URM 2016-2017 Cycle Thread Forum

[Mrocky2]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Exactly! That's a load of money

[Mr_Chukes]

Yeah, I'm sure I'll like it, which is part of why I'm not really excited about seeing it now.

[+] Spoiler

There's the spoiled munchkin lol

Awe cute lol. Here is my cat. She will be coming to law school with me. I'm planning on going to a basketball game on the fourth at USC and Chapman is taking me on a cruise through the 16th-18th.

[+] Spoiler

I'm a dog person myself but she's cute! Lol.

A cruise?! Is that a recruitment tool?

Yes it is and a darn good one lol

[Mr_Chukes]

USC seems worth it just because of football

Yeah a lot of school spirit. The alumni network is real to. Whenever I see someone who went to USC and I tell them I got in, they get all super happy and start telling me how much they have benefited from it.

[20171lhopeful]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Exactly! That's a load of money

No I understand that, but I guess if the goal is BL then you would be making enough money to pay it off in a reasonable amount of time. My question was more, are you against paying sticker period or against period sticker for Mich? Like if it was HYS, would that change things?

[jdanz]

.

[onlyhere4fun]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA males specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even though that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

[Mrocky2]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

Thats definitely good advice about outside scholarships, a few grand here and there means a lot when calculated with the interest from loans over 10 years. I definitely agree with the sentiment that the T-14 sets you up with the best opportunity to get BL and you don't even need to be above median for many schools. However, paying sticker even with big law would be a miserable experience, not only do people not last enough time to reasonably pay that off in BL, minorities tend to leave BL even sooner. Paying off 300k is no joke, especially in the prime of your life, and tuition does increase every year. Don't write off the strain on relationships, personal fulfillment, comfort, family goals with that much debt. I get it, I really do. I applied one cycle got into my dream schools including one of HYS and others with decent scholarships and then decided to take a look at what this would mean for my happiness and I decided to give that all up, take the LSAT for a 3rd time and try again, I lived at home (I know thats not possible for everyone) saved up money, did better and got a much better scholarship, went T6, SEO, got many 1l firm offers/scholarships (they liked the work experience, even though it was short) the whole 9 and most importantly, I'm much happier with my future financial outlook, of course this is all in hindsight, but when I say it was one of the hardest things that I have had to do, especially moving back home, working in a job that i Hated, telling my friends and family my decision etc. and studying AGAIN for that awful test it was terrible. But, I would do it again. Everyone's situation isn't the same, but many URM's will be fully taking on this debt without much help from parents etc. and so seeing that half of the class has no scholarship might look normal (This is T14), but some people's situations are different, I've seen it myself.Just my 2 cents,

[onlyhere4fun]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

Thats definitely good advice about outside scholarships, a few grand here and there means a lot when calculated with the interest from loans over 10 years. I definitely agree with the sentiment that the T-14 sets you up with the best opportunity to get BL and you don't even need to be above median for many schools. However, paying sticker even with big law would be a miserable experience, not only do people not last enough time to reasonably pay that off in BL, minorities tend to leave BL even sooner. Paying off 300k is no joke, especially in the prime of your life, and tuition does increase every year. Don't write off the strain on relationships, personal fulfillment, comfort, family goals with that much debt. I get it, I really do. I applied one cycle got into my dream schools including Harvard and others with decent scholarships and then decided to take a look at what this would mean for my happiness and I decided to give that all up, take the LSAT for a 3rd time and try again, I lived at home (I know thats not possible for everyone) saved up money, did better and got a much better scholarship, went T6, SEO, landed a 1l gig the whole 9 and most importantly, I'm much happier with my future financial outlook, of course this is all in hindsight, but when I say it was one of the hardest things that I have had to do, especially moving back home, working in a job that i didn't particularly like etc. and studying AGAIN for that awful test it was terrible. But, I would do it again. Everyone's situation isn't the same, but many URM's will be fully taking on this debt without much help from parents etc. and so seeing that half of the class has no scholarship might look normal (This is T14), but some people's situations are different, I've seen it myself.Just my 2 cents,

