Top Law Schools

Thanks, all!

I vote Duke, especially considering you have no ties to Minnesota. But you really need to try to negotiate that offer upwards. It's a pretty hefty price tag that'll take four years of biglaw just to get back to zero net worth.

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+1. I am guessing based on your elimination of all the other states that you are from Wisconsin, which Minnesota wouldn't be terrible for especially at no tuition. But since your preferred market is DC, it makes Duke a slam dunk. But as stated above try and squeeze some more money from them

cotiger wrote:
I vote Duke, especially considering you have no ties to Minnesota.

I dont understanding this myth floating around TLS. Going to UMN establishes a tie to Minnesota, u do not need other ties to get a job in Minnesota.

That said, I still voted Duke.

Jchance wrote:

cotiger wrote:
I vote Duke, especially considering you have no ties to Minnesota.

I dont understanding this myth floating around TLS. Going to UMN establishes a tie to Minnesota, u do not need other ties to get a job in Minnesota.

That said, I still voted Duke.

I thought I recalled some TLS UMN students/grads (Nova?) talking about it being rough for out-of-staters there. I could be wrong, though. Even still, I'd pick Duke.

cotiger wrote:

Jchance wrote:

cotiger wrote:
I vote Duke, especially considering you have no ties to Minnesota.

I dont understanding this myth floating around TLS. Going to UMN establishes a tie to Minnesota, u do not need other ties to get a job in Minnesota.

That said, I still voted Duke.

I thought I recalled some TLS UMN students/grads (Nova?) talking about it being rough for out-of-staters there. I could be wrong, though. Even still, I'd pick Duke.

While being from out of state normally won't you do any favors in such a competitive job market being from Wisconsin/Iowa/ND/SD is basically like being from Minnesota. I agree that Duke is the best choice.

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Duke is worth 35K more than Vandy and 50k more than WUSTL. I wouldn't do Vandy or WUSTL, period, if you were taking that COA out in loans.

It basically comes down to:

Duke: Tied to your debt, tied to biglaw, flexible geography, mad prefstige.
Minnesota: Tied to upper Midwest, flexible career, flexible finances, modest prefstige.

Duke is TCR. But fwiw if you really wanted a full-ride from WUSTL it's just an email away with a 173/3.6 your golden just tell them about Duke and Vandy's offer and they will give you the Scholar in Law. Also 173/3.6 didn't get any bites at NU, Michigan, UVA, Penn, or NYU? This seems very hard to believe. I'd ED Northwestern next year for the free 150k TBH but it's up to you.

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sublime wrote: I thought the ties thing was at least part flame before attending WUSTL. It really isn't and does make a difference.

I can agree with this that ties is needed for markets like St. Louis, Boston, Seattle, but I disagree for MN market: if u go to UMN, u don't need to be from MN or the Midwest to get a job in MN. I know plenty of grads/law students from other states (especially CA) that never set foot to MN before law school, went to UMN and got firm jobs in the MN market.

Anyways, don't go to UMN thinking u'll get a job in DC market. If ur set on DC, take Duke. If ur debt-adverse, take UMN.

Take Duke. But negotiate.

PrideandGlory1776 wrote:Duke is TCR. But fwiw if you really wanted a full-ride from WUSTL it's just an email away with a 173/3.6 your golden just tell them about Duke and Vandy's offer and they will give you the Scholar in Law. Also 173/3.6 didn't get any bites at NU, Michigan, UVA, Penn, or NYU? This seems very hard to believe. I'd ED Northwestern next year for the free 150k TBH but it's up to you.

This is not true. WUSTL is cognizant of the trend of using them as a bargaining chip, and has adjusted scholarship offers accordingly. That is probably why OP got the offer he/she did with those numbers but no ties.

Also, Scholar in Law is just a placeholder title that they give all scholarships.

NU ED is not a lock with those numbers, and that's assuming they will offer the same ED scholarship next year.

Well that gives me a question about UMN: What defines ties? Is it just family? I have a decent amount of extended family there, as well two family members in the legal profession there. I'm out-of-state(IL) and havn't lived there in a long time, though I often visit family. Does that count as enough ties?

You don't need ties to practice in Minnesota if you go to UMn. That's more than enough.