Kentucky or Louisville Forum

[making34]

GPA:3.25
LSAT: 156
20k saved up that I can use for school and living expenses

Kentucky:
1k/year in scholly
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 105,000
75% with JD required jobs 9 months out

Louisville:
12k/year in scholly-no conditions
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 78,000
65% with JD required jobs 9 months out

I understand tcr is retake, but im three years out from UG and ready to get started. I am prepared for the debt (was in debt from UG about 80k and have since paid it off) and my goal is to work in a mid-size firm in lexington or louisville.

Thoughts??

[philosoraptor]

im three years out from UG and ready to get started.

This is an absurdly stupid reason to blow six figures and three years of your life. Suck it up and retake.

[Power_of_Facing]

GPA:3.25
LSAT: 156
20k saved up that I can use for school and living expenses

Kentucky:
1k/year in scholly
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 105,000
75% with JD required jobs 9 months out

Louisville:
12k/year in scholly-no conditions
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 78,000
65% with JD required jobs 9 months out

I understand tcr is retake, but im three years out from UG and ready to get started. I am prepared for the debt (was in debt from UG about 80k and have since paid it off) and my goal is to work in a mid-size firm in lexington or louisville.

Thoughts??

If you understand the credited response, you should choose the option that corresponds with it.

Attending these schools with a full ride (take it eaasyyy) makes sense for your goals. Under no circumstances should you be going with a $105,000 debt load looming.

[unodostres]

retake

[ldlamb]

If you are okay with only working in Louisville, then UofL is fine.

[making34]

thank you for actually answering my question Idlamb. I was really set on uk and i am willing to pay more, just not sure how much more.

[WokeUpInACar]

GPA:3.25
LSAT: 156
20k saved up that I can use for school and living expenses

Kentucky:
1k/year in scholly
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 105,000
75% with JD required jobs 9 months out

Louisville:
12k/year in scholly-no conditions
3 year COA without adjusting for tuition increase: 78,000
65% with JD required jobs 9 months out

I understand tcr is retake, but im three years out from UG and ready to get started. I am prepared for the debt (was in debt from UG about 80k and have since paid it off) and my goal is to work in a mid-size firm in lexington or louisville.

Thoughts??

If you have paid off 80k in UG debt and have 20k in savings from only 3 years working out of UG you would probably be making a very poor financial decision by attending either of these law schools at any cost. It is very likely that you'd be making similar or less money than you already make after three years of school.

I'm sure you're like everyone else here, and you hate your current job, and know that law will be better. I probably can't possibly talk you out of this, but really make sure you know exactly what real attorneys do on a daily basis before making this choice.

That being said, I'll assume that your mind is made up and that you'll be attending law school regardless of what anyone says. Working another year while studying for the LSAT would be enormously beneficial financially. You just need a couple LSAT points to get above UK's median, which would net you a decent scholarship. That scholarship along with the extra savings you would accumulate from another year of work would mean you'd have to incur little to no debt to attend UK.

Don't be impatient when this decision could impact the rest of your life.

[Power_of_Facing]

thank you for actually answering my question Idlamb. I was really set on uk and i am willing to pay more, just not sure how much more.

Insofar as you asked a question, it was for general "thoughts." How did any of the responses you received fail to satisfy your criteria?

You need to retake is the bottom line.

[philosoraptor]

OP, you're also overestimating the likelihood of employment as a lawyer from each school by a few percentage points. See http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/louisville/ and http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/kentucky/2013/

You're not going to find anyone who's actually gone through the legal hiring process since 2010 who will tell you that taking on debt to attend these schools is a good idea. If you're actually three years out of undergrad, be a grown-up and think this through in economic instead of emotional terms.

[bjsesq]

1. Acknowledge what the best avenue is for you in this situation
2. Refuse to take it
3. ???????????????????
4. Anything but profit

[making34]

@power_of_facing I mistakenly supposed that my subject heading asked a question "Kentucky or Louisville" was a question. so lets make this clear, this post is asking which i should choose. Kentucky or Louisville. If your response doesn't include this answer please don't post. thanks.

[bjsesq]

@power_of_facing I mistakenly supposed that my subject heading asked a question "Kentucky or Louisville" was a question. so lets make this clear, this post is asking which i should choose. Kentucky or Louisville. If your response doesn't include this answer please don't post. thanks.

Retake. You know you are making the wrong damn choice, you freaking admitted it, and you are now trying to shut out good sense.

Retake
Retake
Retake
Rattalk
Ratatouille
Retake
Retake
Retake
Retake
Rattalk
Ratatouille
Retake
Retake
Retake
Retake
Rattalk
Ratatouille
Retake
Retake
Retake
Retake
Rattalk
Ratatouille
Retake

[ZGr88n]

I don't believe in giving bad advice.

[McAvoy]

If you have paid off 80k in UG debt and have 20k in savings from only 3 years working out of UG you would probably be making a very poor financial decision by attending either of these law schools at any cost. It is very likely that you'd be making similar or less money than you already make after three years of school.

I'm sure you're like everyone else here, and you hate your current job, and know that law will be better. I probably can't possibly talk you out of this, but really make sure you know exactly what real attorneys do on a daily basis before making this choice.

