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Just got the call from USC. I was all set to attend Loyola LA with an 87k scholly (top 30% to renew).

If I attend Loyola I won't be taking out any loans whatsoever for 1L as I would be paying for cost of living and the remaining tuition balance with a combination of personal savings and help from my mother. I have strong ties to the LA area as I was born and raised here and have some decent connections. But the top 30% stip scares the shit out of me!

Good thing about USC is that (while expensive as shit at sticker) I would only have to take out loans for tuition and would essentially be taking care of everything else myself.

I am interested in soft IP (copyright and trademark law) and I would like big law, but am definitely not dead set on it. Also, I have no undergrad loans or other debt and I want to practice in L.A.

Opinions? Thoughts?

USC

If you're dead set on going this year, definitely USC. However, USC at sticker is a gamble, employment- wise. It's a lot of debt, particularly if you take into consideration what the USC Gould page discusses on the TLS homepage (30%+ without jobs, less than 30% biglaw.)

I'm starting at USC in 2 weeks, so if you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Yea I feel like both options are a gamble, but I would hate myself if I went with Loyola and lost the scholarship after 1L. I'm so torn right now.

There's a 70% chance that you're paying sticker at Loyola for 2L and 3L. In your position I'd take USC.

Bildungsroman wrote:There's a 70% chance that you're paying sticker at Loyola for 2L and 3L. In your position I'd take USC.

I'd agree with this. Top 40 percent at USC means you're at least in the running for a BigLaw job.

Top 40 percent at Loyola could mean no scholarship and an incredibly tough time finding any law job period.

USC. Loyola's top 30% stip is too risky.

Don't go/Retake >> USC > Loyola

scammedhard wrote:Don't go/Retake >> USC > Loyola

This.
Also, LLS doesn't even have a gym.

I already retook and I don't know if taking another year off would be wise, considering the fact that I am unsure if I could increase my score enough to get a scholarship to a school like USC.

chimp wrote:I already retook and I don't know if taking another year off would be wise, considering the fact that I am unsure if I could increase my score enough to get a scholarship to a school like USC.

I estimate my total debt would be ~150,000 coming out of USC and could be anywhere from 45 grand to 100+ grand coming out of Loyola.

Because the economy is so awful, I actually think taking a year off is a wise idea. Law school will always be there, but employment might not; and it is really hard to get back onto the horse after being/becoming unemployed.

scammedhard wrote:

chimp wrote:I already retook and I don't know if taking another year off would be wise, considering the fact that I am unsure if I could increase my score enough to get a scholarship to a school like USC.

I estimate my total debt would be ~150,000 coming out of USC and could be anywhere from 45 grand to 100+ grand coming out of Loyola.

Because the economy is so awful, I actually think taking a year off is a wise idea. Law school will always be there, but employment might not; and it is really hard to get back onto the horse after being/becoming unemployed.

I hear ya man. This is still a very tough decision for me though.

You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

SBL wrote:You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

+1

USC. Plus you want it.

Tiago Splitter wrote:

SBL wrote:You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

+1

The more I think about it, the more I am starting to agree with this.

USC. top 30% is ridiculous.

chimp wrote:I already retook and I don't know if taking another year off would be wise, considering the fact that I am unsure if I could increase my score enough to get a scholarship to a school like USC.

I estimate my total debt would be ~150,000 coming out of USC and could be anywhere from 45 grand to 100+ grand coming out of Loyola.

Let me preface this by saying I am an 0L attending LLS this fall.

I am inclined to say that USC is TCR here. If we assume that you would land roughly around median at both schools, i think having the USC pedigree is worth up to $80,000 in additional debt. Especially since you may be looking for biglaw, USC simply opens doors that Loyola doesn't.

Is there an argument for Loyola? Absolutely. If you were dedicated to doing public interest or private practice in the future, Loyola could get you there and minimizing your debt would be a priority. Without looking at USC's LRAP situation, I can't say which would be preferable.

SBL wrote:You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

I don't entirely buy into this. Depending on your interests, Loyola is a solid choice for Los Angeles. Considering their large class size, their bar passage rate is good and the school is reputable around L.A. I certainly do not think attending Loyola to practice in L.A. is any less of a risk than, say, attending Davis for the Bay Area.

That being said, I think you should go to USC. In any case, good luck!

Don't take a scholly with a stip like that. That's career suicide.

USC at sticker is a bad idea also. Is there any way to get into Hastings/Davis with in-state tuition? Did you apply to UCI (are they even giving out giant schollys anymore?)?

JCougar wrote:Don't take a scholly with a stip like that. That's career suicide.

USC at sticker is a bad idea also. Is there any way to get into Hastings/Davis with in-state tuition? Did you apply to UCI (are they even giving out giant schollys anymore?)?

I was waitlisted at Hastings and Davis and rejected outright by UCI.

chimp wrote:

JCougar wrote:Don't take a scholly with a stip like that. That's career suicide.

USC at sticker is a bad idea also. Is there any way to get into Hastings/Davis with in-state tuition? Did you apply to UCI (are they even giving out giant schollys anymore?)?

I was waitlisted at Hastings and Davis and rejected outright by UCI.

Wow...but you got into USC?

I don't even know how cheap Hastings/Davis are these days (even for in-state, Berkeley is pretty atrocious). I really think in-state tuition is your best option though. Did you call both schools saying you have an acceptance at USC but really want to go there instead?

JCougar wrote:

chimp wrote:

JCougar wrote:Don't take a scholly with a stip like that. That's career suicide.

USC at sticker is a bad idea also. Is there any way to get into Hastings/Davis with in-state tuition? Did you apply to UCI (are they even giving out giant schollys anymore?)?

I was waitlisted at Hastings and Davis and rejected outright by UCI.

Wow...but you got into USC?

I don't even know how cheap Hastings/Davis are these days (even for in-state, Berkeley is pretty atrocious). I really think in-state tuition is your best option though. Did you call both schools saying you have an acceptance at USC but really want to go there instead?

Yea it's weird I know lol. As a UC undergraduate, I would have loved to attend a UC for law school, but they are just as expensive as private law schools nowadays (even for in-state residents!) I withdrew from Davis and Hastings recently and found a very reasonably priced apartment in the LA area as I was planning on attending Loyola. At sticker (at $40,836 per year and with the C.O.L. in San Francisco as high as it is) Hastings would have been just about as expensive as USC for me. As for Davis (at $46,485 in-state), I'd rather just have USC for an extra 3 grand or so per year anyway. Plus I have strong ties to the L.A. area and feel like USC offers much stronger employment prospects.

JCougar wrote:

chimp wrote:

JCougar wrote:Don't take a scholly with a stip like that. That's career suicide.

USC at sticker is a bad idea also. Is there any way to get into Hastings/Davis with in-state tuition? Did you apply to UCI (are they even giving out giant schollys anymore?)?

I was waitlisted at Hastings and Davis and rejected outright by UCI.

Wow...but you got into USC?

I don't even know how cheap Hastings/Davis are these days (even for in-state, Berkeley is pretty atrocious). I really think in-state tuition is your best option though. Did you call both schools saying you have an acceptance at USC but really want to go there instead?

But wouldn't USC would be a better choice than Hastings/Davis if he wants to practice in LA?

SBL wrote:You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

I take exception to this characterization of my school. Especially coming from a student at UC Davis...

Danteshek wrote:

SBL wrote:You'd be insane to take a medium-sized scholarship from a borderline-TTT with a brutal stip over USC for another 80K or so in debt. Insane.

I take exception to this characterization of my school. Especially coming from a student at UC Davis...

Yea that was a little harsh.