Villanova vs. Temple vs. UNC Forum

[America1776]

I am currently deciding which law school to attend and am looking for advice/suggestions. Here are the facts of my situation:

- I have been offered a full tuition, 3-year scholarship at Villanova and Temple Law
- I have not applied to UNC, but feel that I would likely be accepted yet would have to take out loans. (Should I apply? I know this is a decision I need to make immediately)

My question is, is it worth it to attend a school like Villanova and Temple on a full scholarship over a school like UNC while having to take out loans? Additionally, which school is more advantageous to attend, Villanova or Temple?

Thanks!

[lymenheimer]

In order to receive the best feedback in this forum, please provide as much of the following information in your original post as possible:

-The schools you are considering
-The total Cost of Attendance (COA) of each. COA = cost of tuition + fees + books + cost of living (COL) + accumulated interest - scholarships. Here is a helpful calculator.
-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings
-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any)
-Your general career goals
-Your LSAT/GPA numbers
-How many times you have taken the LSAT

[fliptrip]

I am currently deciding which law school to attend and am looking for advice/suggestions. Here are the facts of my situation:

- I have been offered a full tuition, 3-year scholarship at Villanova and Temple Law
- I have not applied to UNC, but feel that I would likely be accepted yet would have to take out loans. (Should I apply? I know this is a decision I need to make immediately)

My question is, is it worth it to attend a school like Villanova and Temple on a full scholarship over a school like UNC while having to take out loans? Additionally, which school is more advantageous to attend, Villanova or Temple?

Thanks!

Before you even provide all the additional info, why would you be considering UNC along with Villanova and Temple. All of those schools are the definition of regional schools and will only be helpful with getting you a job in their state (UNC) or city (Villanova/Temple). Do you for some reason have equal prospects/ties in NC and Philly?

[America1776]

I am currently deciding which law school to attend and am looking for advice/suggestions. Here are the facts of my situation:

- I have been offered a full tuition, 3-year scholarship at Villanova and Temple Law
- I have not applied to UNC, but feel that I would likely be accepted yet would have to take out loans. (Should I apply? I know this is a decision I need to make immediately)

My question is, is it worth it to attend a school like Villanova and Temple on a full scholarship over a school like UNC while having to take out loans? Additionally, which school is more advantageous to attend, Villanova or Temple?

Thanks!

Before you even provide all the additional info, why would you be considering UNC along with Villanova and Temple. All of those schools are the definition of regional schools and will only be helpful with getting you a job in their state (UNC) or city (Villanova/Temple). Do you for some reason have equal prospects/ties in NC and Philly?

Your reply helps me eliminate UNC. I don't have any desire for that market, my better ties, prospects and preferences are in Philadelphia. I also have a strong interest in avoiding debt. I live in the area therefore can commute to Villanova and Temple, that and considering the tuition scholarships I have at those places means I can complete those programs without accumulating debt. I also will complete my undergrad a year early leaving money left in my 529 to use for books and any other misc. academic expenses incurred.

I guess this now becomes a question for those knowledgeable in the Philadelphia market. Both these programs are obviously second-tier to UPenn, but I wasn't sure if one had a leg up on the other in terms of employment prospects at firms regionally.

Some of my additional Stats are:

LSAT: 160 (I have taken it once)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.67
In terms of specific employment aspirations I am not sure what type of law I want to practice. I have interests ranging from corporate law, to constitutional law and public interest law. I understand the significance of making this determination before becoming an L2. I do have a strong interest in regional politics and government, however.

Thanks for your help already, but I'd certainly love to hear more of your thoughts now that I've hopefully elaborated a bit more.

[fliptrip]

I guess this now becomes a question for those knowledgeable in the Philadelphia market. Both these programs are obviously second-tier to UPenn, but I wasn't sure if one had a leg up on the other in terms of employment prospects at firms regionally.

Some of my additional Stats are:

LSAT: 160 (I have taken it once)
Undergraduate GPA: 3.67
In terms of specific employment aspirations I am not sure what type of law I want to practice. I have interests ranging from corporate law, to constitutional law and public interest law. I understand the significance of making this determination before becoming an L2. I do have a strong interest in regional politics and government, however.

Thanks for your help already, but I'd certainly love to hear more of your thoughts now that I've hopefully elaborated a bit more.

Alright, now we are working with something. Do NOT compare Penn to Villanova and Temple. Penn is a "national" law school. 55% of it's class ends up working in NYC or DC whereas for Temple, ~75% of their grads end up working in the PA/NJ/DE area, which I'd be pretty comfortable assuming is pretty much the Philly/South Jersey/DE metro area. Villanova is similar, except they do have a not completely insignificant percentage end up in NYC, but knowing Villanova, this could be due to legacies and connections and such. I suspect that you will come up against a few Penn grads here and there who have prior ties to Philly, but there won't be so many of them that you should feel nervous about going to Temple of Villanova--I'd bet many of the city's top lawyers went to one of those two schools.

[AT9]

Sounds like Temple/Villanova aren't bad options for you given your goals of avoiding debt and staying in the Philly area. Honestly don't know which is better between the two.

However, you should retake before committing to either school.

(Someone who took money at a regional school and regrets not retaking)

[nick417]

Based on my knowledge of the Philly market; I think Temple is the better school. Temple has a lot of alumni doing all sorts of legal work in the city. But I have noticed that Villanova has a lot of big law alumni which may be due to the fact that VIllanova was on par with Penn in the 80s and 90s as far as quality of school.

But Temple is probably the best bet. Temple is more a "philly" school than Villanova and has really strong ties to the city. The law school is also located in the city instead of the mainline like Villanova. Thus, it is easier to get to internships, jobs, or other networking events in Philly versus Villanova.

You really can't go wrong with either school for free. Visit both, and choose the one you feel the most comfortable with.

[fliptrip]

Based on my knowledge of the Philly market; I think Temple is the better school. Temple has a lot of alumni doing all sorts of legal work in the city. But I have noticed that Villanova has a lot of big law alumni which may be due to the fact that VIllanova was on par with Penn in the 80s and 90s as far as quality of school.

But Temple is probably the best bet. Temple is more a "philly" school than Villanova and has really strong ties to the city. The law school is also located in the city instead of the mainline like Villanova. Thus, it is easier to get to internships, jobs, or other networking events in Philly versus Villanova.

You really can't go wrong with either school for free. Visit both, and choose the one you feel the most comfortable with.

Whew, if the surrounding environment were a legitimate reason to choose a law school, Villanova would win hands down. North Broad Street is, um, not quite as nice...

[Mullens]

What do you want to do with your law degree?

Oops just read your post above. If you want to do corporate law, you need to retake and go to a much better school because almost all corporate law is biglaw and none of those schools place well in big law. Constitutional law is not a thing you can practice. If by public interest you mean you want to be a public defender or prosecutor in Philadelphia then a full ride to Temple is a decent idea.

Don't make this decision by saying "I would be okay with being a PD/DA" because that is where Temple likely leaves you. Those jobs are still very hard to get and require a strong commitment to them from the beginning of law school.

You need to read around TLS and the internet more to figure out what different types of lawyers actually do, what the salary structure/pay looks like, and then decide what you want to do now because where you go to law school can have a HUGE impact on the likelihood of getting certain jobs.