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Do you have any other T14 options?

What's your LSAT/GPA?

Right now, all of these options are not very good. I would go UVA if I had to, but I would consider retaking the LSAT and reapplying next year if you can improve your LSAT.

Alabama and UCLA are out if you aren't 100% on working in AL and CA, respectively.

you may have my seat, because i withdrew from uva at sticker. The big thing for me in deciding not to go to uva at sticker were the reports of burnout in biglaw. I thought "So I might not survive long enough in an 80+ hour week job I dislike to pay back my loans..." and I decided not to go. BTdubs, I'm retaking in october.

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Whereskyle: It's such a tough decision. I can't imagine staying in big law for more than a few years so it's definitely something to consider. Thanks for the seat if I have yours! And good luck on your retake!

syd625 wrote:Whereskyle: It's such a tough decision. I can't imagine staying in big law for more than a few years so it's definitely something to consider. Thanks for the seat if I have yours! And good luck on your retake!

Yeah, dude, I do not have your GPA concerns, so our situations are not exactly the same. I would say that, based on their PI fellowships and their admissions weekend, it seems that UVA's staff really seems to try hard to take care of everybody. It may be the best that you can do. I think you should let others chime in as to whether or not that's the best you can do with the GPA. GL!

I think UVA is the sensible choice here but sticker debt is a ton. UCLA and Alabama just don't make sense given your goals, however.

ImNoScar wrote:I think UVA is the sensible choice here but sticker debt is a ton. UCLA and Alabama just don't make sense given your goals, however.

Agreed. As a splitter I think you just have to bite the bullet and pay sticker unless there's a strong regional somewhere you have ties and want to practice that will give you $$$.

Alabama and UCLA are out if you aren't 100% on working in AL and CA, respectively.

Seriously!

Ideally, I'd be on the East Coast

And you passed on Cornell?

If you think you'll hate biglaw and need to quit then just use UVA's LRAP and work in another legal field. they'll cover your debt and you can earn a decent living. For that much debt I'm actually of the opinion that LRAP is sometimes the way to go. There's a ton of vital and consequential legal work done outside of large firms.

Keep your property yo.

Big Dog wrote:

Alabama and UCLA are out if you aren't 100% on working in AL and CA, respectively.

Seriously!

Ideally, I'd be on the East Coast

And you passed on Cornell?

Cornell is still an option, but factoring in tuition differences, it's only $9,000 or so less total over three years.

jbagelboy wrote:If you think you'll hate biglaw and need to quit then just use UVA's LRAP and work in another legal field. they'll cover your debt and you can earn a decent living. For that much debt I'm actually of the opinion that LRAP is sometimes the way to go. There's a ton of vital and consequential legal work done outside of large firms.

Keep your property yo.

I've actually seriously considered LRAP since I'm drawn to public interest work. (Although the thought of my debt steadily growing over those ten years would make me nervous.) UVA seems to have decent placement in the public service sector, so I'm hoping that might be an option. I just hope it's around in thirteen years.

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What are your other job options without law school? Going to law school as a splitter is a dangerous predicament.

syd625 wrote:

WokeUpInACar wrote:

ImNoScar wrote:I think UVA is the sensible choice here but sticker debt is a ton. UCLA and Alabama just don't make sense given your goals, however.

Agreed. As a splitter I think you just have to bite the bullet and pay sticker unless there's a strong regional somewhere you have ties and want to practice that will give you $$$.

No such luck with the regionals. I applied to my local school, but they've been really stingy this year and I couldn't see paying 150,000 for a Tier 2. I think I've seen your posts in a couple of the threads. Have you made a decision yet?

I'm going to UT for around 80k COA thanks to instate tuition + scholarship + ~30k in parental contributions/savings. I definitely considering EDing or making a harder push for MVP early in the cycle but decided they just weren't going to be worth 100k+ more than UT.

I give up.

You should've taken Northwestern with 30k...

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Doorkeeper wrote:You should've taken Northwestern with 30k...

I wish that I had kept that option, but the deadline came along so quickly after the offer that I didn't feel I had time to even fully consider it.

UVA

WokeUpInACar wrote: I'm going to UT for around 80k COA thanks to instate tuition + scholarship + ~30k in parental contributions/savings. I definitely considering EDing or making a harder push for MVP early in the cycle but decided they just weren't going to be worth 100k+ more than UT.

Congrats! I have a friend who goes to UT and loves it. And for 80k total that's completely amazing!

Your total debt calculation is a little off. Tuition at UVA for next year is 52,900. You don't need 33,600 to live in Charlottesville (coming from a2L 3L at UVA). Idk your circumstances, but you can live here for 20k easily, potentially even less. It's still a lot of debt, but I would say that your debt would be closer to 215,000 (assuming you would be able to get a 2L SA job and use the money to take out less loans and COL as 15-20k)

pjo wrote:Your total debt calculation is a little off. Tuition at UVA for next year is 52,900. You don't need 33,600 to live in Charlottesville (coming from a2L 3L at UVA). Idk your circumstances, but you can live here for 20k easily, potentially even less. It's still a lot of debt, but I would say that your debt would be closer to 215,000 (assuming you would be able to get a 2L SA job and use the money to take out less loans and COL as 15-20k)

Interest bro.

WokeUpInACar wrote:

pjo wrote:Your total debt calculation is a little off. Tuition at UVA for next year is 52,900. You don't need 33,600 to live in Charlottesville (coming from a2L 3L at UVA). Idk your circumstances, but you can live here for 20k easily, potentially even less. It's still a lot of debt, but I would say that your debt would be closer to 215,000 (assuming you would be able to get a 2L SA job and use the money to take out less loans and COL as 15-20k)

Interest bro.

Your interest is like 5k per year. So your debt would be like 230k. I'm telling you, even without a scholarship a lot of people graduate UVA around 200k in debt. It's really cheap to live here (my rent is 400/mo, all utilities and internet are an additional 70/mo.). Plus you can decrease how much you have to borrow by like 20k if you get an SA gig.

pjo wrote:

WokeUpInACar wrote:

pjo wrote:Your total debt calculation is a little off. Tuition at UVA for next year is 52,900. You don't need 33,600 to live in Charlottesville (coming from a2L 3L at UVA). Idk your circumstances, but you can live here for 20k easily, potentially even less. It's still a lot of debt, but I would say that your debt would be closer to 215,000 (assuming you would be able to get a 2L SA job and use the money to take out less loans and COL as 15-20k)

Interest bro.

Your interest is like 5k per year. So your debt would be like 230k. I'm telling you, even without a scholarship a lot of people graduate UVA around 200k in debt. It's really cheap to live here (my rent is 400/mo, all utilities and internet are an additional 70/mo.). Plus you can decrease how much you have to borrow by like 20k if you get an SA gig.

This is just not accurate. Yes the first year interest will be close to 5k, but it compounds like a bitch the 2nd and 3rd years. the calculation above is pretty much based on living on 20k/year. Tuition keeps going up every year and interest accrued over 3 years is going to be around 40k total at graduation.