Top Law Schools

These are my two top choices to apply to this cycle. Please discuss the two in relation to each other, i'm curious to hear how these schools stack up. I'm going the ED route so I want to make the most informed decision I can before I bind myself to one path. Thanks

No takers? I know VAndy is ranked lower, but is it really an inferior school it seems tops with job prosepcts and QOL.

UVa: 9

Vandy: 16

I wouldn't recommend going the ED route to either school in this economy. Are you interested in working in the South? If so try going to UNC, UGA, Wake Forest, or Bama for free or close to it. If you have to ED to one of UVA or Vandy definitely UVA. They have equally qualified student bodies, but employers will go deeper into UVA's class and more firms interview there. Although to be honest, when I say deeper I mean that firms will consider a UVA person with a 3.3 while they will consider a Vandy person who is top 1/3. That's basically the difference between one or two grades. Guarnteeing top 1/3 grades at Vandy or a 3.3 at UVA isn't possible; and pulling off either of those rankings at either school is going to be tough. I'd recommend a good Southern regional for free or close to it.

BruceWayne wrote:I wouldn't recommend going the ED route to either school in this economy? Are you interested in working in the South? If so try going to UNC, UGA, Wake Forest, or Bama for free or close to it. If you have to ED to one of UVA or Vandy definitely UVA. They have equally qualified student bodies, but employers will go deeper into UVA's class and more firms interview there. Although to be honest, when I say deeper I mean that firms will consider a UVA person with a 3.3 while they will consider a Vandy person who is top 1/3. That's basically the difference between one or two grades. Guarnteeing top 1/3 grades at Vandy or a 3.3 at UVA isn't possible; and pulling off either of those rankings at either school is going to be tough. I'd recommend a good Southern regional for free or close to it.

I wish this were the way it worked. I was accepted to University of Michigan (7) and I still would have had to pay 2/3rds at Lewis and Clark (64). I wound up going to UT, which gave me a significantly higher scholarship than Vandy. Don't count on any school drowning you in cash. Especially when you're only moving down 20 ranks.

Also, OP, read this linked article before you consider EDing to UVA.

esq wrote:UVa: 9

Vandy: 16

Terrible logic is terrible.

What are your numbers?

Why not Duke?

whitman wrote:Why not Duke?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYOgC2Qbqh4

Glock wrote:

whitman wrote:Why not Duke?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYOgC2Qbqh4

Ha, never gets old.

Also, Vandy doesn't have an ED option.

Honestly, OP don't ED to either of these schools (certainly not Vandy--that's insane). It really isn't a good idea. If you can get into UVA ED then you can get into UNC, Wake Forest, UGA, or Bama with a good to great scholarship regardless. If you can do so go that route; especially if you can get UNC .

BruceWayne wrote:Honestly, OP don't ED to either of these schools (certainly not Vandy--that's insane). It really isn't a good idea. If you can get into UVA ED then you can get into UNC, Wake Forest, UGA, or Bama with a good to great scholarship regardless. If you can do so go that route; especially if you can get UNC .

Eh, I don't know that I agree with this. I for one would take UVA/Duke at sticker over Wake, UNC, UGA or Bama with a full ride. I guess it depends on a person's goals, but I honestly wouldn't think twice about it.

Now I would probably choose a Bama, UGA or Wake with a full scholly over Vandy at sticker, but Vandy was pretty generous with money last year. Anything over 15k/year from Vandy and I'd pick it, too.

Real Madrid wrote:

BruceWayne wrote:Honestly, OP don't ED to either of these schools (certainly not Vandy--that's insane). It really isn't a good idea. If you can get into UVA ED then you can get into UNC, Wake Forest, UGA, or Bama with a good to great scholarship regardless. If you can do so go that route; especially if you can get UNC .

Eh, I don't know that I agree with this. I for one would take UVA/Duke at sticker over Wake, UNC, UGA or Bama with a full ride. I guess it depends on a person's goals, but I honestly wouldn't think twice about it.

Now I would probably choose a Bama, UGA or Wake with a full scholly over Vandy at sticker, but Vandy was pretty generous with money last year. Anything over 15k/year from Vandy and I'd pick it, too.

+1

I took Duke at close-to-sticker over full tuition at Wake and $$$ at UNC/Vandy.

I'm a splitter btw, 170 and 3.1. I would take UNC with money if I could get it but idk if I can since they recruit so heavily from North Carolina residents.

I'm in a dilemma but leaning towards tageting scholarships at lower ranked schools simply because I am not too comfortable with 200k debt.

I keep going back and forth on the matter I wish I could make up my damn mind

colbarfran wrote:I'm a splitter btw, 170 and 3.1. I would take UNC with money if I could get it but idk if I can since they recruit so heavily from North Carolina residents.

I'm in a dilemma but leaning towards tageting scholarships at lower ranked schools simply because I am not too comfortable with 200k debt.

I keep going back and forth on the matter I wish I could make up my damn mind

Listen closely to the advice from posters like lisjjen. With that GPA you will have a tough time getting full rides or even close. Being above both medians is the key for big cash.

Tiago Splitter wrote:

colbarfran wrote:I'm a splitter btw, 170 and 3.1. I would take UNC with money if I could get it but idk if I can since they recruit so heavily from North Carolina residents.

I'm in a dilemma but leaning towards tageting scholarships at lower ranked schools simply because I am not too comfortable with 200k debt.

I keep going back and forth on the matter I wish I could make up my damn mind

Listen closely to the advice from posters like lisjjen. With that GPA you will have a tough time getting full rides or even close. Being above both medians is the key for big cash.

