T14 at sticker? Forum

[da91392]

So far Northwestern is the only T14 I've gotten into (no info on shollys yet, I was just admitted a few days ago), but Penn waitlisted me, and my Columbia and Georgetown apps are still pending since I applied relatively late.

For what it's worth, I've also gotten into Wash U ($$), Notre Dame ($$$), and three lower-ranked schools that gave me money (but I'm not really considering them).

Ideally, I want to do PI, working as an AUSA. However, I'm not opposed to Biglaw (or some kind of firm) for a while and then moving into a federal job.

Should I start apartment hunting in Chicago, or keep trying to get off Penn's wait list?

Things to consider:
--My family is all from the NY/NJ area, but my boyfriend's family lives right outside of Chicago, so I have connections there.
--I'm a college senior going straight through, and I know Northwestern typically caters to older students with work experience.
--When I visited Penn, I was disappointed in the facilities. I'd only be interested in going there for the prestige (and I'm sure the doors it would open up would make it worth my while).

Thoughts?

Edit: Georgetown wait listed me today. They notified me that I have been put on their "waiting list" but not their "preferred waiting list"

[mandyjay11]

I think you should wait and see what happens with the rest of the T-14 and wait to see what $$$ at Northwestern because I am not sure you want to pay sticker there....

Out of curiosity, why were you "disappointed" with Penn's facilities?

[da91392]

Out of curiosity, why were you "disappointed" with Penn's facilities?

I guess that was the wrong way to phrase it, I just didn't feel very impressed. It was smallish and the library was nothing special. It's a city school so I didn't expect a campus or anything but nothing really grabbed me. Not to mention the admissions office didn't seem to want anything to do with me when I came in to ask questions, they just handed me a self-guided tour brochure and politely pushed me out.

[Nelson]

What are your numbers? Neither of these schools is particularly appealing at sticker.

[da91392]

What are your numbers? Neither of these schools is particularly appealing at sticker.

I'm hesitant to share my numbers because I've got nothing but "retake" advice from TLS-ers. I'm satisfied with my score even though it was lower than I'd like, so I'm happy i broke into the T14 at all. My GPA is a 3.85 though, so I guess that helped.

[Nucky]

What are your numbers? Neither of these schools is particularly appealing at sticker.

I'm hesitant to share my numbers because I've got nothing but "retake" advice from TLS-ers. I'm satisfied with my score even though it was lower than I'd like, so I'm happy i broke into the T14 at all. My GPA is a 3.85 though, so I guess that helped.

Retake

[McAvoy]

Any non-Hys at sticker is probably not advisable. Maybe a 35% chance where pslf (maybe), the military, or death are the only ways to become financially solvent. If you're in the 65%, you'll need to stay in biglaw for a really long time, but more people might prefer death to that.

[Clearly]

Yeah you're gonna wanna retake

[PrideandGlory1776]

Any non-Hys at sticker is probably not advisable. Maybe a 35% chance where pslf (maybe), the military, or death are the only ways to become financially solvent. If you're in the 65%, you'll need to stay in biglaw for a really long time, but more people might prefer death to that.

LOL this is a blunt version of the cold-hard truth - only HYS is worth sticker and if tuition keeps going the way it is in 10 years if it's 70k tutition 25k living expenses that may even be in question. But for now, this is the large consensus on TLS don't go unless you can get pretty much at least 25% tuition otherwise take the full-ride outside the t-14 or half tutition at UT/UCLA/Vandy etc.

[hichvichwoh]

wait to hear back from all of your apps, then negotiate your heart out. If you honestly can't get any $ from t14, wait a year and retake. sticker at t14 is suicide

[DoveBodyWash]

you have a 3.85...you're only 100 multiple choice questions away from HYS or T14 with money. Retake.

Assuming that you don't wanna hear "retake" advice at all (which it sounds like) then wait until all your apps pan out and then negotiate your heart out. Use WUSTL and ND to leverage some money out of NU.

If you want to work in Chicago then going to ND with scholarship isn't a bad idea. NU is probably more secure but there's a tiny chance you get AUSA straight out of law school, you'll have to go BigLaw first then take a more indirect route to the AUSA's office.

If your ultimate goal is gov't work then what you really should be looking at is each school's loan forgiveness program. I'm guessing Penn's program is better than NU's. I know Penn vamped up its loan forgiveness program during my admissions cycle, i forget the details though.

