Need to decide by tomorrow! Help please! Forum

[risktaker]

I was originally offered a 10k per year no stips scholly to McGeorge, but I was able to get it increased to 15k per year no stips. I have the same 8k per yr top 50% stip for Seattle U. I do not care as to where I end up practicing. I like Seattle a lot better than Sacramento, but I am pretty debt averse. Which school should I pick?!?! This is the last time I will post this poll. I need to know because I have to make a decision by tomorrow!

[Teoeo]

If you really don't care where you practice then McGeorge is a no brainer. It sounds like you do care though, so I am not sure what to tell you.

[TheFactor]

Unless you can get the stips removed at Seattle, McGeorge is a no-brainer here.

[gjr8891]

I like Seattle a lot better than Sacramento

This is the sole reason I voted for Seattle. Take on a little more debt if that's what it takes to ultimately be able to practice law in the city you like the most.

[risktaker]

I do like the city of Seattle better than Sacramento, but I have ties to CA. Went to high school in CA and did my undergrad at UCSD. I have my immediate family and friends in northern california. I would have absolutely no ties to Seattle.

[Perch]

I do like the city of Seattle better than Sacramento, but I have ties to CA. Went to high school in CA and did my undergrad at UCSD. I have my immediate family and friends in northern california. I would have absolutely no ties to Seattle.

then you should probably go to seattle if you want to eventually practice there. good luck with the decision!

[risktaker]

bump.

[Verity]

I was originally offered a 10k per year no stips scholly to McGeorge, but I was able to get it increased to 15k per year no stips. I have the same 8k per yr top 50% stip for Seattle U. I do not care as to where I end up practicing. I like Seattle a lot better than Sacramento, but I am pretty debt averse. Which school should I pick?!?! This is the last time I will post this poll. I need to know because I have to make a decision by tomorrow!

Re: the bolded, then don't mortgage your future for miserably bad school with even more miserable job prospects.

[risktaker]

Anyone else who might have first hand experience with either of these schools care to give their input.

[scammedhard]

Re: the bolded, then don't mortgage your future for miserably bad school with even more miserable job prospects.

+1. All the information available out there is unanimously telling you that choosing either one of these schools is a really bad idea. I'd like to know how you can justify such a decision.

I guess if you are dead set on going, I'd suggest McGeorge because of the partial scholarship. But if you are not in the top 10% after your first semester, just drop out and don't look back.

[risktaker]

I can justify this decision because I know I want to go to law school and work as a lawyer. McGeorge has a ton of alumni, and it is located in Sacramento, the capital of California. There are numerous firms in Sacramento that hire almost exclusively McGeorge graduates. It's not that awful of a financial decision. Plus, I am going in with the attitude of top 25% or bust. If I cannot land in that percentile after my first year, I will drop out. Worst case scenario, I lose out on 30K. Not the end of the world. Best case, I land a job in Sac or try to transfer. Either way, I can probably negotiate more money if I am within the top 25% and can potentially transfer. Plus, I do not need a 0L telling me how bad of a decision it is when you have absolutely no experience/knowledge about the school other than what you see on this board.

[scammedhard]

I can justify this decision because I know I want to go to law school and work as a lawyer. McGeorge has a ton of alumni, and it is located in Sacramento, the capital of California. There are numerous firms in Sacramento that hire almost exclusively McGeorge graduates. It's not that awful of a financial decision. Plus, I am going in with the attitude of top 25% or bust. If I cannot land in that percentile after my first year, I will drop out. Worst case scenario, I lose out on 30K. Not the end of the world. Best case, I land a job in Sac or try to transfer. Either way, I can probably negotiate more money if I am within the top 25% and can potentially transfer. Plus, I do not need a 0L telling me how bad of a decision it is when you have absolutely no experience/knowledge about the school other than what you see on this board.

Please come back and let us know when you start your scamblog.

[risktaker]

scammed, if you're not going to give helpful advice GTFO

[glewz]

You should attend McGeorge. Enjoy Sac law!

[mrtoren]

I can justify this decision because I know I want to go to law school and work as a lawyer. McGeorge has a ton of alumni, and it is located in Sacramento, the capital of California. There are numerous firms in Sacramento that hire almost exclusively McGeorge graduates. It's not that awful of a financial decision. Plus, I am going in with the attitude of top 25% or bust. If I cannot land in that percentile after my first year, I will drop out. Worst case scenario, I lose out on 30K. Not the end of the world. Best case, I land a job in Sac or try to transfer. Either way, I can probably negotiate more money if I am within the top 25% and can potentially transfer. Plus, I do not need a 0L telling me how bad of a decision it is when you have absolutely no experience/knowledge about the school other than what you see on this board.

scammed, if you're not going to give helpful advice GTFO

You need to the calm down. You're shrugging off $30,000 like its nothing. That's idiotic. Also, why would you attend a law school with the expectation of hitting the top quartile or dropping out? Does that really sound like a reputable law school you should be attending? You know what the correct answer is, but you're desperately trying to avoid it. U of the Pacific only had 49% of graduates working full-time in a job that required a J.D. 1 in 2. Seattle U is about the same at 52% in full-time J.D.-requiring jobs. 1 in 2. Those are HORRIBLE numbers. You think you'll be the one out of every two guys who gets the job, but then again, so does everyone else. Nobody goes there expecting unemployment.

