Maryland In-state + 30k vs. UNC sticker vs. BU sticker Forum

[thegolgiapparatus]

Hi I was just looking to get some advice about the above schools. I am interested in health law and have a pretty good offer from Maryland and have a few faculty members I know there personally and are interested in doing research with me. My plan is to work in academic Bioethics after law school and complete an MPH as a joint degree. I was curious if anyone could speak to the reputation of UNC or BU and whether it either school would justify paying sticker for over a solid offer from Maryland. By academic bioethics I mean a center like http://medicalethics.med.upenn.edu/. I worked at a similar center for 4 years and have a handful of publications. I plan on publishing while in school and applying to postdoctoral fellowships after. I would prefer living in the DVM area but I have family in the South so NC would not be bad. I am also open to practicing law full time as I am realistic about the difficulty of landing postdoc fellowships in the field. Thanks in advance!

[03152016]

Post this info for the best feedback: http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 1&t=206299

The 30k is over three years?

[thegolgiapparatus]

Maryland- 120k
UNC-220k
BU-220k

Loans+Family

30k is in scholarships over 3 years. I am also in-state in Maryland. Cost of living is also much more affordable in Baltimore and I have lived here for 8 years.

[TheSpanishMain]

All three are regional schools, and UNC/BU at sticker are non-starters in my opinion.

Just looked up in-state tuition at UMD, and it looks like it's about 25k a year? I assume your 30k is over three years, so 15k in tuition a year? That's still way too much in my opinion, but it's the least bad of your options.

Maybe I'm just not understanding your goals, but I'm not even sure I really see the value of a law degree for you. None of these schools are going to give you any kind of boost into academia. It seems like you'd be better off going straight for a PhD. A JD is three years of your life and six figure debt for what is likely a very marginal benefit.

Also, LSAT/GPA?

[thegolgiapparatus]

3.27 161. I am definitely attempting to transfer as well. Although I know that is difficult.

[03152016]

These figures look too low, at least for UNC and BU. Maryland might be in the right neighborhood. To pay all of your bills and live a simple, but comfortable lifestyle, how much do you need a month in Baltimore? Also, will you be covered under your parent's health insurance for the next few years?

[thegolgiapparatus]

Look too low in what sense? I am in at all schools. Need about $1200 a month and yes.

[TheSpanishMain]

Look too low in what sense? I am in at all schools. Need about $1200 a month and yes.

He means your estimated costs of attendance look too low.

How many times have you taken the LSAT? I'll defer to someone who knows more your chosen field than I do (virtually everyone) but I don't see what a law degree does for you even if free. And I wouldn't spend more than, say, 60k to go to UMD. In my opinion, you should either retake the LSAT or not go to law school. You should probably not go to law school anyway and just spend those years working on a PhD.

[thegolgiapparatus]

I took it just once. I do not want to do a PhD because if I do not get an academic job my other prospects are pretty low. I would much rather practice law in any of the above regions as a backup plan. Maryland seems to place well in the area, as does BU and UNC from the stats they offered.

[03152016]

LST, which factors in rate of tuition increase, loan origination fees, interest, mandatory fees, etc. calculates $244k for UNC and $243k for BU, assuming all debt financed. But I guess if family is picking up a chunk of the bill and you don't have to worry about loan costs $220k could be correct. Regardless, it's still way too high and you shouldn't seriously consider it.

[thegolgiapparatus]

Ok thanks! That makes Maryland seem like a pretty clear choice.

[Paul Campos]

A law degree from any of these schools would be worthless for anyone trying to become an academic.

The faculty at the center to which you linked all have either MDs or PhDs, and often both. The couple of regular faculty with JDs also have PhDs, not MHP degrees.

If you want to try to become an academic, get into a PhD program that pays your bills while you're in school. Don't go to law school with the idea that becoming a lawyer will be your a backup plan. That's a bad idea if you go to Yale, and a catastrophically terrible idea if you go to a non-elite law school, especially at sticker.

[TheSpanishMain]

Actually, retaking the LSAT and significantly upping your scholarship is the clear choice.

[03152016]

I took it just once. I do not want to do a PhD because if I do not get an academic job my other prospects are pretty low. I would much rather practice law in any of the above regions as a backup plan. Maryland seems to place well in the area, as does BU and UNC from the stats they offered.

Idk, does Maryland place well in the area? I'm not from there, but according to their own career services office only half of the class managed to find full-time work as a lawyer nine months after graduation.

I don't think this is a good plan unless your parents are paying the vast majority of the bill and you're only taking out loans to cover a small gap

[TheSpanishMain]

I took it just once. I do not want to do a PhD because if I do not get an academic job my other prospects are pretty low.

Your odds of getting a legal job at all out of MD are hovering around 50%, and the odds of getting a job in the field you're interested are much lower. Odds are that first job will not pay enough to allow you to make payments on 120k in loans in reasonable comfort, either. This is not a good plan.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/maryland/2013/

[Informative]

UNC/BU at sticker would be a horrible decision.