Please tell me anything at all about UNLV Forum

[Tls2016]

OP: props for listening and rethinking your decision. Most 0Ls end up telling us we know nothing and are just elitist T14 or don't go to law school people. Keep doing research and keep an open mind.

I know you don't want to wait a year, but think of that as an option. More time and job experience will help you with interviewing for jobs later.

[ReasonableNprudent]

OP: props for listening and rethinking your decision. Most 0Ls end up telling us we know nothing and are just elitist T14 or don't go to law school people. Keep doing research and keep an open mind.

I know you don't want to wait a year, but think of that as an option. More time and job experience will help you with interviewing for jobs later.

Most of those other 0Ls aren't already sitting with a 170/3.83.
Retaking is a good option for Sig-o. OP is sitting pretty as far as I can tell, aside from considering UNLV when there are remarkably better options available to her.

[A. Nony Mouse]

1. OP, you know that the job market for PhD's in any humanities discipline is abominable. Like cover your eyes awful.

2. However, if you go to a halfway decent program, you don't have to borrow a dime and *shock* they actually pay you, so your only costs are opportunity costs. You won't be leveraged to your eyeballs, you'll just have soul-sucking regret about wasting the best years of your life. No debt though.

The opportunity costs to spending a long-ass part of your 20s doing something no one outside of academia will see as relevant to any other profession are pretty high, though.

[fliptrip]

1. OP, you know that the job market for PhD's in any humanities discipline is abominable. Like cover your eyes awful.

2. However, if you go to a halfway decent program, you don't have to borrow a dime and *shock* they actually pay you, so your only costs are opportunity costs. You won't be leveraged to your eyeballs, you'll just have soul-sucking regret about wasting the best years of your life. No debt though.

The opportunity costs to spending a long-ass part of your 20s doing something no one outside of academia will see as relevant to any other profession are pretty high, though.

No doubt. Also, you'll basically be freezing your life where you are the day you graduate college. You'll be 30 and you won't have a car, you won't have a house, you won't have any savings, your lips will be sore from kissing your advisor's ass for 8 years and you'll probably just end up throwing your hands up in the air and applying to law school at that point anyway. Ugh, that's a tough road.

[Tls2016]

OP: props for listening and rethinking your decision. Most 0Ls end up telling us we know nothing and are just elitist T14 or don't go to law school people. Keep doing research and keep an open mind.

I know you don't want to wait a year, but think of that as an option. More time and job experience will help you with interviewing for jobs later.

Most of those other 0Ls aren't already sitting with a 170/3.83.
Retaking is a good option for Sig-o. OP is sitting pretty as far as I can tell, aside from considering UNLV when there are remarkably better options available to her.

Yes. I don't think she should throw away her credentials for the benefit of her SO. When I was suggesting she take a year off it was to take more time to figure out what she wants instead of retaking.
She posted yesterday planning to throw away her numbers to go to UNLV!and move to Vegas. She has more info now and might need more time to figure it out.
I give her credit for at least listening.

[magicmagic]

1. OP, you know that the job market for PhD's in any humanities discipline is abominable. Like cover your eyes awful.

2. However, if you go to a halfway decent program, you don't have to borrow a dime and *shock* they actually pay you, so your only costs are opportunity costs. You won't be leveraged to your eyeballs, you'll just have soul-sucking regret about wasting the best years of your life. No debt though.

The opportunity costs to spending a long-ass part of your 20s doing something no one outside of academia will see as relevant to any other profession are pretty high, though.

No doubt. Also, you'll basically be freezing your life where you are the day you graduate college. You'll be 30 and you won't have a car, you won't have a house, you won't have any savings, your lips will be sore from kissing your advisor's ass for 8 years and you'll probably just end up throwing your hands up in the air and applying to law school at that point anyway. Ugh, that's a tough road.

Law school can be a bear, but I have a special place in my heart for those poor PhD candidates. I know a girl who's 27 with a one-year-old, an unemployed husband, and a poetry degree. They live in her mom's basement. It's a mess.

OP: props for listening and rethinking your decision. Most 0Ls end up telling us we know nothing and are just elitist T14 or don't go to law school people. Keep doing research and keep an open mind.

I know you don't want to wait a year, but think of that as an option. More time and job experience will help you with interviewing for jobs later.

Most of those other 0Ls aren't already sitting with a 170/3.83.
Retaking is a good option for Sig-o. OP is sitting pretty as far as I can tell, aside from considering UNLV when there are remarkably better options available to her.

