USC 2011 Forum

[Puttanesca]

Waitlisted. 159/166/3.7, UG: UCLA. Found out while in the airport on the way back from visiting ND. Is USC worth sticker? ND offered 30k and cost of living is like half of that in LA. I'm pretty sure that I don't want big law. I want to work in LA for sure. I am debt averse.

FWIW: ND was great. Really comfortable and seems like a great fit.

If you are pretty sure you don't want biglaw, USC is definitely not worth sticker. A non-biglaw job would not pay the kind of salary that you would need to pay back $150K+ of debt. That being said, unless you have personal connections to the LA market, if you go to ND, you may have to stay in the midwest - I don't think ND places well in LA. Do you have any other LA options?

[Autoaccept]

I'm decision finalized 4/8 as well. Would a rejection come through the mail, as well?

[Puttanesca]

I'm decision finalized 4/8 as well. Would a rejection come through the mail, as well?

Yes, both acceptances and rejections are sent through snail mail. Wait list shows up on the status checker.

[JenDarby]

Waitlisted. 159/166/3.7, UG: UCLA. Found out while in the airport on the way back from visiting ND. Is USC worth sticker? ND offered 30k and cost of living is like half of that in LA. I'm pretty sure that I don't want big law. I want to work in LA for sure. I am debt averse.
FWIW: ND was great. Really comfortable and seems like a great fit.

If you are pretty sure you don't want biglaw, USC is definitely not worth sticker. A non-biglaw job would not pay the kind of salary that you would need to pay back $150K+ of debt. That being said, unless you have personal connections to the LA market, if you go to ND, you may have to stay in the midwest - I don't think ND places well in LA. Do you have any other LA options?

This is pretty much what I was going to say. Without biglaw, 200k+ worth of debt is not very realistic.

[LPSDBX]

Waitlisted. 159/166/3.7, UG: UCLA. Found out while in the airport on the way back from visiting ND. Is USC worth sticker? ND offered 30k and cost of living is like half of that in LA. I'm pretty sure that I don't want big law. I want to work in LA for sure. I am debt averse.
FWIW: ND was great. Really comfortable and seems like a great fit.

If you are pretty sure you don't want biglaw, USC is definitely not worth sticker. A non-biglaw job would not pay the kind of salary that you would need to pay back $150K+ of debt. That being said, unless you have personal connections to the LA market, if you go to ND, you may have to stay in the midwest - I don't think ND places well in LA. Do you have any other LA options?

This is pretty much what I was going to say. Without biglaw, 200k+ worth of debt is not very realistic.

What about USC's LRAP? How realistic would it be to take on that kind of debt with intentions of going into PI?

[sreichel]

171/3.6ish here from a CA state school, IR 4/8 for what it's worth

[Kenji Khan]

Got rejection letter today. Sigh. was DF 4/8. So I guess that's not a good sign for all the other 4/8 DFs....

[RedItalus10]

Waitlisted. 159/166/3.7, UG: UCLA. Found out while in the airport on the way back from visiting ND. Is USC worth sticker? ND offered 30k and cost of living is like half of that in LA. I'm pretty sure that I don't want big law. I want to work in LA for sure. I am debt averse.
FWIW: ND was great. Really comfortable and seems like a great fit.

If you are pretty sure you don't want biglaw, USC is definitely not worth sticker. A non-biglaw job would not pay the kind of salary that you would need to pay back $150K+ of debt. That being said, unless you have personal connections to the LA market, if you go to ND, you may have to stay in the midwest - I don't think ND places well in LA. Do you have any other LA options?

This is pretty much what I was going to say. Without biglaw, 200k+ worth of debt is not very realistic.

What about USC's LRAP? How realistic would it be to take on that kind of debt with intentions of going into PI?

LRAP at USC is strong as far as I know, but I don't want to have to to PI if I dont want to just because of the debt and then after doing PI for a number of years be handicapped in the private market and then at that point the USC name may not be worth all the trouble anyways. ND said that CA is one of the top locations. It seems that if connections are there (which they are for me, pretty much all my family is in LA, I grew up in LA, etc) then it wouldn't be a problem. I met a girl from the SF Valley (where I'm from) and she got a job with a judge 1L summer and this upcoming summer will be working at the attorney general's office in downtown LA (which is what she wanted to do, she wasn't forced to work there because of lack of opportunity). ND would be roughly 60k cheaper all things included and considering that I want private practice at mid law (maybe 20 lawyers in the office) ND may be the choice. I have no money saved and my parent's are going to give me roughly $800 per month regardless of what the rent is. In South Bend the rent options are like $400-$500, which would put an extra few hundred in my pocket every month. At USC, I'd have to supplement what my parent's are giving with like $200 extra in loan money.

