Top Law Schools

Maybe it's a dumb question, but, given the choice between a 2/3rds scholarship at Washington & Lee vs. sticker price at Cornell, what choice would you make?

I'd think it depends a lot on where you want to practice.

342848386278 wrote:I'd think it depends a lot on where you want to practice.

Thanks, I probably should have specified that. Probably the DC/Balt area. The only other option would be NYC.

Cornell

Do you want BigLaw? If so, Cornell.

I'd take Cornell with $200k loans over W&L with $100k loans.

im_blue wrote:I'd take Cornell with $200k loans over W&L with $100k loans.

+1, especially if practicing in NY is a possibility.

I know it's easy to get carried away with rankings (especially on this site), but I think it would be a mistake to ignore 2/3 scholarship. This is the difference between spending $40,000 versus $120,000 on law school.

W&L is a good school, though not a T14. If you want to practice in the Balt/D.C. area, try this: Go to the Web sites of several firms where you think you might want to work. Most will let you look up lawyers by the school they attended. Plug in W&L and see what you get.

Also, if W&L is giving you money, they must think you are a very strong candidate. I think being on the law review and in the top of your class would make you a strong candidate for all kinds of jobs.

legalfingerscrossed wrote:Also, if W&L is giving you money, they must think you are a very strong candidate. I think being on the law review and in the top of your class would make you a strong candidate for all kinds of jobs.

Going to law school expecting to/planning to/relying on being top of your class is a recipe for disaster.

TipTravHoot wrote:

legalfingerscrossed wrote:Also, if W&L is giving you money, they must think you are a very strong candidate. I think being on the law review and in the top of your class would make you a strong candidate for all kinds of jobs.

Going to law school expecting to/planning to/relying on being top of your class is a recipe for disaster.

This

OP, is there a grade req. on that W&L scholarship?

Have you gotten into Cornell or is this a hypo? I would think if you had the numbers to get into Cornell you would get a full ride at W&L. I got nearly a full ride at W&L but was rejected at Cornell is why I say that.

With that said I would probably go to Cornell. That is not saying W&L is not a great school, it's reputation just isn't on par with Cornell's.

kittenmittons wrote:

TipTravHoot wrote:

legalfingerscrossed wrote:Also, if W&L is giving you money, they must think you are a very strong candidate. I think being on the law review and in the top of your class would make you a strong candidate for all kinds of jobs.

Going to law school expecting to/planning to/relying on being top of your class is a recipe for disaster.

This

OP, is there a grade req. on that W&L scholarship?

I think it's 3.0, but W&L has a high curve (3.335). Somewhere I read over 80% of people maintain their scholarship for all three years at W&L.

LSATfromNC wrote:

kittenmittons wrote:

TipTravHoot wrote:

legalfingerscrossed wrote:Also, if W&L is giving you money, they must think you are a very strong candidate. I think being on the law review and in the top of your class would make you a strong candidate for all kinds of jobs.

Going to law school expecting to/planning to/relying on being top of your class is a recipe for disaster.

This

OP, is there a grade req. on that W&L scholarship?

I think it's 3.0, but W&L has a high curve (3.335). Somewhere I read over 80% of people maintain their scholarship for all three years at W&L.

I believe that it is 80% of people maintain at least a 3.0 (you have to consider that some of these 20% that don't may not have received scholarships).

Thanks for all of the input everyone. I think that the issue in essence is whether or not Cornell is worth the substantially greater debt I would incur for the leap into T14-dom. I'd say with all thing considered at W & L, my debt after graduation would be $40k to $50k. At Cornell, I think the figure would be $120k to $150k.

If anyone else still wants to chime in, my interests are in international law and policy, although I am aware that that is extremely vague. So is the $80,000 to $100,000 in increased debt worth the jump up to Cornell?

To whoever asked, the scholly requirement is a 3.0.

And to whoever commented about the Cornell aspect being hypothetical, you're spot on. I'm just assuming that if I get in to Cornell, it'd be a sticker price. But I haven't gotten into Cornell yet (maybe I won't).

Thanks again for all of the help and I'd appreciate any more.

Cornell, especially for international law and policy

Don't go to corny Corney. It's screaming to the World I couldn't get into the better Ivy League institutions so I went to the school of Alan Keyes.

haha, Cornell, easy choice.

cpboy77 wrote:Thanks for all of the input everyone. I think that the issue in essence is whether or not Cornell is worth the substantially greater debt I would incur for the leap into T14-dom. I'd say with all thing considered at W & L, my debt after graduation would be $40k to $50k. At Cornell, I think the figure would be $120k to $150k.

If anyone else still wants to chime in, my interests are in international law and policy, although I am aware that that is extremely vague. So is the $80,000 to $100,000 in increased debt worth the jump up to Cornell?

To whoever asked, the scholly requirement is a 3.0.

And to whoever commented about the Cornell aspect being hypothetical, you're spot on. I'm just assuming that if I get in to Cornell, it'd be a sticker price. But I haven't gotten into Cornell yet (maybe I won't).

Thanks again for all of the help and I'd appreciate any more.

Cornell's tuition is something like $48k per year - you'd be closer to 200k in debt, I think.

wakefield wrote:

cpboy77 wrote:Thanks for all of the input everyone. I think that the issue in essence is whether or not Cornell is worth the substantially greater debt I would incur for the leap into T14-dom. I'd say with all thing considered at W & L, my debt after graduation would be $40k to $50k. At Cornell, I think the figure would be $120k to $150k.

If anyone else still wants to chime in, my interests are in international law and policy, although I am aware that that is extremely vague. So is the $80,000 to $100,000 in increased debt worth the jump up to Cornell?

To whoever asked, the scholly requirement is a 3.0.

And to whoever commented about the Cornell aspect being hypothetical, you're spot on. I'm just assuming that if I get in to Cornell, it'd be a sticker price. But I haven't gotten into Cornell yet (maybe I won't).

Thanks again for all of the help and I'd appreciate any more.

Cornell's tuition is something like $48k per year - you'd be closer to 200k in debt, I think.

Yeah, but it's Canadian money j/k

crm wrote:Cornell, especially for international law and policy

What?