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Okay, so my final deposit at LUC is due today and I am sweating bullets! While Loyola was not my first choice, I really wanted to move to Chicago for family reasons and therefore decided to accept their offer and small scholarship. I am also waitlisted at a better school in Chicago (T14), so I figured that if I move there, I may luck out and get into my top choice, and if not Loyola would be fine. I told myself that I may love it and be happy I went or I could always transfer.

I quit my job in another state, turned in my 30 days notice for my apartment and was ready to go... until about 2 weeks ago. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that even though Loyola is a great school, it is not where I want to attend. Though I have a great UG GPA, a master's degree, great softs, and work experience, my LSAT sucked. I know that if I brought it up I would have many more options AND hopefully more scholarship offers as well. But, now if I don't go, I will be a homeless, unemployed bum scrambling for a job somewhere in America...

My deposit for Loyola is due TODAY and I have a lease for an aparment in Chicago sitting in front of me that I am nervous to sign. Do I trust my gut and just move to Chicago for a year, find a job, and study to retake the LSAT or accept the Loyola offer knowing that I can possibly transfer later?

(Note: I am originally from the Midwest, but have lived away for 6 years. While I feel as though I need to be in the area right now, I do not necessarily want to stay there forever.)

HELP!!!!!!!!! Thank You!

TooSchool4Cool wrote: I told myself that I may love it and be happy I went or I could always transfer.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that even though Loyola is a great school, it is not where I want to attend. Though I have a great UG GPA, a master's degree, great softs, and work experience, my LSAT sucked. I know that if I brought it up I would have many more options AND hopefully more scholarship offers as well.

The reality is you cannot always transfer. Don't go with the intention of transferring.

If you're waitlisted at a T14 in Chicago, go back, get a job, ride out the waitlist and study like hell for the LSAT. If you get pulled off the waitlist, go. If not, retake. Northwestern or UChi, profit.

This is coming from someone who once thought it might be a good idea to go to LUC, finish at the top of my class (as if that's easy) and transfer to a top school in Chicago. That's unrealistic. I said no to Loyola and got pulled off the waitlist at UChicago. I went to hell and back between the time I said no to Loyola and the time I was accepted off the WL at UChi, and my situation is by no means realistic either because the likelihood of getting in off the waitlist is usually slim. But the moral of this story is don't settle. This is an investment, so don't put it to something you had to convince yourself would make you happy.

Pay the second deposit and save yourself a seat. Wait for the other schools. If the discion is this hard for you... why not buy yourself some more time to decide?

If you are wait listed at a T14 you must have the #'s to get into a school in the T50? Did you apply all over the place?

If you want to keep both options open, pay the last deposit and see if you can find a job before school starts - if so, defer/withdraw, if not, go.

How much will you be paying per year for Loyola?

Thank you guys so much for your responses! I did not apply to many schools, because I was like I either want to go to like T14 or be close to my family (which was probably not the best idea). The cost of attendance at Loyola is around $52,000 a year plus the expense of living in Chicago. They only gave me $15,000.

If I pay the 2nd deposit now, $500 on top of the $250 I already paid, and I don't get in off of the waitlist at my other school, then what? I am starting to think more and more that I don't want to go to LUC... :/

(For clarification: The $15,000 would be subtracted from the $52,000, soooo I guess the COA would be around $37,000)

iamnooneelse wrote:

TooSchool4Cool wrote: I told myself that I may love it and be happy I went or I could always transfer.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that even though Loyola is a great school, it is not where I want to attend. Though I have a great UG GPA, a master's degree, great softs, and work experience, my LSAT sucked. I know that if I brought it up I would have many more options AND hopefully more scholarship offers as well.

The reality is you cannot always transfer. Don't go with the intention of transferring.

If you're waitlisted at a T14 in Chicago, go back, get a job, ride out the waitlist and study like hell for the LSAT. If you get pulled off the waitlist, go. If not, retake. Northwestern or UChi, profit.

This is coming from someone who once thought it might be a good idea to go to LUC, finish at the top of my class (as if that's easy) and transfer to a top school in Chicago. That's unrealistic. I said no to Loyola and got pulled off the waitlist at UChicago. I went to hell and back between the time I said no to Loyola and the time I was accepted off the WL at UChi, and my situation is by no means realistic either because the likelihood of getting in off the waitlist is usually slim. But the moral of this story is don't settle. This is an investment, so don't put it to something you had to convince yourself would make you happy.

Wow!! That is so awesome! Congrats on U of Chi!!! If only I could have the same luck...

With COA at $37k a year, I think holding off on law school for a year would be the best bet.

Any other thoughts my fellow TLSers???? The clock is ticking...

I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Loyola. Get a job.

Desert Fox wrote:I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Loyola. Get a job.

This, dude.

Even if you don't get off the WL, just reapply in September next year. I got nothing but wait-lists last year. I reapplied, and I'm going to NU next year.

Way rather be in my position now than preparing for 2L OCI at Loyola.

Z3RO wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Loyola. Get a job.

This, dude.

My sentiments exactly...

But on a serious note, I guess the decision has been made... Bye, bye Law School Class of 2014... Back to working for the man... (Well, I guess I would have to actually have a job to be saying that, lol)

Wish me luck! Thanks again for all of your responses!

You seem like an indecisive person. Don't go to loyola. chances are high you won't do well. (99% of the people there won't do well) but it seems like you will handle it really poorly. find a job.

TooSchool4Cool wrote:My sentiments exactly...

But on a serious note, I guess the decision has been made... Bye, bye Law School Class of 2014... Back to working for the man... (Well, I guess I would have to actually have a job to be saying that, lol)

Wish me luck! Thanks again for all of your responses!

Good luck and don't feel bad. This is likely to be one of the best decisions of your life.

Desert Fox wrote:I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Loyola. Get a job.

Dude, seriously? Don't be such a drama queen.

This type of advice is as bad as your mom's brother telling you to go to any, *any* law school because you're sure to make six figures.

This is message board troll status.

EstboundNDwn wrote:

Desert Fox wrote:I wouldn't send my worst enemy to Loyola. Get a job.

Dude, seriously? Don't be such a drama queen.

This type of advice is as bad as your mom's brother telling you to go to any, *any* law school because you're sure to make six figures.

This is message board troll status.

Maybe on full ride. But anywhere near sticker is in the "bad idea for anyone" category.

Loyola is seriously not worth the price you're paying for it, especially for someone with your credentials. Chances are you'll end up with a job that pays less than what you make now plus 150k of debt.

Northwestern and UChicago are worth it if you get off the waitlist.

I'd keep working for another year and hang on to the waitlist in the meantime. If you want to reapply the next year, retake the LSAT.

your chances of getting into Northwestern or Chicago with a better LSAT score are much better than your chances of transferring to either from LUC. And if you have as many trepidations about graduating from LUC as you seem to have, there is no way you should go there in the first place. Get a job, study, retake