Battle of all the VA schools (and Wake) Forum

[mvredd]

Hey guys! So I'm a VA resident and I've gotten into the following schools (aid per year in parenthesis):

-UVA (no aid)
-William and Mary (20,000)
-Washington and Lee (30,000)
-Wake Forest (35,000)
U of R (30,000)

So money is important for me, so is doing well. Wake and WM are neck and neck for most affordable.
WL is literally in the middle of nowhere. Not sure I want to spend my time in ANOTHER tiny town. I'd like to experience something a little bigger than Lexington.
Clearly, UVA is the most prestigious and the only one to really have national reach.
I've been to Richmond five or six times, and I'm not really a fan (nor is my husband). Their package also seemed sort of stingy when compared to the offers from the other schools.
Wake is tempting because I know the area well.

I'm worried about three things, really: 1) debt load for obvious reasons, 2) going to a school (mainly UVA) and not performing well. I know there's a correlation between LSAT and law school performance. With all that debt, I need to land top 20% if I ever hope to even think about paying of those loans, and 3) at the same time, I went to undergrad based on scholarships, and while I don't regret my time, it isn't really challenging most of the time. I think I'd like to have more challenge.

[Shmoopy]

I don't think the challenge part matters. You will more or less be reading the same books and taking the same exams at all these schools.

Otherwise, I think where you want to work is important. I don't know much about either the VA or NC markets, but I imagine you'd most likely be stuck in state at any of these schools except for UVA.

[somewhatwayward]

You really really need to retake the LSAT. At the very least retake in June (study like crazy) and then go back to UVA with a newly-minted 170+ and you 4.0 and ask for money. The best thing, though, would be to retake in June or October and then apply next cycle. With a 170+, you have a shot at every school in the country. With a 173, you'd have a very good shot at Harvard. If you only want Virginia schools, then it will be very likely that you will get a huge scholarship to UVA with a 170+, so you don't need to stress about trying to be in the top 20% (well, you still will need to stress about it but not bc debt peonage is you fate otherwise). Right now these options are not so great. Your profile screams retake. Don't waste a 4.0!

[Yukos]

You really really need to retake the LSAT. At the very least retake in June (study like crazy) and then go back to UVA with a newly-minted 170+ and you 4.0 and ask for money. The best thing, though, would be to retake in June or October and then apply next cycle. With a 170+, you have a shot at every school in the country. With a 173, you'd have a very good shot at Harvard. If you only want Virginia schools, then it will be very likely that you will get a huge scholarship to UVA with a 170+, so you don't need to stress about trying to be in the top 20% (well, you still will need to stress about it but not bc debt peonage is you fate otherwise). Right now these options are not so great. Your profile screams retake. Don't waste a 4.0!

+1. 172 and you have a great shot at one or two of HYS.

If you refuse to retake, it comes down to where you want to practice. If you don't mind making $40,000 in VA, go to the cheapest out of WM and W&L. If you want the chance for biglaw or working in DC/NY, go to UVA (top 20% isn't necessary to repay your loans from UVA, median should be good enough).