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30K debt at William & Mary = good idea?

hoogs23 wrote:30K debt at William & Mary = good idea?

$30k debt at graduation? So you have a full tuition scholarship with at least a $10k/yr stipend to offset COL?

If so, maybe. What are your opportunity costs? Where else did you get in and what are you leaving behind outside of law school?

Stips?

At graduation. I can live at home, and my best other bet is UVA but sticker. Do not have a current job. And stips are just in good standing

hoogs23 wrote:At graduation. I can live at home, and my best other bet is UVA but sticker. Do not have a current job. And stips are just in good standing

That's a pretty big jump. Did you only apply to VA schools?

What are your career goals?

ETA: Are you a KJD who can take a year off, retake and reapply?

Doesn't seem like the worst gamble to me. Pretty low-risk if you're ok with the relatively low reward (about a 50% chance of making a decent--and by decent I mean $50k--wage), and near total non-portability. Even if you strike out entirely, $30k of debt is probably survivable.

Probably a good idea to drop out after 1L if you're below median.

All my ties are to VA, and I will have a job after graduation. But I want to try either Government first, and obviously I would not pass up a chance at big law, but I know how hard it will be from W&M.

hoogs23 wrote:I will have a job after graduation.

How?

Biglaw from W&M is probably not happening, but like rinkrat said there's not a lot of risk involved with $30k so if you're cool with working for the city on a $40k salary after graduating.

mid-law firm from ties