markets outside of my schools' regions with no ties, but the best school I got into on the west coast is UW. Waitlisted at USC and UCLA, denied by Berkeley, didn't bother applying to Stanford. I like the South, but wouldn't mind getting out. Visited Vandy a couple weeks ago and loved it and thought Nashville was pretty cool. Penn was cool, too, but definitely seemed more intense.

What do you think?

Edited because I narrowed it down to Penn and Vandy.

Those price differences aren't that high (though Nashville COL is pretty cheap and you could graduate there with much less debt than the others). However, I still think Penn's worth the difference

whitman wrote:Not totally sure what I want to do. I don't think I want New York big law, but of course it's possible that could change. Looking to do PI/government probably - environmental law, in particular, working for an organization like the EPA, ideally, or maybe something in human rights, public defender, etc. Target markets are DC, Seattle (some ties), Portland, Austin, Nashville, maybe Charlotte. I know I'll get ripped for saying target markets outside of my schools' regions with no ties, but the best school I got into on the west coast is UW. Waitlisted at USC and UCLA, denied by Berkeley, didn't bother applying to Stanford. I like the South, but wouldn't mind getting out. Visited Vandy a couple weeks ago and loved it and thought Nashville was pretty cool.

What do you think?

What's total cost of attendance for each school? Are the above numbers recurring scholarships?

I don't want to post the schools' estimated costs of attendance because I don't think they're accurate. Instead, I'll post total tuition for each and you guys can extrapolate from that. Obviously, Nashville is lower COL than Philly, which is lower in turn than DC.

Vanderbilt: $84,700
Georgetown: $135,315
UPenn: $145,086

Plus cost of living for each. So it's really more like Vandy at $30,000 less than Georgetown and $70,000 less than Penn.

Listed scholarships are totals over the course of three years with no GPA requirements.

Vandy places as well as, if not better, than GTown

Penn is a great school and 50K from Vandy is good, but not great. It's a toss up between the two. I think if you go to Vandy you get better QOL and a more enjoyable experience overall at a lower cost. Penn gives you better odds of placement in the northeast. Depends what is important to you, but I don't think GTown is viable given these two options. Especially since you didn't say you are only looking for DC and nothing else.

whitman wrote: Vanderbilt: $84,700
Georgetown: $135,315
UPenn: $145,086

Plus cost of living for each. So it's really more like Vandy at $30,000 less than Georgetown and $70,000 less than Penn.

Listed scholarships are totals over the course of three years with no GPA requirements.

Sorry, but are these number after or before scholarship?

Regardless, I think Vandy is a contender here because it can place students in most of markets that you listed (DC,Austin, Nashville, and Charlotte). Have you tried negotiate money from Vandy using the Penn admission?

whitman wrote:Not totally sure what I want to do. I don't think I want New York big law, but of course it's possible that could change. Looking to do PI/government probably - environmental law, in particular, working for an organization like the EPA, ideally, or maybe something in human rights, public defender, etc. Target markets are DC, Seattle (some ties), Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Nashville, maybe Charlotte. I know I'll get ripped for saying target markets outside of my schools' regions with no ties, but the best school I got into on the west coast is UW. Waitlisted at USC and UCLA, denied by Berkeley, didn't bother applying to Stanford. I like the South, but wouldn't mind getting out. Visited Vandy a couple weeks ago and loved it and thought Nashville was pretty cool.

What do you think?

Why isn't Cornell an option here? [See OP's profile]

I picked Penn. $50K from Vandy isn't that much, Georgetown is too big, and its placement sucks, and Penn is the best positioned of its cousins to get you a job. Too bad you didn't get into Berkeley, though. That would've been perfect for you! Why did you get WLed at UCLA when you got into all these other (much better) schools? YP?

niederbomb wrote:

whitman wrote:Not totally sure what I want to do. I don't think I want New York big law, but of course it's possible that could change. Looking to do PI/government probably - environmental law, in particular, working for an organization like the EPA, ideally, or maybe something in human rights, public defender, etc. Target markets are DC, Seattle (some ties), Portland, San Francisco, Austin, Nashville, maybe Charlotte. I know I'll get ripped for saying target markets outside of my schools' regions with no ties, but the best school I got into on the west coast is UW. Waitlisted at USC and UCLA, denied by Berkeley, didn't bother applying to Stanford. I like the South, but wouldn't mind getting out. Visited Vandy a couple weeks ago and loved it and thought Nashville was pretty cool.