Bro you're preaching to the converted!! I actually want your out come to be honest and I'm going to take the lsat a 4th time ( I hate this test with every fiber of my being), and work for about 2-3 years (and hopefully save around 20-30k) in order to get closer to the outcome you had. But honestly your outcome is ideal and many URMs are going to have to face the hard decision of whether to go to a T-14 for sticker or going to a lower school for more scholly. I just wanted to present a different perspective because it really should be seen as an investment and shouldn't be shut off by default. Obviously if you have the option to sit out, retake, and reapply that will always be the superior option but many people are not willing to wait. I'm hoping this info helps some of those people. And there's some contention about the yield rate of URMS in big law. There have been many that posted in this forum that have said that URMS stay less often in big law than their non-URM counterparts because they are often offered more appealing exit options at a higher rate than their non-URMs counterparts which justify a lateral move rather than staying in the hell that is big law. You won't be making as much probably but you'd still have a good chance at making 6 figures. When a URM decides to lateral though is a personal one. If I were in the position of attending a t-14 at sticker and I got biglaw at market paying rate then I would do my best to stay there at least 3 years and live VERY frugally for those 3 years to pay off as much as I can (I'm used to living with very little in the way of money and even after half of my salary would go to loan payments I would still be making more than I do now ). This is all hoping for an ideal outcome but it's a risk versus reward type of situation. I just don't think people should unequivocally say that it isn't worth the risk because they may shut themselves out of an opportunity by being too risk-averse. Obviously the opposite worst possible case scenario is also possible but in reality we don't live our lives expecting the worst, we do our best and hope for the best. In the end, this is a very personal decision and I don't think there is necessarily a wrong answer (unless retaking is an option ).

[Torres1893]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

[texcellence]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

If your goal is to work in H-town, I would 100% not go to IU. Go to Texas, even if you're paying full in-state tuition. $180k in BL + Houston's low cost of living isn't so bad. It's not like paying sticker @ NYU to live in NYC afterward. I also was not offered money at UT but they'll negotiate at the end of the cycle so if you have other offers, definitely let them know. It's worth trying to negotiate, even if they just give you like, $15k total in the end.

[Mrocky2]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

If your goal is to work in H-town, I would 100% not go to IU. Go to Texas, even if you're paying full in-state tuition. $180k in BL + Houston's low cost of living isn't so bad. It's not like paying sticker @ NYU to live in NYC afterward. I also was not offered money at UT but they'll negotiate at the end of the cycle so if you have other offers, definitely let them know. It's worth trying to negotiate, even if they just give you like, $15k total in the end.

I totally agree, UT is great for Texas BL and it's much much cheaper for a Texas Resident than other law schools. IU would be extremely tough for Texas and not worth it in the end even with ties because there are so many Texas schools plus T-14 folks with Texas ties

[PrezRand]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

You might strike out in the midwest if you have no ties there.

[Mrocky2]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

Thats definitely good advice about outside scholarships, a few grand here and there means a lot when calculated with the interest from loans over 10 years. I definitely agree with the sentiment that the T-14 sets you up with the best opportunity to get BL and you don't even need to be above median for many schools. However, paying sticker even with big law would be a miserable experience, not only do people not last enough time to reasonably pay that off in BL, minorities tend to leave BL even sooner. Paying off 300k is no joke, especially in the prime of your life, and tuition does increase every year. Don't write off the strain on relationships, personal fulfillment, comfort, family goals with that much debt. I get it, I really do. I applied one cycle got into my dream schools including Harvard and others with decent scholarships and then decided to take a look at what this would mean for my happiness and I decided to give that all up, take the LSAT for a 3rd time and try again, I lived at home (I know thats not possible for everyone) saved up money, did better and got a much better scholarship, went T6, SEO, landed a 1l gig the whole 9 and most importantly, I'm much happier with my future financial outlook, of course this is all in hindsight, but when I say it was one of the hardest things that I have had to do, especially moving back home, working in a job that i didn't particularly like etc. and studying AGAIN for that awful test it was terrible. But, I would do it again. Everyone's situation isn't the same, but many URM's will be fully taking on this debt without much help from parents etc. and so seeing that half of the class has no scholarship might look normal (This is T14), but some people's situations are different, I've seen it myself.Just my 2 cents,

