Baylor ($$) VS South Texas ($$) Forum

totesTheGoat · Post by **totesTheGoat** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:53 pm

pleadthafif wrote:Is Baylor for free really that bad?

totesTheGoat wrote: You need to be aware that law school costs much more than just tuition.

pleadthafif · Post by **pleadthafif** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:57 pm

Post removed...

emkay625 · Post by **emkay625** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 3:59 pm

Why must you start in the Spring? (It's difficult for me to evaluate the situation without context.)

BigZuck · Post by **BigZuck** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:04 pm

pleadthafif wrote:
totesTheGoat wrote:
pleadthafif wrote:Is Baylor for free really that bad?

totesTheGoat wrote: You need to be aware that law school costs much more than just tuition.
I'm aware but Waco's COL has to be low. If someone could squeeze a free tuition, small stipend and save $ from summer/PT positions you could easily graduate with no debt.

Only 3.4% get more than a full ride so that's tough sledding

But even if you get it, the school is insistent on making it as hard as possible for you to work a paid SA job.

The chances of getting a full ride+ AND working a decently paid job (either as a SA or part time during the school year) are very remote.

Only 72% get money and the median scholarship is 20K so your average Baylor grad is probably looking at around 150K debt at graduation if they are debt financing.

totesTheGoat · Post by **totesTheGoat** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:07 pm

pleadthafif wrote: I'm aware but Waco's COL has to be low. If someone could squeeze a free tuition, small stipend and save $ from summer/PT positions you could easily graduate with no debt.

I don't know if I'd say "easily" but it can (theoretically) be done. The question is whether you want to put yourself through 3 years of living in a shack and not working just for the opportunity to be at a competitive disadvantage to students from the better in-state schools and T1 national schools.

lnh819 · Post by **lnh819** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:10 pm

If you want to work in Houston - your better option is South Texas. Don't bother going to Baylor - you'll pay less at South Texas, have less stress in your 3L year, and get to network year-around with Houston attorneys. Being stuck in Waco seriously limits your internship/externship opportunities during the school year.

That said, you should NOT go to South Texas for the type of debt you're looking at. You'll probably lose your scholarship - a 3.0 can be harder to get at a TTT(T) than you think - and end up with six figures of debt, not just the $66k you're estimating now. I feel like I'm just echoing here what other people are saying, but you're not in the right position to go to law school right now. Maybe in a few years and/or with a higher LSAT.

pleadthafif · Post by **pleadthafif** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:13 pm

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BasilHallward · Post by **BasilHallward** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:25 pm

I had a full-ride option to Baylor with that stupid top 80% stipulation, which, if you don't manage, means dropping out anyway. I chose UT because you will have infinitely more opportunities to do whatever it is that you want to do. Baylor has a beautiful law school that they prop up to visiting students. It feels like you are working at a fancy pants firm, until graduation day comes and you are hanging your own shingle. Don't ruin your life by going to Baylor. If you can manage to graduate debt-free from Baylor and are a glutton for punishment, then go for it.

DueProcessDoWheelies · Post by **DueProcessDoWheelies** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:42 pm

I don't get why South Texas is getting so much hate. At some point you have to just say f*** the rankings. I don't care if STCL is "tier 4" - they are a great regional school with around 90% employment for recent grads and a good bar passage rate. Every single person I've met who graduated from there is employed. In solid law firm jobs.

Baylor also has a strong name throughout the state- definitely more flexibility than STCL if you aren't sure which city you want to end up in.

BasilHallward · Post by **BasilHallward** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:49 pm

DueProcessDoWheelies wrote:I don't get why South Texas is getting so much hate. At some point you have to just say f*** the rankings. I don't care if STCL is "tier 4" - they are a great regional school with around 90% employment for recent grads and a good bar passage rate. Every single person I've met who graduated from there is employed. In solid law firm jobs.

Baylor also has a strong name throughout the state- definitely more flexibility than STCL if you aren't sure which city you want to end up in.

