Top Law Schools

I can expect the answer but I will ask it anyway. I am looking to start school when I am 40.
Would you rather get a free ride at a mid 50 school or pay face at a top 10? Bearing in mind I am not looking to make work my life. $160K and 80 hour work weeks are definitely NOT what I want.

I can't justify paying face for a top 10 school and turning down a full ride at a lesser school. I just dont have as much time to pay off the loan as a 25 year old.

Sounds like you've made your decision. If I were in your shoes I'd go with the full ride, and take a public interest job to help pay off COL loans.

IM0LO.

flounder wrote:I can expect the answer but I will ask it anyway. I am looking to start school when I am 40.
Would you rather get a free ride at a mid 50 school or pay face at a top 10? Bearing in mind I am not looking to make work my life. $160K and 80 hour work weeks are definitely NOT what I want.

I can't justify paying face for a top 10 school and turning down a full ride at a lesser school. I just dont have as much time to pay off the loan as a 25 year old.

Agree with Hannibal above. Take the full ride for sure.

Is this an example of a rhetorical question ? I know that it isn't intended, but it might as well be because the answer is so obvious.

If I didn't want biglaw or to have debt I would not attend LS

IAFG wrote:If I didn't want biglaw or to have debt I would not attend LS

ftfy

..

The only benefit I see for a T10 school over a 50-something is a job that will pay you more. But if you want a life, I would take the $$ in a heartbeat.

T25 and some scholarship.

I'll be in my 30's when I start LS and I definitely want a life more than biglaw. So I'm hoping for a full ride at a local T1. There's no T14 in my state which kind of helped me with my decision. I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't be tempted if there was a T14 where I live.

flounder wrote:I can expect the answer but I will ask it anyway. I am looking to start school when I am 40.
Would you rather get a free ride at a mid 50 school or pay face at a top 10? Bearing in mind I am not looking to make work my life. $160K and 80 hour work weeks are definitely NOT what I want.

I can't justify paying face for a top 10 school and turning down a full ride at a lesser school. I just dont have as much time to pay off the loan as a 25 year old.

Basically it is a hypothetical.
Should a man in his 40's go into debt for the prestige or save money?
My wife says save money.

I am too old to work 70 hours a week. I will most likely not be hired by big law cause they know damn well someone my age would not give up there life.