Help a splitter choose! Forum

[passwordistaco]

I'm a military brat so I have moved around most of my life, however I finished high school and went to college in southern California. Although my family lives in southern california, I'd personally rather end up in the east coast (DC or NY) or Chicago, but would not be upset to come back to CA and don't have my heart set on any one city. BS in Biochemistry with 2 years w/e in a professional laboratory. I am interested in IP litigation at a big law firm. Family will be contributing 20k/year (I went ahead and deducted 20k from the COA values below), and the rest will be covered with loans.

GPA: 2.7
LSAT:
1st take: 162
2nd take: 172

The following are offers I'm considering (some more than others)

-WUSTL (35k/yr) COA ~ 61k
-Emory (25k/yr) COA ~ 98K
-Minnesota (35k/yr) ~61k
-Arizona (Full tuition) ~ (COL - 20k/year) = (possibly debt free?)
-Texas (no $) ~190k

I also have some waitlists:

Virginia
Northwestern (held not waitlisted)
Georgetown
UCLA

Of the schools I've been admitted to, which would be the best option? Would any of the schools I'm waitlisted at be a better option if I'm eventually admitted? I'm fairly debt-averse, and I'm not sure I'd take on sticker anywhere, but I'm curious as to what others think.

Thanks!

[buffalo_]

I think WUSTL is a good option at that price. They place mostly in St. Louis, but 8% go to DC.

[transferror]

At that price, WUSTL is a good option if you don't mind the midwest. If you weren't scared of debt and market mattered enough to be a deciding factor for you (and it doesn't sound like it), then UVA, NU, and GULC would be viable. As it stands, go WUSTL and know that you're a ≈ 40% chance of hitting your IP Biglaw target. If you miss, falling back on a lower paying job won't kill you with only 60k in debt.

[Cellar-door]

WUSTL is the best of those to me.

However, Northwestern can probably be negotiated into some money when you get in, and with the family money that might become a better option.