Top Law Schools

Hello fellow TLS'ers,

This has been a long haul for me and, now, I'm down to choosing between USD with $25K/yr (2.0 stip) vs Wash U with $10K/year guaranteed (this was offered today, and I may be able to pull some more out of them as I hear they are fairly generous with their financial aid). As far as financing my schooling is concerned, I believe my family will be contributing at least $10K/year (probably more) as well. I'm from Colorado and have no ties to either place, I'd like to find a job somewhere in midlaw, possibly biglaw (however, this is all pure conjecture at this point), and really, I just want to have great professors, laid-back and friendly classmates, and a great experience. As far as I'm concerned, you guys give fairly good advice, so let me hear what you all think. Oh, and I have to make a decision by the 3rd of next month. Thanks.

I'm going to summarize what'll you'll probably read on the first page of responses:

"We need to know full cost of attendance for both schools."
"We need to know your LSAT & GPA -- is retaking an option?" Some will say its your "only option."
"There is no such thing as midlaw"
"Your chances from BigLaw are close to zero."
"Having a great experience doesn't matter. This is a financial investment."

For the most part, I agree with those responses. But, you probably want us to pick between the two and you want us to assess it based on your values. I guess I would choose WashU -- good people over there with a respectable community with a small chance at BigLaw. Don't ever like stipulations though.

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
-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.
-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
-Your general career goals
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers
-How many times you have taken the LSAT

Retake is the right answer eighty percent of the time.

JesseJames1 wrote: I'd like to find a job somewhere in midlaw, possibly biglaw (however, this is all pure conjecture at this point)

lol

JesseJames1 wrote: really, I just want to have great professors, laid-back and friendly classmates, and a great experience.

lol

have fun bro

We need to know full cost of attendance for both schools. We also need to know your LSAT & GPA. Is retaking an option? It's probably your only option I'm afraid to say.

Also, there is no such thing as midlaw and your chances at BigLaw from both of these schools are close to zero.

No retake. 3.84 gpa, 160 LSAT. I realize a higher LSAT score could potentially help me out a lot but I just don't have that option. Total COA at Wash U, I believe, is about $71k/yr and at USD is closer to $70k/yr, so they are very similar in that respect. Maybe a rephrasing of my question could help me gain some ground. Simply, which do you believe is a smarter investment? Again, I believe I will be getting around $10k/yr help from my family so keep that in consideration. However, also know that although money is a big concern, it is not the only factor holding weight. Thanks guys. Your advice/input is appreciated.

No one on this board is going to say you should go to either WUSTL or USD @ 210k+ COA.

Nova wrote:No one on this board is going to say you should go to either WUSTL or USD @ 210k+ COA.

nor should they

OP if you have a 160, you can always retake the LSAT. so don't give us that crap

Bagelboy,

I'm going.

Sincerely,

OP

JesseJames1 wrote:No retake. 3.84 gpa, 160 LSAT. I realize a higher LSAT score could potentially help me out a lot but I just don't have that option. Total COA at Wash U, I believe, is about $71k/yr and at USD is closer to $70k/yr, so they are very similar in that respect. Maybe a rephrasing of my question could help me gain some ground. Simply, which do you believe is a smarter investment? Again, I believe I will be getting around $10k/yr help from my family so keep that in consideration. However, also know that although money is a big concern, it is not the only factor holding weight. Thanks guys. Your advice/input is appreciated.

You don't want to be in this much debt from either school. This is too much debt.

You would NEED biglaw to pay off that debt. You will very likely not get biglaw from either school.

JesseJames1 wrote:Bagelboy,

I'm going.

Sincerely,

OP

And I'm sure you'll have great professors, laid-back and friendly classmates, and a great experience to boot. Sorry if I'm being a dick but why would you say you've read TLS and seen the kind of advice it provides and then post that you wanted to do midlaw (maybe) with no ties and pay over two hundred thousand dollars at a T25 for "a great experience" after taking the LSAT once. Just say your interested in working at the UN or ICC and voila, perfect storm. If you take this attitude, no one here can help you, so you should go talk to your UG prelaw adviser and your parents' boomer attorney friends and consult 2008 law school guidebook employment figures who will all tell you what a great investment you're making

Well, I did get $30k a year from Miami with top half stip but I don't want to live in Miami and top half stip is kinda scary. AND, I don't speak one lick of spanish.