Yes. I don't think she should throw away her credentials for the benefit of her SO. When I was suggesting she take a year off it was to take more time to figure out what she wants instead of retaking.
She posted yesterday planning to throw away her numbers to go to UNLV!and move to Vegas. She has more info now and might need more time to figure it out.
I give her credit for at least listening.

I mean...what's the point in posting if you're not going to listen to the responses...? I appreciate your perspectives, and I definitely have a lot of new information to think about! Also, good news: today SO got an acceptance letter from Baylor with $$! So that's an option if I get into Texas. (Texas counts as an almost-T14, right?)

[fliptrip]

^^Texas is terrific and at the right costs can be an optimal outcome if you want to stay in Texas.

I am seeing an awful scenario unfolding...you go to UT in Austin, SO goes to Baylor in Waco. What if SO gets a job in Waco and you have to live there...oh my God. I lived in Waco for a year and it is the horror of my life.

[ReasonableNprudent]

OP, if you took SO out of the picture, like he just didn't exist, where would you want to go? Real question.

[4thand9]

O boy now I see why I was told to check out this thread.

TBH I stopped reading after the kjd reveal but OP, don't sacrifice your career prospects for someone when you are 22. If it's meant to be you'll stay together long distance. If it's not meant to be then it's not and at least you aren't stuck at UNLV. You worked hard for your gpa and LSAT, he is the one who should be making sacrifices, not you. Law school isn't undergrad. This isn't a choice you can easily take back. Marriage can be taken back easier than ending up at median at UNLV.

Sorry for going back so far in thread, but LOL. That is gold.

[magicmagic]

I am seeing an awful scenario unfolding...you go to UT in Austin, SO goes to Baylor in Waco. What if SO gets a job in Waco and you have to live there...oh my God. I lived in Waco for a year and it is the horror of my life.

What's so bad about Waco? Besides the oppressive humidity and tornadoes.

If SO did not exist, and with no consideration to scholarships/debt, I would probably choose Duke. It's beautiful, suburban, and warm. But UVA would also be nice. I've always thought that going to Cornell would be amazing (Andy Bernard) but I hate hate hate the cold, so Ithaca would be pretty awful 5 months out of the year.

[hairbear7]

Wait until you have all your offers, and then come back here.

[ReasonableNprudent]

Wait until you have all your offers, and then come back here.

This. And Duke is an outstanding option. SO should be able to pull off UNC with a campus visit and expressing some interest to admissions. Try to negotiate a schoolly with Duke and sell his parents on the idea. They'd be crazy to pony up for Vegas but not UNC.

[Troianii]

So me and my life partner are both in with full tuition (I also received a $2500 stipend annually). We love love love the American Southwest, and are both very pleased with the notion of living in Nevada long term. Neither of us are interested in Big Law or 60 hour work weeks, and would be more than happy with 70k+ starting salaries and room for promotions. (I like health care law and he plans to pursue IP.) UNLV looks pretty good from what we've researched so far, and we plan to visit the school in the next 2-3 weeks...however, we have a few lingering questions:

It is absolutely ridiculous for us to attend a T2 school considering our numbers? Does UNLV dominate the Las Vegas legal market? Is it likely that their ranking will improve over the next 5-10 years? Does anyone know anything at all helpful about UNLV?? Help??????

I know UNLV is a very new school with good specialty programs, but I'd like to know more about their employment statistics. I assume I'd graduate in the top 5-10%, if that makes a difference.

My stats: 170/3.83
Life partner's stats: 160/3.67

Disclaimer: I am very aware that I could attend a higher ranked school. I'm into WUSTL, Minnesota, UArizona, and Iowa with full tuition, and was accepted to NYU. But I'm not sure that these schools make sense considering our life plan and interests. Life partner is into W&L, Iowa, Richmond, U of St. Louis, Georgia State, UArizona, and Wake Forest.

Any input is appreciated!!

I'm assuming you've already gotten the answers you need. If you plan on staying in Nevada, and do NOT want biglaw, then it isn't a bad choice. It's all based on your desired outcomes. That said, the thing that most people would note is that you will probably have better job prospects in Nevada coming out of a significantly higher ranked school. UNLV is new, I don't know how strong a preference employers have for it at this point, so can't speak with any great certainty to that respect.

And idk if this is what's going on, but I'd do some introspection and think about whether or not you and your partner are allowing your relationship to hold you two back. Not saying that it is going on, but think about it.