What do you think?

Why isn't Cornell an option here? [See OP's profile]

I picked Penn. $50K from Vandy isn't that much, Georgetown is too big, and its placement sucks, and Penn is the best positioned of its cousins to get you a job. Too bad you didn't get into Berkeley, though. That would've been perfect for you! Why did you get WLed at UCLA when you got into all these other (much better) schools? YP?

I decided Northwestern and Cornell were too expensive and didn't bring anything new to the table that I couldn't get from Penn, Vandy or Georgetown. I wish I hadn't had a couple bum semesters that made me a 3.5/172 splitter because, yeah, Berkeley would have been perfect.

Vandy is still going to cost nearly 150k, right? If so, I'd vote Penn. If the difference were 100k, then I'd definitely go the other way, but Penn has significantly better employment opportunities than Vandy (and to a lesser extent GULC)

If you want to work for a law firm you should go to georgetown because it is in washington (dc) and thus it can help you get into one because washington is where most law firms are

bornforlaw wrote:If you want to work for a law firm you should go to georgetown because it is in washington (dc) and thus it can help you get into one because washington is where most law firms are

?

if this is real, you're an idiot.

bornforlaw wrote:If you want to work for a law firm you should go to georgetown because it is in washington (dc) and thus it can help you get into one because washington is where most law firms are

handlesthetruth wrote:?

if this is real, you're an idiot.

Banned for being the same person.

Wait, what? Those two posters are the same person?

whitman wrote:Wait, what? Those two posters are the same person?

Yep, but one of them won't be rejoining us.

Is it crazy that I'm leaning toward Vandy? Not really interested in NYC, though I suppose that could change, and that seems like Penn's main advantage.

I guess that's a yes?

whitman wrote:I guess that's a yes?

Lol... no--not crazy. I'm a big believer in thinking about your personal priorities and gut feelings and making what is almost always going to be a difficult judgment call. There is no right answer. So, no, it's not crazy. (And you definitely wouldn't be the only person at Vandy who made such a choice.)

drylo wrote:

whitman wrote:I guess that's a yes?

Lol... no--not crazy. I'm a big believer in thinking about your personal priorities and gut feelings and making what is almost always going to be a difficult judgment call. There is no right answer. So, no, it's not crazy. (And you definitely wouldn't be the only person at Vandy who made such a choice.)

I have friends at Penn who tell me it's bitterly competitive (and these are kids who came out on top of class and still looked miserable when telling the tale) whereas Vandy has the exact opposite reputation. The Vandy "collegial and friendly" reputation has been confirmed, at least for me, by the experiences of my friends there and what I observed on my visit. I haven't had a chance to visit Penn, so no first hand experience there, but no, I don't think you'd be crazy.

Can someone confirm Penn's more competitive atmosphere?

Also, for PI and environmental law, how do the two schools compare?

It may be more competitive because it's a higher ranked school.. but the people I met were incredibly friendly and said that other than the people trying to get in the top x% of the class to get an automatic spot on the Penn Law Journal, it's not competitive at all.

cucullu wrote:

drylo wrote:

whitman wrote:I guess that's a yes?

Lol... no--not crazy. I'm a big believer in thinking about your personal priorities and gut feelings and making what is almost always going to be a difficult judgment call. There is no right answer. So, no, it's not crazy. (And you definitely wouldn't be the only person at Vandy who made such a choice.)

I have friends at Penn who tell me it's bitterly competitive (and these are kids who came out on top of class and still looked miserable when telling the tale) whereas Vandy has the exact opposite reputation. The Vandy "collegial and friendly" reputation has been confirmed, at least for me, by the experiences of my friends there and what I observed on my visit. I haven't had a chance to visit Penn, so no first hand experience there, but no, I don't think you'd be crazy.

IBVeyron

Come on Veyron, don't let us down.

Lame.

For PI GULC wins out due to both Penn and Vandy having not great Lraps. But since it is between penn and vandy i'd probably go with vandy. They absolutely destroy their market and it definitely seems like you want to be at a school with a lot of local sway if you're interested in what you're interested in. Penn doesn't dominate its market so much.

I'm from the Seattle area and from what i understand any T14 degree is going to go pretty far in the PNW. I think that this is how it breaks down.

1. HYS
2. All other T14
3. UW
4. Seattle U/L&C/UofO

If i were in your shoes i would go with Penn.