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[gdt]

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[BigZuck]

Not sure any make sense at the debt levels you're talking about

How much debt will you be in at each? Be sure to include accumulated interest, loan origination fees, cost of living, etc.

[zombie mcavoy]

Well, pepperdine is suicide at that COA. UCLA at or close sticker is not an option anyone should seriously consider.

I am hesitant w/r/t Loyola because you don't make it sound like you seriously want to do family law or Public Interest. I guess if those are sincerely your goals and you understand it is extremely risky to attend Loyola under any circumstance and that there is a great chance you will not find work as an attorney, and if it is true your debt will be south of like 60K (which I feel like it might not be) then I guess it is OK. Maybe.

[gdt]

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[hairbear7]

Definitely stop considering Pepperdine at that price.

[zombie mcavoy]

I didn't think I needed to make a convincing argument to people on an online forum about why I want to pursue the career path I am choosing... this is what I want to do so let's just operate on the assumption that it is my sincere career goal for future comments.

fair, it's just that lots of 0Ls "adjust" their career goals to their LSAT score in order to justify the options in front of them.

When you say family law OR PI that pretty much means you're not a PI person. The very few law students who graduate and are employed in a real PI gig after school were pure PI from well before day one and never had a second thought. If you're not well networked and not obviously committed to the cause, resume-wise, you can pretty much forget it.

If you're happy hustling your ass off for a family law gig, 20K debt at loyola is acceptable. Pepperdine is beyond silly. I wouldn't pay more than 100K for UCLA if I wanted big firm work; in your situation it would need to be far less.

[071816]

no usc?

[Johann]

I didn't think I needed to make a convincing argument to people on an online forum about why I want to pursue the career path I am choosing... this is what I want to do so let's just operate on the assumption that it is my sincere career goal for future comments.

fair, it's just that lots of 0Ls "adjust" their career goals to their LSAT score in order to justify the options in front of them.

When you say family law OR PI that pretty much means you're not a PI person. The very few law students who graduate and are employed in a real PI gig after school were pure PI from well before day one and never had a second thought. If you're not well networked and not obviously committed to the cause, resume-wise, you can pretty much forget it.

If you're happy hustling your ass off for a family law gig, 20K debt at loyola is acceptable. Pepperdine is beyond silly. I wouldn't pay more than 100K for UCLA if I wanted big firm work; in your situation it would need to be far less.

This is clown school material right here. UCLA at full cost is better for people with PI goals than big firm goals, as is pretty much any school at full cost. PI or bust = 10 year forgiveness, under PAYE, so loan money is really meaningless at anything above like 60k. 60k and 300k are the same.

[zombie mcavoy]

I am operating under the assumption that PSLF will either be capped or scrapped entirely in the near future. Maybe thats too conservative of an outlook, but it seems imminent, and it is possibe they might only grandfather persons already graduated and on IBR and not those in school.

Plus, as unprestigious PI generally doesn't care about schools and considering prestigious PI probably isn't going to happen from UCLA, if I were gunning for PI, I would take 20K debt over 300K debt, just to be safe. Also in no way does it appear OP is PI or bust. Taking that kind of debt forces them to be.... for 14 years.

[BigZuck]

I know the OP said public interest a few times but I didn't read that as the OP being PI or bust at all

[timbs4339]

Loyola is a decent option at 20K debt, although it becomes a not good option if you lose the school. Your starting salary will likely be in the 40-60K range, if you are okay with that then go ahead. Zero reason to choose Pepp here unless they match or exceed Loyola (have you tried negotiating?).

[timbs4339]

I am operating under the assumption that PSLF will either be capped or scrapped entirely in the near future. Maybe thats too conservative of an outlook, but it seems imminent, and it is possibe they might only grandfather persons already graduated and on IBR and not those in school.

Plus, as unprestigious PI generally doesn't care about schools and considering prestigious PI probably isn't going to happen from UCLA, if I were gunning for PI, I would take 20K debt over 300K debt, just to be safe. Also in no way does it appear OP is PI or bust. Taking that kind of debt forces them to be.... for 14 years.

I don't think you are being too conservative. PSLF and PAYE are almost certainly on the chopping block as applied to "high debt borrowers" (i.e. law students)- even the Obama administration is going to give law students up to save the programs for UG borrowers who along with their parents are a much bigger constituency. All this crap with law deans going out and shouting from the rooftops how a law degree is worth a million bucks or whatever isn't helping things.

It sucks because PSLF really did as advertised- a lot of people went into public service because of it who otherwise would have gone into private practice for the chance at a higher salary down the line.