[Johnson1031]

Oh boy, OP, I assumed you had something like real ties to Las Vegas/Nevada. You definitely need to learn a lot more about the legal market there...for instance, do employers really scrutinize having ties to the area in their hiring decisions? To me, this definitely changes your risk equation. You could end up without a job and with a degree that you won't be able to use to get you a real legal job anywhere else.

LV/NV firms have a HUGE interest in local ties. All of my closest friends are attorneys here in town and all of them went to high school or undergrad in NV. Two did their JDs at Penn State and bumped Boyd graduates for jobs because they have solid roots and connections here in town. Vegas (and NV in general) are trying to lure in and retain a more educated population (hence big scholarships for out of state people), but no one educated stays in Vegas for long. Especially once they have kids (last in education folks!); that being said, firms want people with roots. You may get good money to come to school here, but you will be less competitive in the job market than a hometown kid is. Especially when a lot of the students are at Boyd because they just need the JD. I personally know several graduates who have family who are judges, in the DA and SA's offices, already employed by a firm, etc. who took the LSAT cold because they hit Boyd's range on the diagnostic. That's all they were shooting for because they knew they'd get cheap tuition and have a guaranteed job here in town because of their connections. Don't assume you are going to be top 10%. You will have classmates who didn't even try on the LSAT and got to the same place you are. Assuming your classmates can't outperform you because of the schools reported percentiles would be a mistake.

Also, Vegas is not for everyone. If you haven't spent real time here I would do some real research. The town seriously grows on you after a decade or so, but you aren't going to have much of a "law school" experience here. We are a commuter school in all ways imaginable and the people in your classes will mostly already have their own lives going on in town. Also, we haven't recovered from the recession yet; professionals are leaving the state as quickly as they can because of the impact the economy still has on us (education, healthcare, salary, etc.) There are a lot of things to consider, and the other posters are correct, don't expect your median income to actually be 75 grand here in town unless you already have an "in".

[fliptrip]

^^ and that right there pretty much says it all.

[magicmagic]

Oh boy, OP, I assumed you had something like real ties to Las Vegas/Nevada. You definitely need to learn a lot more about the legal market there...for instance, do employers really scrutinize having ties to the area in their hiring decisions? To me, this definitely changes your risk equation. You could end up without a job and with a degree that you won't be able to use to get you a real legal job anywhere else.

LV/NV firms have a HUGE interest in local ties. All of my closest friends are attorneys here in town and all of them went to high school or undergrad in NV. Two did their JDs at Penn State and bumped Boyd graduates for jobs because they have solid roots and connections here in town. Vegas (and NV in general) are trying to lure in and retain a more educated population (hence big scholarships for out of state people), but no one educated stays in Vegas for long. Especially once they have kids (last in education folks!); that being said, firms want people with roots. You may get good money to come to school here, but you will be less competitive in the job market than a hometown kid is. Especially when a lot of the students are at Boyd because they just need the JD. I personally know several graduates who have family who are judges, in the DA and SA's offices, already employed by a firm, etc. who took the LSAT cold because they hit Boyd's range on the diagnostic. That's all they were shooting for because they knew they'd get cheap tuition and have a guaranteed job here in town because of their connections. Don't assume you are going to be top 10%. You will have classmates who didn't even try on the LSAT and got to the same place you are. Assuming your classmates can't outperform you because of the schools reported percentiles would be a mistake.

Also, Vegas is not for everyone. If you haven't spent real time here I would do some real research. The town seriously grows on you after a decade or so, but you aren't going to have much of a "law school" experience here. We are a commuter school in all ways imaginable and the people in your classes will mostly already have their own lives going on in town. Also, we haven't recovered from the recession yet; professionals are leaving the state as quickly as they can because of the impact the economy still has on us (education, healthcare, salary, etc.) There are a lot of things to consider, and the other posters are correct, don't expect your median income to actually be 75 grand here in town unless you already have an "in".

Great info, Johnson. Thank you so much!

[magicmagic]

Wait until you have all your offers, and then come back here.

This. And Duke is an outstanding option. SO should be able to pull off UNC with a campus visit and expressing some interest to admissions. Try to negotiate a schoolly with Duke and sell his parents on the idea. They'd be crazy to pony up for Vegas but not UNC.

Update:

Duke offered me 30k a year, which is a complete game changer. SO and I visited NC, and he loves Wake Forest (he was not interested in UNC). His parents adore Wake Forest too and are paying his way completely. We haven't sent in official deposits yet, but our decision is pretty much made. We even looked at apartments in Greensboro and found some we liked! Oh, and I did a tour of Duke and it was amazing. Very foresty. Unexpectedly chill. SO's parents were seething the whole time but life is good.

