Top Law Schools

-The schools you are considering
UC-Berkeley Law
Columbia Law School

-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each
Berkeley: $108,200 ($48k/year of need/merit assistance -- nearly full tuition -- with private scholarship applications pending)
Columbia: $209,000 (30k/year need/merit fusion award)

-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
Loans all the way.

-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
From: Central Missouri; Attended University of Missouri

Where I want to work: Likely Bay Area, DC, or internationally. I'm not 100% set on this because of the nature of my career goals.

Significant Ties: Undergrad in Missouri at a big state school; a couple of connections in NYC, but nothing hugely substantial.

-Your general career goals

My hope is to go into work in PI on issues of global migration, and climate migration specifically. If I go the Columbia route, I will undoubtedly use their institutional LRAP program, which is pretty stellar. If I go to Berkeley route, it seems likely that I would go the SF biglaw route for a couple year before transitioning into PI.

-Your LSAT/GPA numbers
GPA: 4.0 (or 4.15 with A+s weighted) poli sci/geography dual major
LSAT: 168

-How many times you have taken the LSAT
Once

I understand that "defer and retake" is a popular opinion, and I have seriously considered that option. However, with a near full-tuition offer from Berkeley, it's challenging to really consider that one. I am a gay Arab Muslim from a rural community from a background drastic economic hardship. My family's been through some serious economic tribulations, including a home foreclosure, and deferring is unattractive because my mom is about to celebrate her 65th birthday, and I'd love to be able to buy her her own house again as soon as possible.

My SO has made it clear that he'll figure out how to follow me wherever I end up. We both have a couple of family connections in the Northeast, but obviously weather is preferable in the Bay Area.

EDIT: Some other relevant info that I didn't think about the first time. I have full ride offers also on the table from several other T20 schools, but none as well regarded as Berk. Additionally, I am wait listed at Harvard and have heard absolutely nothing from Yale and Stanford.

So, besides defer and retake (which I am absolutely considering), what would your suggestions be?

Berkeley

I chose Berkeley. It seems to fit with your goals well and it sounds like you wouldn't have to stress as much about money. Congrats on your scholarship and I hope your mom gets a new house very soon! She is lucky to have a son who cares about her so much.

Edit 2.0: Was being stupid.

Berkeley at that price is an excellent outcome. Congratulations.

BoalTTT

Wasinyour sane position this cycle, BoalTTTTTTT

Thank you all very much for your responses!

Was I being crazy for even considering Columbia with its really strong LRAP program? That seems to be the consensus :p

Thanks again.

Not close
even the Dean of Columbia Law would vote Berkeley here

Enjoy Berkeley.

Berkeley at those COAs, but your numbers definitely arent accurate. Both should be lower, CLS significantly less so. With $30k/year you're looking at ~$52-55k/year in expenses if your SO gave no support. Including reasonable SA savings, your debt at graduation shouldn't exceed $180k.

If you really want to move to/work in the bay area, that's neither here nor there though. Berkeley it is. Not sure what you mean by "international" - if you mean the international office of a large US or UK firm, and that's important to you, Columbia comes back into play. Not sure how that moving around works with the SO tho.

jbagelboy wrote:Berkeley at those COAs, but your numbers definitely arent accurate. Both should be lower, CLS significantly less so. With $30k/year you're looking at ~$52-55k/year in expenses if your SO gave no support. Including reasonable SA savings, your debt at graduation shouldn't exceed $180k.

If you really want to move to/work in the bay area, that's neither here nor there though. Berkeley it is. Not sure what you mean by "international" - if you mean the international office of a large US or UK firm, and that's important to you, Columbia comes back into play. Not sure how that moving around works with the SO tho.

Thanks for your response, bagelboy. I used the GULC calculator to get these numbers -- I will be quite happy if they turn out to be on the high side. I'm pretty confident I'm going to end up at Berkeley in the fall (Or perhaps next fall if Fulbright comes through).

Thanks again for your time.