For me the big thing is that I want to have room to explore where I want to go in law and life in the next three years and decide on my future with a little bit of flexibility. I'm afriad that if I loan out the full boat and graduate from a school like UVA I will have only one path to walk, if I'm lucky, and that is biglaw in a big city. biglaw in a big city like DC is not really something that appeals to me right now. The allure of the top schools is great but on the other hand I feel like I am walking into a trap.

If I can get even a half ride from a top 50 school I feel like I would have more flexibilty than if I took full from a more expensive better school like UVA.

Am I reading the situation wrong ?

Your GPA will probably disqualify you from Vandy right off the bat, unless your GPA was in engineering PR a hard science, and they don't have ED.

Grizz wrote:Your GPA will probably disqualify you from Vandy right off the bat, unless your GPA was in engineering PR a hard science, and they don't have ED.

Yeah, I think you have a better shot at UVA (ED) than Vandy quite honestly.

if you are not set on big law, then taking UVA at sticker would probably be unwise. I think picking a strong regional T1 with a full ride would be a better deal. i'm just not familiar with the schools that would throw out a full ride with those numbers considering you're a splitter, but I'm sure there are a number that will. probably Bama, but I'm not sure I'd take Bama with a 170, unless you really want to be in AL.

Just want to add one thought on ED to Virginia:

The admission dean at Virginia is recently replaced (with former GW admission dean). It remains to be seen whether the admission philosophy will stay the same.

deadpanic wrote:

Grizz wrote:Your GPA will probably disqualify you from Vandy right off the bat, unless your GPA was in engineering PR a hard science, and they don't have ED.

Yeah, I think you have a better shot at UVA (ED) than Vandy quite honestly.

if you are not set on big law, then taking UVA at sticker would probably be unwise. I think picking a strong regional T1 with a full ride would be a better deal. i'm just not familiar with the schools that would throw out a full ride with those numbers considering you're a splitter, but I'm sure there are a number that will. probably Bama, but I'm not sure I'd take Bama with a 170, unless you really want to be in AL.

I honestly don't even know that Bama will offer a full ride with a GPA that low. I'd bet that they offer enough to make it a cheap alternative to UVA ED, though.

I know the majority of people on this site would tell you not to pay sticker at GULC, but if PI is something you might be interested in their LRAP is awesome. And GULC also gives you the flexibility of pursuing big law if your grades are good enough and you change your mind.

That being said, I'd still probably ED at UVA. But, if you're risk-averse, you might be able to get a huge chunk of money at Indiana, Illinois, or WUSTL. They all love their splitters, and it might be a happy medium for you.

ThreeYears wrote:Just want to add one thought on ED to Virginia:

The admission dean at Virginia is recently replaced (with former GW admission dean). It remains to be seen whether the admission philosophy will stay the same.

Its not Trujillo anymore?

Real Madrid wrote: But, if you're risk-averse, you might be able to get a huge chunk of money at Indiana, Illinois, or WUSTL. They all love their splitters, and it might be a happy medium for you.

This is probably the direction to go avoid debt.

Real Madrid wrote:

deadpanic wrote:

Grizz wrote:Your GPA will probably disqualify you from Vandy right off the bat, unless your GPA was in engineering PR a hard science, and they don't have ED.

Yeah, I think you have a better shot at UVA (ED) than Vandy quite honestly.

if you are not set on big law, then taking UVA at sticker would probably be unwise. I think picking a strong regional T1 with a full ride would be a better deal. i'm just not familiar with the schools that would throw out a full ride with those numbers considering you're a splitter, but I'm sure there are a number that will. probably Bama, but I'm not sure I'd take Bama with a 170, unless you really want to be in AL.

I honestly don't even know that Bama will offer a full ride with a GPA that low. I'd bet that they offer enough to make it a cheap alternative to UVA ED, though.

I know the majority of people on this site would tell you not to pay sticker at GULC, but if PI is something you might be interested in their LRAP is awesome. And GULC also gives you the flexibility of pursuing big law if your grades are good enough and you change your mind.

That being said, I'd still probably ED at UVA. But, if you're risk-averse, you might be able to get a huge chunk of money at Indiana, Illinois, or WUSTL. They all love their splitters, and it might be a happy medium for you.

WUSTL, Wake Forest, Georgia, Colorado, and Southern Methodist were the ones I had in mind. Indiana might give me full and the rest I would be hoping for half tuition plus in state after 1st year for UG and UC Boulder.

I don't have any family that is legally connected to ask questions of, but if you graduate with tons of debt, what are your options? Biglaw or bust, or is there something else out there?

Georgetown I will probably apply to but not ED to because I'm not crazy about DC...good to know though that they have such a good LRAP I did not know that.

colbarfran wrote:

ThreeYears wrote:Just want to add one thought on ED to Virginia:

The admission dean at Virginia is recently replaced (with former GW admission dean). It remains to be seen whether the admission philosophy will stay the same.

Its not Trujillo anymore?

No. He is in a new position at Law School Foundation now.

Colbarfan you have the right mindset. DO NOT ED to UVA. What is your GPA? People keep saying that it's too low for big scholarship money. What is it?

If you have a realistic shot at ED UVA then you have a realistic shot at Wake Forest, WUSTL, UGA, or SMU with big cash. Where do you want to work? Honestly, even if you want biglaw I wouldn't necessarily recommend UVA ED. I'd go with whatever regional school is located in the region where you want to work where you can get a big scholarship, and then I'd tell you to go crazy 1L with studying. Do you like SMU? They place well in Texas and could probably give you big money. DO NOT ED to GULC PERIOD.