Top Law Schools

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With those stats, you'll probably get money from T14s. You can look at lawschoolnumbers to gauge approximately how much you might get, but it's a crapshoot.

I'd at least wait and see how much. It's likely worth more than an full ride at BU. Where do you want to practice after graduation?

Take the money from whichever T14 offers you the most.

Btw, Penn, UVA and NYU are not lower 14

1/2 Ride Lower T14 > Full Ride BU

Otherwise, I could see the justification for picking BU provided you're extremely debt averse and aiming for Boston.

EDIT: I see you wanna do big law. In that case, unless you get saddled with sticker, I would definitely take the lower T14.

Kring345 wrote:Btw, Penn, UVA and NYU are not lower 14

They are if you go to HYS, baby!

Kring345 wrote:Btw, Penn, UVA and NYU are not lower 14

Penn and NYU aren't leaps and bounds apart, but in terms of placement, Penn definitely fits in better with MVDN.

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instantwonton wrote:

patrickd139 wrote:

Kring345 wrote:Btw, Penn, UVA and NYU are not lower 14

They are if you go to HYS, baby!

LOL yeah no offense to those schools....I think they're all awesome! I meant compared to HYS...

I am hoping to practice in the south...I figure 27 years by the time I'm done with LS will be enough harsh NE winters for me!

I appreciate all the feedback...very helpful!

On that note, if you're going to practice anywhere but New England, I'd go to a school that has truly national reach. BU is not that school.

You'd probably get a nice scholly at Duke and perhaps at UVA if you negotiate. Take one of those and enjoy the south! I would NOT ED to BU if I were you especially because they wouldn't have the best placement in the south. Duke would be far better for that...or UVA.

instantwonton wrote:

patrickd139 wrote:

Kring345 wrote:Btw, Penn, UVA and NYU are not lower 14

They are if you go to HYS, baby!

LOL yeah no offense to those schools....I think they're all awesome! I meant compared to HYS...

I am hoping to practice in the south...I figure 27 years by the time I'm done with LS will be enough harsh NE winters for me!

I appreciate all the feedback...very helpful!

Do you have any connections to the South? If not, I'd go to Duke or UVA. But depending on where you want to work, it's gonna be an uphill battle. The markets are incredibly parochial down here.

Unless you suck as a person you've gotta be a virtual lock for Northwestern ED which is 150k scholly. Not as geared towards the south as UVA and Duke but just letting you know it's there.

OL yeah no offense to those schools....I think they're all awesome! I meant compared to HYS...

I am hoping to practice in the south...I figure 27 years by the time I'm done with LS will be enough harsh NE winters for me!

I appreciate all the feedback...very helpful! [/quote]
Do you have any connections to the South? If not, I'd go to Duke or UVA. But depending on where you want to work, it's gonna be an uphill battle. The markets are incredibly parochial down here.[/quote]

The bear is right. If you're serious about working in the South, the choice has basically been made for you already. The only schools that will give you a good shot at working in the South are UVA and Duke, and even then you're going to need good grades once you get there--particularly with your background--they won't feel like you're serious about staying their long term. Atlanta will be the most friendly to you in terms of accepting your non Southern background, but they are also the most grade selective Southern market. Going to NYU, Penn, Michigan, NU etc. will essentially eliminate your chances at working in the South unless you pull something like top 10 percent grades and you are aiming for Atlanta. And FYI, if you are trying to go to the South, particularly if Atlanta doesn't work out, it's better to go to UVA than to Duke.

BruceWayne wrote:The bear is right. If you're serious about working in the South, the choice has basically been made for you already. The only schools that will give you a good shot at working in the South are UVA and Duke, and even then you're going to need good grades once you get there--particularly with your background--they won't feel like you're serious about staying their long term. Atlanta will be the most friendly to you in terms of accepting your non Southern background, but they are also the most grade selective Southern market. Going to NYU, Penn, Michigan, NU etc. will essentially eliminate your chances at working in the South unless you pull something like top 10 percent grades and you are aiming for Atlanta. And FYI, if you are trying to go to the South, particularly if Atlanta doesn't work out, it's better to go to UVA than to Duke.

While I also agree with Grizz, I don't think it's as dire as BruceWayne makes it out to be. National schools are national because they travel so well. NW, for instance, places extremely well in Dallas and Houston, if that's what you consider "South."

If you're looking for access to the south on the cheap, you might also consider Vandy, Texas and UCLA, depending on what part of the South you're looking for.

Lower T14 and this is not close, given ITE's OCI results

BruceWayne wrote: The bear is right. If you're serious about working in the South, the choice has basically been made for you already. The only schools that will give you a good shot at working in the South are UVA and Duke, and even then you're going to need good grades once you get there--particularly with your background--they won't feel like you're serious about staying their long term. Atlanta will be the most friendly to you in terms of accepting your non Southern background, but they are also the most grade selective Southern market. Going to NYU, Penn, Michigan, NU etc. will essentially eliminate your chances at working in the South unless you pull something like top 10 percent grades and you are aiming for Atlanta. And FYI, if you are trying to go to the South, particularly if Atlanta doesn't work out, it's better to go to UVA than to Duke.

