Berk/USC/UVA Forum

[jdanz]

-The schools you are considering: Berk, USC, UVA

-The total Cost of Attendance (COA): Berk - 180k (60K Scholarship), USC - 100K (157k scholarship), and UVA 113k (135K scholarship). I have attempted to use my UVA scholly to negotiate with USC and Berk. USC would not budge and I still have not heard anything from Cal, although I am not optimistic since they seem to be particularly stingy this year

-How you will be financing your COA, i.e. loans, family, or savings: Loans primarily. I am also fortunate enough that my parents will provide 15k annually to help cover living expenses (45k total)

-Where you are from and where you want to work, and other places where you have significant ties (if any): From Southern California and all my ties are here. I would like to work in California after graduating but would not want to necessarily limit myself to just Southern California as Northern California seems appealing

-Your general career goals: Interested in labor and employment law. Would like to do fedgov or state but I am open to biglaw. I realize that gov positions are extremely competitive so that is why I am open to biglaw, just not too thrilled about it as I would like to have some semblance of work/life balance

-Your LSAT/GPA numbers: 171 3.8

-How many times you have taken the LSAT: 3x (170, cancel, 171)

[dabigchina]

Go to UVA.

[cavalier1138]

UVA, no question. You have ties to the region, and UVA can absolutely place you back in California.

[UVA2B]

Glad I'm not the first to say it. Congrats, and I hope you come to Cville in the fall!

[jdanz]

I understand that with my current options, UVA is the prudent choice but at what cost would make Cal a defensible option assuming I am able to negotiate more $$ out of them? I guess I am trying to make Cal work because I have a serious partner who intends on following me to law school but only if I stay in California

[UVA2B]

If Berkeley matches UVA, absolutely go ahead with Berkeley. Given personal preference and circumstance, you could maybe justify spending $5k-$10k more per year. It'd make zero financial sense, but not all decisions have to be entirely financially rational if you have compelling personal reasons. I'd never do it, but I can see why others might.

[Lawschool305]

Although UVA is the best choice. Attending USC with a 157k scholarship would be a great outcome as well. If your significant other would be living with you, that may decrease COA as well.

[rpupkin]

If you were focused only on NorCal, then I could see justifying Berk over UVA. But seeing as how you're fine with SoCal as well, then UVA.

ETA: It sounds like you've got a SO in the mix. I'm afraid you're going to have to value that yourself.

Let me put it this way: is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California? No. But is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California + maintaining a relationship with a SO you want to be with? We can't answer that for you.

[jdanz]

If you were focused only on NorCal, then I could see justifying Berk over UVA. But seeing as how you're fine with SoCal as well, then UVA.

ETA: It sounds like you've got a SO in the mix. I'm afraid you're going to have to value that yourself.

Let me put it this way: is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California? No. But is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California + maintaining a relationship with a SO you want to be with? We can't answer that for you.

Okay, so just for the sake of exploring all my options, let's say I do decide to take my SO's geographic preferences into account. Would Berk be preferred over USC?

[UVA2B]

If you were focused only on NorCal, then I could see justifying Berk over UVA. But seeing as how you're fine with SoCal as well, then UVA.

ETA: It sounds like you've got a SO in the mix. I'm afraid you're going to have to value that yourself.

Let me put it this way: is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California? No. But is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California + maintaining a relationship with a SO you want to be with? We can't answer that for you.

Okay, so just for the sake of exploring all my options, let's say I do decide to take my SO's geographic preferences into account. Would Berk be preferred over USC?

Likely yes, considering either debt load will require Biglaw to pay it off. I'm a little confused why your Berkeley debt is so much lower, even accounting for in-state tuition and scholarship, while USC is that high. I guess I'll defer to you on the calculations you're making, but it seems to me that Berkeley would be a higher debt load (too high for me in either case, but this is a person-specific choice) or USC would be less. I don't love either option, but Berkeley would be the subjectively better decision over USC at those numbers.

[loslakers]

only 13k more for uva over usc? definitely choose uva.

[rpupkin]

If you were focused only on NorCal, then I could see justifying Berk over UVA. But seeing as how you're fine with SoCal as well, then UVA.

ETA: It sounds like you've got a SO in the mix. I'm afraid you're going to have to value that yourself.

Let me put it this way: is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California? No. But is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California + maintaining a relationship with a SO you want to be with? We can't answer that for you.

Okay, so just for the sake of exploring all my options, let's say I do decide to take my SO's geographic preferences into account. Would Berk be preferred over USC?

It depends on your post-grad goals. If you're fine with a likely outcome of no big law + being limited to LA, then USC.

[Rubbishdump]

If you were focused only on NorCal, then I could see justifying Berk over UVA. But seeing as how you're fine with SoCal as well, then UVA.

ETA: It sounds like you've got a SO in the mix. I'm afraid you're going to have to value that yourself.

Let me put it this way: is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California? No. But is Berk worth shelling out $65K more than UVA for slightly better overall job prospects in California + maintaining a relationship with a SO you want to be with? We can't answer that for you.

This is spot on.

[Rigo]

UVA.

[jdanz]

Berk doubled my scholarship to 120k. So now that Uva and Berk are essentially pretty similar in cost, does it make sense to choose Berk given my goals?

[rpupkin]

Berk doubled my scholarship to 120k. So now that Uva and Berk are essentially pretty similar in cost, does it make sense to choose Berk given my goals?

Yes.

[Po$eidon]

Berk doubled my scholarship to 120k. So now that Uva and Berk are essentially pretty similar in cost, does it make sense to choose Berk given my goals?

Definitely

[UVA2B]

Berk doubled my scholarship to 120k. So now that Uva and Berk are essentially pretty similar in cost, does it make sense to choose Berk given my goals?

At equal costs, makes perfect sense. Enjoy Berkeley!

[Rigo]

Cosign. Enjoy Berkeley.