Help! Questions! UCLA-, USC-, U.C. Irvine-Related Forum

[PR-0927]

As for the OP, I have Indian friends and I understand the family pressure. Seems like you have your head right, so trust your gut and you will be fine! Best of luck.

Thanks - yeah, I live in a Westernized household, and we're fully American, but there are some cultural lingerings which my parents have a hard time getting rid of (some of which I like, some of which I abhor).

In any culture, $160k job isn't worth screwing up the relationship with the people thatthat, ya know, birthed you and cared for you for 20-some years. I wish my parents cared so much about my success. But I guess I am an outlier? There's a great law review article entitled "On Being a Happy, Healthy and Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy and Unethical Profession" by Patrick Schiltz that's really good to read.

Sorry about the typos, I'm on my phone.

Word. I'll have to check out that book too.

Very well
To each his own, good luck.
I really do hope you prove me wrong, and given your numbers, I'd say that's pretty likely to occur.

Thanks man, and I hope you're right!

OP, as a fellow Ohioan deadset on California, I'd say go to UCI, or reapply. My situation is almost identical to you, except I'm retaking in June. My parents weren't happy either but got over it; just be persistent. I showed them threads from this site and lawschooltransparency.com, and this helped a lot. Be sure to make it clear to them that this year off ultimately could help you make millions of more dollars in lifetime earnings. Apply early to UCLA, USC, and Berkeley if you take off. Spend the summer perfecting a four page PS for Berk, and submit it first day. Good luck!!

Yeah, I'm already in my year off and another is out of the question (convincing them of one year off was like going to hell and back, even though I had been admitted nowhere - I got a tremendous amount of flak for it and even mentioned it in my PS). It's pretty much decided that I'm going to a law school this coming fall. But I wish you the best of luck! Where in Ohio are you from? If you end up going to the same school in California, we Ohioans ought to stick together, haha.

[TyrionLannister]

Also from Ohio here! Been in LA for over a decade, but went to high school outside of Cleveland in Chagrin Falls.

[goldenflash19]

Yeah, I'm already in my year off and another is out of the question (convincing them of one year off was like going to hell and back, even though I had been admitted nowhere - I got a tremendous amount of flak for it and even mentioned it in my PS). It's pretty much decided that I'm going to a law school this coming fall. But I wish you the best of luck! Where in Ohio are you from? If you end up going to the same school in California, we Ohioans ought to stick together, haha.

Also from Ohio here! Been in LA for over a decade, but went to high school outside of Cleveland in Chagrin Falls.

That's awesome! I'm from Northeast OH, about an hour SE of CLE from the Youngstown/Warren area. We definitely have to stick together haha. UCLA is my dream school, but I could see myself at USC/UCI or by some miracle Berkeley. I'm drawn to Cali for the exact same reasons you mentioned, PR. @Ty- how was the transition from NE OH to LA? Go Browns!

[PR-0927]

Well, this is pretty neat - we're all from NE Ohio. I'm from Kent, and went to OSU for my undergrad.

[TyrionLannister]

@Ty- how was the transition from NE OH to LA? Go Browns!

Love the Ohioans! To be honest, I have actually run into a huge amount of Ohioans in LA. Several Browns Backers bars here too.

As for the transition, LA is the polar opposite from Ohio. If you have never been here, you need to check your concept of a city at the door and accept the 'urban sprawl' that is Los Angeles. Mile after mile of strip mall and concrete blanket the city. You could seriously drive for an hour and still be in LA. You will have to get used to the neighborhoods and their unique personalities. I've lived in Westwood, Hollywood, Palms, Van Nuys, and now most recently Calabasas. Calabasas is the most like Ohio in that it is more rural, nestled in between a couple of state parks, and it is much cleaner than the rest of the city. Plus it is a different school system, so I can actually send my kids to a good school for free, which is a luxury in LA. The only problem is that it is an extra 20 minutes away from my commute that was already long from Van Nuys. Small price to pay for loving where you live, though (more on that later).

