Top Law Schools

Which is better for a Dallas market? Employment, placement, etc...

Also will a 3.65/164 be enough to get in?

Nick?

SMU. No question.

And yes, that should probably be enough, but they seem to be shooting for a 165 median, so you need to apply early. I think you're out if you apply now.

SMU & yes. Baylor, however, may offer a substantial scholarship.

SMU is pretty generous too considering the numbers they put up on LST. Great value.

CanadianWolf wrote:SMU & yes. Baylor, however, may offer a substantial scholarship.

It still wouldn't be worth it. Maybe if it were a full ride. Maybe.

Avoid Baylor. Despite their curriculum's reputation as being one of the toughest in TX and its high passage rates, their employment sucks. SMU all the way

SMU all the way. Baylor is a miserable shit hole. HTH

barneytrouble wrote:SMU is pretty generous too considering the numbers they put up on LST. Great value.

They're generous until you realize that it is like 45k+ a year.

eaper wrote:

barneytrouble wrote:SMU is pretty generous too considering the numbers they put up on LST. Great value.

They're generous until you realize that it is like 45k+ a year.

lol

seriously. go to cooley for TX employment before Baylor.

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apeopleshistory wrote:

swilson215 wrote:

kalvano wrote:SMU. No question.

Unless you really love Waco

You do get free Dr. Pepper floats or something like that every week.

I'm just echoing everyone else's sentiments, but definitely SMU. Better school, better for Dallas jobs, better lifestyle. I have a friend at Baylor, and she hates it. It's ridiculously competitive. And Waco is awful. The only plus is that you're an hour and a half closer to Austin - but you'll be too busy studying to ever go!

I had to make this same decision in 2010. I asked some friends that went to Baylor Law and they said that if they had it to do all over again, they never would have gone to Baylor. But in fairness, I asked an SMU alum about SMU and he said he would have rather gone to South Texas (he took out a shitload of loans, didn't do well, and didn't have a job when he graduated).

Here is my list of reasons why I chose SMU over Baylor:

1) Baylor has three sets of exams each year compared to two sets of exams. That's an extra month of stress each year
2) Baylor's third year is grueling. When all the 3Ls at other schools are locking down employment and coasting to get their JD with clinics and externships, Baylor makes you participate in graded Mock Trials. From what I was told by a Baylor alum trial attorney, these mock trials do not give you any advantage when it comes to practice.
3) Baylor has no home market. Coming out of Baylor, you'll be fighting your way into the Dallas market, which is saturated with UT and SMU grads. Most of the people doing the interviewing in Dallas likely went to UT or SMU. While you were toiling away in Waco, the SMU grads were going to Dallas Bar events, working with Dallas judges, and networking the hell out of Dallas.
4) If you go to Baylor, you have to live in Waco.
5) Employment statistics had SMU ranked well above Baylor for NLJ placement in 2010. I haven't checked recently.

If I had zero scholarship at SMU and a full ride at Baylor, I might reconsider.