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I just got pulled off the waitlist at FSU yesterday and it's got me digging for opinions and advice again. I was fairly sure that I was ready to just attend LSU. They waived the OOS cost for me with top 67% stip. Also talked to the office at Cumberland (an in-state school for me) and they said that the wave of scholarships went out just before I was accepted. As my numbers are at/above their 75th percentile in both GPA and LSAT I thought I was a shoe-in for a good scholarship. Now I have to wait on someone to give up their money for me to get anything. And then Miss. College gave me a full ride with top 20% stip.

So, just two days ago I decided that I was secure with going to LSU. It's three hours from me, but in the general area I'd like to live (AL/MS Coast or FL Panhandle). I already have a personal network in this area, so I was over the fear of going to a LA school with a different system and possibly not getting out. It would be more difficult than normal, but I feel like it's something I could accomplish (plus I would not die if I had to work in Eastern Louisiana for a few years or even for life). But then, FSU calls and offers a spot off the waitlist. No money coming from them. So my costs, as of today, would be (over 3 years): FSU=$107,682; LSU=$48,444; Cumberland=$98,700; MC=$0.

I'm not sure I like the tight stipulations with MC, but free is free (but I also believe MC is only worthwhile if its free the ENTIRE time). Cumberland would be nice since I could stay in the state I most want to practice in (AL), but I'm not willing to do that unless they ATLEAST match LSU with a 50% scholly. So, as of right now, assuming nothing else happens this summer (other waitlist offers or scholarship offers) I think my decision has to come down to FSU or LSU. Both capital cities, but LSU offers its 1L courses in civil law. That's my only drawback from LSU...the different initial learning in the 1L year.

So, is it worth paying the extra $59,238 to get a full 3 years of common law education as opposed to 2 years of common law and 1 of civil? Or maybe the other two schools are better options in your opinion. Pros/Cons from anyone? Let me hear your opinions. Thanks for your time!

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No question in my mind. FSU. Unless you are 100% sold on wanting to work in Alabama. In that case, retake and go to Alabama or at least get a big scholly from Cumberland.

Thanks for the input.

Apparently its much easier to become a resident of Florida for tuition purposes than it would be in Louisiana. And if I somehow became a resident of Louisiana LSU would then reevaluate my scholarship and adjust it. That means maybe I still have some left or maybe they take it all away. Idk. But, establishing residency in Louisiana for LSU's purposes is not going to happen. So the real difference, after establishing residency in Florida after 1L would be about $25,000 more for FSU over 3 years.

Have you asked FSU for scholarship money ? Regardless of your LSAT, you have a reason to inquire based on LSU's offer. If FSU does not offer any money, then select between LSU & FSU depending upon your tolerance for debt.

P.S. Don't attend LSU with thoughts of obtaining employment in the Florida panhandle region. Also, if you are seriously considering Mississippi College, then ask for a waiver of the top 20% class rank stipulation, or, a lessening of this stipulation to top 50%. (I suspect that the top 20% stipulation from Mississippi College is designed to discourage their best performing law students from transferring after the 1st year.)

P.P.S. I voted for FSU just to see the current results. If you want to live & work in Louisiana or Mississippi, then my vote would change to LSU for a couple of reasons including the fact that Mississippi is a hybrid common/civil law state.

Additionally, many New Orleans professionals have property interests in the coastal areas of Mississippi so that if you become a member of both state bars, then clients & law firms may find that appealing as clients don't like their personal info. spread around any more than necessary.

def remove cumberland and mc from your list. lsu actually has a pretty good rep in its region. i think i'd go to LSU because it's so cheap.

I have a feeling the top 20% stip at MC is designed to sucker as many higher quality applicants into their school as they can and then have a way to decrease the school's financial burden of doing so after the first year. People can't or don't transfer out of MC anyways...I think it was like 2/year last time I looked. Idk if that's because of the ranking of the school or the type of people that go to that school (generally non-traditional).

My main goal, career wise, is to work somewhere between Biloxi/Gulfport and Pensacola and stay close to the gulf coast. Most of my family is in this region and I love the area. I think either school would work fine for this geographic area (although I like FSU's chances better).

I was literally just thinking about scholarship stuff. I just graduated with a 3.58 and got 159 on LSAT. I don't think FSU is going to offer anything as I may be considered a splitter for them (3.3-3.7 GPA 25th/75th and 161-164 LSAT 25th/75th). However, I think I may be able to use FSU's offer and greater prestige as leverage against LSU to get more money out of them, where I am at their 75th for both LSAT and GPA.

I'd like to avoid debt, but it's more a matter of the difference in starting salary vs. the difference in the debt. If more money can be made then more debt can be taken. If the difference in salary is not that much, then maybe the lighter debt is the answer. The problem is starting salary data gets skewed and played with so much by the institutions themselves and a lot of people don't report back with their salary data. It's hard to get a good pulse on that entire situation.

Regardless, you should ask FSU for money in a respectable manner citing your LSU & MC offers & your career goals that make taking on significant debt a factor in your decision. No ultimatums, just inquire in a polite fashion.