Will SMU be worth it? Forum

[mm24246]

Hi everyone!

I am trying to decide whether SMU is a good option for me. I'll be entering this fall and need some feedback.

I was accepted into SMU with a 15k/year scholarship, so including room and board, I'm looking at about 33-35k/year. I'm a Texas resident and plan to stay in the Dallas area after I graduate. At the moment I'm an intern with in-house lawyers and I really enjoy it, so I don't care so much for BigLaw.

My biggest worry is whether SMU will be worth it financially. I might have to take some loans, perhaps about 30-40k, which I'm dreading. However, is that a reasonable amount to pay for law school, considering that I'm not too picky about where I end up practicing law?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

[Nucky]

Hi everyone!

I am trying to decide whether SMU is a good option for me. I'll be entering this fall and need some feedback.

I was accepted into SMU with a 15k/year scholarship, so including room and board, I'm looking at about 33-35k/year. I'm a Texas resident and plan to stay in the Dallas area after I graduate. At the moment I'm an intern with in-house lawyers and I really enjoy it, so I don't care so much for BigLaw.

My biggest worry is whether SMU will be worth it financially. I might have to take some loans, perhaps about 30-40k, which I'm dreading. However, is that a reasonable amount to pay for law school, considering that I'm not too picky about where I end up practicing law?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

Thank you

Probably not. Assume median and answer your own question.

[Tiago Splitter]

Are you living with family or somehow paying nothing for living expenses? 15k a year brings tuition down to about 33-35k, but if you're debt financing living expenses on top of that the cost is too high.

SMU isn't a bad school for your goals but it's too expensive at 150k+, whether financed through savings or loans. Fortunately for you they love the LSAT at SMU, so start studying for a June retake and get the scholarship bumped up.

[mm24246]

Are you living with family or somehow paying nothing for living expenses? 15k a year brings tuition down to about 33-35k, but if you're debt financing living expenses on top of that the cost is too high.

SMU isn't a bad school for your goals but it's too expensive at 150k+, whether financed through savings or loans. Fortunately for you they love the LSAT at SMU, so start studying for a June retake and get the scholarship bumped up.

I'm worried about a retake. I've already taken the LSAT twice, and the first time I got a 151, second time a 156. I was steady at about 160 during PLSATs, but I just get nervous on test day.

If I do 160+ on a June retake and notify SMU, would they really consider giving me more money? Do I have to talk to them about it first?

[mm24246]

Also, I really wanted to live on campus, but I guess if it gets too expensive I can always live at home with my parents where I don't pay rent

[Tiago Splitter]

There is nothing to lose with a retake. If you score lower, they won't care. If you score higher, they might offer you more money. Sounds like you have a good enough GPA that a retake could get you into a better school like UT. Study for this last take harder than anything you've studied for in your entire life and don't be afraid to sit out a year if SMU won't bump up their offer.

[CanadianWolf]

Agree that you need to sit for another LSAT in order to increase your SMU scholarship award or to reapply next cycle with a higher LSAT score.