. Forum

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[ph14]

-The schools you are considering
Chicago, Penn, NU, and HLS (waitlist). I include Harvard because I want to know people's opinions on whether or not it would be worth it to go to Harvard if I got in off of the waitlist. I imagine if I were accepted I would get close to full financial aid.

-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = cost of tuition + fees + books + cost of living (COL) + accumulated interest - scholarships. Here is a helpful calculator.

Chicago $150,000
Penn $175,000
NU $120,000

-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
Entirely though loans.

-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
Denver native and definitely want to come back here to work.

-Your general career goals

I want to clerk on the 10th circuit here in Denver for Judge Gorsuch, and then work in BigLaw for several years before transitioning into the USAO for the District of Colorado.

You have very specific goals . I like it. I vote HLS if you get in off the waitlist, as the judge you want to clerk for is an HLS alum and you say you will get close to the maximum financial aid. What is your LSAT/GPA? How set are you on attending this year? I think it could be worth sitting out a year and taking another shot at HLS, depending on your numbers.

If you are set on attending this year and you don't get off HLS's waitlist, I vote Chicago.

[2014]

Denver is a small and popular enough market that I imagine the Harvard name would be useful there so I agree for your goals it probably makes sense to sell out for the H name if you get in.

Between your other options Chicago should win by a lot. There's no way Penn is worth 25k more, especially not for clerking or Denver. UChi does better with clerkship placement and overall gives you better odds at big law to justify the 30k.

[jbagelboy]

Chicago all the way. Especially for your specific clerkship. Ill second ph that if you get in off the WL at H and they shave off $30k/year, it would be worth accepting the offer. I disagree taking a year off when you have such great offers on the table would be worthwhile.

[ph14]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

[Trig]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

Done. Before the poll was updated there were 5 votes for Chicago and 1 for NU. I would really like to hear somebody explain the NU vote.

[jbagelboy]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

Done. Before the poll was updated there were 5 votes for Chicago and 1 for NU. I would really like to hear somebody explain the NU vote.

Im almost certain the NU vote would be for the lower debt. But Chi is worth more than $25k here over NU.

[ph14]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

Done. Before the poll was updated there were 5 votes for Chicago and 1 for NU. I would really like to hear somebody explain the NU vote.

Probably someone who thinks that you should be very aggressive in minimizing debt.

[jbagelboy]

Also "HLS if in off the WL" in the poll is somewhat deceptive since it doesn't tell you where you should deposit first. For example I'd say Chi and HLS off WL if the aid lines up.

[Trig]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

Done. Before the poll was updated there were 5 votes for Chicago and 1 for NU. I would really like to hear somebody explain the NU vote.

Im almost certain the NU vote would be for the lower debt. But Chi is worth more than $25k here over NU.

I agree that this is probably why, but then how does anyone explain the current vote for Penn?

[ph14]

You should add in a poll option for waiting a year and reapplying.

Done. Before the poll was updated there were 5 votes for Chicago and 1 for NU. I would really like to hear somebody explain the NU vote.

Im almost certain the NU vote would be for the lower debt. But Chi is worth more than $25k here over NU.

I agree that this is probably why, but then how does anyone explain the current vote for Penn?

Penn student/alumni.

[Big Dog]

for clerking, chicago is easily worth more than NU or Penn.

Of the current choices, Chicago is the easy pick. If HLS becomes an option, see if Chicago ups the ante.

[09042014]

Clerking a stupid reason to take on more debt. 25k for a 5% better chance at clerking is pretty shitty. Remember, clerkships are a one year gig not a prefstiguous career.

It's asinine to spend it in search of a particular SCOTUS feeder clerkship. Does Goroush even routinely hire from U of C? You are basically telling this 0L to pay 25k for a .05% at his clerkship. Stupid.

U of C might be worth 25k more for Denver, but it also might not be. Talk to lawyers at firms there. Check to see where firms OCI at?

You probably can't go wrong with either UofC or NU.

HLS at full need aid is definitely a winner.

[Big Dog]

I agree that planning on clerking is not a smart plan, if that it the OP's dream.....


Regardless, even without the clerkship goal, I would pay $30k more for UofC.

[Robb]

As someone at Chicago trying to work my way into the Denver market, all I keep hearing about is how hard it is to get in. I have ties to the area that are fairly significant, but since you're from there you might have a better time.

At Chicago, to my knowledge we have four firms that come to OCI to interview from Denver. Most of your job hunting is going to be through "mass" mailing (I put mass in quotes because there aren't that many firms to mail in Denver...) We only have a few alumni in Denver, which will make it hard... but I imagine that this applies to nearly every school except for Colorado schools. (Speaking of which, have you considered CU Boulder or Sturm w/ a full ride? I guess because of your ties it might be better to go to a T14... it's just that the network for those schools will be so much better.)

All this considered, I think that retaking for HYS might be the best choice. After that, Chicago. Why is Penn in contention for you at all? Higher price, and just a brief search of the firms in Denver that I've been looking at have 2 Penn alumni (admittedly, as compared to Chicago's whole 3 ) - but the point is, you're not getting any advantage for that extra $25,000.