Which is/was/will be more important to you? Forum

[twenty]

Subjectively, regardless of whether we're in law school or going to law school this fall, we all have a threshold for what constitutes an appropriate amount of student debt. We're not talking about hypotheticals here, (i.e, "if I was accepted to Harvard, I'd totally go for sticker") we're talking about choices you're faced with in this cycle or in previous cycles.

[Crowing]

Soooo many 0Ls

[John Everyman]

I wonder if there is a better way you could have laid out the options. I chose a school that wasn't the best or the cheapest option on the table. I think most people with enough common sense to be on this site have as well. How people answer this question is solely going to be based on whether they have a more debt-averse or prestige-based personality.

[twenty]

I thought about that, but I realized I'd need a lot more than 10 options. I wish I'd had one more option for "I really only had/have one choice" (i.e, GULC at sticker vs. Thomas Jefferson at a full ride contingent on top 5%), but hey.

It is kind of a subjective question, though. In the end, whether we're choosing NYU with a full ride over Stanford, or USC at sticker over USD with 90k, I guess the thing that matters what people are choosing within the boundaries of their choice.

You have someone like yourself that takes a middle choice, (i.e, say GULC for full, UVA with 105k and Chicago with 30k; and you choose UVA) but I think even there you're narrowing it down to your two top choices, whether GULC vs. UVA or Chicago vs. UVA, and deciding between the two based on employment numbers and cost.

[Glasseyes]

Seems like any given situation has enough complexities to make it tough to choose just one of those options -- I went with the second, but I'm technically going to the cheaper school... with the better numbers. I was choosing between GULC and UCLA, and negotiating all the way down the line--UCLA refused to budge and offered a paltry amount; GULC stepped up and surprisingly beat a few of my other offers. That choice became simple.

I'm still sitting on a couple T6 waitlists, but I'm not sure I'd do either at sticker--I assume I'd choose the cheaper school in that case.

[Mal Reynolds]

This poll embodies the law school scam so perfectly, myself included.

[sd5289]

Current student. I chose the cheaper school (the full ride with no stips) over the higher ranked schools with better numbers. Though I'm a bit of an outlier. I was never looking to go into Biglaw, so cost was a huge factor in my decision. I ended up at the school with terrible Biglaw placement (I think it's around 10-12%) but pretty solid Gov't/PI placement in the region.

ETA:

How people answer this question is solely going to be based on whether they have a more debt-averse or prestige-based personality.

Scooped.

[spleenworship]

I chose the cheaper school with better numbers. No regrets.

[t-14orbust]

I chose the cheaper school with better numbers. No regrets.

[jbagelboy]

What do you mean by "numbers"?
That is, us news survey or LST placement?

[twenty]

LST placement?

this.

I think I said employment numbers in the first two options.

edit> apparently so.

[TheSpanishMain]

How people answer this question is solely going to be based on whether they have a more debt-averse or prestige-based personality.

Basically, yeah. I sort of feel the TLS consensus shifting to the former, though. Nothing prestigious about living like a college student into your thirties because of crippling debt payments.

[First Offense]

In a weird twist, my best scholly was at the highest ranked school I was admitted to. Best of both worlds.

[HRomanus]

How people answer this question is solely going to be based on whether they have a more debt-averse or prestige-based personality.

Basically, yeah. I sort of feel the TLS consensus shifting to the former, though. Nothing prestigious about living like a college student into your thirties because of crippling debt payments.

I think the poll options are more nuanced than that. With option A (cheaper with worse employment), you have a lower probability of a favorable employment outcome but have a lower probablity of needing the favorable employment outcome (due to less debt). With option B (more expensive with better employment), you have a higher probability of a favorable employment outcome and a higher probability of needing the favorable employment outcome (due to crushing debt).

It is not a question of debt-averse versus prestige-addict, it is just an individualized balancing based on the schools and scholarships.

[TheSpanishMain]

How people answer this question is solely going to be based on whether they have a more debt-averse or prestige-based personality.

Basically, yeah. I sort of feel the TLS consensus shifting to the former, though. Nothing prestigious about living like a college student into your thirties because of crippling debt payments.

I think the poll options are more nuanced than that. With option A (cheaper with worse employment), you have a lower probability of a favorable employment outcome but have a lower probablity of needing the favorable employment outcome (due to less debt). With option B (more expensive with better employment), you have a higher probability of a favorable employment outcome and a higher probability of needing the favorable employment outcome (due to crushing debt).

It is a question of debt-averse versus prestige-addict, it is just an individualized balancing based on the schools and scholarships.

Well, sure. You can obviously take debt aversion too far. When I say choosing the less expensive option, I'm talking about choosing the lower T14 with $$$$ over HYS, not choosing Florida Coastal because it's free. There's totally a balance to be struck.

[jbagelboy]

LST placement?

this.

I think I said employment numbers in the first two options.

edit> apparently so.

If you read the responses, feels like people are treating the category more as ranking/"prestige" than employment figures.

[shifty_eyed]

My options were UT/WUSTL for huge scholarships or NU w/ 45k and Duke sticker. ~dat splitter lyfe~

I took UT, and don't regret it yet. I might feel differently after OCI.

[bjsesq]

Took NU at 60k over WUSTL on down at full rides. Kinda regret it, but that is only because I had a shit outcome immediately after law school. PSLF and PAYE + LRAP will keep things manageable.

[JustHawkin]

I chose the cheaper school with better numbers. No regrets.

This.

[DoveBodyWash]

Took WUSTL with full ride over some T14's. Gave me some scholarship but it was basically at sticker. Don't regret it yet, but I could after OCI.

ETA: This wasn't completely accurate. There are moments when i throw a tantrum and wish i had gone to a better school...like when our CSO does something stupid, or--more commonly--doesn't do something that it should be doing. Or when i see our OCI line up and realize how many of them are only resume collects. But then I'll read some of the "Life in BigLaw sucks" threads on TLS and i feel a little better about having taken the money.

[jbagelboy]

Took WUSTL with full ride over some T14's. Gave me some scholarship but it was basically at sticker. Don't regret it yet, but I could after OCI.

ETA: This wasn't completely accurate. There are moments when i throw a tantrum and wish i had gone to a better school...like when our CSO does something stupid, or--more commonly--doesn't do something that it should be doing. Or when i see our OCI line up and realize how many of them are only resume collects. But then I'll read some of the "Life in BigLaw sucks" threads on TLS and i feel a little better about having taken the money.

All schools regardless of rank have inefficient admin and shit cso

[DoveBodyWash]

Took WUSTL with full ride over some T14's. Gave me some scholarship but it was basically at sticker. Don't regret it yet, but I could after OCI.

ETA: This wasn't completely accurate. There are moments when i throw a tantrum and wish i had gone to a better school...like when our CSO does something stupid, or--more commonly--doesn't do something that it should be doing. Or when i see our OCI line up and realize how many of them are only resume collects. But then I'll read some of the "Life in BigLaw sucks" threads on TLS and i feel a little better about having taken the money.

All schools regardless of rank have inefficient admin and shit cso

haha i admit there's a "grass must be greener on the prestigious side" element

[Attax]

I'm a 0L going to the best school I got into. But it was also the cheapest. Win-win

[Tiago Splitter]

Took the school with better employment and while it's close I lean toward slight regret. Looks like I'm pretty seriously outnumbered.

[Young Marino]

0L. Still deciding, but leaning towards going to a much cheaper local tier 4 with solid but lower employment score than the tier 1 state flagship