Top Law Schools

so i'm pretty torn on this...

Cost of attending uc davis would be about 60,000 a year. My cost of attending OSU would be about 25,000. I am currently in Columbus and like it here a lot... just was looking for something new and do not want to practice law in Ohio. Visited Cali and liked the school and everything, can definitely see myself enjoying the campus and the bay area. Only problem is cost...also I'm definitely taking job market considerations really seriously...I would really value your opinions on any of this!

Thanks!

Are you from Ohio?

Ohio State is the better option between the two based on cost & contacts.

yes I'm an Ohioan!

uh oh--the correct answer was supposed to be that you're a Buckeye !

But is OSU really the better option if I don't want to live in Ohio my entire life?

nikenike23 wrote:But is OSU really the better option if I don't want to live in Ohio my entire life?

Then no, but by the same logic is Davis a better option if you don't want to live in Cali your entire life?

Especially with no ties and 200K in debt after interest.

Between the two, yes, OSU remains the better choice due to much lower cost & your connectios to the state which may help secure summer employment & give you some experience.

I love UC Davis. I go here. It worked out well for me--firm job, clerkship, women love me, they're building a statue of me in the quad. But dear god man don't borrow $180,000 for this. Go to OSU.

I agree with the other posters. Keep in mind 60k over three years + compound intrest is gonna push you up over 200k.

OSU at half the cost, with ties, is the logical choice.

Nova wrote:I agree with the other posters. Keep in mind 60k over three years + compound intrest is gonna push you up over 200k.

OSU at half the cost, with ties, is the logical choice.

60K sounds high though. COL is really low here. My rent is $330/mo.

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everyone is saying it's a bad idea but could i get some reasons as to why....? yes i'd be in more debt but isn't california a more dynamic state economically with more opportunities, more desirable to live in etc? does that not make the extra cost worth it? does ucd's 29 vs osu's 39 ranking mean anything? won't i make more money snagging a job out of davis than i would out of osu?

sorry for all the questions i'm just really confused!

nikenike23 wrote:everyone is saying it's a bad idea but could i get some reasons as to why....? yes i'd be in more debt but isn't california a more dynamic state economically with more opportunities, more desirable to live in etc? does that not make the extra cost worth it? does ucd's 29 vs osu's 39 ranking mean anything? won't i make more money snagging a job out of davis than i would out of osu?

sorry for all the questions i'm just really confused!

Dude biglaw chances are low. Outside of biglaw, salaries start at around $50k. In the likely event you don't get biglaw, you will be paying back $180k on $50k. Sounds like a good idea?

haha i meann....guess not

nikenike23 wrote:everyone is saying it's a bad idea but could i get some reasons as to why....? yes i'd be in more debt but isn't california a more dynamic state economically with more opportunities, more desirable to live in etc? does that not make the extra cost worth it? does ucd's 29 vs osu's 39 ranking mean anything? won't i make more money snagging a job out of davis than i would out of osu?

sorry for all the questions i'm just really confused!

It's okay, it can be a little surprising at first to hear just how bad the market is.

First of all, rankings are not really meaningful, especially at this level. The schools are fairly regional, so it doesn't make much sense to pick based on ranking.

Second, both schools have low firm placement. For the class of 2010, Davis placed just 15% of students into firms of 50 or more or a federal clerkship, whereas tOSU placed about 19%. Take a look at this spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub ... lMVE&gid=7

50 may seem like an arbitrary number, and it isn't perfect, but it is sort of a cutoff point for midlaw and biglaw. I am sure there are some solid firms with fewer than 50 attorneys, and I'm sure there are some terrible ones above 50, but I think it is a rough estimate for "decent-paying outcomes" in the private sector.

Thankfully for you, your debt would be low from both schools. Just realize that your odds of making big money from either school, at least early on, are very slim. Just to be clear, when you say "cost of attending," you mean cost of living is included, right? Because if you're just talking about tuition, then that changes things.

If you really must go next year, I think you should set up roots in Ohio and go to tOSU. If you really hate Ohio, I suppose either retake or go to Davis.

yeah i figured in living expenses...i guess i don't HATE ohio and i do have a lot of family and connections here..thanks for your comments

OSU is a school with a huge network and name recognition in and out of state. Because Buckeyes get so in to their school, they stay involved in it. You would have a myriad of opportunities to leave the state upon graduation and OSU is an excellent choice.
Borrowing that much money to go to any school (60k has to be a joke) is ridiculous. Everyone borrows, but someday you will want to own things and be able to afford to eat... go to OSU.

CA is not a "dynamic" economy. It is bankrupted state that is getting hosed by states with lower taxes and regulations. It is losing jobs a stunning rate.