Top Law Schools

Options:
GULC at $164k total COA
UVA at sticker, $223k total COA

Also on 'reserve' at CLS.

Next-to-nothing is going to come from personal savings/family for COA; the remainder is all loans. I've already got about $40k from undergrad.

From California originally. My goal is a federal clerkship, and location isn't important.

174/3.24, no retakes.

I was pretty certain on UVA due to their high clerkship rate, but I just got the $$ offer from GULC within the last hour (with a deadline of Monday, naturally).

I would ask UVA right now if they can match the GULC scholarship.

Call them right now.

Also, any other T14 options? Northwestern?

Doorkeeper wrote:I would ask UVA right now if they can match the GULC scholarship.

Call them right now.

Do this


If nothing changes, I'd pick the school/area you prefer for 3 years.

ED Northwestern? if you have good WE

sinfiery wrote:

Doorkeeper wrote:I would ask UVA right now if they can match the GULC scholarship.

Call them right now.

Do this


If nothing changes, I'd pick the school/area you prefer for 3 years.

Had to leave a message. Sent an e-mail as well.

From everything I've heard and read (primarily this: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... start=2275), UVA is tapped for funds d/t plain-old overspending on earlier awards, so I'm expecting nothing while hoping for the best.

Props to GULC for giving me a decision to cloud my brain over the weekend

untar614 wrote:ED Northwestern? if you have good WE

Actually, I did apply ED there, because I knew they were the most 'splitter-friendly' T14 (and because of the $150k schol, of course). I got moved to RD, probably because either 1) my GPA was a bit too low or 2) my downward GPA trend couldn't be overlooked. They offered $10k/yr that they declined to reconsider, so it just wasn't worth it to me (as much as I LOVED Chicago when I flew out to interview).

Edit: Just to tack on some more info, I have 3 years WE, including paralegal-type work at a firm, so I doubt that was a factor.

I would take UVA. Better employment numbers, qualify of life, etc is worth the xtra $$.

californiabeauar wrote:I would take UVA. Better employment numbers, qualify of life, etc is worth the xtra $$.

I agree with you on those points.

The poll is a dead heat as of right now, though, so, for those of you who would choose GULC: why? Does the $60k lower price outweigh the lower clerkship placement rate? Are there other factors that you would say weigh just as (or more) heavily?

Thanks for the input so far, y'all.

I go to GULC and I'd probably take UVA if I were you. I feel like once you get above 150k in loans you should just go to the place that gives you better employment opportunities.

GULC is a good school and I really liked it here. It gets way more shit than it deserves on this board, and a lot of people draw unwarranted conclusions from the placement data (ie, that since GULC has lower % placement, practitioners look down on a GULC grad relative to the rest of the lower T14, and that isn't really true). But you go to LS to get a job or a clerkship, GULC's large class size makes that harder, and UVA's biglaw/clerkship numbers are much better.

If you were to do well here (top 5 or top 10/15%), you will definitely be in the running for good clerkships. Problem is, there are a lot more people in the top 10% of GULC's class than UVA's.

retake

How much scholarship money did GULC give you? What you have listed for UVA is actually at least $40k less than what you'll graduate with if you finance the whole thing through loans. And I agree with the emerging consensus that once you hit a certain threshold of debt, you really should just be minimizing your level of p0wnitude by chasing the best career outcomes. I wish you had a near-free option at a T20 in a region you want to live in.

ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) wrote:How much scholarship money did GULC give you? What you have listed for UVA is actually at least $40k less than what you'll graduate with if you finance the whole thing through loans. And I agree with the emerging consensus that once you hit a certain threshold of debt, you really should just be minimizing your level of p0wnitude by chasing the best career outcomes. I wish you had a near-free option at a T20 in a region you want to live in.

About $65k. I did a quick and dirty calc initially because the GULC offer had come so recently... But the answers and polling have still been insightful either way.

The next-best offers I have is ~$70k from UCLA, but I didn't enjoy my visit much.

I agree with the "debt threshold" thing -- frankly, after a certain limit, the numbers just kind of blur and make me dizzy.

(full disclosure: drunk)

DouglasDevelopment wrote:I go to GULC and I'd probably take UVA if I were you. I feel like once you get above 150k in loans you should just go to the place that gives you better employment opportunities.

GULC is a good school and I really liked it here. It gets way more shit than it deserves on this board, and a lot of people draw unwarranted conclusions from the placement data (ie, that since GULC has lower % placement, practitioners look down on a GULC grad relative to the rest of the lower T14, and that isn't really true). But you go to LS to get a job or a clerkship, GULC's large class size makes that harder, and UVA's biglaw/clerkship numbers are much better.

If you were to do well here (top 5 or top 10/15%), you will definitely be in the running for good clerkships. Problem is, there are a lot more people in the top 10% of GULC's class than UVA's.

I appreciate the insight, 'specially from a GULC grad. Everything you wrote basically matches what I've picked up on over the last year -- I'm sure it's a great school, but I'm just not sure at all about the 'fit' (my ASW visit was a lil cold and disconcerting).

becomestairs wrote:

ლ(ಠ益ಠლ) wrote:How much scholarship money did GULC give you? What you have listed for UVA is actually at least $40k less than what you'll graduate with if you finance the whole thing through loans. And I agree with the emerging consensus that once you hit a certain threshold of debt, you really should just be minimizing your level of p0wnitude by chasing the best career outcomes. I wish you had a near-free option at a T20 in a region you want to live in.

About $65k. I did a quick and dirty calc initially because the GULC offer had come so recently... But the answers and polling have still been insightful either way.

The next-best offers I have is ~$70k from UCLA, but I didn't enjoy my visit much.

I agree with the "debt threshold" thing -- frankly, after a certain limit, the numbers just kind of blur and make me dizzy.

(full disclosure: drunk)

GULC's budget says non-discounted COA is $76,500/year (JFC WTF) and if you use their own calculator, plug in your 21,666/year scholarship, and generously lower the annual increase to 2.5%, you're still looking at over $200k for a GULC degree. Go to UVA.

becomestairs wrote:

DouglasDevelopment wrote:I go to GULC and I'd probably take UVA if I were you. I feel like once you get above 150k in loans you should just go to the place that gives you better employment opportunities.

GULC is a good school and I really liked it here. It gets way more shit than it deserves on this board, and a lot of people draw unwarranted conclusions from the placement data (ie, that since GULC has lower % placement, practitioners look down on a GULC grad relative to the rest of the lower T14, and that isn't really true). But you go to LS to get a job or a clerkship, GULC's large class size makes that harder, and UVA's biglaw/clerkship numbers are much better.

If you were to do well here (top 5 or top 10/15%), you will definitely be in the running for good clerkships. Problem is, there are a lot more people in the top 10% of GULC's class than UVA's.

I appreciate the insight, 'specially from a GULC grad. Everything you wrote basically matches what I've picked up on over the last year -- I'm sure it's a great school, but I'm just not sure at all about the 'fit' (my ASW visit was a lil cold and disconcerting).

FWIW, I don't think the atmosphere here is cold at all. I met a ton of great friends and thought LS was a pretty good time outside of the few weeks before finals.