Also, ATL is a slaughterhouse and will remain so for the foreseeable future.

patrickd139 wrote:

BruceWayne wrote:The bear is right. If you're serious about working in the South, the choice has basically been made for you already. The only schools that will give you a good shot at working in the South are UVA and Duke, and even then you're going to need good grades once you get there--particularly with your background--they won't feel like you're serious about staying their long term. Atlanta will be the most friendly to you in terms of accepting your non Southern background, but they are also the most grade selective Southern market. Going to NYU, Penn, Michigan, NU etc. will essentially eliminate your chances at working in the South unless you pull something like top 10 percent grades and you are aiming for Atlanta. And FYI, if you are trying to go to the South, particularly if Atlanta doesn't work out, it's better to go to UVA than to Duke.

While I also agree with Grizz, I don't think it's as dire as BruceWayne makes it out to be. National schools are national because they travel so well. NW, for instance, places extremely well in Dallas and Houston, if that's what you consider "South."

If you're looking for access to the south on the cheap, you might also consider Vandy, Texas and UCLA, depending on what part of the South you're looking for.

With his background, having no ties, he's gonna need some quite solid grades from non-Southern T14 to overcome the carpetbagger perception (and good grades from UVA/Duke too). These markets are incredibly parochial and already see a ton of people from good schools with the requisite ties.

Ok I just want to give you a few points-

1) You have a good chance of getting into Yale.
2) You can get into some amazing schools and going to BU for free is not worth it. You might fuck up your law school grades and you want to be sure you're at a top school man. If you go to BU and you're in less than top 25% you're fucked.

My recommendation--choose a NEW YORK school. Market is the best in that city. NYU or Columbia.

Eco wrote:Ok I just want to give you a few points-

1) You have a good chance of getting into Yale.
2) You can get into some amazing schools and going to BU for free is not worth it. You might fuck up your law school grades and you want to be sure you're at a top school man. If you go to BU and you're in less than top 25% you're fucked.

My recommendation--choose a NEW YORK school. Market is the best in that city. NYU or Columbia.

I'm a Southern bro, but this is credited.

Grizz wrote:With his background, having no ties, he's gonna need some quite solid grades from non-Southern T14 to overcome the carpetbagger perception (and good grades from UVA/Duke too). These markets are incredibly parochial and already see a ton of people from good schools with the requisite ties.

Nm...reread OP. Missed part where s/he said s/he wants to go to school as close to Conn/Mass as possible.

patrickd139 wrote: While I also agree with Grizz, I don't think it's as dire as BruceWayne makes it out to be. National schools are national because they travel so well. NW, for instance, places extremely well in Dallas and Houston, if that's what you consider "South."

If you're looking for access to the south on the cheap, you might also consider Vandy, Texas and UCLA, depending on what part of the South you're looking for.

I assure you it is that dire. The economy is just terrible, and Atlanta may be the worst market to be interested in working in. It's an employment landmine.

And frankly if you are talking about the true South, going to any non Southern school that isn't HYS without Southern ties, looking to work in the South, is a road to nowhere. I assure you of that. You have to understand the way Southern firms hire. It's basically HYS with ties>>>UVA with ties > Duke with ties> everything else. After that it's basically UVA with no Southern ties, then Duke with no Southern ties (assuming good grades) then the local Southern schools. The Southern markets just aren't impressed by a school like NYU or NU over a local grad with top grades, and definitely not a UVA or Duke person with ties and good grades. They just don't follow the TLS style ranking/hiring preferences.

BruceWayne wrote:

patrickd139 wrote: While I also agree with Grizz, I don't think it's as dire as BruceWayne makes it out to be. National schools are national because they travel so well. NW, for instance, places extremely well in Dallas and Houston, if that's what you consider "South."

If you're looking for access to the south on the cheap, you might also consider Vandy, Texas and UCLA, depending on what part of the South you're looking for.

I assure you it is that dire. The economy is just terrible, and Atlanta may be the worst market to be interested in working in. It's an employment landmine.

And frankly if you are talking about the true South, going to any non Southern school that isn't HYS without Southern ties, looking to work in the South, is a road to nowhere. I assure you of that. You have to understand the way Southern firms hire. It's basically HYS with ties>>>UVA with ties > Duke with ties> everything else. After that it's basically UVA with no Southern ties, then Duke with no Southern ties (assuming good grades) then the local Southern schools. The Southern markets just aren't impressed by a school like NYU or NU over a local grad with top grades, and definitely not a UVA or Duke person with ties and good grades. They just don't follow the TLS style ranking/hiring preferences.

People tend to be pretty good 'ol boy as well. I've gotten plenty of interviews that kick off with "Oh, is your dad XXX?" or "Where did you go to high schoo?l" or "Do you know XXX?"

I don't think the free ride at BU is worth it considering how shitty OCI is at any school outside the t-14 (minus some regional exceptions like Fordham and USC and stuff). I go to GW Law and here if you're not in the top 20% you honestly almost get completely shut out of OCI just in the preselect part.

So go to a top school>free ride.

UVA or Duke (based on relative cost and personal preference) but, as others have said, it's still gonna be an uphill battle landing a southern market. Markets down here tend to be small and insulated; ties are extremely important. The region was also hit hard by the recession, and has been slow to recover.

So I guess you can hope to grab a southern market by attending Duke/UVA, but I certainly wouldn't bet on it, or even expect it. Though both of these schools (and CCNMPNC) will give you a good shot at NYC, which is a much more reasonable/likely target. Which means you're probably gonna have to deal with the rough winters for a while longer, but at least you won't get bugs the size of your fist that ambush you when you walk out of your apartment.