P.S. I appreciate the time people give to offer advice and perspective. TLS has def helped during this tumultuous time.

[gfunkera86]

DF 4/6. Reject. Really disappointed

[Puttanesca]

LRAP at USC is strong as far as I know, but I don't want to have to to PI if I dont want to just because of the debt and then after doing PI for a number of years be handicapped in the private market and then at that point the USC name may not be worth all the trouble anyways. ND said that CA is one of the top locations. It seems that if connections are there (which they are for me, pretty much all my family is in LA, I grew up in LA, etc) then it wouldn't be a problem. I met a girl from the SF Valley (where I'm from) and she got a job with a judge 1L summer and this upcoming summer will be working at the attorney general's office in downtown LA (which is what she wanted to do, she wasn't forced to work there because of lack of opportunity). ND would be roughly 60k cheaper all things included and considering that I want private practice at mid law (maybe 20 lawyers in the office) ND may be the choice. I have no money saved and my parent's are going to give me roughly $800 per month regardless of what the rent is. In South Bend the rent options are like $400-$500, which would put an extra few hundred in my pocket every month. At USC, I'd have to supplement what my parent's are giving with like $200 extra in loan money.

P.S. I appreciate the time people give to offer advice and perspective. TLS has def helped during this tumultuous time.

Yeah, if you have connections to LA, you shouldn't have a problem ending up in LA even if you go to ND. Best of luck to you!

[thelibear]

DF 4/6, rejected. Not surprised and not too sad. USD here I come!

[samfii]

edit: meant to be a PM

[gfunkera86]

Did everyone's reject letter come with instruction to apply as a transfer student? Seemed kinda weird...

[cool of law]

are all DF 4/6 rejections?

Just trying to save myself that walk of shame to and from the mailbox...

[JenDarby]

PLEASSSEEEE USC. Understand how much I want need you, and recognize that I have stood by your football team all these years, even after moving to Oregon, where I am shunned in bars, and have had a rough few years defending you....if I receive an acceptance letter this week, with any amount of money, I will surely attend. <3 (for now, I will take it back if you reject me, and renounce you forever)

[rinkrat19]

Waitlisted on Friday. The email came while I was sitting in a 150-year-old lecture hall at Northwestern, so it didn't sting much.

[nakiko2003]

DF 4/6. Still no snail mail here in NC... it seems that most of 4/6 batch are dinged? FINGERS CROSSED....

[jwmalone87]

Anyone else get updated to IR 4/9 yesterday? I was previously 3/18 and am sorta fearing the waitlist, but USC is easily my first choice and would deposit tomorrow if they'd let me.

[hwops23]

Is anyone else who went DF 4/1 still waiting on a decision letter in the mail? I got the Law Day email so I called admissions and they told me I was accepted, but I still haven't received anything in the mail officially. Should I be worried?

Also, how long does it take to receive the scholarship application after the acceptance letter?

[snichols16]

Is anyone else who went DF 4/1 still waiting on a decision letter in the mail? I got the Law Day email so I called admissions and they told me I was accepted, but I still haven't received anything in the mail officially. Should I be worried?

Also, how long does it take to receive the scholarship application after the acceptance letter?

I was 4/1, got letter dated 4/4 on 4/5, and got packed yesterday. Still no email for scholarship forms or admitted student portal.

[LttleBlakDress]

Holy Shit. Just noticed I went DF 4/8.

[JenDarby]

Holy Shit. Just noticed I went DF 4/8.

I am so anxious for my mail to come today...I'm on the west coast so I figure any day now....

[krad]

Good luck JD

I just went IR 3/2 -> IR 4/8... wth?

[JenDarby]

Good luck JD

I just went IR 3/2 -> IR 4/8... wth?

Thank you, I'm so anxious!!

I went IR 3/18 -> IR 4/7 -> DF 4/8....I bet you will be getting an answer real soon!

[krad]

Thank you, I'm so anxious!!

I went IR 3/18 -> IR 4/7 -> DF 4/8....I bet you will be getting an answer real soon!

Guhhhh nervous! SC is the only thing that could throw a wrench in BU at this point