T14 (with large debt) or strong regional (with no debt)?? Forum

[IP_wannabe]

Current stats:

- Just finished sophomore year of undergrad at a large public university
- Chemical Engineering major, with a minor in Mechanical Engineering
- 3.94 current undergrad GPA…. 4.0+ with the LSAC curve
- 3rd summer interning at one of the largest engineering companies in the world

Future aspirations:
- IP Attorney in the midwest
- Ideally, I would like to work for one of the bigger firms in Ohio, as that is where I'm from (Dinsmore & Shohl, Frost Brown Todd, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, etc.)

I'm going to study my ass off for the LSAT, and try and top that 170 mark, BUT if I'm stuck in the mid to high 160s, I feel like I'll be faced with the following options:
- Very very little scholly to a T14 (Michigan, UVA, Northwestern), if I can get in. (Would result in 200,000+ debt upon graduation)
- A LOT of scholly to a strong regional school like Ohio State, Indiana University, or WUSTL. (Would result in practically zero debt given the money I've saved up, and the money I'll make working during the summer in law school)

So…. Since I don't exactly want to work in BIG BIG Law, I want to stay in the Midwest/Ohio, and the thought of $200,000 hanging over my head gives me nightmares; should I take on the debt to a lower T14 school, or would I be fine finding a good IP job in Ohio with a strong regional school?

Thanks for any and all help.

[Johann]

All of your goals can be achieved from a strong regional for cheap like OSU, Indiana, Illinois, etc. No need to make the decision now, though. Study hard for the LSAT and apply broadly and see what kind of offers you are choosing from. I personally wouldn't take out that much debt for a slightly better chance at your ideal outcome.

[jingosaur]

If you get stuck in the high 160s on the LSAT, you'll still have a chance for a lot of money at a lower end T14. If you get into the low 170s or higher, you will have tons of amazing options. If you don't have the option to get out of a T14 with not that much debt, get a job in engineering and stay there until your LSAT score goes up or you stop wanting to be a lawyer.

[tskela]

If you can get a 4.0 majoring in chemical engineering you can break 170 on the LSAT. Go to a T-14 with money.

[Ohiobumpkin]

This is really premature at this point because you haven't even taken the LSAT yet. With a 3.94 GPA in Chem Eng. and Elec. Eng., I'm sure you're smart enough to get a great LSAT score.

Personally, I think the best option would be to start studying for the LSAT, take it your junior year and see how you do. Beyond what schools or kind of schools you should go to, that will be determined after you get your admissions results results back. Also, between now and then, you may change your career goals, you may want to work in engineering, or drop out and start a rock band. Who knows.

I'm going to give you the general advice most people will give you between the two options you gave. If you end up between t-14 and no scholarship and a strong regional with $$$, go to the strong regional. With your STEM background, you'll be able to get a lot of job offers in IP positions at large law firms, even if your law school GPA is below their normal cutoffs.

However, I think even if you want to stay in Ohio and not work for "BIG BIG Law", I would still highly recommending you go to the highest rank school for the most amount of scholarship money. The reason is because you may not know what will happen in five or ten years after you graduate, and having a t-14 degree will give you more flexibility going forward than a strong regional law degree will.

Good luck

[crit_racer]

you're a sophomore in college...go have fun.

Keep your grades up, but worrying about which LS to go to right now is pointless.

[DELG]

you're a sophomore in college...go have fun.

Keep your grades up, but worrying about which LS to go to right now is pointless.

Not too much fun tho. Grades first flippy cup second.

[twenty]

First, whatever you're doing for undergrad, keep doing it. Even if you don't end up at law school, your major + GPA combination will put you in a pretty good place regardless.

Second, you can have your cake and eat it too. The LSAT, unlike undergrad, is great because there are effectively three do-overs (and three more after that if you're willing to wait a bit). Study during your junior spring/summer if you want to be a K-JD, study over your senior spring/summer if you want to take a year off in between. A 169+ and a 3.9+ would land you serious money in the T20 to lower T14 range, and a 172+ will land you serious money in the upper T14.

Good luck.