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I have a 3.66 GPA and a 171 LSAT, no amazing softs or anything else that would give me an edge in admissions. My two priorities are minimizing debt and getting a job in the Bay Area. I realize that the Bay Area legal market is one of the toughest in the nation, but I'm a Bay Area native and really want to come back/stay here to be close to family (and hoping that my strong ties will help). I should also add, that while big law would be nice, I'd be willing to take other legal jobs if my debt would reasonably permit me to.

Right now, as I see it, I have three options.

1. Take the best T13 option I get(which would probably be Michigan/Northwestern/Duke), take on 150k-200k+ in debt, effectively putting all my eggs in the big law basket.

2. Choose a lower-ranked school that would give me a big scholarship (WashU comes to mind) and hustle hard for a job in the Bay, knowing that I'm at a huge disadvantage.

3. Go to a Hastings or Davis and take advantage of being in my desired geographic market by networking my ass off.

My guess is that most people would recommend option #1, so I should add that I am one of the most debt-averse people I know. I'm also not sure if I could cope with the pressure of being big law or bust, that would come with that immense debt.

4) Retake for a somewhat higher LSAT score so you can attend a T13 affordably. Even with your current numbers, you might do a bit better than a $150k pricetag.

WashU would pretty much be a mistake in any scenario, given your goals. Hastings/David (or USC and UCLA) could be decent choices if you get a great scholarship offer and are okay with non-biglaw.

I would at least consider retaking, but even if you don't, you should absolutely apply to the LA schools (UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, perhaps Pepperdine and LMU) and see what deals you get. You'll likely get into most or all of them, and I bet you'd get more money at USC/UCI than at WashU. Going to one of these LA schools---all of which are within your reach---would be significantly better for SFBA outcomes than WashU.