What you want isn't always what you get.

[scammedhard]

scammed, if you're not going to give helpful advice GTFO

I was trying to give helpful advice.

[Wade LeBosh]

Please come back and let us know when you start your scamblog.

[risktaker]

mrtoren, I understand what you are saying. I wish I had better stats. I would like to go to a school like UC Davis, Hastings, LA or Berkeley, but I cannot do anything about it. I have already taken the LSAT more than 3 times and got a 157 even though I was scoring a lot higher while practicing. I will be busting my ass, and I know that I want to be a lawyer. I think that sort of work ethic will help me do just fine in law school. I know I am taking a gamble, but I do not want to sit out another 2 years and lose out on another two years of income.

[mrtoren]

mrtoren, I understand what you are saying. I wish I had better stats. I would like to go to a school like UC Davis, Hastings, LA or Berkeley, but I cannot do anything about it. I have already taken the LSAT more than 3 times and got a 157 even though I was scoring a lot higher while practicing. I will be busting my ass, and I know that I want to be a lawyer. I think that sort of work ethic will help me do just fine in law school. I know I am taking a gamble, but I do not want to sit out another 2 years and lose out on another two years of income.

I understand the impatience, I would be going nuts at the thought of having to wait for another cycle. However, I hope you're smarter than I would be. Your numbers, while not exceptional, are more than enough to get into a good law school with better stats. IMHO, California is off-limits for all but the elite. There are so many schools and so many prospective law students that its unmanageable. You need the best numbers to get into the best law schools to succeed. Additionally, with your numbers, you should be crossing private law schools off of your list. You cannot get into a good enough private school with a high enough scholarship to make it worthwhile. That leaves state schools outside of California and preferably outside of New York. I understand relocating is hard, but if you truly want to be a lawyer, you might have to. A school like Rutgers, whether at Camden or Newark, possesses much strong employment and salary stats. Tuition is a mere $24k and living is about $13k. That is a solid package. There others options too though. Michigan State, while a private law school, is fairly cheap at $33k in tuition and another $12k or so in living. However, they're also handing out a lot of scholarship money and they have a high retention rate on the cash. U Missouri would be feasible and you can get in-state after the first year.

Do some more research tonight on the schools I mentioned. Stay up past midnight, sit in a quiet room alone and ask yourself what you really think you should do. Listen to the answer and act on it.

[ndirish2010]

If you're that debt averse, then retake and reapply.

[hipstermafia]

If you're that debt averse, then retake and reapply.

I have already taken the LSAT more than 3 times and got a 157 even though I was scoring a lot higher while practicing.

[ndirish2010]

If you're that debt averse, then retake and reapply.

I have already taken the LSAT more than 3 times and got a 157 even though I was scoring a lot higher while practicing.

Didn't read the thread that carefully, sorry...I still wouldn't go to McGeorge. Definitely not worth it, even on a full ride with those employment numbers. Opportunity cost.

[risktaker]

Thank you guys, but some of these suggestions are nuts. I cannot move to another state and work/live there for a couple years and then apply to law school again. I know the risk I am taking, and I can live with it. I know that if I work hard, I will end up where I need to be to land a full time job as a lawyer. If not, a JD still helps. I rather be making 50-60k with a job I like than making the same with a crap job like lab assistant with my biochem degree. I do not want to become a doctor or go into health care.

[glewz]

Thank you guys, but some of these suggestions are nuts. I cannot move to another state and work/live there for a couple years and then apply to law school again. I know the risk I am taking, and I can live with it. I know that if I work hard, I will end up where I need to be to land a full time job as a lawyer. If not, a JD still helps. I rather be making 50-60k with a job I like than making the same with a crap job like lab assistant with my biochem degree. I do not want to become a doctor or go into health care.

You should read this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 3&t=157855
There's a poster in there named areyouinsane who gives a pretty scary outlook for the law-intended.

[risktaker]

haha. Seems like most of those people working there are nut jobs if in fact this guy is legit. I think if you are sane, do your homework, network, and interview well, you are bound to land something decent besides doc review.