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W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:03 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:04 pm
by noleknight16
SMU is the easy choice here since you want to work in Texas after. None of the other options give you a lick of a chance to come back. SMU also happens to be the best scholly option including no stips.
SMU. SMU. SMU.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:09 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:13 pm
by noleknight16
Only 4 people in W&L's Class of 2010 went back to the "West South Central" region (AR,LA,OK,TX). That's right, 4. (
http://law.wlu.edu/admissions/careerdatafeb2012.pdf)
Meanwhile 91% of SMU's Class of 2010 works in Texas. (got to the career services/placement statistics part of SMU's law website)
I'm not even going to look up Pepperdine. It's probably 0 people went to TX after.
Seriously, this is a no brainer.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:21 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:28 pm
by noleknight16
hc08 wrote:I understand the percentages but it doesn't rule out the possibility IMO. I do agree Pepperdine would be difficult to come back from. I do know a guy in SA who got a great job this year from Pepperdine but he was top 5 in his class. I wonder if W&L is that incredibly difficult to come from as it seems to be, in general consensus, a better school than SMU. I think that not a ton of people go there wanting to come back, but those that do want to don't seem to be severely disadvantaged (based on conversations with current students and stuff). Also, SMU places something like 80-85% in DFW, which is not where I want to work. It's an alright place, but I would much prefer San Antonio. I know it seems clear cut but I really don't think it is.
I'm not saying that SMU isn't the right choice, but I just don't think it's as clear cut as it seems.
W&L is a great school, no doubt. But it's highly regional. You may be able to work it out, but numbers don't lie. It's certainly a far less chance of doing so than if you went to SMU.
It's obviously up to you, but it really is pretty clear cut. You'll be happy at either school but I'm basing it off the criteria you gave me.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:38 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:40 pm
by rad lulz
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:43 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:45 pm
by rad lulz
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:51 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 5:55 pm
by rad lulz
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:00 pm
by top30man
rad lulz wrote:hc08 wrote:You don't think that W&L has more portability than SMU?
Nah, but even if it were, it's not gonna open up markets in which you don't already have ties (except VA, sorta). Your ties are in TX. SMU is waaaay better for Texas, where W&L is a huge lolwut.
National portability, to the extent you can get a job in a non-NYC, non-DC market to which you don't have ties, is largely a myth.
Agreed. Go to SMU.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 6:00 pm
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:08 pm
by Lord Randolph McDuff
Go to SMU. DFW ain't so bad, especially the area where SMU is located.
You get places in law by who you know. If you were to get a job in Texas from W&L, you would have zero alumni network in TX. This would be a heinously stupid situation because it is so avoidable. Go to SMU.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:09 pm
by Lord Randolph McDuff
hc08 wrote:So for Texas, after UT, SMU is basically the next best thing?
No its never that simple. If you wanted to work in Lubbock, you should go to Tech. UH for Houston.
This whole thing is more regional than you believe it to be.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 7:21 pm
by Richie Tenenbaum
This should be an incredibly easy decision based on where you want to work. W&L placement into Texas is nowhere near as good as SMU's. There's really no question about it. If it were, say, Cornell vs. SMU it would be a different debate. But W&L is not a better school for getting a job in Texas just because it is ranked higher. And W&L isn't a good enough school to open more doors around the country that SMU couldn't open (besides say maybe VA).
And, yes, this is basically exactly what rad wrote. But it needs to be re-emphasized because the rankings can be incredibly misleading when it comes to regional schools (which is most schools).
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2012 9:24 pm
by kalvano
hc08 wrote:I'm not saying that SMU isn't the right choice, but I just don't think it's as clear cut as it seems.
Of course it is. You want to work in Texas afterwards and your fiancee is in Dallas.
The other schools shouldn't even be a consideration.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 9:30 am
by RodneyBoonfield
I'm not saying W&L is the right or wrong choice but I don't think its completely unknown in TX. At least one kid in my class got big law at an awesome firm in TX this summer who was not in the top 10%. W&L has a good alumni base there. Its actually alum weekend right now and there were at least several here from Dallas last night. You might might want to look into a bit more due to my negligible amount of information. What would SMU's COA total be?
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:01 am
by hc08
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Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:55 am
by noleknight16
hc08 wrote:^ Thanks for the response! I know that the numbers say only 4 people got a job in 2010 in the TX region, but does that mean only 4 people wanted to come to TX? In which case, W&L would be 100% for placing people in TX. I'm not saying this is the case, but it would make the picture look a lot different.
I feel like you're trying to justify W&L in any way possible. Go there if that's where you really want to go. It's a great school.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 11:59 am
by MrAnon
hc08 wrote:Is it really not a possibility to get into the San Antonio market from W&L or Pepperdine? I agree that it seems the logical choice but I know of many recent grads who went to out of state T50 schools and have been able to land jobs in TX. TLS seems to be overly pessimistic (which I have no problem with), is it unrealistic for a W&L grad, for instance, to work their summers in TX and have a good shot at coming back?
Why are you fighting the answer? SMU is the obvious choice. If you really want to leave for W&L and Pepperdine then more power to you.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:01 pm
by MrAnon
noleknight16 wrote:hc08 wrote:^ Thanks for the response! I know that the numbers say only 4 people got a job in 2010 in the TX region, but does that mean only 4 people wanted to come to TX? In which case, W&L would be 100% for placing people in TX. I'm not saying this is the case, but it would make the picture look a lot different.
I feel like you're trying to justify W&L in any way possible. Go there if that's where you really want to go. It's a great school.
Exactly.
OP, imagine the reverse...someone moving from Lexington VA to attend SMU, while hoping to work in VA during summers and graduation. Does that make any sense whatsoever?
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:02 pm
by noleknight16
What's even more confusing about OP's desire to not go to SMU is his fiance is in Dallas. That just made it even more of a no brainer.
Re: W&L v. SMU v. Pepperdine
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12:03 pm
by MrAnon
hc08 wrote:I definitely see your point and don't dispute the numbers or what they likely mean. I think my issue is not really loving DFW and also wanting to go to the best school I can. I think without my fiance in DFW I'd choose W&L, but since she's there it's a major factor. Thanks for your input though and reminding me of the likelihoods associated with each school.
You are letting the rankings confuse you. For the range of schools you are faced with attending rankings don't matter at all. Throw away your copy of US news.