Bro you're preaching to the converted!! I actually want your out come to be honest and I'm going to take the lsat a 4th time ( I hate this test with every fiber of my being), and work for about 2-3 years (and hopefully save around 20-30k) in order to get closer to the outcome you had. But honestly your outcome is ideal and many URMs are going to have to face the hard decision of whether to go to a T-14 for sticker or going to a lower school for more scholly. I just wanted to present a different perspective because it really should be seen as an investment and shouldn't be shut off by default. Obviously if you have the option to sit out, retake, and reapply that will always be the superior option but many people are not willing to wait. I'm hoping this info helps some of those people. And there's some contention about the yield rate of URMS in big law. There have been many that posted in this forum that have said that URMS stay less often in big law than their non-URM counterparts because they are often offered more appealing exit options at a higher rate than their non-URMs counterparts which justify a lateral move rather than staying in the hell that is big law. You won't be making as much probably but you'd still have a good chance at making 6 figures. When a URM decides to lateral though is a personal one. If I were in the position of attending a t-14 at sticker and I got biglaw at market paying rate then I would do my best to stay there at least 3 years and live VERY frugally for those 3 years to pay off as much as I can (I'm used to living with very little in the way of money and even after half of my salary would go to loan payments I would still be making more than I do now ). This is all hoping for an ideal outcome but it's a risk versus reward type of situation. I just don't think people should unequivocally say that it isn't worth the risk because they may shut themselves out of an opportunity by being too risk-averse. Obviously the opposite worst possible case scenario is also possible but in reality we don't live our lives expecting the worst, we do our best and hope for the best. In the end, this is a very personal decision and I don't think there is necessarily a wrong answer (unless retaking is an option ).

For sure! It's such a tough decision, and I agree, my story, outcome, and situation is different from each and every person's personal story. I would absolutely call myself an optimistic person so that definitely made my decisions that much harder. I absolutely appreciate your perspective because it's needed, but it seems like you've come to a point where you have done some self reflection and are working toward the best case scenario for you, there's not much more you can do after that. I just want to make sure that other people do that too and forget about the prestige, how your family will look at you etc. and ask yourself truthfully, not artificially, if you would be okay with the decision you're about to make and how regardless of the financial ROI (because yes like you said it's an investment), what about the intangibles, quantify that and then revisit your calculations. And yea you're right about urm's leaving for more comfortable opportunities so that's a plus !

[Mr_Chukes]

I'm just so happy that a lot of us have gotten into great schools. I always remember that there are people who don't get into any schools they apply or end up at Charlotte School of law.

[Torres1893]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

If your goal is to work in H-town, I would 100% not go to IU. Go to Texas, even if you're paying full in-state tuition. $180k in BL + Houston's low cost of living isn't so bad. It's not like paying sticker @ NYU to live in NYC afterward. I also was not offered money at UT but they'll negotiate at the end of the cycle so if you have other offers, definitely let them know. It's worth trying to negotiate, even if they just give you like, $15k total in the end.

I totally agree, UT is great for Texas BL and it's much much cheaper for a Texas Resident than other law schools. IU would be extremely tough for Texas and not worth it in the end even with ties because there are so many Texas schools plus T-14 folks with Texas ties

Yea thats one of the reasons why I don't want to go to IU.

[Torres1893]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

You might strike out in the midwest if you have no ties there.

I was born and raised in Michigan before moving to Houston in 2011, but other than that I don't have any other ties in the area, except for family who live in Chicago that I have no contact with. I could work in Detroit, since I grew up near it, but I would have to compete with Mich grads and Wayne state.

I should definitely go to UT. My career would be a lot better coming out of Austin. I'm just going to have to suck it up and take the the loans and try my best to go for BL to pay it back.

