SMU v UH v LSU Forum

[courtpoll]

Where to go? I've been accepted to all 3 with the information filled in below:

1. The schools you are considering = See above, and I was also accepted to Baylor (spring 2016, no scholly info yet) but not that interested, rejected from U Texas.
2. The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. SMU COA = $69,034 w/$15,000/yr scholly; UH COA = $49,984 w/$1000/yr scholly and non-res fee waived; LSU COA = $39,880 w/$8000/yr scholly
3. How you will be financing your COA = loans.
4. Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any) = From Louisiana but desire to live in Texas (Dallas or Houston, idm); family lives in Louisiana, but not really a tie.
5. Your general career goals = trial lawyer
6. Your LSAT/GPA numbers = 154/4.0
7. How many times you have taken the LSAT = Twice (Not taking again)

**In addition, how would I go about negotiating increases in scholarships?

[Manteca]

Why can't you retake?

[courtpoll]

Don't want to. I actually got into the schools that I wanted, but now it's just to decide which to actually attend.

[Winston1984]

Don't want to. I actually got into the schools that I wanted, but now it's just to decide which to actually attend.

With a super high gpa, you could get serious cash from UT with a decent retake (which makes the most sense with your goals). Honestly, if you don't want to retake the LSAT, I don't think you want to be a lawyer.

[kalvano]

1) Not retaking is an objectively terrible decision and you should feel bad.
2) Coming from out of state, you need to decide Dallas or Houston and go the corresponding school.
3) You negotiate a higher scholarship by retaking the LSAT.
4) Please go into more detail about being a trial lawyer. What, exactly, do you think that consists of and that you will do?

[courtpoll]

Don't want to. I actually got into the schools that I wanted, but now it's just to decide which to actually attend.

With a super high gpa, you could get serious cash from UT with a decent retake (which makes the most sense with your goals). Honestly, if you don't want to retake the LSAT, I don't think you want to be a lawyer.

Really?!?! So you're a mind reader? You have no clue what I want to do. Either give me your opinion on the schools I listed, or go somewhere else. If I would have wanted to know whether I should take the LSAT again, I would have asked for that input.

[courtpoll]

1) Not retaking is an objectively terrible decision and you should feel bad.
2) Coming from out of state, you need to decide Dallas or Houston and go the corresponding school.
3) You negotiate a higher scholarship by retaking the LSAT.
4) Please go into more detail about being a trial lawyer. What, exactly, do you think that consists of and that you will do?

1. Again, I am not retaking, and I don't feel bad - Let's move on.
2. I already have tours set up for SMU and Baylor, will schedule UH and LSU soon.
3. See #1 - I read somewhere that it may help to play one school's offer against another.
4. Mainly looking at being a prosecutor.

[lawschool1741]

IMO (given that you are adamant about not retaking) UH or SMU, see whichever campus/city you like best vs $$ and choose accordingly. Personally, I would prefer SMU.

[Desert Fox]

All of these are too much debt, so don't go anywhere. I agree don't retake, cause someone dumb enough to 154 twice isn't going to do much better. Law school isn't for you.

[courtpoll]

IMO (given that you are adamant about not retaking) UH or SMU, see whichever campus/city you like best vs $$ and choose accordingly. Personally, I would prefer SMU.

Thanks for the response. So SMU or UH over LSU even if the overall COA is like $60,000 more? I'd assume that I'd make more in Dallas/Houston to compensate for the higher fees. Plus, I'd also assume that I'd have a greater chance at that higher paying career in Dallas/Houston.

[courtpoll]

All of these are too much debt, so don't go anywhere. I agree don't retake, cause someone dumb enough to 154 twice isn't going to do much better. Law school isn't for you.

Haha!! That's funny and inspirational. FYI, I didn't score a 154 twice, stupid!! I took it twice. I didn't prepare well for the first one and made a horrible 144.

I can't be all that dumb if I got into a T50 school.

