ONU ($$$) vs Cal Western ($$) - Must Decide Today Forum

[l_dog03]

I have a deadline of today, 5/18/11 to pay a deposit at Ohio Northern.I do not have the means to pay more than one deposit.

ONU has offered me a scholarship of $28K renewable for 3 years with a 3.0GPA. Borrowing for COL and remaining tuition/fees my loans would be $23K/yr. total debt load of $69K (best case) or if my GPA dips $125K. The school is T3 135th on US News. Small, Rural, and I would need to move.

Last night at 11:30PM I received an email from the dean of admissions at Cal Western offering me a 50% for all 3 years (no mention of min GPA) this is about $21K. Borrowing for COL and remaining tuition/fees my loans would be $43K. Total debt load would be $129K. The school is T4; unranked by US News. It is local and urban.

My friend the recent Cal Western Grad tells me I should take the ONU offer, as dose my boss/mentor.

I know these are lower tier schools, and i know many of you are going to tell me to retake and reapply. I have thought out my decision to go to law school long and hard. Law school has been a dream of mine since high-school; I am not really prepared to put it off any longer.

Before you ask, yes I searched the forums for these schools already; I found some interesting information but nothing that really swayed me strongly in ether direction.

Also, yes I am new-ish on this site, and yes in my first post I was thinking about Cooley. This post is not flame bate or trolling. I am really just trying to gather all possible opinions and information and make the best informed decision that I can.

Please help me out.

Thanks in advance

[taxnstuff]

I would take the advice of your mentor

[akili]

Where is the curve set at ONU?

[scammedhard]

If your goal is to go to law school, go the cheapest. If your goal is to be lawyer and practice law, retake and reapply.

[UCLAtransfer]

If your goal is to go to law school, go the cheapest. If your goal is to be lawyer and practice law, retake and reapply.

+1

[Grizz]

If your goal is to go to law school, go the cheapest. If your goal is to be lawyer and practice law, retake and reapply.

Credited.

[drs36]

From my understanding, the curve is C+, B- at ONU. I know a few people there and they said it is very difficult to keep the scholarship, probably top 3rd if not higher would be needed.

[swilson215]

Do you want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in Ohio? If you're from California (like I am) and you go to a school in rural Ohio (like I did for undergrad) be prepared for some serious culture and weather shock. If you're used to the social life in SD, you might be pretty miserable in Ada, Ohio.

If you have ties to SD, stay in SD. Honestly, a degree from ONU isn't going to get you anywhere near coming back to CA, and neither of the scholarships are great enough to make the decision for you -- the stips are bad.

[Case2L]

I am not familiar with Cal Western, but I can recommend you notattend ONU. There are too many law schools in Ohio; far more JD's than jobs, and ONU is not going to get you very far.

[imbored25]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's defense attorney went to ONU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Brafman

[TheFactor]

Dominique Strauss-Kahn's defense attorney went to ONU

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benjamin_Brafman

COOL

[xcountryjunkie]

When making this decision, you should assume that you'll lose your scholarship. With a roughly top 1/3 requirement to keep it, there's (obviously) a 2/3rds chance that you'll lose it. Personally, I don't see how the job prospects from those schools make $125K in debt worth it.