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Ok. I am seriously going nuts here and any input from TLS would be appreciated.

Here's the situation:
I've been accepted at the U of MN where I'm in-state, have a fat scholarship, and my SO of 4 years (not married or engaged) has also been accepted. We have already signed a lease to an amazing apartment that is right across the street from the law school and everything is set for the fall (2012).

Last week, University of Virginia (where I've been waitlisted since December) threw a curve ball at me and said that if I agreed to defer a year, I'd have a guaranteed seat in 2013. This would require me to withdraw my seat @ MN and agree to not apply anywhere else next year.

With my numbers, it's amazing that they want me at all and it's always been my dream to go to a T14 and work in the East Coast. Unfortunately they're not guaranteeing any schollies and I'll probably have to pay sticker. Waiting another year would also suck because it'll be my fourth year out of undergrad and my current FT job is decent but I'm sick of it.

So, do I take MN this year where I have ties to the area, a lease signed with the SO, and practically no debt, or put another year of my life on hold for the chance of pursuing my dream of T14/East Coast/Big Law with shit loads of debt????

Note: I'm very in love with the SO and choosing UVA would crush him/potentially destroy the relationship.

I think the general wisdom would be go to UVA, but no one here can tell you how to react in regards to your SO.

(Though, if it would help you make up your mind you can always hint to him that a ring on your finger would make the decision easier)

Get DAT ROCK gurl and go to Minn. Yall can be depressed lawyers together.

I can understand Minn here iff: 1) You plan on marrying your SO, and 2) You want to work in Minnesota.

If both conditions do not apply, go UVA. Also, are they giving you any scholarship money at UVA?

rad lulz wrote:Get DAT ROCK gurl and go to Minn. Yall can be depressed lawyers together.

Nooo I'm not interested in getting married. Maybe in like 10 years.

Doorkeeper wrote:I can understand Minn here iff: 1) You plan on marrying your SO, and 2) You want to work in Minnesota.

If both conditions do not apply, go UVA. Also, are they giving you any scholarship money at UVA?

They said I may qualify for scholly money but no guarantee. Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Not planning on marrying the SO any time soon, but we have a really solid relationship and I can't really see myself with anyone else.

whatismylife wrote:

rad lulz wrote:Get DAT ROCK gurl and go to Minn. Yall can be depressed lawyers together.

Nooo I'm not interested in getting married. Maybe in like 10 years.

Do you plan on marrying THIS SO?

How close to zero is the debt from UMinn? Considering your situation, I think I'd stick with UMinn. Sticker at UVa still carries a lot of risk and it would disrupt your life a lot.

Samara wrote:How close to zero is the debt from UMinn? Considering your situation, I think I'd stick with UMinn. Sticker at UVA still carries a lot of risk and it would disrupt your life a lot.

I guess I shouldn't have said "practically no debt" because I'd still be $40,000 in the hole, but relative to UVA/what others pay for law school in general it's pretty insignificant.

whatismylife wrote:

Samara wrote:How close to zero is the debt from UMinn? Considering your situation, I think I'd stick with UMinn. Sticker at UVA still carries a lot of risk and it would disrupt your life a lot.

I guess I shouldn't have said "practically no debt" because I'd still be $40,000 in the hole, but relative to UVA/what others pay for law school in general it's pretty insignificant.

Yeah, that's still substantial, but definitely doable. Will your SO have a lot of debt? Will you be or feel obligated to help her out if she strikes out?

whatismylife wrote:Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Define "good job"

Samara wrote:

whatismylife wrote:

Samara wrote:How close to zero is the debt from UMinn? Considering your situation, I think I'd stick with UMinn. Sticker at UVA still carries a lot of risk and it would disrupt your life a lot.

I guess I shouldn't have said "practically no debt" because I'd still be $40,000 in the hole, but relative to UVA/what others pay for law school in general it's pretty insignificant.

Yeah, that's still substantial, but definitely doable. Will your SO have a lot of debt? Will you be or feel obligated to help her out if she strikes out?