Now, if you don't have anything constructive to say, go away.

[Desert Fox]

All of these are too much debt, so don't go anywhere. I agree don't retake, cause someone dumb enough to 154 twice isn't going to do much better. Law school isn't for you.

Haha!! That's funny and inspirational. FYI, I didn't score a 154 twice, stupid!! I took it twice. I didn't prepare well for the first one and made a horrible 144.

I can't be all that dumb if I got into a T50 school.

Now, if you don't have anything constructive to say, go away.

Ok, enjoy your debt and your joblessness.

[kalvano]

1) Not retaking is an objectively terrible decision and you should feel bad.
2) Coming from out of state, you need to decide Dallas or Houston and go the corresponding school.
3) You negotiate a higher scholarship by retaking the LSAT.
4) Please go into more detail about being a trial lawyer. What, exactly, do you think that consists of and that you will do?

1. Again, I am not retaking, and I don't feel bad - Let's move on.
2. I already have tours set up for SMU and Baylor, will schedule UH and LSU soon.
3. See #1 - I read somewhere that it may help to play one school's offer against another.
4. Mainly looking at being a prosecutor.

You have the total cost of attendance for SMU at $69,034. Where did you come up with that number? Tuition is about $45,000 per year, so even with a scholarship (which would be markedly better if you re-took the LSAT and scored a 164 or better) you're looking at $90,000 in tuition alone, not counting the cost of living.

SMU won't negotiate their scholarship offer with those numbers, and UofH is fairly stingy. You may be able to get more money from LSU, but that's a terrible idea to go there if you want to work in Texas.

[BigZuck]

It's hard to decipher your original post. How much debt will you be in at graduation from each school?

[courtpoll]

1) Not retaking is an objectively terrible decision and you should feel bad.
2) Coming from out of state, you need to decide Dallas or Houston and go the corresponding school.
3) You negotiate a higher scholarship by retaking the LSAT.
4) Please go into more detail about being a trial lawyer. What, exactly, do you think that consists of and that you will do?

1. Again, I am not retaking, and I don't feel bad - Let's move on.
2. I already have tours set up for SMU and Baylor, will schedule UH and LSU soon.
3. See #1 - I read somewhere that it may help to play one school's offer against another.
4. Mainly looking at being a prosecutor.

You have the total cost of attendance for SMU at $69,034. Where did you come up with that number? Tuition is about $45,000 per year, so even with a scholarship (which would be markedly better if you re-took the LSAT and scored a 164 or better) you're looking at $90,000 in tuition alone, not counting the cost of living.

SMU won't negotiate their scholarship offer with those numbers, and UofH is fairly stingy. You may be able to get more money from LSU, but that's a terrible idea to go there if you want to work in Texas.

The COA figure is per year from the SMU site. As far as the Texas/Louisiana thing, I "leaning" Texas, but I want to make sure that it justifies the cost. If not, and it's too much of a risk, I can stay in Louisiana.

[PhilippeStandingOnIt]

For your described situation, I would go to SMU if I was set on Texas, or LSU if I was set on debt-control (but I would realize LSU is not likely to get me to Texas), but either way, you're a big dumb-dumb for not retaking. If you've been studying on your own, cough up (or beg, borrow, or steal) $1,500 and take a prep course. It did miracles for my score.

Breaking into even the low 160's should get you tens of thousands more dollars in scholarships (making the course pay for itself), or open up opportunities at better schools. I retook, and now I'm looking at fat schollies at both SMU and UH, and I have a shitty GPA. Don't piss away a 4.0.

That said, you seem set on not doing that.

Either Texas school will do fine. Pick the city you want, and go there. UH will have a lower cost of living. SMU will have a little more prestige in Texas. Whichever you go to, plan on being stuck in that city. Otherwise, it's six one way and a half dozen the other, as best I can tell.

For those questioning his COA numbers, those are one year totals, not three year totals. I was prepared to tear into this guy's math skills until I figured that out.

