Top Law Schools

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If I were you, I'd go to the cheapest of either Fordham or BC (or NU if accepted). They look like the least crappy of the options. You might also want to start thinking about other options than BigLaw, because from all these schools you're more likely than not to miss that train.

I'd go deposit at WUSTL. Maybe GW if they give you 20k or more, but 600 is a huge class size for any school. Maybe give them both a call a few days before the seat deposit deadline and try to get more $$. The other schools you're admitted to should be ignored for your goals.

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bigfeature wrote:

Pneumonia wrote:I'd go deposit at WUSTL. Maybe GW if they give you 20k or more, but 600 is a huge class size for any school. Maybe give them both a call a few days before the seat deposit deadline and try to get more $$. The other schools you're admitted to should be ignored for your goals.

That class size was Class of 2013, and now it is down to 400-ish, which is still big but similar to Fordham's. I will follow your advice, but considering that WUSTL and UIUC are peer schools in many ways I am now somewhat sold to UIUC's cheap $$$. No?

WUSTL definitely isn't worth going a lot more into debt than UIUC since they are peer schools. UIUC gives you a better shot at Chicago, WUSTL gives you a better shot at NYC. But neither gives you a good shot at NYC. If you really want NYC, I would see if you get off the waitlist at NU, though sticker sucks or wait and retake. Don't waste the GPA.

If you are not willing to wait and are ok with Chicago and only a 25-30% shot at biglaw, negotiate with UIUC. I am a UIUC student and love it here, but I think you are right, wouldn't do it for at least 75% scholly. Same holds for most of these schools besides NU

I think there is something to be said about going to the unequivocally best school IN a given region that also feeds hard into that region, but ONLY if you are committed/willing to hustle hard in that region throughout LS (and if you are reasonably confident in your networking/social skills). This, admittedly, is an alternative and minority viewpoint (especially on TLS) to the maxmizing coa w/ biglaw chances rationale.

using that logic, best options are

Emory, but ONLY if you would be willing to hustle hard and commit to a life in hotlanta
WUSTL, but ONLY if you would be willing to hustle hard and commit to a life in STL
BC, but ONLY bla bla bla in Boston


This is kind of like an "assume you won't get biglaw the standard way" approach. what will be your chances of decent mid or small law/PI positions, coming out?

that all being said, these are high COA's for these schools, but I realize you can't retake soooo I would take whichever one of these cities you liek the best.

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bigfeature wrote:

thebobs1987 wrote:

bigfeature wrote:

Pneumonia wrote:I'd go deposit at WUSTL. Maybe GW if they give you 20k or more, but 600 is a huge class size for any school. Maybe give them both a call a few days before the seat deposit deadline and try to get more $$. The other schools you're admitted to should be ignored for your goals.

That class size was Class of 2013, and now it is down to 400-ish, which is still big but similar to Fordham's. I will follow your advice, but considering that WUSTL and UIUC are peer schools in many ways I am now somewhat sold to UIUC's cheap $$$. No?

WUSTL definitely isn't worth going a lot more into debt than UIUC since they are peer schools. UIUC gives you a better shot at Chicago, WUSTL gives you a better shot at NYC. But neither gives you a good shot at NYC. If you really want NYC, I would see if you get off the waitlist at NU, though sticker sucks or wait and retake. Don't waste the GPA.

If you are not willing to wait and are ok with Chicago and only a 25-30% shot at biglaw, negotiate with UIUC. I am a UIUC student and love it here, but I think you are right, wouldn't do it for at least 75% scholly. Same holds for most of these schools besides NU

I have looked thru years worth of UIUC threads, and I can see that you have expressed pretty good experience with UIUC. Is 30% shot at biglaw typically equivalent of top 30% grades? I know it's never direct since there are many non-biglaw people, but I just want to adjust my expectation in going into further negotiation with UIUC. So if you're top 1/3 of the entire class at UIUC, are you considered safe in at least landing into 101+firms? Thanks!

Well patent people take up some of those spots and really all they have to do is not be at median and they're set. General rule is if you're top 20% and can at least act normal during OCI you should be safe. If you are top 30% you will at least get interviews, but it's more of a crapshoot. They have reduced class size to about 170 from 240, which should help. But as I said it's not a guarantee that you'll be in the top 1/3. And nearly all the firms are coming from Chicago, Indy, and St. Louis. I know that the big boys like Kirkland, Sidley, Jones Day, etc. say they're interviewing for their entire firm, but if you want NYC this isn't the place to go.

None of the above, that's way too much money to spend on these schools. And you want big law? If you want big law you need to go to a T14.

Retake.

Why would you be bored at wustl?

None of these options are worth six figures of debt. Expect to be at median. Median isn't getting big law from any of these schools.

Edit: just saw no loans, these schools still aren't worth the prices you're looking at

scottidsntknow wrote:Why would you be bored at wustl?

Easy Scotty.