Ohio State vs... Forum

[wmwdma33]

Hello, I would like to get some feedback on my current law school application cycle. I applied to three schools (Ohio State, Cornell, and NYU). I am in at Ohio State (where I have strong ties) and have a combination of scholarships (internal and outside) that will pay my full tuition there. I have been put into the reserve group at Cornell and rejected at NYU. I chose not to apply to other members of the lower T-14 (Georgetown, Michigan, etc.) or T-20 (Emory, Wash-U) because I believed that the likely cost of my attendance at these schools was too high for the job prospects provided. I feel now maybe a bit disappointed that I am in all likelihood, going to OSU, but I would not under any circumstance pay full tuition for Cornell, which would be the most likely scenario if they let me in off the waitlist. I am one year removed from undergrad but currently working a pretty menial job, I have no interest in continuing past the next couple of months. Is it crazy for me to go to OSU and plan on finishing in the top 20%...

3.7/167 (first time)
Working menial job
Strong desire to pursue law school this year.
Ohio State (COA: $50,000, Financed through savings).

Goals: I have no particular interest in working big law, but I want to be making more than 50k a year... I do have a strong interest in the Moritz Corporate Fellow Program. Does anyone know how difficult it is to get one of those positions?

[Tiago Splitter]

Is it crazy for me to go to OSU and plan on finishing in the top 20%...

It's not crazy to go to OSU, but it is crazy to go expecting to finish highly in the class. If you go to OSU, expect to finish in the middle of the pack and be comfortable with working a small firm or local government job in Ohio making somewhere in the 40-60k neighborhood. If that's ok with you, then go for it. If not, you need to retake and reapply.

You're right not to be willing to pay sticker for Cornell, but you can get six figure scholarships to T-14 schools with another 2-3 points on the LSAT.

[wmwdma33]

Thanks for the feedback. In the event of a June retake, should I plan on waiting out the cycle... I suppose any score improvement will be too late to send to Cornell in an attempt to get off the reserve list w/money?

[Tiago Splitter]

Thanks for the feedback. In the event of a June retake, should I plan on waiting out the cycle... I suppose any score improvement will be too late to send to Cornell in an attempt to get off the reserve list w/money?

I've seen people get some pretty good offers off the waitlist after retaking in June, but yeah you should be ready to sit out if they don't come through with a big offer.

[Goldie]

I attended Ohio State with similar numbers, placed very high in the class after 1L, and transferred to a top-3 law school. Ohio State is a great school, with great professors and great fellow students. But it's at a rank where your relative performance within the class will determine whether you are in the running for some of the best legal positions out there or whether you're stuck with a $12-$15/hr semi-legal job.

I agree with the other poster who said not to plan on placing in the top 20%. It worked out for me, it didn't work out for others with higher numbers than I had. I mean it when I say that you have great fellow students, but although I attended hoping to do well, that felt less and less likely the more I got to know my fellow classmates. There were plenty of them who had much more experience/familiarity with the legal industry, and who I believe were smarter than me. I think it would be somewhat arrogant to go and expect that you'll be able to be in the top x% with any ease.

I'd also caution you about too quickly deciding what it is you won't want to do after law school. My goals have changed very significantly since day 1 of 1L. But, if you are certain that you don't want big law, and are certain that you'd be happy with a median/lower paying legal job, then Ohio State isn't a bad place to be. Like I said, you'll have great professors and great classmates and a great overall environment.

I hope this helps. PM me if you have specific questions.