[courtpoll]

It's hard to decipher your original post. How much debt will you be in at graduation from each school?

These are estimates after applying scholarships:
LSU - $95,642
UH - $143,952
SMU - $162,102

[kalvano]

The COA figure is per year from the SMU site.

That's per year. You'll have at least $20K per year in living expenses, if not more. So you'll have around $150K of debt to be a prosecutor.

Re-take or don't go. You will in no way make enough money to cover the amount of debt you're looking at taking out. Prosecutors in Dallas start around $49K.

[Turtledove]

Are you sure about those COAs (it looks like that just includes tuition)? If you're living expenses are loan financed your COA will be about $50k higher due living expenses and accrued interest. At the COA you have quited Houston and SMU are borderline defensible if you're willing to accept the very real possibility that you will never find legal employment but neither are defensible at what is likely the true COA. All that being said, you would be in a MUCH better place if you could retake and get UT with money.

[Turtledove]

It's hard to decipher your original post. How much debt will you be in at graduation from each school?

These are estimates after applying scholarships:
LSU - $95,642
UH - $143,952
SMU - $162,102

At this rate of debt you're much better off not going at all if you're not willing to retake.

[courtpoll]

For your described situation, I would go to SMU if I was set on Texas, or LSU if I was set on debt-control (but I would realize LSU is not likely to get me to Texas), but either way, you're a big dumb-dumb for not retaking. If you've been studying on your own, cough up (or beg, borrow, or steal) $1,500 and take a prep course. It did miracles for my score.

Breaking into even the low 160's should get you tens of thousands more dollars in scholarships (making the course pay for itself), or open up opportunities at better schools. I retook, and now I'm looking at fat schollies at both SMU and UH, and I have a shitty GPA. Don't piss away a 4.0.

That said, you seem set on not doing that.

Either school will do fine. Pick the city you want, and go there. UH will have a lower cost of living. SMU will have a little more prestige in Texas. Whichever you go to, plan on being stuck in that city. Otherwise, it's six one way and a half dozen the other, as best I can tell.

For those questioning his COA numbers, those are one year totals, not three year totals. I was prepared to tear into this guy's math skills until I figured that out.

Thanks for the input. So SMU, which I'm leaning, would justify the added cost?

[BigZuck]

It's hard to decipher your original post. How much debt will you be in at graduation from each school?

These are estimates after applying scholarships:
LSU - $95,642
UH - $143,952
SMU - $162,102

Oh. Yeah, don't bother with law school, it's financially indefensible. All of those are way too expensive.

[checkers]

154/4.0/no retake

This makes me sad on several levels =[

[PhilippeStandingOnIt]

For your described situation, I would go to SMU if I was set on Texas, or LSU if I was set on debt-control (but I would realize LSU is not likely to get me to Texas), but either way, you're a big dumb-dumb for not retaking. If you've been studying on your own, cough up (or beg, borrow, or steal) $1,500 and take a prep course. It did miracles for my score.

Breaking into even the low 160's should get you tens of thousands more dollars in scholarships (making the course pay for itself), or open up opportunities at better schools. I retook, and now I'm looking at fat schollies at both SMU and UH, and I have a shitty GPA. Don't piss away a 4.0.

That said, you seem set on not doing that.

Either school will do fine. Pick the city you want, and go there. UH will have a lower cost of living. SMU will have a little more prestige in Texas. Whichever you go to, plan on being stuck in that city. Otherwise, it's six one way and a half dozen the other, as best I can tell.

For those questioning his COA numbers, those are one year totals, not three year totals. I was prepared to tear into this guy's math skills until I figured that out.

Thanks for the input. So SMU, which I'm leaning, would justify the added cost?

F*%k if I know. How much debt are you willing to live under to be a dirt-broke county prosecutor? For me the answer is "Next to none."

How much do you hate money?

[NYCFAN1]

don't go 6 figures into debt to be a local prosecutor