I had the option of going to NU with some money (but it was basically sticker) and i'm glad i didn't take it. That doesn't mean it's necessarily a horrible idea...but given your GPA you could be going to a much better school for the same loan burden, so it doesn't make sense to me that you would limit yourself. You're a retake away from UChicago or NU with scholarship (assuming being in Chicago is more important than HYS and Columbia/NYU)

[Hutz_and_Goodman]

Please god no

[03152016]

Good work on the 3.85. You worked hard for four years to earn that GPA; there's no legitimate reason you shouldn't spend a few months studying for a retake to secure T14 with $$$. Splitters like me dream about the outcomes you potentially have.

See you in the LSAT forum.

[raininthedesert]

Northwestern doesn't cater to older students...it's a marketing gimmick. The average age at matriculation is only 25. So no worries in that sense.

Facilities should only matter to you if you are paying full tuition. No reason to pay for a luxury car and receive a Kia (e.g. Berkeley). If you want great facilities and personalized resources there are very few schools that provide that other than a school like Duke.

It's amazing when you realize that you are purchasing a luxury item yet almost none of the T14 schools provide you the features and amenities fit for that type of good.

[FluffMonster]

Northwestern doesn't cater to older students...it's a marketing gimmick. The average age at matriculation is only 25. So no worries in that sense.

Facilities should only matter to you if you are paying full tuition. No reason to pay for a luxury car and receive a Kia (e.g. Berkeley). If you want great facilities and personalized resources there are very few schools that provide that other than a school like Duke.

It's amazing when you realize that you are purchasing a luxury item yet almost none of the T14 schools provide you the features and amenities fit for that type of good.[ /b]

The fuck did I just read?

[DoveBodyWash]

The fuck did I just read?

Basically Boalt sucks and Duke is awesome

[03152016]

The fuck did I just read?

Basically Boalt sucks and Duke is awesome

Man, those Duke kids really let the T10 thing go to their head...

[beepboopbeep]

Facilities should only matter to you if you are paying full tuition. No reason to pay for a luxury car and receive a Kia (e.g. Berkeley). If you want great facilities and personalized resources there are very few schools that provide that other than a school like Duke.

It's amazing when you realize that you are purchasing a luxury item yet almost none of the T14 schools provide you the features and amenities fit for that type of good.

I'm assuming this is flame based on the OP's account of Penn's facilities. If so, 180.

[Tom Joad]

Don't be dumb. Don't go to a non-HYS unless you get a full ride or parents are paying.

[McAvoy]

Don't be dumb. Don't go to a non-HYS unless you get a full ride or parents are paying.

I don't know about that. If your total COA is around 100k at any T14 other than GTown, it's a pretty reasonable investment (this stipulation being you don't at present have a good job/career path).

100K investment for a 65% chance at a job that pays well over 100K? I'd pry take that bet if I didn't have other appealing options in life.

[Law Sauce]

sticker at t14 is suicide

LOL. wut.

[Law Sauce]

Don't be dumb. Don't go to a non-HYS unless you get a full ride or parents are paying.

Geez tls, wtf is going on today.

Overly-broad and dramatic groupthink statements are overly-broad and dramatic.

TLS has seriously swung 180 in the last several years. It used to be go the best school because t14 is a golden ticket, now it is t14 at sticker is suicide. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

OP: your COAs at the lower rank schools may be low enough to justify them over NU at sticker, but likely those schools are going to still be expensive enough (with COL) that they don't make much more sense than NU at sticker. Reverse splitters like you will always be told to retake because there is so much potential upside. Why don't you retake in June? This approach has no downside. You do not have to wait a year unless you do better. You can deposit at NU now, retake it June, and then give NU your new score; they may give you more money. If you do worse or the same, no big deal at least you tried and you know that could not do better. There is nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

[vicpin5190]

Post removed.

[Law Sauce]

Don't be dumb. Don't go to a non-HYS unless you get a full ride or parents are paying.

Geez tls, wtf is going on today.

Overly-broad and dramatic groupthink statements are overly-broad and dramatic.

I'm still figuring out my whole law school decision, but I feel like the sentiment has shifted from "T14 is worth it" to "HYS or GTFO" in a matter of months since I've joined this website. Obviously not everyone is preaching it (and it does depend on circumstances) but I've definitely seen this sentiment expressed in greater frequency.

Yea, there are crazy cycles on here. But its been crazy volatile in the last year like you said. Its because a bunch on 0Ls are always joining, reading for a like a month, and thinking they understand everything and need to enlighten other people. And then you end up with this crazy groupthink intensification of people just repeating stuff other people have said.

[Nucky]

I'd be happy to go t14 at sticker. But none of them will accept my money

EDIT: That being said, I would only do so if I have exhausted retake attempts, negotiated, married the dean's daughter, and done everything in my power to better my position.