My SO will have no debt because his parents are paying for everything + he got a big scholly.

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Define "good job"

High-paying job at a large firm, in-house at a Fortune 500 (though I know this requires several years of experience first)

whatismylife wrote:

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Define "good job"

High-paying job at a large firm, in-house at a Fortune 500 (though I know this requires several years of experience first)

Yeah your chances of that from UMinn are pretty slim yaknow. Like 20% of the class gets this result. Might be time to reevaluate with this SO...

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Define "good job"

High-paying job at a large firm, in-house at a Fortune 500 (though I know this requires several years of experience first)

Yeah your chances of that from UMinn are pretty slim yaknow. Like 20% of the class gets this result. Might be time to reevaluate with this SO...

This. If you choose Minn, you're going to need to be happy at any law firm in Minnesota...not necessarily a "high-paying" job at a "large" firm.

and TBF, you and your SO will probably hate each other after three years of lawl school.

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:

rad lulz wrote:

whatismylife wrote:Don't really want to work in MN but am open to it if it's a good job.

Define "good job"

High-paying job at a large firm, in-house at a Fortune 500 (though I know this requires several years of experience first)

Yeah your chances of that from UMinn are pretty slim yaknow. Like 20% of the class gets this result. Might be time to reevaluate with this SO...

Your goals sound much more in line with UVA than UMinn. I'd go to UVA. If you are willing to work in small firms / other relatively low paying jobs for your SO then go to Minn.

If you've got your heart set on these goals then UVA by a mile, and I say this as somebody going to UMN this fall (and really excited about it.)

Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

JamMasterJ wrote:Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

It's not out of the question, but the winters are unbearable for me (I'm 100lb half-asian girl). I did my UG here and was really looking forward to getting out of Minny, but the SO got in and it became the best option. I guess I can stick it out for 3 years in lawl school if needed but would do everything I can to get out once I graduate.

whatismylife wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

It's not out of the question, but the winters are unbearable for me (I'm 100lb half-asian girl). I did my UG here and was really looking forward to getting out of Minny, but the SO got in and it became the best option. I guess I can stick it out for 3 years in lawl school if needed but would do everything I can to get out once I graduate.

It's going to be really hard to leave the state from that school, go UVA.

whatismylife wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

It's not out of the question, but the winters are unbearable for me (I'm 100lb half-asian girl). I did my UG here and was really looking forward to getting out of Minny, but the SO got in and it became the best option. I guess I can stick it out for 3 years in lawl school if needed but would do everything I can to get out once I graduate.

Then you need to go to UVA. This isn't even an option.

Doorkeeper wrote:

whatismylife wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

It's not out of the question, but the winters are unbearable for me (I'm 100lb half-asian girl). I did my UG here and was really looking forward to getting out of Minny, but the SO got in and it became the best option. I guess I can stick it out for 3 years in lawl school if needed but would do everything I can to get out once I graduate.

Then you need to go to UVA. This isn't even an option.

Hmmm when I went to ASW, it sounded like quite a few grads had jobs lined up on the coasts though?

whatismylife wrote:

Doorkeeper wrote:

whatismylife wrote:

JamMasterJ wrote:Minnesota is TCR unless the idea of working in Minnesota is out of the question

It's not out of the question, but the winters are unbearable for me (I'm 100lb half-asian girl). I did my UG here and was really looking forward to getting out of Minny, but the SO got in and it became the best option. I guess I can stick it out for 3 years in lawl school if needed but would do everything I can to get out once I graduate.

Then you need to go to UVA. This isn't even an option.

Hmmm when I went to ASW, it sounded like quite a few grads had jobs lined up on the coasts though?

prob top 5/10% people with ties.

Ruxin1 wrote:
prob top 5/10% people with ties.

Minnesota has a quartile system, actually.

Probably right on the ties though, people who grew up out of state and then utilized those networks to move back probably make up a huge chunk of that OOS number.