JesseJames1 wrote:Bagelboy,

I'm going.

Sincerely,

OP

That would not be smart. Retake.

Bagelboy,

It's all good. I realized what kind of a storm I was throwing myself into before I posted on this forum. Mean bunch, lemme tell ya. I DO appreciate your input. But still, I AM going.

JesseJames1 wrote:Well, I did get $30k a year from Miami with top half stip but I don't want to live in Miami and top half stip is kinda scary. AND, I don't speak one lick of spanish.

So retake the LSAT. If you hit median at T1 schools they will give you legit scholarships.

JesseJames1 wrote:Bagelboy,

It's all good. I realized what kind of a storm I was throwing myself into before I posted on this forum. Mean bunch, lemme tell ya. I DO appreciate your input. But still, I AM going.

Why start the thread then?

Why are you so insistent on going? Your stubbornness is going to come back to bite you in the form of triple digit loan payments every month.

worldtraveler wrote:Why are you so insistent on going? Your stubbornness is going to come back to bite you in the form of triple digit loan payments every month.

quadruple, no? at least 2000 given his COA figures

If it helps, I also have no debt at this point. And for those of your chanting "retake, retake", it really does just not seem like an option to wait another year.

JesseJames1 wrote:If it helps, I also have no debt at this point. And for those of your chanting "retake, retake", it really does just not seem like an option to wait another year.

No, that does not help. It's a terrible decision either way.

JesseJames1 wrote:If it helps, I also have no debt at this point. And for those of your chanting "retake, retake", it really does just not seem like an option to wait another year.

Do you have a terminal disease? Wll one of your loved ones be murdered if you don't attend law school? Do you have a wealthy benefactor who will only pay for law school THIS year? If no, then yeah, it's an option. I would GLADLY work at Starbucks for a year while studying for a retake in your position. Hell I'd kill to even have that as an option now, and I'm almost 28 years old and planning to attend a better school than you for much cheaper.

WokeUpInACar wrote:

JesseJames1 wrote:If it helps, I also have no debt at this point. And for those of your chanting "retake, retake", it really does just not seem like an option to wait another year.

Do you have a terminal disease? Wll one of your loved ones be murdered if you don't attend law school? Do you have a wealthy benefactor who will only pay for law school THIS year? If no, then yeah, it's an option. I would GLADLY work at Starbucks for a year while studying for a retake in your position. Hell I'd kill to even have that as an option now, and I'm almost 28 years old and planning to attend a better school than you for much cheaper.

+1 to the bolded. You don't understand the magic some of us could work with that 3.84 GPA. For those of us that don't have it, and have studied for the LSAT for months and taken and retaken to get to where we are now with the GPA's we have, its like come on.

WokeUpInACar wrote:Wll one of your loved ones be murdered if you don't attend law school?

Someday, some poor soul will ask for advice here on TLS, saying that retake is not an option, and we'll laugh and laugh and laugh, until their kidnapped family actually does get murdered.

In all seriousness, as a 27-year-old, I agree with WokeUp. Even if it feels like time is running short, you want to make sure you make the right choice on this one-time $250,000 investment. You only get one shot at this!

bananasplit19 wrote:

WokeUpInACar wrote:Wll one of your loved ones be murdered if you don't attend law school?

Someday, some poor soul will ask for advice here on TLS, saying that retake is not an option, and we'll laugh and laugh and laugh, until their kidnapped family actually does get murdered.

In all seriousness, as a 27-year-old, I agree with WokeUp. Even if it feels like time is running short, you want to make sure you make the right choice on this one-time $250,000 investment. You only get one shot at this!

(Spending more at NU for law school)