I found the people here refreshing. As you know, Ohio lacks a certain open-minded quality. Here you have people of all races and backgrounds. My first college roommate was gay and I quickly shed the small town attitude that had formed my douchiest of qualities growing up.

The only school that would put you in a bad area is USC. For all its glory (and I do like the school, wifey went there) it is in a shitty area. In all seriousness though, any area in LA can get sketchy. Remember you aren't in Ohio and keep your eyes open and you should be fine.

I love LA. I love being able to go to the beach whenever I want, I can go to the mountains, I can go to Staples to catch a game, I can take a drive up the beautiful coast to Santa Barbara, over to Paso Robles for wine tasting, over to Vegas, down to Mexico, whatever. California is great. There are some things I miss about Ohio. I miss the seasons, the small towns, the simple pace of life. Things are different here. But if you show up knowing it will be different and accepting it for what it is, you should be fine. Learn to love Mexican food. There is a shitload of good Mexican here and you will be shortchanging yourself if you waste it. For the knocks it takes, this city has a lot of great stuff - restaurants, bars, activities. Not saying it is the best city in the country, but you could do far worse.

Best advice someone gave me - Find a house/apt you love coming home to - it will be your sanctuary when traffic has sucked (cause it will), people were mean (cause they will be), or things just didn't go your way (cause they wont all the time). This city is great, but it can wear on you if you let it.

PM me if you have any specific questions/concerns.

[melanne89]

So I quote myself from a thread regarding UCLA School of Law:

Waitlisted just now. Fairly depressed. This is my top choice. Thought a 171 and a 3.76 LSDAS GPA would help me out...

I had to send a statement of intent to register to U.C. Irvine School of Law by their deadline - it's non-binding, free, and doesn't block you from getting admitted to other schools.

However, is there a certain point by which UCLA won't consider me even from the waitlist because of the U.C. Irvine School of Law situation?

If I could ask for any single thing this year, and nothing else, it'd be to be admitted to UCLA School of Law. I want to live and work in the greater LA area for the rest of my life, and UCLA is my dream school.

Bit of a depressing cycle recently (although most of these I applied to just for scholarship negotiation purposes):

http://lawschoolnumbers.com/pr0927

Can anyone give me input on this/answer some questions? I really do like U.C. Irvine, but if I get into UCLA, I'd probably prefer to go there. I have yet to hear from USC, and now I've become pessimistic on its potential outcome.

But here are my basic questions which are causing me much confusion (along with the one in the quoted text above):

- I'm interested in international/comparative law (mostly), along with technology/IP/Internet law (and a bit in national security law as well). I know U.C. Irvine is a "developing" school - would it be bad if I attended this school with my fields of interest? My take on it is that the newness of the school will allow for an on-demand curriculum. Correct?

- What kind of things should I say in my LOCI to UCLA?

- What are your thoughts on my prospects with USC?

- If I get into both UCLA (through the waitlist) and USC (either off the bat or through a waitlist), should I consider these schools "equals?" Meaning, should I be placing more weight on USC over U.C. Irvine like I do with UCLA vs. U.C. Irvine?


Thanks to any who can help - it's been a very stressful...more than a year. I'm sure I'm not alone. Any assistance would be much appreciated!

You need to send that LOCI to UCLA Asap. Also, if you have substantial things to put on a resume (even if it's just one thing), then I would send an updated resume as well. Also, do you have the option to send another LOR? If you do, it would be a good idea to try and get one (but only if it would be substantial and helpful.)

Here is a link for help on LOCI: http://www.top-law-schools.com/appendixf.html

[PR-0927]

That's awesome! I'm from Northeast OH, about an hour SE of CLE from the Youngstown/Warren area. We definitely have to stick together haha. UCLA is my dream school, but I could see myself at USC/UCI or by some miracle Berkeley. I'm drawn to Cali for the exact same reasons you mentioned, PR. @Ty- how was the transition from NE OH to LA? Go Browns!

Actually, I just looked at your profile and found out that you go to KSU - as I said, I live in Kent. My father actually works at KSU. Go to the gym often? It's pretty much my only interaction with KSU students, but I may have seen you there if so.