Don't do this.

emkay625 · Post by **emkay625** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 4:50 pm

DueProcessDoWheelies wrote:I don't get why South Texas is getting so much hate. At some point you have to just say f*** the rankings. I don't care if STCL is "tier 4" - they are a great regional school with around 90% employment for recent grads and a good bar passage rate. Every single person I've met who graduated from there is employed. In solid law firm jobs.

Baylor also has a strong name throughout the state- definitely more flexibility than STCL if you aren't sure which city you want to end up in.

When is the last time you looked at the numbers? Because that is not the picture the most recent LST report paints.

A@M_or_bust · Post by **A@M_or_bust** » Mon Nov 02, 2015 5:02 pm

I think OP has checked out because no one is willing to extend support. I hope OP reevaluates and makes the right choice to retake or move on to something else.

mandimeoutof10 · Post by **mandimeoutof10** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 2:15 pm

Hey OP,

I'm a 3L at UT that transferred from a TTT in TX. I was fortunate to end my 1L year in the top 2% and that gave me a lot of options transfer wise but you can absolutely NOT count on this happening just because you're smart and work hard. Law school is a different animal and I've seen plenty of bright hard workers do poorly or at least take some time to learn how to be "good at law school." Please PM me but just for the record: please do not go to STCL. You mentioned in your first post that biglaw is not the end all be all or something like that but unfortunately I think that shows just how little you know about the schools you're looking at. STCL gives you like a 3% shot at biglaw and Baylor gives you like an 8% shot. Thus, don't even mention biglaw. The only factor you need to be considering is debt vs. bar passage required jobs. Period. And let me say that as someone about to enter the TX legal market I feel extremely bad for the grads at either of those two schools, especially those from STCL. At my TX TTT, I only really know those who were at the top of the class and on law review etc and they are hustling their ass off to find a non shitlaw job and probably will have to settle for shitlaw period. I know the idea of becoming a lawyer seems prestigious and like a big accomplishment but drop all of that and be realistic. These posters above telling you to retake may sound like they're being big dicks but they're saying that because it's the right answer. I'm at UT right now and the difference in the opportunities from the schools you're talking about and a school like UT are inconceivably large. Do yourself a favor and be honest with yourself about your goals and whether/why you really want to go to law school.

On a different note, if you put a gun to my head and said pick between these two options, I would easily pick Baylor. MUUUUUCH better (still bad but not STCL bad) reputation and employment options.

/rant

eagle2a · Post by **eagle2a** » Thu Nov 19, 2015 6:08 pm

mandimeoutof10 wrote:Hey OP,

I'm a 3L at UT that transferred from a TTT in TX. I was fortunate to end my 1L year in the top 2% and that gave me a lot of options transfer wise but you can absolutely NOT count on this happening just because you're smart and work hard. Law school is a different animal and I've seen plenty of bright hard workers do poorly or at least take some time to learn how to be "good at law school." Please PM me but just for the record: please do not go to STCL. You mentioned in your first post that biglaw is not the end all be all or something like that but unfortunately I think that shows just how little you know about the schools you're looking at. STCL gives you like a 3% shot at biglaw and Baylor gives you like an 8% shot. Thus, don't even mention biglaw. The only factor you need to be considering is debt vs. bar passage required jobs. Period. And let me say that as someone about to enter the TX legal market I feel extremely bad for the grads at either of those two schools, especially those from STCL. At my TX TTT, I only really know those who were at the top of the class and on law review etc and they are hustling their ass off to find a non shitlaw job and probably will have to settle for shitlaw period. I know the idea of becoming a lawyer seems prestigious and like a big accomplishment but drop all of that and be realistic. These posters above telling you to retake may sound like they're being big dicks but they're saying that because it's the right answer. I'm at UT right now and the difference in the opportunities from the schools you're talking about and a school like UT are inconceivably large. Do yourself a favor and be honest with yourself about your goals and whether/why you really want to go to law school.

On a different note, if you put a gun to my head and said pick between these two options, I would easily pick Baylor. MUUUUUCH better (still bad but not STCL bad) reputation and employment options.

/rant

Hey bro, what about SMU. I'm a 1L there, you think I should drop if I'm below median after 1st semester? Im fine with a small firm job but I'm pretty scared of unemployment