Please help! Iowa vs. Michigan State vs. West Virginia Forum

[foreveryoungx01]

I have received full-tuition scholarships from West Virginia (no stipulations), Michigan State (3.0 stipulation), and Iowa (top 1/3 stipulation). I have also received a 25,000/year scholarship for Tulane (3.0 stipulation), bringing the cost of attendance to around 12,000 just for tuition alone per year. Ohio State will cost me 18,000/year in tuition. I have also been admitted to UNC Chapel Hill without a scholarship, and I want to take out as few loans as possible. I feel as if Iowa is my best choice based on its rankings, but I am very nervous to bank on the fact that I will be in the top 1/3 of my class, because I have no idea whether I will be or not.

I would prefer to work in the south, but I don’t mind ending up in the Midwest at all. I am from Ohio and I love it. What would you do? Would it be stupid to turn down Iowa and take a scholarship that had fewer stipulations, even though the school is ranked lower?

[checkster]

I'd rule out everything except for Iowa and OSU for sure. If I were you, if you can afford the 18k a year to stay in the state that you are from, I'd take OSU.

[foreveryoungx01]

Thanks. I would have to take out loans to afford OSU. I am coming into law school straight from undergraduate, but I have no debt as an undergrad. That would mean I would be in debt 90,000$ by the time I graduate, which I'm very nervous about.

I'd rule out everything except for Iowa and OSU for sure. If I were you, if you can afford the 18k a year to stay in the state that you are from, I'd take OSU.

[sunynp]

You know, maybe you shouldn't go. I just don't know about these schools. OSU is your best bet as it is home, though West Virginia is close to southern ohio. Can you take a JD from west virginia back to ohio? At least in Ohio you have strong ties and a support system. From threads on this forum it can be difficult to get a job anywhere you don't have ties, but it seems the South might be more focused on ties than other areas.

I don't think you should go to school on any scholarship that has stips. You should calculate your cost of attending those schools as if you lose your scholarship second and third years. Does that leave you with a number you are more comfortable with than OSU?

[cdelgado]

If you want to stay in Ohio go to OSU.

If you want to work in Charleston/Huntington go to WVU.

Otherwise, the degree from WVU will not cross the border unless you have meaningful ties in the state and you will face competition from OSU then Case/Cincinnati.

[Nelson]

You should try to leverage these schools against each other to get those stips removed. The stips on both Iowa and MSU are awful and really make them risky propositions.

[keg411]

I am from Ohio and I love it.

Go to Ohio State. Don't go anywhere else and don't consider any of these other schools. This should be an absolute no brainer.

[checkster]

Yeah, really on second thought OSU is the only solid option IMO. Whoever said WVU...no. Do not go there.

[cdelgado]

Yeah, really on second thought OSU is the only solid option IMO. Whoever said WVU...no. Do not go there.

Unless you're a personal fan of couch burning and unemployment.

[checkster]

That's fair, hadn't considered that. I take back my previous statement. GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!

[foreveryoungx01]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

[keg411]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

Try and negotiate with Ohio State based on the Iowa scholarship to see if they can knock it down a little (but honestly, the $18k is pretty cheap). Law school is regional and your best ties are all to Ohio and your best chances of getting a job are in Ohio and at OSU.

[sunynp]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

You don't have a full ride to MSU or Iowa. You have a one year renewable scholarship. I read in the Iowa thread that 30% of the scholarship students lost their scholarship. You MUST take these stipulations into account. Also, note that if you have one bad semester, you can't get the scholarship back. These are bait and switch scholarships designed to get people in the school the first year. The schools give them out knowing that a significant number of people will lose them.

I think the odds are against you keeping the scholarships. You should negotiate with OSU and go there.

[foreveryoungx01]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

You don't have a full ride to MSU or Iowa. You have a one year renewable scholarship. I read in the Iowa thread that 30% of the scholarship students lost their scholarship. You MUST take these stipulations into account. Also, note that if you have one bad semester, you can't get the scholarship back. These are bait and switch scholarships designed to get people in the school the first year. The schools give them out knowing that a significant number of people will lose them.