My next question: Should I wait to see if Chicago (interviewed, not admitted)/NYU (no scholly package yet)/Penn/UVA (radio silence from both) offer me any money and then try to negotiate with Duke? I'm overjoyed with 30k but SO thinks I should try to negotiate. I am highly skeptical that Duke would offer me any more than that.

Also: Thank you for talking us out of UNLV. Fine school but you guys are right, it's unnecessarily risky for our situation.

[BigZuck]

Definitely try to negotiate with Duke no matter what

[zozo1717]

We even looked at apartments in Greensboro and found some we liked!

As I'm sure you know - Greensboro is ~50 miles from Durham, so just under an hour on a good day (no traffic). Just keep that in mind when deciding on somewhere to live - that's a lot of time killed commuting.

[Tls2016]

Wait until you have all your offers, and then come back here.

This. And Duke is an outstanding option. SO should be able to pull off UNC with a campus visit and expressing some interest to admissions. Try to negotiate a schoolly with Duke and sell his parents on the idea. They'd be crazy to pony up for Vegas but not UNC.

Update:

Duke offered me 30k a year, which is a complete game changer. SO and I visited NC, and he loves Wake Forest (he was not interested in UNC). His parents adore Wake Forest too and are paying his way completely. We haven't sent in official deposits yet, but our decision is pretty much made. We even looked at apartments in Greensboro and found some we liked! Oh, and I did a tour of Duke and it was amazing. Very foresty. Unexpectedly chill. SO's parents were seething the whole time but life is good.

My next question: Should I wait to see if Chicago (interviewed, not admitted)/NYU (no scholly package yet)/Penn/UVA (radio silence from both) offer me any money and then try to negotiate with Duke? I'm overjoyed with 30k but SO thinks I should try to negotiate. I am highly skeptical that Duke would offer me any more than that.

Also: Thank you for talking us out of UNLV. Fine school but you guys are right, it's unnecessarily risky for our situation.

Congrats. Thanks for listening to advice you may not have wanted to hear from TLS. You are making a much smarter choice. I'm happy for you.
Agree with negotiating. You have nothing to lose by asking. Don't know anything about commuting but maybe look around?
Sorry your SOs parents can't be happy with your success. It makes me dislike them on your behalf! It's great you can deal with it.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Commuting for an hour to end up somewhere that works for both of you isn't really that big a deal. It's annoying, but it's not going to ruin your law school experience/performance.

[lymenheimer]

We even looked at apartments in Greensboro and found some we liked!

As I'm sure you know - Greensboro is ~50 miles from Durham, so just under an hour on a good day (no traffic). Just keep that in mind when deciding on somewhere to live - that's a lot of time killed commuting.

And it is safe to assume there will be traffic. I think, logistically, it would make more sense for your SO to go to UNC. UNC has a (arguably) stronger consistent placement in the state and, from what I have heard, a greater reputation outside of the state (to the extent that either have any reputation). It is also significantly cheaper once in-state residency is established. It honestly feels (and this may just be the way it has been expressed ITT) that the both of you are aloof re: how life actually works and you should be taking more time to consider how your decisions are going to come to fruition on a practical level.

Not to disregard Nony's comment, because it could end up fine for the both of you. But I am not sure why this is the decision, when UNC is literally a 30 minute drive from Duke, in addition to other thoughts that you can feel free to pm me about if you'd like to hear from me further.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Driving half an hour more so your SO's parents will pay for another school seems worth it to me.

It's law school, not boot camp.

[lymenheimer]

Driving half an hour more so your SO's parents will pay for another school seems worth it to me.

It's law school, not boot camp.

I was kinda referring to the general career goals/expectations/etc. And not to get technical, but it could be a full hour or increased commute. Living b/t Duke and UNC = ~15 minute commute. And from Gboro to Duke could be 1:15 easy.

eta: not to mention being able to go home during the day. Hang out in between classes (it seems like they are pretty "life partner-y"). Etc. I mean. idgaf what they decide to do. But if I were in this particular situation, I would be considering other things.

[fliptrip]

OP, I'll give you my $0.02 and say that you're not taking some unrecoverable risk by living in Greensboro and commuting to Duke so that SO can go to Wake. If you decide a little further downstream that it's not worth it, you can just move to Durham. I really like this also because you're doing something that's good for you whether this SO and his awful parents stick around or not. I, frankly, will be very curious to see how your relationship endures this new stress and challenge.

Also, definitely ask Duke for more money...they've got it.