You need to send that LOCI to UCLA Asap. Also, if you have substantial things to put on a resume (even if it's just one thing), then I would send an updated resume as well. Also, do you have the option to send another LOR? If you do, it would be a good idea to try and get one (but only if it would be substantial and helpful.)

Here is a link for help on LOCI: http://www.top-law-schools.com/appendixf.html

Thanks for the link! Currently working on my LOCI at the moment, about to hit the sack and finish it up tomorrow with a clearer mind. Will definitely send an updated resume - thanks so much for the reminder about that. No additional LOR option, and it wouldn't be substantial anyways.

[goldenflash19]

@Tyrion- Thanks a lot for the great post! A lot of people here have tried to dissuade me from going to LA and have said the typical remarks about traffic and people not being nice. Love the fact there's a lot of Ohio transplants there. I think I would be able to make the transition and would flourish in LA. Ohio is so closed minded, and I've always wanted to live by a beach. Not to mention Cali is gorgeous. If I have any more questions, I'll PM you- thanks!!

Actually, I just looked at your profile and found out that you go to KSU - as I said, I live in Kent. My father actually works at KSU. Go to the gym often? It's pretty much my only interaction with KSU students, but I may have seen you there if so.

It's a small world, man! I commute to Kent each day, so I work out at my gym near home most of the time. Kent has been okay, but going there has definitely made me want to leave Ohio. I think anyone who has gone there would understand why we would want to leave.

[PR-0927]

It's a small world, man! I commute to Kent each day, so I work out at my gym near home most of the time. Kent has been okay, but going there has definitely made me want to leave Ohio. I think anyone who has gone there would understand why we would want to leave.

Oh, I see. Yeah, I've lived here my whole life - so I bet it's very apparent why I want to leave now, haha.

Back to the topic of the OP - bad news, I managed to be waitlisted by USC.

I'm guessing this was a combination of a late application and perhaps some YP? My numbers should have provided somewhat easy admittance to USC, and I was admitted to two schools ranked higher than USC - perhaps they felt they were a safety school for me? I'd bet that the late application part was more of it though.

I had sent in a LOCI for UCLA two days ago, and now I'm working on the USC LOCI. However, in the e-mail I received from USC, they mentioned how most scholarship money is already used up at this point - so I'm expecting minimal scholarship if they admit me. UCLA implied that if I am admitted, I will still be considered for merit scholarship.

So I assume if I get into both schools, UCLA might give some funds, while USC will be miserly. If so, it'll come down to U.C. Irvine and UCLA. With a comparable scholarship between the two, I'll obviously choose UCLA. But if U.C. Irvine's scholarship ends up being substantially better - I think I know my final choice.

What sucks is that now I have to wait till the first week of May to even have any potential information released about the waitlist situation at both UCLA and USC.

So a random question - I had applied to both of these schools (UCLA/USC) before, last year. Think this could be a factor in all this as well? I only applied to one of the other schools last year which waitlisted me this time, however (UNC). U.C. Berkeley flat out rejected me two years in a row.

[PR-0927]

Well I just got admitted to USC. Was on the waitlist for all of...six days or so? Sent in a LOCI almost immediately after being waitlisted (few hours after) and never even got around to doing the weird video interview.

On the downside, they're offering very little in scholarship - $20,000/year. For reference, their tuition is roughly $50,000/year (in- and out-of-state, since they're a private school). U.C. Irvine is offering $40,000/year, and their out-of-state tuition is $54,000/year (but $44,000 in-state - and you can gain residency in one year there).

So I'll be sending them a scholarship negotiation letter like I recently did with U.C. Irvine (they're considering raising it).

Any input on this USC business? Thoughts on the scholarship given and if I have any chance of having it increased? Assuming they don't increase it, should I choose U.C. Irvine or USC?

I have until May 16th to get this sorted - that's when the seat deposit is due ($500).

Have yet to hear from UCLA.

[TyrionLannister]

Well I just got admitted to USC. Was on the waitlist for all of...six days or so? Sent in a LOCI almost immediately after being waitlisted (few hours after) and never even got around to doing the weird video interview.

