Schools not worth the sticker price Forum

[scs0179]

I have been given the impression by lawyers that it was worth the sticker price, everybody seems to disagree with this though?

Watch the age of the attorneys you get advice from. I thought I was getting great app advice from a partner I've worked closely with for a while and he though low 160s could get me into Harvard. Times have changed.

Thats an interesting point. I have noticed that the older ones seem pretty optimist/disconnected with the competetive nature of applications these days. Even if I was offered little to know financial aid to SMU, I would still feel it a good option, jobs are everywehre here. Its hard to get a clear picture though.

I need to look into Florida residential status. Anyone know how long it takes to become a Florida resident?

[Aqualibrium]

Even if I was offered little to know financial aid to SMU, I would still feel it a good option, jobs are everywehre here.

Then go with god my friend.

[DoubleChecks]

SMU is great for dallas...but ITE...at sticker? im much more hesitant to say that it is outright 'worth' it

Houston Law Center = UH? if you get instate tuition for that, that may put it in the same boat as instate at UF, right? just guessing

outside of that, seriously, average salaries law schools post are usually worth nothing. they 'harass' people who graduated at the top for employment info while are lackluster in trying to get the same info from students w/ worse GPAs. most of the reported info is based on half of the class (or even less!) of those who bothered to report (and because of human nature + law school practice, this = inflated averages)...and then the way they gauge employment is misleading, as someone working in the private legal sector could be doing anything at a firm, including being a paralegal (which does not require a JD)...so even if the job paid, oh let's say $60k, you just got a job that you could have gotten w/o a JD (and the crushing $150k debt)

for these and a host of other reasons, id totally ignore employment stats that law schools put up...

[Ascend]

I'm in the DFW area as well and SMU seems to be quite well respected here as well, particularly when you factor in how many top execs in the metroplex got their MBA's at Cox and are diehard SMU loyal. I can't imagine anyone paying sticker at SMU however, b/c the alumni network pumps so much money into that school that they have scholarships for just about everything. Most of the US News reports over the last few years have reported the average indebtedness at graduation and median grant levels to both being quite respectable. For 2011 rankings, average indebtedness at graduation was $91,200 and the median grant was $18,000.

[Aqualibrium]

I don't think there is any dispute that SMU generally dominates the Dallas area. The real issue is this: of the 180 or so SMU grads per year, how many of them are getting jobs that will allow them to justify 100k+ in debt? 25 or 30? Perhaps 40?

That is the consideration you have to think about when deciding whether a school is worth sticker.

[reaisan]

It would only be worth attending Florida, only if you are in-state. Unless they still give residency to students after their first year.

CR /thread

Except for the part where you'd have to live in Florida where people kill babies over farmville.

Ah! At least there are unusual cases to work on.

[reaisan]

they 'harass' people who graduated at the top for employment info while are lackluster in trying to get the same info from students w/ worse GPAs. most of the reported info is based on half of the class (or even less!) of those who bothered to report (and because of human nature + law school practice, this = inflated averages)...and then the way they gauge employment is misleading, as someone working in the private legal sector could be doing anything at a firm, including being a paralegal (which does not require a JD)...so even if the job paid, oh let's say $60k, you just got a job that you could have gotten w/o a JD (and the crushing $150k debt)

for these and a host of other reasons, id totally ignore employment stats that law schools put up...

I cannot stress the above enough! I think it also exaggerates how "bad" lower tier schools are. I'm deciding between attending Gerogia State, or waiting a year and applying to UGA again. The only reason I'm doing so is because it is assumed GSU students can't find employment. To answer the question myself, I am questioning local firms I want to work for in 4 years. "How much does alma matter matter between the three schools?"

I suggest choosing where you want to work, and ask the firms themselves where they recruit.

[thexfactor]

dude uga isnt the land of milk and honey either......

[Grizz]

I'd only pay sticker for HYSCCN. That's it.

[Aqualibrium]

OP must have bombed the lsat.

[Ragged]

None, seriously. None are worth sticker. The only ones that are worth it are HYS.

[FunkyJD]

I live in Dallas and I know SMU grads have amazing job prospects. Also, I could go to Houston for less than 25k a year and I know they have pretty good employment prospects too. Texas has jobs overall and so I'd be pretty confident to attend either Texas school full price (kinda not sure on 40k at smu though). I'm really not sure about the others...

OP, as a fellow Texan, trust me. SMU at sticker is a real bad call. SMU grads do not have "amazing" job prospects. Per Law.com, if BigLaw is your goal, you have a 1/4 chance at best of achieving that from SMU. If you don't get that, your starting salary will not approach $120k-$160k for years, and that debt load will start to feel pretty heavy. Geographically speaking, SMU grads have decent job prospects in Dallas, non-existent ones in Austin, average ones in Houston, and are largely SOL outside of the state of Texas.

Don't do it. Negotiate with them, try and get some cash. If your LSAT is the problem, though, don't bother. Re-take or move on.