Santa Clara vs. Golden Gate

[webito23]

I have set my sights on San Francisco, but have not decided on the exact school yet. I have narrowed it down to Golden Gate and Santa Clara. While at first glance this is a no brainer, the financial packages are what levels the playing field in my mind. At Golden Gate I have a full ride +40k a year and was admitted into their honors program. I would graduate from Golden Gate with no debt, but I am concerned about job prospects coming from a third tier school. At Santa Clara I have 10k a year and thanks to generous parents I would graduate with about 90k in debt. I want to practice IP and High Tech law and realize that Santa Clara boasts the #2 program in the country, but I am having trouble turning down a free law degree. Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Traynor Brah]

No -- you were right. This is a no brainer. Two ways you it can be a no brainer:

1) it's a no brainer to not go to either -- both are crazy options!!! Both are incredibly terrible schools, indeed, among the worst in the country, that should be considered under almost no circumstances, ever.

2) It's a no brainer (assuming not special circumstances (i.e. an employer requiring a JD to check a box and paying for the entire thing)), insofar as if you thought it was a good idea to attend either I would think you had no brain.

[Moneytrees]

Re-take the LSAT and re-apply. The two options you have right now are absolutely terrible.

Only 35% of Santa Clara graduates work as attorneys.
Only 25% of Golden Gate graduates work as attorneys.

Don't waste 3 years of your life. Study hard, re-take the LSAT and re-apply.

[SFSpartan]

This is going to end well...

TCR is to go to neither school and retake. GGU doesn't have placement stats to justify going there for free, and Santa Clara certainly isn't work $90k. Also, specialty ranks mean nothing.

[KMart]

What was your LSAT and GPA? How many times have you taken the LSAT? How did you prepare for the LSAT?

[adil91]

"High Tech law"

[Moneytrees]

"High Tech law"

http://law.scu.edu/hightech/

[MKC]

what's a NORB? (tried googling)

Nova or Barry

That's fucking stupid.




Nobody would ask that. Everybody knows the answer is Barry.

[rpupkin]

At Golden Gate I have a full ride +40k a year and was admitted into their honors program.

So they're giving you a full ride and they're paying you 40K/yr to attend? Sweet deal. This makes GGU seem like a decent investment.

[Traynor Brah]

I didn't catch that. Thought it said 40k scholarship to Golden gate. If that is true, that changes my advice substantially (so long as you are unsure whether you want to be an attorney (and with these schools as options, you damn well should be)).

Take Golden Gate. Idiots. Get a job in a different career path and don't go to class. Read the E&E the day before the exam and show up for those. Otherwise don't affiliate yourself with the school, and make some money. Then at the end of three years, with an extra 120K made on top of the career you've carved out during "law school," you can decide whether you actually want to be an attorney or keep doing whatever it is you're doing.

But don't actually go to Golden Gate if you want to be an attorney. There is a reason they have to do stuff like this to attract students.

[mightymouse23]

Specialty rankings are meaningless. #2 in IP doesn't mean much. Yes, lots of IP firms take Santa Clara students, but most of those students already work for the firms and are going to SC part time. A T30 school with an unranked IP program and only a few IP/tech courses will get its students hired at IP firms 10x easier than from SC. Go to as high ranking of a school as you can get. T14 if possible but there's a lot of good T30 schools that are strong in IP also that you may be able to reach for.

[Traynor Brah]

A T30 school with an unranked IP program and only a few IP/tech courses will get its students hired at IP firms 10x easier than from SC. Go to as high ranking of a school as you can get. T14 if possible but there's a lot of good T30 schools that are strong in IP also that you may be able to reach for.

no this is fucking stupid advice

yeah OP so long as you can get into GW at sticker you're set bro

[adil91]

Golden Gate gives a 40k stipend..

[captainplanet]

I have set my sights on San Francisco, but have not decided on the exact school yet. I have narrowed it down to Golden Gate and Santa Clara. While at first glance this is a no brainer, the financial packages are what levels the playing field in my mind. At Golden Gate I have a full ride +40k a year and was admitted into their honors program. I would graduate from Golden Gate with no debt, but I am concerned about job prospects coming from a third tier school. At Santa Clara I have 10k a year and thanks to generous parents I would graduate with about 90k in debt. I want to practice IP and High Tech law and realize that Santa Clara boasts the #2 program in the country, but I am having trouble turning down a free law degree. Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Do you have a tech or science background? Many IP law firms these days require at least a Bachelor's in chemistry/biology/computer science/any type of science for working in IP law. Are you patent bar eligible?

[Mack.Hambleton]

Golden Gate gives a 40k stipend..

I shouldve gone there just to fuck around for three years

[ms9]

Are you saying you have a full ride + a 40k stipend (which would make no sense from GG's perspective), or a full ride which would amount to over 40k?

[downbeat14]

Calling troll here. Move along people

[usn26]

Are you saying you have a full ride + a 40k stipend (which would make no sense from GG's perspective), or a full ride which would amount to over 40k?

Probably takes a stipend that big to live in SF

[JFO1833]

Fair warning, Golden Gate is notorious for eliminating scholarships. Of students matriculating in the 2013-2014 academic year, 104 students entered with conditional scholarships and 68 lost all or part of them (I think all...) by the start of the next school year. This is a serious risk and you need to consider it before accepting Golden Gates' offer.

At Santa Clara this risk still exists, 54 out of 154 students had their scholarships eliminated or reduced.

[KMart]

Calling troll here. Move along people

Kind of had that sentiment when OP said they were receiving 40k stipend.

[rpupkin]

Calling troll here. Move along people

Kind of had that sentiment when OP said they were receiving 40k stipend.

Guys, I'm the one who started the "40K stipend" thing. I was making fun of what I thought was an obvious typo:

At Golden Gate I have a full ride +40k a year and was admitted into their honors program.

So they're giving you a full ride and they're paying you 40K/yr to attend? Sweet deal. This makes GGU seem like a decent investment.

I think the OP just meant that the full ride covered the $40K+ of annual tuition. Of course GGU isn't giving out $120K stipends to students. I don't think the OP is a troll.

[downbeat14]

Posting "I am having a hard time turning down a free law degree" in reference to GGU reeks of trolling. If not, then sit out and retake is TCR. Not much else to discuss.