On the downside, they're offering very little in scholarship - $20,000/year. For reference, their tuition is roughly $50,000/year (in- and out-of-state, since they're a private school). U.C. Irvine is offering $40,000/year, and their out-of-state tuition is $54,000/year (but $44,000 in-state - and you can gain residency in one year there).

So I'll be sending them a scholarship negotiation letter like I recently did with U.C. Irvine (they're considering raising it).

Any input on this USC business? Thoughts on the scholarship given and if I have any chance of having it increased? Assuming they don't increase it, should I choose U.C. Irvine or USC?

I have until May 16th to get this sorted - that's when the seat deposit is due ($500).

Have yet to hear from UCLA.

Congrats!! That's great to hear. If it came down to UCI vs. USC, I would 100% go with USC. The alumni ties are ridiculous and cannot be undervalued. Trojans love other Trojans (i would know, being married to one). It's not cheap, so it is a big decision, but I vote USC even with extra $$$.

Either way, great job!

[boredatwork]

- Trojans are obnoxiously loyal to USC and do go out of their way to help other USC grads. Much larger alumni base. Many very successful USC grads in LA.
- Irvine is just graduating their first law class this year? No one knows where Irvine will be ranked, but it will probably be up there.
-If USC doesn't adjust it could cost you $300 grand to go there.
-Living in Irvine is cheaper and it is the only good school in Orange county.
-Irvine is also much safer (I don't know where you are from but bad things happen at USC with some frequency, they have the largest private security force of any university) and if you aren't from a big city LA can be pretty intimidating.
-They are not cut from the same cloth, if you fit in at one you probably won't at the other.
-IMHO Irvine > USC, but I am a UCLA fan so I am a little biased.
-If USC gives you a significant scholly USC > Irvine

[Doorkeeper]

You'll get off one of those WLs.

[PR-0927]

You'll get off one of those WLs.

Yeah...I did, haha, off USC's. Hence my last post.

[moneybagsphd]

Well I just got admitted to USC. Was on the waitlist for all of...six days or so? Sent in a LOCI almost immediately after being waitlisted (few hours after) and never even got around to doing the weird video interview.

On the downside, they're offering very little in scholarship - $20,000/year. For reference, their tuition is roughly $50,000/year (in- and out-of-state, since they're a private school). U.C. Irvine is offering $40,000/year, and their out-of-state tuition is $54,000/year (but $44,000 in-state - and you can gain residency in one year there).

So I'll be sending them a scholarship negotiation letter like I recently did with U.C. Irvine (they're considering raising it).

Any input on this USC business? Thoughts on the scholarship given and if I have any chance of having it increased? Assuming they don't increase it, should I choose U.C. Irvine or USC?

I have until May 16th to get this sorted - that's when the seat deposit is due ($500).

Have yet to hear from UCLA.

Congrats! I would go with USC over UCI hands down. For that matter I would (and did) go with USC over UCLA with equal money. I'm assuming that since you're from Ohio you haven't had a chance to visit either of these schools? I say this because I basically took it for granted that I would choose UCLA over USC at equal cost. After visiting both schools, I was surprised to find USC was a much better fit.

[PR-0927]

Congrats! I would go with USC over UCI hands down. For that matter I would (and did) go with USC over UCLA with equal money. I'm assuming that since you're from Ohio you haven't had a chance to visit either of these schools? I say this because I basically took it for granted that I would choose UCLA over USC at equal cost. After visiting both schools, I was surprised to find USC was a much better fit.

I actually did visit those schools. All three of them. U.C. Irvine's campus was easily the nicest, followed by UCLA's, and then USC's, IMO. USC's campus was very average to me, actually. Was under heavy construction (in December) and much of it was closed off. Somewhat reminded me of Ohio State's campus (where I went for undergrad), and I am NOT a fan of the OSU campus.