[sfn91]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

In order for this payment to be affordable over 10 years, one would need to make $360K after law school. YIKES.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... alculator/

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/10/student- ... aw-school/

[PrezRand]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

Ahh I'm happy you guys are having at least some-what decent cycles (any T-14 acceptances). Keep in mind though that there are probably external scholarships outside of the ones schools give you (although internal scholarships seem to have the potential to be the most generous). Since I've been battling whether I should go to LS cuz of the cost and my subpar stats I've decided to conduct some research on a bunch of scholarships that I am eligible to receive. These are a few (although a few of them are for AA makes specifically). Just google them and they should come up.

LMJ Scholarship Program
Sidney B. Williams scholarships
Donald W. Banner Diversity Scholarship
Law students Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund,
Earl Warren Scholarship

And there are bunch more depending on whether you're male or female or a specific minority. These scholarships aren't guaranteed and they aren't offering a crazy amount but they're worth a shot, and if you accrew enough of them then they may even add up to a significant amount.

And on another note regarding debt-aversion, I'm not sure if you get into a t-14 that you should pass it up even if you have to pay sticker. As long as you do well enough (meaning median or better at the T-13) then you have a good chance of snagging big law especially with the diversity bump we would get during OCI. And although burnout in BL is real and you can't really set in stone how long you will work there, it still gives you the opportunity to really increase your earning potential in a way that has a lesser chance of happening from lower ranked schools.

I totally get if people don't want to take the chance with that crazy debt (because it's definitely crazy, I was seriously considering not going to Law school because of it) but there may be long term consequences which may limit your overall earning potential by going the safer route (t20-30 with a lot of scholly vs t-14 with little schoolly or sticker). And even thought that earning potential might be tied to a crazy debt load, if you can pay it off and break even you could be making six figures for the rest of your professional career.

Sorry for the long-ass post I just was struggling with the debt aspect of Law School myself recently, and I thought sharing this scholly info might help. I seriously encourage you guys to search for more scholly info and also take a look at this thread which speaks on the T-14 at sticker topic in more detail and gave me a different perspective on the matter.

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 5&t=262005

P.S. This is under the assumption that you wouldn't be able to break 6 figures without law school and that you're only considering law school as a grad school option.

I started the cycle with the thought that I would only attend a law school that offers me a good scholarship, now that idea has changed. I got a full ride to IU Maurer (ranked 25th), which would allow me to graduate with less than 50k in loans (possibly even less than 35k if I split housing costs with someone). I was real excited about going there, but after looking more at the employment prospects/starting salary/employment location I began to have doubts. I don't mind starting my career in the midwest, but I want to work in Texas and make enough money to make the investment of law school worth it. I've recently been accepted to UT, and looking at posts of Texas residents a lot of them are not getting scholarships or only really low offers. So, now I'm considering paying sticker or taking out like 150k in loans to attend UT, that way I have a far greater chance of working in Houston and having a higher earning potential/better job outcomes.

I can't stop thinking about whether I should go to Maurer or UT. I think about it at work, at the gym, watching tv, or playing video games. these next few weeks are going to suck until I get my offer from UT, and I really hope it's something more than 15k, but since I'm below 25th for LSAT and a Tex resident I'm expecting $0.

You might strike out in the midwest if you have no ties there.

I was born and raised in Michigan before moving to Houston in 2011, but other than that I don't have any other ties in the area, except for family who live in Chicago that I have no contact with. I could work in Detroit, since I grew up near it, but I would have to compete with Mich grads and Wayne state.

I should definitely go to UT. My career would be a lot better coming out of Austin. I'm just going to have to suck it up and take the the loans and try my best to go for BL to pay it back.

Even if you don't get biglaw, Texas has a lot of midlaw firms

[onlyhere4fun]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

In order for this payment to be affordable over 10 years, one would need to make $360K after law school. YIKES.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... alculator/

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/10/student- ... aw-school/

The calculation you used for this assumes a monthly/annual loan repayment that is too modest. If you're going to take out sticker at a T-14 and you're going for ( and you get) biglaw then you need to AGGRESSIVELY pay down your debt with your big law salary (including your bonuses). It means that you'd likely be putting closer to 50% of your salary towards loans annually, rather than the 10% financial advisors recommend. Unfortunately you would have to live pretty thrifty for quite a few years to pay down the debt but it can be done. And to be honest even if it is considered "thrifty", relative to some of our peers, many of us would still be earning more after tax and after loan payments than we would have otherwise. And once the debt is paid off you can enjoy your six figure salary in full for the rest of your career. This is assuming the best case scenario though.

