W&L vs Buffalo vs Rutgers vs Dozo vs others? Forum

[YourCaptain]

Looking at the most recent stats for 2010 class: http://law.wlu.edu/deptimages/Admission ... 0Month.pdf

So on those numbers, almost half the class is employed by W&L at graduation (51/115 are post-grad fellows). 14 people report making 6 figure salaries 9 months out. Those numbers look like a pretty bad deal at sticker to me. Given that you're paying 2/3 tuition and COL, you don't just need a job, you need one that can service a 1000+/month loan payment.

If you are bound and determined to go this year, go to Rutgers and keep your debt around 50k or less. That would keep your monthly payment at a more doable $600/month.

sweet god i dont like to rag on schools that give out detailed employment information (seriously i respect w&l for doing this) but that is illuminating and not a pretty picture.

look buddy you have a 3.75. i wouldve killed for a 3.75 when applying to LS; youve got the hard part down. retake to 170 and your ops will be really good.

[timbs4339]

Looking at the most recent stats for 2010 class: http://law.wlu.edu/deptimages/Admission ... 0Month.pdf

So on those numbers, almost half the class is employed by W&L at graduation (51/115 are post-grad fellows). 14 people report making 6 figure salaries 9 months out. Those numbers look like a pretty bad deal at sticker to me. Given that you're paying 2/3 tuition and COL, you don't just need a job, you need one that can service a 1000+/month loan payment.

Sure, but 98 are employed 9 months out. 23 are making 90k+ which is roughly 20% of the 111 that are employed. Also, out of the grads employed at law firms, 41% are at firms with 100+ employees. Granted, 36.1% are at small firms. I did some loan calculations using a loan calculator posted on TLS, and I should be graduating with a 140k debt burden give or take assuming a 7-ish percent interest rate on loans.

It's a risk, no doubt. But with NYC-level COL, taking a 40k job out of undergrad is also a risk.

On another note, any chance I could leverage the scholarship from W&L with Dozo or Rutgers?

Taking a 40K job out of undergrad while you study for the LSAT for a few more years is no risk at all. You will increase your chances of getting into a decent ranked school with scholarship money. You will hopefully save some money which can defray the cost of law school even more. You will be upgrading your resume so when you do go to law school so you will be more attractive to employers. You may find your way into a higher-paying position after a year or two and suddenly the gamble that is law school won't seem like such a good idea.

Yes, you will be living like a student in NYC, which can be tough if you're constantly thinking about all the bankers and biglawyers making six-figures in their mid-twenties. But if you go to law school you will still be living like a student for at least three years, and from one of the schools you will probably get into, you will be living like a student for many years after that while trying to service six figures of high interest, non-dischargeable student loan debt on a 50-70K salary, if you are lucky.

Trust me. I went K-JD and attended a T6 at half-sticker. I am a 3L who is unemployed and still looking at over 100K in debt in about five months. My story is very rare. But it happens and I'd wished I'd taken a year or two off and, worst case scenario, worked at Target.

[Flappy Scribbleneck]

A full one-third of the class isn't reported. I would assume they did not find jobs, or they are working for free.

Why is this an assumption?

[Grizz]

A full one-third of the class isn't reported. I would assume they did not find jobs, or they are working for free.

Why is this an assumption?

Well at least I'd assume they aren't happy. People with jobs they like are more likely to report because they're happy with their school (or not embarrassed to report, at least), and certain schools may even hound graduates with good jobs to report.

[thexfactor]

W+L might be your best bet. Sit out a year, retake. See if you can get your gpa to 3.8x and maybe you might have a shot at UVA ED.

[gpnm]

I understand that the general opinion is retake.

Just wanted to get some more feedback - got a full ride offer from Hofstra. Better option that Rutgers?

[MrAnon]

A full one-third of the class isn't reported. I would assume they did not find jobs, or they are working for free.

Why is this an assumption?

So you want to assume they did find jobs?? Why?

[T1hopeful]

Before I start my stats are 161/3.75 (might be able to get it to 3.8 by the end of my last semester).

W&L: Offered 15k with 3.15 GPA stipulation; allegedly, 70% of students maintain this.
Buffalo: 7k with 3.0 GPA stipulation
Rutgers: 8k
Dozo: Accepted but no scholly offer yet.
Hofstra: Accepted but no scholly offer yet.

Waiting:
Northwestern (obviously not realistic; applied b/c of fee waiver)
BLS
W&M

I'm possibly interested in biglaw or securities law, and Dozo seems to place slightly better than W&L. I'm from NYC, but no real geographic preference. Maybe I can negotiate a scholly from Dozo leveraging W&L which is ranked 30. Or maybe W&L is a better choice? The COL is dirt cheap and so far, their admission process has really impressed me - very quick and efficient.

Comments? Opinions? Suggestions?

I have very similar stats (161/3.84) and the same exact offer from W&L. I was a little scared to see almost 60% of the 2010 class make less than $70,000, but then again, since a good number do clerkships, I guess it isn't too surprising. Pluse, since they are so open with their stats, not everything is going to look too rosy. Cardozo at sticker is obviously a risk, though it probably gives you a better shot at big law.

My situation is somewhat similar. GW gives me a much better shot at a high paying job than W&L, but a lot of people do just as bad if not worse coming out of there as W&L it seems like. I would be living with relatives in the NOVA area, so COL wouldn't be too much of an issue for me, but it just seems like a gamble.