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[1776]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

[Nova]

That is extreamely reasonable! 20k for a law degree is cake. Congrats on your scholarship!!! You are exactly the kind of person who SHOULD entertain the idea of attending their local TT.

[RedBirds2011]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

Yea, this ain't bad at all bro. Enjoy Pitt

[top30man]

That is extreamely reasonable! 20k for a law degree is cake. Congrats on your scholarship!!! You are exactly the kind of person who SHOULD entertain the idea of attending their local TT.

Yeah definitely go for it.

[Tom Joad]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

With the exception of your political views, you sound like you should be in good shape.

[1776]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

With the exception of your political views, you sound like you should be in good shape.

Trolol

[jenesaislaw]

Just so we're clear, you're saying your expected cost is just 19.5k for three years at Pitt? Not per year?

[Br3v]

Nothing fear for pit @ 20 IMO

[1776]

Just so we're clear, you're saying your expected cost is just 19.5k for three years at Pitt? Not per year?

All three years, not per year. So, roughly $19.5 total. More when tuition is increased. I'm looking at $5.5k in loans the first year. I'd like to set aside enough for books each summer. If I manage to get a paying position next summer, I would use some of that for tuition. Is 30-35k a reasonable amount of total debt? I'm planning to make 40k my first year out of school, although reported median is around 55k.

[jenesaislaw]

Are there any stipulations on your scholarship?

[splitbrain]

Just so we're clear, you're saying your expected cost is just 19.5k for three years at Pitt? Not per year?

All three years, not per year. So, roughly $19.5 total. More when tuition is increased. I'm looking at $5.5k in loans the first year. I'd like to set aside enough for books each summer. If I manage to get a paying position next summer, I would use some of that for tuition. Is 30-35k a reasonable amount of total debt? I'm planning to make 40k my first year out of school, although reported median is around 55k.

I mean, it goes without saying that there are no guarantees, but this seems like a reasonable situation to me.

[jenesaislaw]

I agree that this seems like a reasonable situation, provided there are no scholarship stipulations. And even then, depending on what they are, it might still be reasonable. (I would try to negotiate the stipulations away, of course. I would also do this when I noticed some WL action on LSN, so you know you're in a better bargaining position.)

[1776]

Are there any stipulations on your scholarship?

It's slightly below median. I've pushed a little too hard with their FA department, and am going to back off for another month before asking about the stipulation. I may be able to work something out with disability services, and I think that may help my case in getting a stipulation lowered to good standing vs. top 60%ish. BUT, on a tour of the school, the tour guide said the vast majority keep their scholarships. They don't section stack. He didn't know of anyone who lost their scholarship, and said the school works with students versus rescinding merit aid.

I emailed them about registering with disability services, and after that's arranged, I will ask about the stip. I don't want to ask for too much after how great they've been to me. I probably didn't deserve the amount of money flexibility they've offered. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

[Br3v]

Are there any stipulations on your scholarship?

It's slightly below median. I've pushed a little too hard with their FA department, and am going to back off for another month before asking about the stipulation. I may be able to work something out with disability services, and I think that may help my case in getting a stipulation lowered to good standing vs. top 60%ish. BUT, on a tour of the school, the tour guide said the vast majority keep their scholarships. They don't section stack. He didn't know of anyone who lost their scholarship, and said the school works with students versus rescinding merit aid.

I emailed them about registering with disability services, and after that's arranged, I will ask about the stip. I don't want to ask for too much after how great they've been to me. I probably didn't deserve the amount of money flexibility they've offered. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

What happens if you fall just below stop mark? Lose all or drop to different percent scholly?

[jenesaislaw]

Ahh, but it isn't a gift! Don't underestimate how much they desire you. This is a business transaction. They need you this year, of all years, to enroll. They likely need one or both of your numbers, and may like you for other "objective" reasons.

You are smart to hold off when you've been more to handle than the average student. But don't be afraid. If they don't like you after all is said and done, it will be of no consequence to your time at the school except as far as it bothers you on an emotional level. (I'm not saying that's not worth anything, too.)

The school has data on the number of people who have lost scholarships -- they would have it anyhow, but now they are required to report it to the ABA on the annual questionnaire. Ask them for the data in a few weeks, and then a few weeks after that ask them about the stips. If the data show nobody loses them, ask them why the stip is needed. If the data show people do, say you're fearful and are going to need the stip to enroll. Again, the later this happens, the more bargaining power you'll have -- and remind them that you're not moving to Pittsburgh, you already live there and would only be out the deposit(s).

[1776]

Ahh, but it isn't a gift! Don't underestimate how much they desire you. This is a business transaction. They need you this year, of all years, to enroll. They likely need one or both of your numbers, and may like you for other "objective" reasons.

You are smart to hold off when you've been more to handle than the average student. But don't be afraid. If they don't like you after all is said and done, it will be of no consequence to your time at the school except as far as it bothers you on an emotional level. (I'm not saying that's not worth anything, too.)