[aspiringesq.elle]

I guess that California has love for me lol. 4 outta the 7 I applied to have accepted me. Still waiting on three. I got into Pepperdine today. So far I have USC, Pepperdine, Loyola, and Chapman. Waiting on Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA.

When did you go UR at Pepperdine?

[Mr_Chukes]

I guess that California has love for me lol. 4 outta the 7 I applied to have accepted me. Still waiting on three. I got into Pepperdine today. So far I have USC, Pepperdine, Loyola, and Chapman. Waiting on Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA.

When did you go UR at Pepperdine?

UR Monday, in Tuesday. 90k Scholarship. 30k a year.

[brinicolec]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

In order for this payment to be affordable over 10 years, one would need to make $360K after law school. YIKES.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... alculator/

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/10/student- ... aw-school/

Hence why I'm not not even considering doing it lol

[brinicolec]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

In order for this payment to be affordable over 10 years, one would need to make $360K after law school. YIKES.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... alculator/

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/10/student- ... aw-school/

The calculation you used for this assumes a monthly/annual loan repayment that is too modest. If you're going to take out sticker at a T-14 and you're going for ( and you get) biglaw then you need to AGGRESSIVELY pay down your debt with your big law salary (including your bonuses). It means that you'd likely be putting closer to 50% of your salary towards loans annually, rather than the 10% financial advisors recommend. Unfortunately you would have to live pretty thrifty for quite a few years to pay down the debt but it can be done. And to be honest even if it is considered "thrifty", relative to some of our peers, many of us would still be earning more after tax and after loan repayments than we would have otherwise. And once the debt is paid off you can enjoy your six figure salary in full for the rest of your career. This is assuming the best case scenario though.

I think this is assuming that you'll be in BL long enough to 1) pay off loans and 2) enjoy the fruit of your labor AFTER paying off loans.

[aspiringesq.elle]

I guess that California has love for me lol. 4 outta the 7 I applied to have accepted me. Still waiting on three. I got into Pepperdine today. So far I have USC, Pepperdine, Loyola, and Chapman. Waiting on Stanford, Berkeley and UCLA.

When did you go UR at Pepperdine?

UR Monday, in Tuesday. 90k Scholarship. 30k a year.

Are you open to PM'ing me your stats?....I've been UR since 1/25

[onlyhere4fun]

Can I ask why you're opposed to paying sticker at Mich?

Maybe because upon repayment bri would owe 288k and that's a crippling amount of debt? I'm staring at the numbers too and may have to make the same decision :/

In order for this payment to be affordable over 10 years, one would need to make $360K after law school. YIKES.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sp ... alculator/

http://abovethelaw.com/2014/10/student- ... aw-school/

The calculation you used for this assumes a monthly/annual loan repayment that is too modest. If you're going to take out sticker at a T-14 and you're going for ( and you get) biglaw then you need to AGGRESSIVELY pay down your debt with your big law salary (including your bonuses). It means that you'd likely be putting closer to 50% of your salary towards loans annually, rather than the 10% financial advisors recommend. Unfortunately you would have to live pretty thrifty for quite a few years to pay down the debt but it can be done. And to be honest even if it is considered "thrifty", relative to some of our peers, many of us would still be earning more after tax and after loan repayments than we would have otherwise. And once the debt is paid off you can enjoy your six figure salary in full for the rest of your career. This is assuming the best case scenario though.

I think this is assuming that you'll be in BL long enough to 1) pay off loans and 2) enjoy the fruit of your labor AFTER paying off loans.

Hence why I put that last sentence. I think that there may be a dominating perception that this isn't possible on this forum when in reality it is accomplished by many people. Does this mean That you should definitely take this risk and it's always (or even most of the time) worth it? No. But it's not exactly a pipe-dream either.