I think the odds are against you keeping the scholarships. You should negotiate with OSU and go there.

I know, I agree. Thank you for the advice. OSU doesn't negotiate, but I think I'm going to try to negotiate with the University of Cincinnati.

[foreveryoungx01]

Why are all of you against WVU? I'm very hesitant to go there, but I just want to know your reasons. Is it because it's ranked so low/there aren't good job prospects unless you're at the very top of your class? I wouldn't mind working and living in WV, and the no stipulations sound nice.

[sunynp]

I'm not against WVU. I just don't know much about it. Maybe you should go look at the school? Find out about the employment statistics. Talk to 3Ls about their prospects. The problem is that your ties are from Ohio not West Virginia. You are most likely to end up working in Ohio, so you should go there.

[cdelgado]

Why are all of you against WVU? I'm very hesitant to go there, but I just want to know your reasons. Is it because it's ranked so low/there aren't good job prospects unless you're at the very top of your class? I wouldn't mind working and living in WV, and the no stipulations sound nice.

I'm only joking about WVU. For historical reasons I dislike it (Go Herd!). If you do have interest in working in Charleston or Huntington then WVU is the school to consider. I cannot comment entirely on the legal market in WV but would happily place you in contact with 2L and 3L students at WVU and firm partners. As sunynp mentioned you have no ties there though.

UC does negotiate. I am assuming with your scholarship you're looking at about 16K year there? It's an alright option provided you wish to remain in Cincinnati. Full disclosure: I am considering UC myself.

[ccorra01]

I have received full-tuition scholarships from West Virginia (no stipulations), Michigan State (3.0 stipulation), and Iowa (top 1/3 stipulation). I have also received a 25,000/year scholarship for Tulane (3.0 stipulation), bringing the cost of attendance to around 12,000 just for tuition alone per year. Ohio State will cost me 18,000/year in tuition. I have also been admitted to UNC Chapel Hill without a scholarship, and I want to take out as few loans as possible. I feel as if Iowa is my best choice based on its rankings, but I am very nervous to bank on the fact that I will be in the top 1/3 of my class, because I have no idea whether I will be or not.

I would prefer to work in the south, but I don’t mind ending up in the Midwest at all. I am from Ohio and I love it. What would you do? Would it be stupid to turn down Iowa and take a scholarship that had fewer stipulations, even though the school is ranked lower?

WVU is good if you want to practice law in West Virginia, otherwise I would avoid it. It is a good school for that purpose. Trust me, I grew up in the state.

[foreveryoungx01]

Thank you, everyone. I appreciate your advice!

[Kabuo]

This isn't even a choice unless you want to end up in Iowa. OSU isn't costing you 90k more, it's costing you 54k more and is king in ohio. Neither is getting you anywhere in the south without very high grades. Go to OSU. 90k is not horribly burdensome with an OSU degree in OH.

[spleenworship]

Changing my vote to Ohio state from iowa after reading thread. Kthxbai.

[thexfactor]

did they waitlist you for UVA ED?

Im surprised you didn't get in with a 4.0 and 162.

[dissonance1848]

Any stipulations besides being in good standing are too risky. Take OU and run.

[romothesavior]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

Try and negotiate with Ohio State based on the Iowa scholarship to see if they can knock it down a little (but honestly, the $18k is pretty cheap). Law school is regional and your best ties are all to Ohio and your best chances of getting a job are in Ohio and at OSU.

+1, this is TCR.

[foreveryoungx01]

You guys don't think it would be dumb to pass up a full ride for MSU, WVU, and Iowa to take out 90k in loans though?

Try and negotiate with Ohio State based on the Iowa scholarship to see if they can knock it down a little (but honestly, the $18k is pretty cheap). Law school is regional and your best ties are all to Ohio and your best chances of getting a job are in Ohio and at OSU.

+1, this is TCR.

OSU doesn't negotiate, unfortunately.