. Forum

[WeddingCrasher]

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[Real Madrid]

Just curious, but what are your numbers? I'm kind of confused as to how you could get into Penn but only get 10k/year at Vandy.

[WeddingCrasher]

I added my numbers in profile.

[lovejopd]

I added my numbers in profile.

Wow, nice reverse splitter! I wonder how much averse to the debt you are. I vote for Penn! Congrats on your awesome cycle!

[Real Madrid]

This is tough. I want to say Vandy because it's definitely the best for the south of the three options you have. Nevertheless, Penn gives you the best placement and Alabama is obviously the best deal (though you really need to push them to remove that stip or at least lower it).

As it stands, I think I'd go Penn > Bama > Vandy because you're likely to get a good/decent job from Penn even if you have a lot of debt, whereas at Vandy you could be stuck with shitlaw and tons of debt. At Bama (with lowered stips), you should hopefully at least not have much debt.

You really should work hard to get off that UVA waitlist because if you do it's your best option for any southern jobs by a good bit. Send LOCIs, recs, a Why UVA if you haven't (UVA loves having its ass kissed), and even tell them you'll attend for sure if you're willing to make that commitment.

If you get off the WL at UVA, I think it becomes your best option.

[2014]

I agree about U.Va.

You say that you would have lower COL at Vandy because of family, would you be living at home or do you mean they would be able to help with miscellaneous odds and ends and a few meals here and there?

I think Penn is certainly more than 30k better than Vandy, and as you have ties to the south presumably you would be competing against fewer students than you would be at Vandy. However, if you are planning on basically negating COL by living and eating at home while at Vandy, that makes it more than 100k cheaper than Penn including interest, and I think Vandy wins out in that case.

[duckmoney]

Vandy should be out at that scholarship level.

Top of your class at Alabama will put you in prime position to get Birmingham biglaw. Penn will get you Birmingham biglaw, but it will come down much more to convincing them of your ties (which may be difficult if you didn't grow up in Birmingham or very close or spend a lot of undergrad / postgrad years in Alabama). Penn will give you a much better shot overall at a biglaw job, especially in NYC. Atlanta firms would also prefer Penn. Of course, Penn is really expensive.

I think top of your class at Alabama > anywhere in your class at Penn > anywhere else in your class at Alabama. Unfortunately, you don't know where you'll be in the class.

If you're risk averse, go to Penn. If you want high risk and high returns, go to Alabama.

[SaintFond]

tl;dr

But I think Vandy can be safely crossed off.

[Doorkeeper]

I would go Penn here. Alabama locks you into Birmingham, and you still need to do very well. Meanwhile, your ties should help to get you back to Birmingham OR Atlanta if you go Penn.

Also, try to get more money out of Vandy because of the Penn acceptance, if you haven't already.

[pinkcamellia]

Alabama undergrad here who has spent a lot of time around the law school - I think you go Penn here. It will get you back to Birmingham because they LOVE T-14 grads who come back to Birmingham, provided you have ties to the area. Otherwise you'd have to do really well in your class at Alabama. Penn will give you portability. But if you get off the waitlist at UVA, go for it.

[JasonR]

With that stip, Bama should be summarily dismissed. Without it, they should still be fairly hastily dismissed.

I'd heavily favor Penn over Vandy, since you're taking on six figures of debt either way. A lot more debt at Penn, obviously, but far better downside protection.

[CanadianWolf]

With your numbers (166/4.0), have you considered retaking the LSAT ? Penn is a great option, but not so great at sticker price for one targeting The South. Two or three more points on the LSAT should result in more options at lower cost in what is expected to be another down year for law school applications.

Real Madrid's post above is spot on, in my opinion.

[BmoreOrLess]

3. Alabama - I have a full tuition scholarship plus book stipend that will adjust annually for increases in tuition so long as I remain in the top 40% of my class.  If I end up outside the top 40%, my scholarship will reduce to 7,500 per year.  (FYI - I have already negotiated with Alabama and got them from around 12K per year up to a full-tuition scholarship plus book stipend).  I could theoretically try to negotiate again to get them to drop the stips, but I've tried this once and they basically said no.  Assume at most 10K in loans per year at Alabama.

Push harder on Alabama if you wind up going that route. I'm a 0L so I'm not really in a position to give you advice on where to go, but Alabama can definitely reduce those stips. I got mine down to a 3.0 on a full ride--their median is 3.2--which is significantly better than a top 40% stip. Their first year curve works out where at least the top 73% of a given class (not like the class of 2015, but like an individual torts class) gets a 3.0.

[roaringeagle]

Did you get WL at Duke? UVA would be good too. Penn is the current bomb for NY Biglaw though. I would go there if it is your only option in the T14. Vandy might be a nice option too if you are only paying 40k a year.

That's

120k Vandy
or 210k UVA/DUKE?/PENN

I would not go to U of Alabama in your case.

[WeddingCrasher]

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[keg411]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I just edited my original post and poll because I now have 20K in scholarship (merit and need aid) per year at Vandy. Does this change anything? I would have at most 90K in debt (without accounting for interest) from Vandy now.

At 90k, I'd take Vandy if I were you.