Top Law Schools

So while I hope to get off my waitlists, I am beginning to accept that these three will be what I am going to choose from.

USF gave me a one year 18.5k (non-renewable).
McGeorge gave me 12k renewable (top 1/3 req).
Santa Clara just accepted me so not sure what their financial aid package will be yet, but since I am one of the last batches before they start doing individual acceptances i've accepted I might not get much money.

About my goals and desires (in order of importance):

1. Start school this year (so those telling me to retake lsat and reapply next year do not need to respond );
2. Work in the bay area (no this does not include Sacramento);
2A. Almost as important as 2, but slightly less so, owe as little as possible; and
3. Likeliness of finding a decent job (private sector 80K+) without a high top of class requirement (yes I know this won't be easy. I guess I am just asking which school has better job connections where I won't need to be top 5% in order to make this happen).

Thanks in advance for all the helpful advice.

Santa Clara, assuming you consider the South Bay to be part of the Bay Area.

McGeorge
similar in rank and reputation compared to USF and SCU
plus if ur not doing IP no real advantage in going to SCU
i wouldn't expect any money from SCU this late in the game
go with McG, im sure u'll have no prob maintaining ur scholly

fakedoctor3 wrote:McGeorge
similar in rank and reputation compared to USF and SCU
plus if ur not doing IP no real advantage in going to SCU
i wouldn't expect any money from SCU this late in the game
go with McG, im sure u'll have no prob maintaining ur scholly

Below I will include the text of an email this troll sent me on Saturday, 2 May 2009.

Boom


Ha i was not being serious go with SCU or USF regardless of $
i wasn't very impressed with McGeorge
i turned down 15k a year from them for
significantly less from USF
just feel that USF is a better fit for me

boomboom wrote:

fakedoctor3 wrote:McGeorge
similar in rank and reputation compared to USF and SCU
plus if ur not doing IP no real advantage in going to SCU
i wouldn't expect any money from SCU this late in the game
go with McG, im sure u'll have no prob maintaining ur scholly

Below I will include the text of an email this troll sent me on Saturday, 2 May 2009.

Boom


Ha i was not being serious go with SCU or USF regardless of $
i wasn't very impressed with McGeorge
i turned down 15k a year from them for
significantly less from USF
just feel that USF is a better fit for me

Hah wow thanks. Looks like someone has an ulterior motive for telling me to choose McGeorge. Either he wants my spot in Santa Clara or my money in USF. Thanks for the heads up Boom.

njc wrote:

boomboom wrote:

fakedoctor3 wrote:McGeorge
similar in rank and reputation compared to USF and SCU
plus if ur not doing IP no real advantage in going to SCU
i wouldn't expect any money from SCU this late in the game
go with McG, im sure u'll have no prob maintaining ur scholly

Below I will include the text of an email this troll sent me on Saturday, 2 May 2009.

Boom


Ha i was not being serious go with SCU or USF regardless of $
i wasn't very impressed with McGeorge
i turned down 15k a year from them for
significantly less from USF
just feel that USF is a better fit for me

Hah wow thanks. Looks like someone has an ulterior motive for telling me to choose McGeorge. Either he wants my spot in Santa Clara or my money in USF. Thanks for the heads up Boom.

lol. When I first read them suggest Mcgeorge it seemed weird because you would have to work in Sacramento, which you said you didn't want. Anyway, I suggest you go with USF. Don't go to McGeorge because you would be stuck in Sacramento. Don't go to Santa Clara because it is only slightly better than USF, but doesn't have the SF location. You are going to have a difficult time getting the job you want from USF, but you seem pretty stubborn, so I say go for it. Good luck.

If you don't want to work in Sacramento, I'd cross McGeorge off the list. Once it is between USF and Santa Clara, you find that both schools are relatively similar.

Both USF and SCU place the same percentage of their graduates (a little over 5%) at NLJ250 firms. Both have about 93% employed 9 months after graduation. The average private sector salary is a little higher at SCU ($110,000 vs. $95,000), but those figures are often doctored and should be taken with a grain of salt anyhow. Bar passage rates at both (averaged over the past 8 years) average in the neighborhood of 70%. I simply cannot see enough of a difference in quality between these schools to advise against taking the money and going to USF.

my advise was earnest
boom is not primarily concerned with $ so USF or SCU is a better choice for him
i suggested UoP for you because of goal 2A on ur list
UoP only requires a top 1/3 effort to maintain ur scholly
while keeping your money at USF is a lot more difficult
i agree with softboiled and for most people i would recommend USF
i chose USF primarily b/c of its SF location and im not
interested in IP which i feel is SCU's strong suit and reason why they
are ranked slightly higher than USF
regardless USF has a better conflict and dispute resolution program than either school
also i do not feel USF would give me ur money that is just silly
but jic i can give you my contact info and you can right them a letter
on my behalf
"thanks for the $, i respectfully decline and insist that you please fwd my scholly to Dr. Fakey III...regards"

fakedoctor3 wrote:my advise was earnest
boom is not primarily concerned with $ so USF or SCU is a better choice for him
i suggested UoP for you because of goal 2A on ur list
UoP only requires a top 1/3 effort to maintain ur scholly
while keeping your money at USF is a lot more difficult
i agree with softboiled and for most people i would recommend USF
i chose USF primarily b/c of its SF location and im not
interested in IP which i feel is SCU's strong suit and reason why they
are ranked slightly higher than USF
regardless USF has a better conflict and dispute resolution program than either school
also i do not feel USF would give me ur money that is just silly
but jic i can give you my contact info and you can right them a letter
on my behalf
"thanks for the $, i respectfully decline and insist that you please fwd my scholly to Dr. Fakey III...regards"

This is a little more tomfoolery. Here's more of that same pm thread fakedoc and I had.

Him:
McGeorge all the way!
Me:
$$$ are impt. I was impressed with McG. I'd go there if SCU didn't let me in. Didn't apply to USF. Wasn't impressed.

Good luck.
Boom
Him:
Ha i was not being serious go with SCU or USF regardless of $ .... plus SCU made my decision much easier by WL my ass today

A review.

1) $$ are impt.
2) I didn't apply to USF
3) fakedoc didn't have to choose between SCU and USF yet.

Boom