The school has data on the number of people who have lost scholarships -- they would have it anyhow, but now they are required to report it to the ABA on the annual questionnaire. Ask them for the data in a few weeks, and then a few weeks after that ask them about the stips. If the data show nobody loses them, ask them why the stip is needed. If the data show people do, say you're fearful and are going to need the stip to enroll. Again, the later this happens, the more bargaining power you'll have -- and remind them that you're not moving to Pittsburgh, you already live there and would only be out the deposit(s).

Thanks for the feedback.

I emailed them multiple times about the amount they awarded me, appealed it, asked for a need based grant, and appealed that. I was polite, but maybe a little forceful, and definitely aggressive.

I put the deposit down, and I am, right now, going to attend. I won't back out if they remove the stip, because it is reasonable, and people there aren't complaining (publicly at least), about losing merit aid. I plan to ask for it to be lowered to good standing.

I am in the process of working with student affairs and disability services. I think (probably wrong though) that if I am granted accomadations, I may have a better chance at negotiating the stipulation, or maybe not? I wanted to go through that process first. I am working on getting the documentation for that. I was able to get those in undergrad very easily, but I don't know if law school's are as understanding.

I feel like I should take one step at a time. I have until probably July-ish to talk about the stip (it's right around median), so they have a month and a half to respond. I want to talk to students and see if anyone was successful.

Pitt has been really great to me the last couple of months, and I really don't want to piss them off. They've given me plenty of things I probably didn't earn, but got through luck. I got a lot more than my numbers should have garnered.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm the first in my family to go to any type of grad or professional school, so this is very new.

[gossard267]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

It's reasonable if it is an effective means to your desired end. Thus, a word of caution: do not assume you will be able to land a 'job [you] enjoy', just because you have relatively little debt. Do you know what would constitute such a job, and are there substantive, empirically-grounded reasons to believe that a Pitt law degree (and, presumably, bar passage) will give you at least a good shot at an interview?

For example, are there current job postings that you think you would enjoy and that indicate that, given Pitt JD + bar passage + summer legal experience, you would meet the minimum qualifications? Would you otherwise not meet the requirements? I really don't think people ask themselves this question when they decide to go to law school, but they should.

Many (most?) of the JD-required jobs that don't offer big-law pay and are genuinely accessible to non-T14 grads are just as soul-crushing as big law, if not more so, with the added bonus of potentially 'staining' your resume. In short, don't assume that those Pitt grads in the 40K to 60K bracket are working for the ACLU; it's far more likely they are working for ID/PI shops or temping at, you guessed it, big law firms.

[crossarmant]

That is extremely reasonable! 20k for a law degree is cake. Congrats on your scholarship!!! You are exactly the kind of person who SHOULD entertain the idea of attending their local TT.

Could not have said it better myself.

[1776]

I calculated the final cost for three years at Pitt to be $19,500. I'm from Pittsburgh and want to stay for the long haul. With tuition increases it may jump a few grand. I have less than $10,000 in undergrad debt. Is that a reasonable price? I already negotiated. Big law isn't my goal. If it happens, it happens. I want to be able to take a job I enjoy rather than whatever job will pay off my loans.

Thanks for the insight.

It's reasonable if it is an effective means to your desired end. Thus, a word of caution: do not assume you will be able to land a 'job [you] enjoy', just because you have relatively little debt. Do you know what would constitute such a job, and are there substantive, empirically-grounded reasons to believe that a Pitt law degree (and, presumably, bar passage) will give you at least a good shot at an interview?

For example, are there current job postings that you think you would enjoy and that indicate that, given Pitt JD + bar passage + summer legal experience, you would meet the minimum qualifications? Would you otherwise not meet the requirements? I really don't think people ask themselves this question when they decide to go to law school, but they should.

Many (most?) of the JD-required jobs that don't offer big-law pay and are genuinely accessible to non-T14 grads are just as soul-crushing as big law, if not more so, with the added bonus of potentially 'staining' your resume. In short, don't assume that those Pitt grads in the 40K to 60K bracket are working for the ACLU; it's far more likely they are working for ID/PI shops or temping at, you guessed it, big law firms.

I enjoy law in general. Civil liberties and con law are my favorite. Id b happy working for the gov as a public defender, working for a non profit, anything political (I'd love to run for AG at some point or some other legal political position). Working for something in health care would be cool. Personal injury would be fine. I think I'd be happy in most fields.

I enjoy researching cases and making arguments based on prior cases, which sounds like it would be present in any JD job. Maybe go back to academics down the line. Id like to apply to a Phd program in pysch, Poli sci or anthropology, maybe history.

I want to practice law for a while definitely. I enjoy research and reading cases. I did That a decent amount in undergrad.

AcLu type jobs would be my dream.

[1776]

"Over the past 6 years, the average percentage of students not getting their scholarship renewed is 10%."

[thelawyler]

Sounds like a good deal. Enjoy and congrats.

[1776]

Sounds like a good deal. Enjoy and congrats.

Thanks. When I glanced at the email, I thought it said 10% retain their scholarships, and almost shit my pants. Great sense of relief that it meant 90% kept theirs.

[JCFindley]

That is extremely reasonable! 20k for a law degree is cake. Congrats on your scholarship!!! You are exactly the kind of person who SHOULD entertain the idea of attending their local TT.

Could not have said it better myself.

This.....