Top Law Schools

Original Post: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=181604

Deposits due today (04.16.12) at Kent; 04.20.2012 at UIUC. Deposit was waived for SLU Law due to 1843 Scholarship.

Should I put 250$ for UIUC to hold a place in case I decide not to go with SLU Law ... or should I put a deposit for Kent?

Please help...

(Still on Waitlist at UVA, WUSL and W&M)

Thanks.


UIUC
U.S. News & World Report Ranking: 35rd (tied)
LSAT Median: 166
GPA Median: 3.8
Application Deadline: March 15
Application fee: Waived for Class of 2013
Entering class size: 232
Yearly Tuition: Resident, $33,000;
Bar passage rate in Illinois: 94.7%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 98.7%
Median private sector salary: $145,000

KENT:
U.S. News ranking: 62th (tied)
Application deadline: 3/1
Application fee: $60
Entering class size: 246 full-time, 52 part-time (2009)
Median LSAT: full-time: 161, part-time: 158 (2009)
Median undergraduate GPA: full-time: 3.53, part-time: 3.25 (2009)
Yearly tuition: full-time: $37,800
Median private sector first-year salary: $100,000 (Class of 2007, 59% reporting)

SLU
U.S. News Ranking: 102
LSAT Median: full-time 157, part-time 153 (2008)
GPA Median: full-time 3.47, part-time 3.40 (2008)
Multiple LSAT scores: Higher score accepted
Application Deadlines: 02/12
Application fee: $55
Entering class size: full-time 243, part-time 88
2009-2010 Tuition : $34,180 (full-time)Bar passage rate: 92.1%
Percent of graduates employed 9 months after graduation: 92%
Median private sector starting salary: $65,000 (Class of 2007, 68% reporting)

Deposit at UIUC, withdraw from Kent. Then decide if you want to do SLU.

That's what I would do obviously.

How much does UIUC actually cost? In-state? What's the difference in housing cost between there and Chicago?
Since it's only $250, I say make the deposit.

cinephile wrote:How much does UIUC actually cost? In-state? What's the difference in housing cost between there and Chicago?
Since it's only $250, I say make the deposit.

Make the deposit to which? Kent? UIUC? Both?

Absolutely eliminate Kent. Sounds like Illinois will be only a few thousand more expensive and Champaign is ridiculously cheap. The opportunities from Illinois far outweigh the opportunities from Kent.

What are your goals? Where do you want to end up? Exactly how debt averse are you? The answers to those questions will help distinguish Illinois from SLU, though I'd lean pretty heavily towards Illinois unless you want to be absolutely limited to St. Louis/Southern Illinois.

If you WANT St. Louis, Illinois is still in play: I would know.

blurbz wrote: If you WANT St. Louis, Illinois is still in play: I would know.

How so?

Short Term: I heard that the 1843 Scholarship opens many doors (clerkships, etc.)
Long Term: I don't think I will stay in Saint Louis. I prefer Chicago or elsewhere. But again, I don't know what I prefer until I start working in this field.

current Financial Situation: I make about $60K, but I have sizable amount of debt due to some family situation, family health expenses, etc'.

Philipsssssss wrote:
How so?

Short Term: I heard that the 1843 Scholarship opens many doors (clerkships, etc.)
Long Term: I don't think I will stay in Saint Louis. I prefer Chicago or elsewhere. But again, I don't know what I prefer until I start working in this field.

current Financial Situation: I make about $60K, but I have sizable amount of debt due to some family situation, family health expenses, etc'.

I'm sure it does open many doors, but are all those doors in STL? If you don't want to stay there, then don't do that.

If your law school goal is to graduate and make more than you're currently making, Illinois gives you the best chance of the three (But it's still not a great chance!). I know St. Louis is in play because I'm an Illinois 2L with an SA this summer at one of the top St. Louis firms. I had options in Chicago, too, but was targeting St. Louis for personal reasons.

tfleming09 wrote:

Philipsssssss wrote:
How so?

Short Term: I heard that the 1843 Scholarship opens many doors (clerkships, etc.)
Long Term: I don't think I will stay in Saint Louis. I prefer Chicago or elsewhere. But again, I don't know what I prefer until I start working in this field.

current Financial Situation: I make about $60K, but I have sizable amount of debt due to some family situation, family health expenses, etc'.

I'm sure it does open many doors, but are all those doors in STL? If you don't want to stay there, then don't do that.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 7&t=181604 --->

Sammy841 wrote:Everyone in this forum is going to tell you to retake but I'll put in a word about the scholars program at ST Louis. I randomly know 4 people who also had that scholarship and had wonderful mentoring/job-seeking experiences. All of them did federal Art 111 clerkships and are moving on to great jobs. I normally wouldn't recommend a law school ranked that low on the ladder, but that specific scholarship program seems to have some real potential.

I guess it opens doors in the region. Its also my understanding that SLU places well in health law in DC.

So Kent is a no go. That's helpful, because I was having really hard time deciding.

Just fyi, I'm pretty sure deposit for UIUC is $500. I'm currently deciding whether to put down a deposit as well

Philipsssssss wrote:

cinephile wrote:How much does UIUC actually cost? In-state? What's the difference in housing cost between there and Chicago?
Since it's only $250, I say make the deposit.

Make the deposit to which? Kent? UIUC? Both?

Illinois.