Top Law Schools

Hey all, I'm in the decision process and I'd like some input.

I have been accepted at the three schools in the title and have some money at the first two with more at Vandy. I am also lucky enough to be getting $20,000/yr from my parents for law school. With all of that I'd leave Vandy with $60,000 in debt, GTown with $100,000 and Northwestern with about $180,000.

I am hoping to get a clerkship after graduation and work as an AUSA doing white collar crime prosecution. I have no real preference for location in terms of career, but Vandy isn't on the top of my list because I've spent my whole life in Tennessee and want to get out for a little bit.

I have visited all of the schools and like them in essentially the order of most debt to least (which is quite unfortunate). I am also on waitlists from Duke to Stanford so that could add another wrinkle into my plan. Where do you all think I should go to be able to get the job I want and have a manageable debt load?

Tell Stanford that you really, really, really want to attend. If they say no, then either add another "really" or ask if they can offer a deferred acceptance for next year.

Based on your current options, decide between Vanderbilt & Northwestern.

Clerkship chances aren't really important since they are so small from all of these schools though if you get SLS take that if clerking is a big deal to you. What do you want to do if you can't get a clerkship after graduation? (AUSA isn't really a first career.)

Looking at these I'd probably lean GULC. I don't see any reason to pay 80k more for NU than GULC. I'd probably pay the 40k more for GULC than Vandy due to slightly better job prospects and slightly increased portability.

OP: Any feelings about law school class size ? Georgetown is the largest in terms of enrollment, NU medium & Vandy small.

Consider visiting Stanford. Arrange a meeting with the Dean of the law school & the Dean of Admissions to plead your case for admission off the waitlist.

bk187 wrote:Clerkship chances aren't really important since they are so small from all of these schools though if you get SLS take that if clerking is a big deal to you. What do you want to do if you can't get a clerkship after graduation? (AUSA isn't really a first career.)

Looking at these I'd probably lean GULC. I don't see any reason to pay 80k more for NU than GULC. I'd probably pay the 40k more for GULC than Vandy due to slightly better job prospects and slightly increased portability.

If I don't get a clerkship and therefore AUSA is almost certainly off the table, I'd like to do some Class action prosecution.

CanadianWolf wrote:OP: Any feelings about law school class size ? Georgetown is the largest in terms of enrollment, NU medium & Vandy small.

Consider visiting Stanford. Arrange a meeting with the Dean of the law school & the Dean of Admissions to plead your case for admission off the waitlist.

I come from a very small school so a small class size has been important to me. Georgetown students seemed to indicate that it's not a big deal though. I have heard the GTown is more competitive than some other T-14 schools.

Other thoughts?

iphone7 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:OP: Any feelings about law school class size ? Georgetown is the largest in terms of enrollment, NU medium & Vandy small.

Consider visiting Stanford. Arrange a meeting with the Dean of the law school & the Dean of Admissions to plead your case for admission off the waitlist.

I come from a very small school so a small class size has been important to me. Georgetown students seemed to indicate that it's not a big deal though. I have heard the GTown is more competitive than some other T-14 schools.

I'm not sure the truth of this really, but the word on TLS is that Georgetown is the least competitive of the T14, at least in terms of getting BigLaw jobs after graduation (not sure if that's what you mean).

That's crazy you got on the waitlist from #11 to #2.

echamberlin8 wrote:

iphone7 wrote:

CanadianWolf wrote:OP: Any feelings about law school class size ? Georgetown is the largest in terms of enrollment, NU medium & Vandy small.

Consider visiting Stanford. Arrange a meeting with the Dean of the law school & the Dean of Admissions to plead your case for admission off the waitlist.

I come from a very small school so a small class size has been important to me. Georgetown students seemed to indicate that it's not a big deal though. I have heard the GTown is more competitive than some other T-14 schools.

I'm not sure the truth of this really, but the word on TLS is that Georgetown is the least competitive of the T14, at least in terms of getting BigLaw jobs after graduation (not sure if that's what you mean).

That's crazy you got on the waitlist from #11 to #2.

From what I've heard, the environment at GTown is more competetive between the students due to the huge class size. There are only a certain number of positions and connections and they have to fight harder to get them.

I would take Vandy in a second assuming those 3 are the only options.

bk187 wrote:Clerkship chances aren't really important since they are so small from all of these schools though if you get SLS take that if clerking is a big deal to you. What do you want to do if you can't get a clerkship after graduation? (AUSA isn't really a first career.)

Looking at these I'd probably lean GULC. I don't see any reason to pay 80k more for NU than GULC. I'd probably pay the 40k more for GULC than Vandy due to slightly better job prospects and slightly increased portability.

I don't think GULC is worth 40k. Looking at the latest stats Rayiner posted, the difference in biglaw+clerkships between Vandy and Mich is 5%, so though Class of 2011 stats for GULC aren't up yet, I would imagine the difference would be 3-4% at most. I don't think a 3-4% bump is worth 40k, especially because the cost of living expenses on the Vandy website are VERY generous...if that's what he's going by, and so he can likely save more than 40k if he lives frugally.

BarbellDreams wrote:I would take Vandy in a second assuming those 3 are the only options.

Yeah. There wouldn't be much for me to think about either in this case.

But it's your decision, not mine...

If you're down with working in a firm in Tennessee/the south, take Vandy. Your ties will give you a good shot for that. If you strongly prefer a northeastern city, GULC.

Does Vandy have the pull enough to get an AUSA job a few years after graduation? I know that their rate for federal clerkships is pretty solid.

What's the money situation at USC and Cornell? Can you leverage money from GULC and or Vandy with Cornell and or Northwestern?

Seems like we don't have all the info here...?

woeisme wrote:What's the money situation at USC and Cornell? Can you leverage money from GULC and or Vandy with Cornell and or Northwestern?

Seems like we don't have all the info here...?

USC and Cornell offered me money but I'm still trying to decided if I want to attend either place. It would likely take Berkeley or Stanford to get me onto the west coast, and on my Cornell trip not many people seemed happy...

I have tried to leverage money from GTown with the other offers and I'm in the midst of my appeal to Northwestern.

iphone7 wrote: USC and Cornell offered me money but I'm still trying to decided if I want to attend either place. It would likely take Berkeley or Stanford to get me onto the west coast, and on my Cornell trip not many people seemed happy...

I have tried to leverage money from GTown with the other offers and I'm in the midst of my appeal to Northwestern.

Sorry to hear about your Cornell visit. I loved it there. Anyway, eliminating those options for personal reasons is totally valid. Let us know what GULC and NU end up saying about the money situation.