Top Law Schools

I know there is a thread down there that asks about UCI vs. a T14, but my situation is a little different so I thought I'd make this one.

I want to live and work in Southern California.

I'm still waiting to hear back from all the T14 schools I applied to, but since I applied kind of late in the cycle and my LSAT score isn't too fantastic, I don't think I'll be getting any money if I'm accepted to any of them. I'm not ruling out attending a T14 at sticker, but I'll have to cross that bridge when I (possibly) come to it.

So, just based on the decision between UCI with a full scholarship and UCLA with 90k, which would you say is the better option?

I'm debt averse but I'm also risk averse, so I'm not sure what to do. The full-tuition scholarship is really really tempting but UCI is also a total unknown at this point and nobody can really predict what's going to happen with their graduates. 90k at UCLA is very nice but I am debt averse and will be paying for all living expenses and the remaining tuition. I'm also not an in-state resident.

UCI is not worth the risk if you've been offered 90k at UCLA.
You should be able to get out without too much debt and UCLA is far more established and infinately more marketable at this point than UCI is likely to be any time soon.

UCLA.

UCLA, dude and don't look back. You probably have a 1 in 3 shot of landing BigLaw, whereas UCI is unproven and no doubt your chances will be slim to none there.

UCLA's alumni network is infinitely larger than UCI's. Enjoy Westwood.

USC?

UCLA. they'll be back in the Final Four before you graduate law school.

UCLA

.

Voting is on target.

UCLA by more than a mile.

IF you got 90k from UCLA you should have some T14 acceptances as well, I imagine

Mr. Somebody wrote:IF you got 90k from UCLA you should have some T14 acceptances as well, I imagine

This is relevant to my interests. I'd like to know what y'all think beats UCLA @90k. T6 @ sticker, probably? MVPB?

moneybagsphd wrote:

Mr. Somebody wrote:IF you got 90k from UCLA you should have some T14 acceptances as well, I imagine

This is relevant to my interests. I'd like to know what y'all think beats UCLA @90k. T6 @ sticker, probably? MVPB?

If preference for California, then UCLA @ 90k over MVP (but not over B at sticker). If no preference then I would take MVP at sticker. However, it's unlikely that if you got that much money from UCLA, that would be the choice you are faced with. I bet you'd also be getting some money at MVP, maybe 30-50k. This seems to be true on LSN as well. And if that was the case MVP is the easy choice IMO.

moneybagsphd wrote:

Mr. Somebody wrote:IF you got 90k from UCLA you should have some T14 acceptances as well, I imagine

This is relevant to my interests. I'd like to know what y'all think beats UCLA @90k. T6 @ sticker, probably? MVPB?

If I wanted to work in California, I would only be thinking about the California schools ranked higher than UCLA, plus Harvard and Yale. Not sure any other schools are worth moving several thousand miles away from your target market.

I don't think you can go wrong either way. UCLA 90k will leave you with considerably more debt but almost assuredly a decent job. UCI will leave you with little debt and an uncertain (but very likely) shot at a decent job.