Top Law Schools

Asking for a friend who's too lazy to make her own account. She had a fantastic cycle and was set on the HYS route but then the full ride from UT came in and she got cold feet about going $150k in debt. Doesn't have any specific post-ls aspirations at the moment.

What would you do? Take the financial risk for the potential huge pay off or play it safe and go to law school where you went to ug?

Where does she want to practice post-graduation? Also, which HYS?

If Yale, go there. If Not Yale, and she wants to practice in Texas, then UT wouldn't be a bad choice.

No preference, wouldn't mind Texas but doesn't want to get stuck with $60k a year.

She got into all three. I think she was considering Stanford but thought Yale and Harvard would be miserable weather wise (pretty damn sure she's never seen snow outside of the freak bits Austin occasionally gets).

What I've been telling her is Yale is awesome, Stanford is beautiful, Harvard has classes bigger than she'd like and Texas is a safety net. I've been pushing the latter mostly because she seems to be doing this because she can, not because she's actually super interested in law.

Well from what I know (limited), her options out fo UT are primarily going to be for Texas.

In my opinion, I'd advise Yale. It provides the best exit options of any law school (with a chance for her to get a non-legal job, although in that case maybe LS isn't the best decision.)

Yale offers program to pay down debt if she goes into PI/Gov't work, and if she gets a prestigious Biglaw position, she'd be able to pay it down anyway.

For Harvard and Stanford v. UT, I'd still go for HYS, especially since she isn't gunning for Texas.

Edit to say - Yale's winters aren't going to be that bad. Sure, it won't be Stanford, but there's a reason Yale has ~80% yield, and those reasons far outweigh the weather.

Go to Yale. It is worth it.

Yale. duh.

Yale. Their LRAP is amazing, and will help absorb your debt even if you can't find a high-income job.

Which, by the way, someone from Yale typically can.

So, I chose a full-ride at UT over Harvard...but I got rejected from Yale and waitlisted at Stanford. If she really isn't sure she wants to be a lawyer, a full-ride is a great way of hedging her bets, but so is going to Yale, since quite a few people who go there don't ever actually practice law.

I totally understand about hating the cold, and it's definitely one of the reasons I didn't choose Harvard, but then why not go to Stanford? Palo Alto has fabulous weather.

My personal reasons for choosing UT over Harvard had to do with Harvard's size, its location in an urban city, the weather, and the general intense and unfriendly feel I got from the student body. UT is obviously preferable to Harvard (and probably Yale, due to New Haven's lameness) when it comes to quality of life. But I feel like Stanford and UT are pretty much tied in that area.

Debt is scary. And I don't think it would be an enormous huge mistake to choose UT over these three schools (though some on here might tell you otherwise). If you're near the top of the class at UT (which, given her admission to YHS, she is likely to be), you can definitely leave Texas with that degree. There will, however, be a few doors closed to you, namely academia (which is not something I personally was interested in, so I didn't take that into account).

I would tell her to visit YHS at the last minute if she can, and unless she absolutely hates the vibe at all three, to go to one of those. Although playing it safe is definitely the more comfortable option, and would be understandable. Oh, and tell her congrats!

You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

If she doesn't see the obvious answer here then she should just take the full ride...

I have to go with Yale as well here...maybe she'll find her calling there

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bfaiken wrote:You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

^ TITCR

Also, because of LRAP, it is entirely worth going to Yale over a full ride at any school ranked below t14.

I chose Stanford over Michigan full ride. HTH.

bfaiken wrote:You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

Unless you don't want academia. If you don't want academia, I think, HS are equally good options.

WhirledWorld wrote:Hard to advise without knowing her career aspirations.

i think it was she doesnt have any, in which case i liked YLS lol

btw OP, is she asian? if so, her parents will love her the more for it

Straw_Mandible wrote:

bfaiken wrote:You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

^ TITCR

Also, because of LRAP, it is entirely worth going to Yale over a full ride at any school ranked below 1.

fixed

Straw_Mandible wrote:

bfaiken wrote:You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

^ TITCR

Also, because of LRAP, it is entirely worth going to Yale over a full ride at any school ranked below t14.

When was there still a t14? Texas is part of that now...

I want to slap your friend. Hell, I would if it would get me into H or Y or S.

Yale.

bfaiken wrote:You don't turn down Yale - Yale turns down you.

I lol'ed.

But seriously, I would go to Yale unless I was 100% sure I wanted to stay in TX for the rest of my life.

Moxie wrote:Where does she want to practice post-graduation? Also, which HYS?

If Yale, go there. If Not Yale, and she wants to practice in Texas, then UT wouldn't be a bad choice.

Love the LSAT Logic!

Stanford or Yale.