So aside from one person, even with the fact that to attend U.C. Irvine I'd pay a total of $22,000 over three years rather than USC's $90,000, I'm being advised (so far - I'm welcoming as much input as possible) to go with USC? U.C. Irvine's scholarship is currently double that of USC's (both schools may increase scholarships - that remains to be seen).

[moneybagsphd]

Congrats! I would go with USC over UCI hands down. For that matter I would (and did) go with USC over UCLA with equal money. I'm assuming that since you're from Ohio you haven't had a chance to visit either of these schools? I say this because I basically took it for granted that I would choose UCLA over USC at equal cost. After visiting both schools, I was surprised to find USC was a much better fit.

I actually did visit those schools. All three of them. U.C. Irvine's campus was easily the nicest, followed by UCLA's, and then USC's, IMO. USC's campus was very average to me, actually. Was under heavy construction (in December) and much of it was closed off. Somewhat reminded me of Ohio State's campus (where I went for undergrad), and I am NOT a fan of the OSU campus.

So aside from one person, even with the fact that to attend U.C. Irvine I'd pay a total of $22,000 over three years rather than USC's $90,000, I'm being advised (so far - I'm welcoming as much input as possible) to go with USC? U.C. Irvine's scholarship is currently double that of USC's (both schools may increase scholarships - that remains to be seen).

I was referring to the law school culture, not so much the campus. Definitely not saying USC's campus is nicer; UCLA's law school campus is certainly prettier. Although, I do agree that UC Irvine's camus is nicest. All of these schools have a different vibe.
Which school you choose will depend on your goals. USC will give you the best job prospects, but you will have less debt out of UCI so that's an important consideration.

[Lawl Shcool]

Fellow Cleveland native (westside) that moved out to CA for law school on a similar mindset. I have no complaints about how law school has turned out for me but there are a few things you need to consider.

1) I was also in a rush to get out here, ended up taking out a lot more debt because of it. Not worth it. You can convince your parents to "let" you take another year off in a variety of ways. If you move to LA now and work for a year, you can be eligible for in-state tuition all 3 years of law school, which will save you a boatload of cash. Also, you will be able to get into a much better law school with your numbers (think UCLA/USC with $, Boalt, and Stanford).

2) If you think it is hard getting a job in OH right now, it is equally as hard in CA, if not harder for law stuff. I saw you majored in accounting, why not try and get some experience doing that for a year? It will make getting a corporate law gig much easier.

3) You only get 1 chance to use your pre-law numbers and unless you try to transfer, 1 chance to apply to law school. It is 3 years, a lot of money, and something that will stick with you for life. You should try to maximize your hard work so far, which based on your current options is not happening.

[PR-0927]

Fellow Cleveland native (westside) that moved out to CA for law school on a similar mindset. I have no complaints about how law school has turned out for me but there are a few things you need to consider.

1) I was also in a rush to get out here, ended up taking out a lot more debt because of it. Not worth it. You can convince your parents to "let" you take another year off in a variety of ways. If you move to LA now and work for a year, you can be eligible for in-state tuition all 3 years of law school, which will save you a boatload of cash. Also, you will be able to get into a much better law school with your numbers (think UCLA/USC with $, Boalt, and Stanford).

2) If you think it is hard getting a job in OH right now, it is equally as hard in CA, if not harder for law stuff. I saw you majored in accounting, why not try and get some experience doing that for a year? It will make getting a corporate law gig much easier.

3) You only get 1 chance to use your pre-law numbers and unless you try to transfer, 1 chance to apply to law school. It is 3 years, a lot of money, and something that will stick with you for life. You should try to maximize your hard work so far, which based on your current options is not happening.

Believe me, the extra year off is not a choice. At all. Even if it was (which I cannot emphasize how much it isn't), I wouldn't want to. This is already an extra year off. As for law, I know that certain areas are actually growing, especially those involved in IP/technology (I have a strong tech background). Also, read some interesting articles recently - western California has mostly recovered from the recession - eastern California is still struggling.

I also didn't major in accounting. I majored in MIS - management information systems. It's like the worst of the business world and the worst of computer coding put together. I honestly hated my major, and even if I wanted to get a job in that field, I couldn't - I have no work experience in the field, I hate (and am bad at) coding, and never did any internships relating to it in college. No interest in corporate law, BTW.