That being said, I'll assume that your mind is made up and that you'll be attending law school regardless of what anyone says. Working another year while studying for the LSAT would be enormously beneficial financially. You just need a couple LSAT points to get above UK's median, which would net you a decent scholarship. That scholarship along with the extra savings you would accumulate from another year of work would mean you'd have to incur little to no debt to attend UK.

Don't be impatient when this decision could impact the rest of your life.

Yeah everything here.

With the info provided we have to assume you make at least about 60K per year. You're going to go 100K in debt and forgo making >180K over the next three years for about a 15 percent chance at a job that pays more than you currently make, and holds a 30-40 percent chance of unemployment?

Even if you would get a full ride upon retake, it doesn't make much financial sense to go to either of these schools in your situation. If you must go to law school, you have to retake, save more money, get coffee with every lawyer possible, job shadow every lawyer possible, and make damn certain you would prefer the profession to your current options.

[WokeUpInACar]

@power_of_facing I mistakenly supposed that my subject heading asked a question "Kentucky or Louisville" was a question. so lets make this clear, this post is asking which i should choose. Kentucky or Louisville. If your response doesn't include this answer please don't post. thanks.

Should I shoot myself in the left foot or right foot? Please only address my question, I'm determined to shoot myself in the foot.

[McAvoy]

This might give more info to the commentariat: http://top-law-schools.com/forums/viewt ... 3#p7395113

After graduating undergrad with a gpa of 3.2 and an LSAT of 156 (much lower than my pts) I decided to pass on paying near sticker for a tier 3 law school and found a job in auto sales where I was quickly promoted to finance manager and then general sales manager within two years. Knowing I didn't want to run a car store for the rest of my life I decided to take the GMAT and apply to business school. I did fairly well on the GMAT and was accepted into a top 20 MBA program with a little $$. However, I still have thoughts about going to law school considering that was what I always wanted to do. I am on the fence on whether I want a career in business or law. Both have aspects that are appealing to me. My question is what are your thoughts on paying $60,000 for a t3 law degree vs. $120,000 for a top 20 MBA? Thanks!

ETA: I get that law school or business school seem like golden tickets to a more glamorous profession, but what you're talking about is sacrificing 300K500K for a 50% chance of begging to do insurance defense.

[making34]

I make 120k/year and at U of L I would be roughly 65k in debt if I used my savings or 85k in debt if I didn't use my savings. I am well aware I will be taking a huge pay cut. If it were simply about money I wouldn't leave my current job. During undergrad I spent summers working in a couple different law offices, a mid-size in louisville and a small 2 lawyer office in a small rural town. its what i want to do, just looking for advice pertaining to the two schools i posted about. thanks.

[Power_of_Facing]

@power_of_facing I mistakenly supposed that my subject heading asked a question "Kentucky or Louisville" was a question. so lets make this clear, this post is asking which i should choose. Kentucky or Louisville. If your response doesn't include this answer please don't post. thanks.

I apologize for being condescending. While I don't have much insight into the specific question you'd like to have answered, may I ask that you please give the responses you are receiving thorough consideration?

Like many others, I believe it would be a grave mistake for you to choose either of these schools at the current costs.

[bjsesq]

I make 120k/year and at U of L I would be roughly 65k in debt if I used my savings or 85k in debt if I didn't use my savings. I am well aware I will be taking a huge pay cut. If it were simply about money I wouldn't leave my current job. During undergrad I spent summers working in a couple different law offices, a mid-size in louisville and a small 2 lawyer office in a small rural town. its what i want to do, just looking for advice pertaining to the two schools i posted about. thanks.

I hate the fucking world.

[WokeUpInACar]

Even if you don't fucking retake, just defer and work one more year so you can graduate with no debt at all. It is baffling to me that someone could be so shortsighted. You can't just be like, well paying back UG debt was LOLEZ so law school debt will be too. You've acknowledged that you will almost certainly be taking a (probably enormous) pay cut here.

[McAvoy]

This has the makings of one of the worst TLS decisions of the cycle.

I hate the fucking world.

[rickgrimes69]

OP you're an absolute moron to give up a 120k job for these options all bc you're too lazy to put in a modicum of effort for a decent outcome

I honestly can't imagine the mental gymnastics you must go through to think this is a good idea

Everybody go home, there's no point in trying to reason with this one

[bjsesq]

Bump for this fucking nonsense. People need to see this.

[Ricky-Bobby]

Guys, OP only wants thoughts on Kentucky or Louisville. thanks.

Let's see: Louisville is in Kentucky, so that makes me think Kentucky is the right choice here. I mean, why get a city degree when you can get a state one?

Then again, I went to tank school at Fort Knox, and we used to go to Louisville all the time on the weekends to get hammered (Fort Knox is in a dry county, you see, so it was either E-town or Louisville if you wanted to get a snoot full). The proximity to Trixie's alone is probably worth the soul-crushing debt and piss-poor job prospects.

I don't know, OP, this is a tough one. Real hard choice here.

[making34]

Thanks for all your input. Always fun posting here. I should do it more often. But my ace in the hole is a garunteed job...just not in the state I want. So no I will not be retaking and worse case if I can't get the job I want in KY Ill just take my garunteed job. But like i said, thanks guys, I actually enjoyed reading the mania that can ensue on tls. take care all.