Top Law Schools

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 1:46 pm**

I need some insights on whether I should choose UC Davis, a school near where I currently live in California, currently ranked 38 in the US News Ranking OR George Washington, a school in Washington D.C. where I never lived on the other coast, currently ranked 21 in the US News Ranking.

Just some background on me: I am originally from Europe. I have moved a few times within California within the past few years I have been living in the U.S. These two schools I am trying to decide between are the only two law schools I got it.

I do not have anyone in my family who even attended college in the U.S., let alone law school, so I have been all on my own when I was preparing and applying to schools. However, this is when I need to hear about the reputations of the schools and your insights on which one is a better school. Should I go purely off the ranking? What are considerations do you use?

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 1:49 pm**

Dont go off rankings, go off employment data and debt. Whats your total COA at each? Lsat/gpa?

Neither is great, but GW is clear winner here unless you can retake. Davis services a small market (sacramento) and does so poorly. Take a look at Law school transparency data of both institutions.

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 4:14 pm**

Any particular reason you decided to write in large font?

But on a serious note, check out this thread: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=206299

If you want helpful answers, we'll need some more information.

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 10:48 pm**

I apologize as I did not see the guidelines before I posted my question.

In order to receive the best feedback in this forum, please provide as much of the following information in your original post as possible:

-The schools you are considering - George Washington v UC Davis
-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = cost of tuition + fees + books + cost of living (COL) + accumulated interest - scholarships. Here is a helpful calculator. - Both schools give me about $10,000 of grant while the cost of attendance is slightly higher at George Washington simply because the rent is likely to be much higher
-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings - loans
-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any) - I don't have any significant ties to any places in the U.S., so I am indifferent to where I settle down and work after graduation, as long as it's not New York City
-Your general career goals - international law, employment law, immigration law
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers - my GPA was in the 75 percentile at both schools, while my LSAT score was below the score range at both schools. However, I do not consider retaking the LSAT as I believe I performed to my highest potential.
-How many times you have taken the LSAT - once

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 10:53 pm**

sunflower_sac wrote: -The schools you are considering - George Washington v UC Davis
-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = Both schools give me about $10,000 of grant while the cost of attendance is slightly higher at George Washington simply because the rent is likely to be much higher

...

-Your general career goals - international law, employment law, immigration law
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers - my GPA was in the 75 percentile at both schools, while my LSAT score was below the score range at both schools. However, I do not consider retaking the LSAT as I believe I performed to my highest potential.
-How many times you have taken the LSAT - once

This is going to end well

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 10:55 pm**

choosing between Davis & GW with 10k/year grant at each + only taken the LSAT once = RETAKE

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 11:20 pm**

Either retake the LSAT or don't go to law school. Neither school is worth close to a quarter million in debt, unless you plan to run back to Europe and your home country is one with which the United States has no extradition treaty.

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2013 11:38 pm**

romothesavior wrote:Either retake the LSAT or don't go to law school. Neither school is worth close to a quarter million in debt, unless you plan to run back to Europe and your home country is one with which the United States has no extradition treaty.

This. lawl.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:13 am**

romothesavior wrote:Either retake the LSAT or don't go to law school. Neither school is worth close to a quarter million in debt, unless you plan to run back to Europe and your home country is one with which the United States has no extradition treaty.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:14 am**

Retaking the LSAT is not an option because I will not do better if I retake it, but I would waste a year and have to forgo an income. The reason why I am so sure of this is because English is not my first language, and it really affects my test-taking abilities. Plus, this is the highest LSAT score I ever received including over 15 practice tests I took. I saturated all test questions by studying for the LSAT for about a year.

What I am asking for in this forum is an advice: which one of the two schools is better and why?

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:24 am**

If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:37 am**

sunflower_sac wrote:Retaking the LSAT is not an option because I will not do better if I retake it, but I would waste a year and have to forgo an income. The reason why I am so sure of this is because English is not my first language, and it really affects my test-taking abilities. Plus, this is the highest LSAT score I ever received including over 15 practice tests I took. I saturated all test questions by studying for the LSAT for about a year.

What I am asking for in this forum is an advice: which one of the two schools is better and why?

The amount of debt you are looking at makes this a terrible investment. I suppose GW is better but I would never pay 200k+ for it.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:39 am**

Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.

Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:40 am**

timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.
Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.

I can't wait to do this next year (and 3L year).

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:41 am**

Bronck wrote:
timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.
Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.
I can't wait to do this next year (and 3L year).

ME TOO GUYS. Don't do it OP. You'll become cannon fodder while incurring a lot of debt. Unless you want BIGTEHRANLAW with that no extradition treaty.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:46 am**

Bronck wrote:
timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.
Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.
I can't wait to do this next year (and 3L year).

You're at CLS? Start with corps and all the intro transactional classes. They also take a lot of the int'l seminars, so that gives you the double LLM+66% A bump. Take FSA graded to get the benefit of all the checked out 3Ls.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:47 am**

timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:
timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.
Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.
I can't wait to do this next year (and 3L year).
You're at CLS? Start with corps and all the intro transactional classes. They also take a lot of the int'l seminars, so that gives you the double LLM+66% A bump. Take FSA graded to get the benefit of all the checked out 3Ls.

Yessir. Thanks for the tips. Seminars are 66% A at CLS?

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:52 am**

Bronck wrote:
timbs4339 wrote:
Bronck wrote:
timbs4339 wrote:
Best piece of advice I got in law school was to take classes with a lot of foreign students. Guaranteed honors.
I can't wait to do this next year (and 3L year).
You're at CLS? Start with corps and all the intro transactional classes. They also take a lot of the int'l seminars, so that gives you the double LLM+66% A bump. Take FSA graded to get the benefit of all the checked out 3Ls.
Yessir. Thanks for the tips. Seminars are 66% A at CLS?

A and A- are 66% I believe.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 12:56 am**

Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.

Most exams in law school are essay-based and they differ substantially from the LSAT. I did well in my classes at an undergraduate institution.

As far the financial aid they offer me, it is based on the fact that I was in the work force making a pretty good salary. My husband has also been working, so that has an affect, as well.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 1:34 am**

I would retake if i were you. There are many foreigners I have come across who get into upper 160s/lower 170s. This is a very learnable test.

If you HAVE to go, I would go to GW over UCD.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 1:44 am**

LSAT studying was quite a while ago, so correct me if I'm wrong... doing 15 practice exams isn't maxing out on studying/practicing, right?

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 1:50 am**

sunflower_sac wrote:
Bronck wrote:If English isn't your first language, and it affects your LSAT abilities, then how do you think it will affect your abilities to take a test in law school?

Both schools suck at that price. Don't go to law school.

Most exams in law school are essay-based and they differ substantially from the LSAT. I did well in my classes at an undergraduate institution.

As far the financial aid they offer me, it is based on the fact that I was in the work force making a pretty good salary. My husband has also been working, so that has an affect, as well.

Its a whole different animal from UG. Law exams are designed to be time pressured, are graded on a curve, involve highly dense reading, and you are competing agianst people not only with command of the language, but with very high aptitude in the particular types of intelligence required to succeed.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 1:55 am**

davis is terrible, george washington isn't amazing but at least legitimate

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 2:36 am**

Meepo wrote:davis is terrible, george washington isn't amazing but at least legitimate

What makes you say that? Do you have any information besides their places in the ranking?

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2013 2:41 am**

Davis Law - 34.9% employed at graduation

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... avis-03017

GW Law- 81.7% employed at graduation (***misleading*** since this % includes lots of school-funded positions)

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandr ... sity-03031

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