Seton Hall ($30k) vs William Mitchell ($7k) vs USD ($44k) Forum

[shalarn]

I have parents who are going to pay the cost of law school. They have told me not to make my decision based on cost, and only to use it as a deciding factor, however I am still conflicted. When I was first considering law schools my parents didn't expect I would be even considering scholarship offers, but once they came it was hard to ignore the money.

I'm currently in MN and if I stay in MN William Mitchell at $7k is the best option. That's $21k over three years.

Outside of MN, Seton Hall with a $15k scholarship will net around $90k over three years.
University of San Diego with no scholarship is $44k or $132k.

I would slightly prefer to live in either San Diego or Seton Hall, however I'm not opposed to staying in the midwest.

What do you think?

Thanks.

[minnbills]

Are you from MN? How long have you been living there?

[shalarn]

I'm not originally from MN, but I've been here for just over six years.

[Danteshek]

I would choose WM and just do it as a diversion because it is so cheap. You'll get a good education but it's probably not going to materially improve your job prospects. Tell your parents that you will go to WM on the condition that if you want to start your own business, they will invest the difference that they would have paid had you gone to Seton Hall or USD.

[shalarn]

I would choose WM and just do it as a diversion because it is so cheap. You'll get a good education but it's probably not going to materially improve your job prospects. Tell your parents that you will go to WM on the condition that if you want to start your own business, they will invest the difference that they would have paid had you gone to Seton Hall or USD.

Thanks. That's the response I think I needed to hear. And yes, I have been thinking about the ways that money could go to much better use.

[minnbills]

I would choose WM and just do it as a diversion because it is so cheap. You'll get a good education but it's probably not going to materially improve your job prospects. Tell your parents that you will go to WM on the condition that if you want to start your own business, they will invest the difference that they would have paid had you gone to Seton Hall or USD.

Thanks. That's the response I think I needed to hear. And yes, I have been thinking about the ways that money could go to much better use.

I agree with Dante. It would be one thing if WM and the others were low-cost due to a scholarship, but I don't think it's worth the money given the economy.

[BobbyDylan]

Stay at Billy Mitchell.

No matter where you go, you'll have to take out living loans. If you live at home, those will come to about $30K in Minnesota. At SD or SH, it will be closer to $50K, because A) cost of living in those places is higher, and B) you'll have to pay rent.

You have connections and a good story if you stay at WM. If you fall in the top 1/3 of the class, you'll get a job somewhere in the area. If you are in the top 10%, you might get big law or a good clerkship (state supreme). If you fall outside of that top 1/3, with your local connections you might get lucky.

The other two places? If you're not in the top 20%, good luck getting a job, period.

EDIT: that being said, asking your parents to have the extra dough from choosing the lesser schools is the very definition of "looking a gift horse in the mouth." It would be far more tactful to ask for them to flip for some of the cost of living expenses, or an apartment close to the school.

Jesus "Thanks, Mom and Dad, for giving me this incredibly generous opportunity! Now, I'd choose WM anyway, because it makes the most sense, but can you take the money you'd have otherwise spent on me making a bad choice with my life and invest it so that when my career as a lawyer fails, you can fund my next option, too? Thanks."

For fuck's sake, if you want to start your own business, go to business school. Don't jerk your parents around.

[bdole2]

Do you want to practice in MN?

[shalarn]

that being said, asking your parents to have the extra dough from choosing the lesser schools is the very definition of "looking a gift horse in the mouth." It would be far more tactful to ask for them to flip for some of the cost of living expenses, or an apartment close to the school.

Jesus "Thanks, Mom and Dad, for giving me this incredibly generous opportunity! Now, I'd choose WM anyway, because it makes the most sense, but can you take the money you'd have otherwise spent on me making a bad choice with my life and invest it so that when my career as a lawyer fails, you can fund my next option, too? Thanks."

For fuck's sake, if you want to start your own business, go to business school. Don't jerk your parents around.

To be clear, I didn't necessarily mean I would be the one to best use the extra money when I said that I had been thinking about the ways that money could go to better use. While I appreciated the sentiment of the previous poster, I think my parents probably have far better uses for the money than I do at the moment.

[shalarn]

Do you want to practice in MN?

I am not opposed to practicing anywhere. I assume that I'll be practicing in the location of the school, and I would be happy to get a job in any of those cities.