UCLA vs WUSTL? Forum

[acat10]

COA:
UCLA: 120k scholarship (~100k COA)
WUSTL: full tuition (50~60k COA)

(I'm not confident about the cost of living expenses or accumulated interest, so they're rough estimates. If anyone has more accurate info, I'm listening!)

Financing:
Mainly through loans, can cover maybe 20k through savings. No undergrad debt.

Goals:
Hoping to do public interest but I understand that LRAP is competitive. Smaller law firm is ok with me as long as I can realistically pay off loans. If I were able to get big law (and I know that's competitive too) then I would pay off loans and then switch to a smaller firm with hopefully less stressful hours.

Location:
No geographical ties, I'm willing to settle down wherever I go to school. California location and weather is more appealing if all else is equal. But I don't know if it's worth a 50k difference...

Retake/Reapply:
I'd rather not reapply since I think I have good enough options to justify attending this year. Please knock some sense into me if I'm wrong though.

Please come share your wisdom with me? Also please don't quote me

[starry eyed]

this is a tough one.

UCLA will give you better biglaw odds, but it's a pretty negligible difference, and your slight preference for CA confuses things even more.

Given the info provided (non biglaw focused), just try to cut costs; so i'd go to WUSTL

hopefully others will chime in about the LRAP

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Stats? How many times have you taken the lsat?

[PeanutsNJam]

If you have that big of a scholly from UCLA you probably have a high GPA (and a low LSAT, otherwise this would be a Cornell 120k vs Penn 90k thread or some shit like that), which means retake.

As someone going to wustl in the fall, I'd say UCLA tbh. You prefer Cali, UCLA has slightly better employment #'s... I'm assuming you'd enjoy LA more than St. Louis too? Neither are bad options since your debt won't be huge.

[hearsay77]

Where are you from? Where did you do your UG? Those would count as ties to somewhere, which I think would make a difference in this case. If you really don't have any geographical preference and want PI, I'd take WUSTL in this case.

[starry eyed]

If you have that big of a scholly from UCLA you probably have a high GPA (and a low LSAT, otherwise this would be a Cornell 120k vs Penn 90k thread or some shit like that), which means retake.

As someone going to wustl in the fall, I'd say UCLA tbh. You prefer Cali, UCLA has slightly better employment #'s... I'm assuming you'd enjoy LA more than St. Louis too? Neither are bad options since your debt won't be huge.

nice strategy, eliminating the competition lol

[Kinky John]

No geographic ties doesn't mean "I can work wherever." You have ties but you don't realize it.

3.8+ and 166+ can get you near full rides at lower T14's. 168+ could get you a Dillard at UVA or a full ride at NW. That's why you should retake.

A WUSTL full ride will surely be on the table again next year.

[TasmanianToucan]

Stats? How many times have you taken the lsat?

You may think your options are good enough to attend this year, but that depends entirely on whether you could do better.

[acat10]

Hi guys, unfortunately I'm a plain regular splitter and retake is not going to help me. I did undergrad close to home but I really want to leave. UCLA and WUSTL would both be far from home and that suits me just fine. I do like CA better though.

Wondering if anyone has info on cost of living in LA? St Louis? I thought Midwest would be cheaper, but I've also seen some estimates that make St Louis look similar to LA.

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Hi guys, unfortunately I'm a plain regular splitter and retake is not going to help me. I did undergrad close to home but I really want to leave. UCLA and WUSTL would both be far from home and that suits me just fine. I do like CA better though.

Wondering if anyone has info on cost of living in LA? St Louis? I thought Midwest would be cheaper, but I've also seen some estimates that make St Louis look similar to LA.

Can confirm. OP PMed me, and lsat is definitely not the issue.

[Gray]

.

[Hand]

doesn't UCLA have a pretty good PI program?

It does, but it's something you need to write a separate application for and that is at least somewhat competitive (they rejected me, and I'm absolutely fucking awesome, so there's that). It also has a pretty good LRAP. As to cost of living - if you don't mind sharing an apt and living a few miles from campus I would bet you can find something affordable, lots of students live in the culver city/palms/mar vista area, which is not that pricey and only 4-5 miles from campus. If you pick your location wisely you can get by without a car and just take the bus to school, which will save you a lot of money. And when you don't have a car going out is also harder so you'll be forced into saving money that way as well so that's a win-win!

[TasmanianToucan]

It does, but it's something you need to write a separate application for and that is at least somewhat competitive (they rejected me, and I'm absolutely fucking awesome, so there's that). It also has a pretty good LRAP. As to cost of living - if you don't mind sharing an apt and living a few miles from campus I would bet you can find something affordable, lots of students live in the culver city/palms/mar vista area, which is not that pricey and only 4-5 miles from campus. If you pick your location wisely you can get by without a car and just take the bus to school, which will save you a lot of money. And when you don't have a car going out is also harder so you'll be forced into saving money that way as well so that's a win-win!

All of that and you won't have to live in St. Louis!

[Hand]

It does, but it's something you need to write a separate application for and that is at least somewhat competitive (they rejected me, and I'm absolutely fucking awesome, so there's that). It also has a pretty good LRAP. As to cost of living - if you don't mind sharing an apt and living a few miles from campus I would bet you can find something affordable, lots of students live in the culver city/palms/mar vista area, which is not that pricey and only 4-5 miles from campus. If you pick your location wisely you can get by without a car and just take the bus to school, which will save you a lot of money. And when you don't have a car going out is also harder so you'll be forced into saving money that way as well so that's a win-win!

All of that and you won't have to live in St. Louis!

that alone would be worth the price difference to me TBH

[Gray]

.

[AReasonableMan]

UCLA has more national appeal. There'd be more options on both coasts. I know from friends that outside of the top 10-15%, WUSTL is difficult to bring across the country. I think UCLA with only around 30-35k in tuition is a pretty sweet deal.

[usn26]

I'd go to UCLA if given the choice here. /2¢

[acat10]

Thank you all! I think the prevailing sentiment seems clear I mainly just wanted to make sure whether the cost difference should be a decision clincher in this case, because I honestly had no idea.

[A.Taarabt7]

WUSTL all the way. The LA market and California market is GLUTTED. Not worth it unless you dominate at UC$LA

Midwest isn't as glutted so you'll have more opportunities for sure. Whether thats STL, KC, or Chicago. It's nowhere near as glutted at LA or SF. So many DIPLOMA factories there like UC hastings, Loyola, Southwestern, GGU, and USF. Not to mention the 15 other non accredited dungheap lawschools.

Go to WUSTL unless you hated it when you visited.