Sorry if I seem a little dismissive - I'm just a bit annoyed that people keep mentioning this. It simply is not an option for me. I WILL be attending a law school this fall, as I am NOT very disappointed with the two schools I am considering (although UCLA would make it perfect for me). U.C. Irvine and USC are great schools, and I'm proud to have gotten into them.

Only thing relevant now for me is the whole U.C. Irvine, USC, and UCLA thing, that I mentioned three posts back.

[Lawl Shcool]

Fellow Cleveland native (westside) that moved out to CA for law school on a similar mindset. I have no complaints about how law school has turned out for me but there are a few things you need to consider.

1) I was also in a rush to get out here, ended up taking out a lot more debt because of it. Not worth it. You can convince your parents to "let" you take another year off in a variety of ways. If you move to LA now and work for a year, you can be eligible for in-state tuition all 3 years of law school, which will save you a boatload of cash. Also, you will be able to get into a much better law school with your numbers (think UCLA/USC with $, Boalt, and Stanford).

2) If you think it is hard getting a job in OH right now, it is equally as hard in CA, if not harder for law stuff. I saw you majored in accounting, why not try and get some experience doing that for a year? It will make getting a corporate law gig much easier.

3) You only get 1 chance to use your pre-law numbers and unless you try to transfer, 1 chance to apply to law school. It is 3 years, a lot of money, and something that will stick with you for life. You should try to maximize your hard work so far, which based on your current options is not happening.

Believe me, the extra year off is not a choice. At all. Even if it was (which I cannot emphasize how much it isn't), I wouldn't want to. This is already an extra year off. As for law, I know that certain areas are actually growing, especially those involved in IP/technology (I have a strong tech background). Also, read some interesting articles recently - western California has mostly recovered from the recession - eastern California is still struggling.

I also didn't major in accounting. I majored in MIS - management information systems. It's like the worst of the business world and the worst of computer coding put together. I honestly hated my major, and even if I wanted to get a job in that field, I couldn't - I have no work experience in the field, I hate (and am bad at) coding, and never did any internships relating to it in college. No interest in corporate law, BTW.

Sorry if I seem a little dismissive - I'm just a bit annoyed that people keep mentioning this. It simply is not an option for me. I WILL be attending a law school this fall, as I am NOT very disappointed with the two schools I am considering (although UCLA would make it perfect for me). U.C. Irvine and USC are great schools, and I'm proud to have gotten into them.

Only thing relevant now for me is the whole U.C. Irvine, USC, and UCLA thing, that I mentioned three posts back.

Ahhh I'm not sure why I thought MIS = accounting, it has been awhile since I had to deal with Fisher. Well, USC costing a total of $90k isn't the worst thing ever, especially if that 90k is covered by your parents. Go bucks/browns.

[PR-0927]

Ahhh I'm not sure why I thought MIS = accounting, it has been awhile since I had to deal with Fisher. Well, USC costing a total of $90k isn't the worst thing ever, especially if that 90k is covered by your parents. Go bucks/browns.

Ah, a fellow Fisher graduate? Thanks for the input, BTW.

Back to the OP - I was able to negotiate a bit of a scholarship increase for USC. Barely any though, but anything helps. It's now up to $25,000/year (earlier it was at $20,000/year). A 50% scholarship.

Still hoping to be admitted to UCLA...that'd likely solve any decision stress I'm having now - parents are uneasy about USC because they didn't like the campus much, haha, and they fear its crime. Plus U.C. Irvine is offering so much more aid.

But at the moment, my mind is set on USC out of these two.

So it seems that virtually everyone is saying USC over U.C. Irvine then? Did a LOT of research and found other people's threads - same answer found pretty much everywhere.

[Lawl Shcool]

Ahhh I'm not sure why I thought MIS = accounting, it has been awhile since I had to deal with Fisher. Well, USC costing a total of $90k isn't the worst thing ever, especially if that 90k is covered by your parents. Go bucks/browns.

