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Hey all, what is meant by placing "regionally"? Does it only mean for that state, or the entire region, that is, the Midwest, East coast, etc? I'm sure it depends on the school more specifically. I'm an IL native and am extremely debt-adverse because I have common sense. So I intend to, as many do, go TT with full tuition +stipend if possible. The main school I am considering for this is Chicago-Kent, but I am also interested in Marquette (Wisconsin) and Michigan State University. I used to consider U of I, however, after hearing how they apparently don't do stipends, it's much less favorable. Anyway, my bigger question is how well do schools in this part of the midwest place near each other? I like being by family and it would be nice to go to Marquette or MSU and sneak back to Illinois. Is this plausible? Also, I don't care about big law, probably won't do it. Would not mind 60k salary or the like as long as the work is there. Open to many possibilities. And further, does Kent only place in Chicago or would it place just fine anywhere in IL or just outside of it in WI, MI, or IN? If it helps, I'm in one of the many burbs that surround Chicago but are far enough away (~40 minutes) to where I can't claim any significant identity with the city. Thanks.

Oh and I take the LSAT in Nov. My quick LSAT history: 152 first time I took, was blind-sided. Have been doing Powerscore Bible prep based off lawschooli's schedule and recently started doing fully-timed tests. Highest I got so far was 157, but I still have tons of them to go through and I'm going to retake in Jan if it isn't favorable in Nov. Part of me is so sick of all the studying that if I hit a certain threshold in Nov I might just go for MSU or Marquette as their 75% are a little lower than Kent's and was wondering if I could get away with that. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

Check the ABA disclosures for each of the schools you're interested in. They'll be linked somewhere on the school's website, usually directly linked on the admissions page. They list graduating class statistics such as employment firm size, clerkships, state of employment, etc. That'll give you a decent idea of how many students land jobs in-state and out-of-state, though it's not a perfect gauge.

As far as placement goes, portability has a steep drop-off in the Midwest after UoC, NU, and Michigan, at least from what I've gathered, but that's mostly in regard to seeking employment in another state. Kent wouldn't compete much with a T14 in Illinois, but you should still find opportunities since you're open (I'm sure other users could give a more informed opinion here; I'm just an applicant this cycle myself).

Also, have you checked out Khan Academy for LSAT prep? I tried the closed beta before the June LSAT, and it took my PTs from 167 to 170-172. It also paired great with PowerScore bibles. (I scored a 165 on the official test, though, and while I had some unique distractors, a five point drop or so seems to be common).

Good luck with the LSAT!

Keep in mind that most places don’t do stipends; they’re pretty uncommon. So I wouldn’t rule out U of I on that basis if you want to be in IL.

The advice to look at the ABA disclosures is good (or go to lawschooltransparency.com, which organizes this data). I think most of those schools are going to place primarily in the state (MSU in Michigan, Marquette in WI, Kent in IL). It is possible to, say, go to IL from MSU, but it will be harder/require more effort on your part. The problem is that these schools have weaker employment stats overall, so putting more obstacles in your own way isn’t a great idea.

(Also, apart from not wanting biglaw/willing to work for 60k, what kind of law do you want to do?)

Thanks for the tips so far, guys. Little update though: I am actually shooting for UIUC now, open to biglaw/almost anything that isn't IP law (don't have the hard science background). I have loosened my expectations for stipends, I am now shooting for full tuition at UIUC, adhering to the advice that you don't want more debt than you can pay off in a year or two (debt would come from COL). I am confident I can get the LSAT for this by January. A pre-law adviser who was a judge for 20+ years told me you don't really need to know the kind of law you want to do until after 1L. Does this still hold up? I figure since I'm pretty open, it applies at least to me.