Regional Schools for free - UW Forum

[Ystone97]

I have the GI Bill and UW would be free for me to attend. I've always loved Seattle and dreamed of living there. The T14's are out of my reach and I've heard that even going to a lower T14 isn't great if the goal is to work in Seattle biglaw. Given that UW is a strong regional school and the highest ranked in the state, would this be my best option for a shot at Seattle biglaw? (Stats: GPA: 3.79 LSAT 162; Please assume that retaking is out of the question. I only have the GI Bill until I'm 26 (dependent) and waiting another cycle to apply would mean wasting a year of free education.)

[cavalier1138]

If it's more important to end up in Seattle than to get biglaw, then yes, UW is a good choice.

[VirginiaFan]

I don't have anything useful to add, but at first I thought UW stood for University of Wisconsin, and I had typed an entire post about the lack of portability of most law schools.

Seeing now that it's the University of Washington, this seems like an ok bet.

[AdieuCali]

Have you been admitted to UW? If not, you may want to consider a retake since your LSAT<50. The registration deadline for the 1/13 LSAC is in a few days on 12/3. 6 weeks is definitely enough time to substantially boost your score, especially if you have some downtime over the holidays.

5-6 extra points would make UW a safety and give you as an outside shot for a late admit to Berk & NYU. https://mylsn.info/4q9v5n. You might also be able to negotiate with UW to turn a portion of a potential scholarship into a stipend since you'll be on the GI Bill.

Cav is right here, of course. You should always expect median outcomes. At UW, that's small/mid-law or PI in Wash. At UCB, it's SF/SV/LA biglaw. If you'd prefer the latter to the former, I think a retake is advisable.

[Ystone97]

Have you been admitted to UW? If not, you may want to consider a retake since your LSAT<50. The registration deadline for the 1/13 LSAC is in a few days on 12/3. 6 weeks is definitely enough time to substantially boost your score, especially if you have some downtime over the holidays.

5-6 extra points would make UW a safety and give you as an outside shot for a late admit to Berk & NYU. https://mylsn.info/4q9v5n. You might also be able to negotiate with UW to turn a portion of a potential scholarship into a stipend since you'll be on the GI Bill.

Cav is right here, of course. You should always expect median outcomes. At UW, that's small/mid-law or PI in Wash. At UCB, it's SF/SV/LA biglaw. If you'd prefer the latter to the former, I think a retake is advisable.

I appreciate the thoughtful answer and suggestions. The problem with retaking for me is it took everything out of me to raise my score from 157 to 162, and I’m afraid to wait longer to apply. Also, I didn’t mention this but I am a Puerto Rican URM. I’m applying to all T-14’s besides HYS. I’m not relying on URM status though, because I’ve heard that latino URM’s don’t get as much of a boost. I asked this question specifically because UW and GMU are my “safeties” and I wanted to see how things would turn out if I didn’t get lucky.

Is it possible to ask schools that offer a scholarship to change it to a stipend for GI bill users? If so, that’s great news..

[AdieuCali]

It's possible to negotiate, but that will depend on school. Normal rules of scholly negotiation apply - hit up every admissions office where you have received a scholarship and ask for it to be converted to a stipend. You will probably have more luck at public schools because the Post-9/11 covers all tuition for state schools, regardless of the price tag. For private schools, YRP is already a form of scholarship since the school has to split the difference between full tuition and the GI Bill's private max. You should also ask the financial aid office if additional private scholarships can be refunded.

[redtalun]

I have the GI Bill and UW would be free for me to attend. I've always loved Seattle and dreamed of living there. The T14's are out of my reach and I've heard that even going to a lower T14 isn't great if the goal is to work in Seattle biglaw. Given that UW is a strong regional school and the highest ranked in the state, would this be my best option for a shot at Seattle biglaw? (Stats: GPA: 3.79 LSAT 162; Please assume that retaking is out of the question. I only have the GI Bill until I'm 26 (dependent) and waiting another cycle to apply would mean wasting a year of free education.)

UW alum here. There's plenty of other threads on Seattle BL floating around, so read up on those. Generally, UW vs. T14 (excl. HYS) comes down to whether you prefer Seattle midlaw/PI or BL in another location, since there is no guarantee of Seattle BL for either UW or T14 outside of HYS.