Ah, a fellow Fisher graduate? Thanks for the input, BTW.

Back to the OP - I was able to negotiate a bit of a scholarship increase for USC. Barely any though, but anything helps. It's now up to $25,000/year (earlier it was at $20,000/year). A 50% scholarship.

Still hoping to be admitted to UCLA...that'd likely solve any decision stress I'm having now - parents are uneasy about USC because they didn't like the campus much, haha, and they fear its crime. Plus U.C. Irvine is offering so much more aid.

But at the moment, my mind is set on USC out of these two.

So it seems that virtually everyone is saying USC over U.C. Irvine then? Did a LOT of research and found other people's threads - same answer found pretty much everywhere.

It is just a safer bet at the moment, Irvine (while it appears to be doing everything right) is still a new school. USC is a more established school, great alumni network, location in LA...

[bankruptedcasino]

You will not regret your legal career or the choices that will be presented to you in three years when you graduate by going to USC. USC's alumni are almost like a cult. Ferociously loyal to one another and a deep sense of community. You're lucky to be going there and you will have a job.

[uci2013]

...or you could flush your numbers down the toilet and attend UCI. And then every time you go to apply for a job in Orange County or LA, and a UCLA or a USC grad beats you out for the position, you can think about the life you could have had if only you'd taken our advice. Probably still end up getting disowned for being unemployed...

FYI our students held their own getting SA offers at firms that interviewed at USC and UCLA as well, myself included. Not saying you won't lose an offer to a USC or UCLA student, but it won't be BECAUSE you went to UCI. And for OC offices, I actually think UCI has the edge just on commitment to OC alone.

[hyakku]

It would be irresponsible for me to not mention that you should really consider just re applying. You don't even have to retake man and you'd be looking at cash from Boalt.I get your position though having a lot of Indian and South Asian friends, but with that said, why are you even thinking about debt? Isn't the entire point of your parents holding their money over your head to control your life and your choices? If they are, then you aren't going into any debt right? Definitely go to USC, it shouldn't even be a question.

As a Trojan, let me give you a quick anecdote about our Alumni network for context. I applied for one local law firm job about two years ago as a sophmore. Was a small firm, but I was pretty underqualified, had just received a position somewhere else, and when I arrived there had to wait for like 20 minutes for the interviewer to show up before the first partner does (husband and wife team). At this point I'm actually intentionally being kind of trite to get the interview over, but we suddenly get on the topic of USC and he explodes (they always do -_-) in joy talking about how his wife went here, he loves it, blah blah. Less then an hour after leaving the firm and what I thought was my worst interview ever I got called back, and they had just started interviewing people the day before.

I've had multiple experiences like this, and have friends in firms like Ernst and Young and Deloitte who had similar experiences. In Brussels there's an alumni chapter that takes care of any of our IR study abroad grads working in the EU, introducing them to local and international politicians, diplomats, etc. I don't think that the strength of the alumni network can be understated, and this is coming from someone who is generally skeptical as shit about any type of claim. Hope that helps paint a better picture of what they mean when they talk about our alumni network, as I honestly had no idea what that actually entailed before arriving here.

I personally think UCI is going to impress when it finally gets ranked, but I still don't know how impressive it will be, if that makes sense. I get that they have a strong student body and a dean that's dedicated and well connected, but with California budget cuts not going away, the cost of tuition there inevitably rising to fall more in line with the UC system, and the other UC schools battling for funding as it is, I wonder if it will somehow be able to thrive despite these facts. Hopefully they do, it would be cool to have another strong law school in LA. I don't really know of any USC/UCLA grads that would be upset about that.

Edit: I've always wanted to ask in a situation like this, why would your parents even make you go to college? Most of my friends in a similar situation seem like they wanted to go to college as well, but I mean if you just want to have a job or make money in the future, why not just take the $200k from UG and additional $250k from law school and just give you nearly half a million dollars to invest at like 21 after providing you with investment training? It seems like it would be much smarter and still prove you're independent, prepared to face the world, etc. wouldn't it?