South Texas College of Law Fall 2013 Forum

[mandimeoutof10]

I just received an email and was waitlisted. I'm above both of their medians and am honestly shocked. I have no character and fitness issues but am an atypical applicant (out of school for 5 years). This is now the 4th waitlist I'll be riding. I'm hoping for more waitlist movement than usual because of the weird cycle but we'll see. If I don't get off one of these waitlists, I may not be attending law school. Good luck to the rest of you guys who post in here. I hope you get in. However, clearly this isn't just a numbers game.

[ryoung81]

I just received an email and was waitlisted. I'm above both of their medians and am honestly shocked. I have no character and fitness issues but am an atypical applicant (out of school for 5 years). This is now the 4th waitlist I'll be riding. I'm hoping for more waitlist movement than usual because of the weird cycle but we'll see. If I don't get off one of these waitlists, I may not be attending law school. Good luck to the rest of you guys who post in here. I hope you get in. However, clearly this isn't just a numbers game.

If you don't mind me asking, what are you numbers?

[law1992]

Oh wow. I haven't even received anything. Perhaps that means a rejection for me?

[sgarzax10]

A lot of people with good numbers are waitlisted because there are many others interested in texas law schools who applied to stcl as a plan-b school, and the school is waiting to confirm if they'll be attending or not. I'm pretty sure people are constantly withdrawing and more people are getting accepted off the waitlist. So, to all of those waiting, good luck. For those of you who know they'll be attending, how do you guys feel about your decision? Do you guys think it is really as bad as some people on TLS make it seem? Do you think your chances of a job are good if you graduate in the middle of the class? I ask this because I am set on stcl, but when I think about it, I do feel kind of worried. I am confident in myself, but there is always that "what if" that gets me thinking and thinking.

[ryoung81]

A lot of people with good numbers are waitlisted because there are many others interested in texas law schools who applied to stcl as a plan-b school, and the school is waiting to confirm if they'll be attending or not. I'm pretty sure people are constantly withdrawing and more people are getting accepted off the waitlist. So, to all of those waiting, good luck. For those of you who know they'll be attending, how do you guys feel about your decision? Do you guys think it is really as bad as some people on TLS make it seem? Do you think your chances of a job are good if you graduate in the middle of the class? I ask this because I am set on stcl, but when I think about it, I do feel kind of worried. I am confident in myself, but there is always that "what if" that gets me thinking and thinking.

Oh, I think that's a very situational question:
Are you planning on staying Houston?
Do you (will you) have a strong professional network to draw on upon graduation?
Can you parent(s) pull strings for you?

You better answer yes to at least one of those questions

[BigZuck]

A lot of people with good numbers are waitlisted because there are many others interested in texas law schools who applied to stcl as a plan-b school, and the school is waiting to confirm if they'll be attending or not. I'm pretty sure people are constantly withdrawing and more people are getting accepted off the waitlist. So, to all of those waiting, good luck. For those of you who know they'll be attending, how do you guys feel about your decision? Do you guys think it is really as bad as some people on TLS make it seem? Do you think your chances of a job are good if you graduate in the middle of the class? I ask this because I am set on stcl, but when I think about it, I do feel kind of worried. I am confident in myself, but there is always that "what if" that gets me thinking and thinking.

STCL is probably the best TTTT in the country and is a better option than some top 100 schools (eg American University). As long as you're fine with "small law" in Houston it's a fine option at the right cost (and really no school in Texas gives anything close to a decent shot at big law other than maybe UT). Considering the types of jobs one will get out of STCL typically pay between 40-60K I wouldn't feel comfortable going into more than about 60K debt. That means either attending with a full ride (if you have to pay COL with loans) or leaning on someone else to pay your COL and not paying more than 60K in tuition.

Houston is a large legal market and has very few schools that really feed into it (T14s, UT, UH, STCL and that's about it) so as long as you can keep costs down and want small law I think it's a fine place to attend.

[sgarzax10]

Well, in my case, I am not directly related to someone in law. I do know some attorneys and people whose parents are lawyers, but I'm going with the mindset that I should be able to get a job by my own means. Debt aside, how real are my chances if I graduate somewhere in the middle of the pack? Would being bilingual (Spanish) have a tangible impact in finding a job, considering I stay in Houston or anywhere south of that where there are many Spanish-speaking people? And I'm not necessarily talking about big law. I'm talking about a 60k job. Should I really be that worried?

[BigZuck]

Well, in my case, I am not directly related to someone in law. I do know some attorneys and people whose parents are lawyers, but I'm going with the mindset that I should be able to get a job by my own means. Debt aside, how real are my chances if I graduate somewhere in the middle of the pack? Would being bilingual (Spanish) have a tangible impact in finding a job, considering I stay in Houston or anywhere south of that where there are many Spanish-speaking people? And I'm not necessarily talking about big law. I'm talking about a 60k job. Should I really be that worried?

Big law almost certainly is not happening. That is very hard (and at STCL, nearly impossible) to get out of every Texas school other than UT (and at UT it's still tough to get). If you look at law school transparency, 37/377 meaning about 10% of the class were employed at firms larger than 10 attorneys. I would assume these people make 60K+. The rest of those employed at firms (157/377) started out as solo practitioners or in firms of 2-10 attorneys. Impossible to say what each one makes but I'm guessing around 50K would be on the higher end of the spectrum for them.

[lawpurgatory]

Yay in! Could someone give me some input between south Texas and golden gate and new England? I know Texas is better in all respects but the other two are giving me 30k a year but it'd be pointless if I end up coming out unemployed even though I saved some money. I got into Seattle as well but zero money and very high sticker.

[law1992]

When did you get in?

[BigZuck]

Yay in! Could someone give me some input between south Texas and golden gate and new England? I know Texas is better in all respects but the other two are giving me 30k a year but it'd be pointless if I end up coming out unemployed even though I saved some money. I got into Seattle as well but zero money and very high sticker.

I wouldn't go to any of these schools unless they were cheap, I had ties to the city/state they are located in, and I was ok making between 40-60K a year. I wouldn't go to Golden Gate at all, that might be the very worst law school in the country. Too lazy to look up employment stats (you can go to lawschooltransparency.com to compare them) but I'm guessing STCL is by far the best of the bunch.

[lawpurgatory]

I've never been to Houston so I have no idea what to expect when it comes to quality of life especially since it's a regional school. Thank you though, it makes sense in career prospects it's just a big change.

I got in April 29th.

[law1992]

I've never been to Houston so I have no idea what to expect when it comes to quality of life especially since it's a regional school. Thank you though, it makes sense in career prospects it's just a big change.

I got in April 29th.

I PM'd you

[JS281]

It's looking like I will not be paying my second deposit. So I'm hoping one of yall take my spot and get some of the money I was offered.

[law1992]

Just got e-mail that I've been wait-listed

[Parsapar]

Just got e-mail that I've been wait-listed

Ah sorry to hear that, any time frame given? Second seat deposits were due yesterday so I can't imagine them taking long to give you a decision regarding being wait-listed.

What were your numbers?

[mandimeoutof10]

Just got e-mail that I've been wait-listed

Try your best not to sweat it. I really believe there will be a lot of waitlist movement, especially at what are traditionally "backup schools" like STCL. I am above their medians and was waitlisted. Disregard and move on but know that if you should get in, you probably will.

[law1992]

I'm actually doing this program so they won't give me a decision until I complete it.

[mandimeoutof10]

Got in today off the waitlist via email. GL to the rest.

[Mce252]

STCL 3L here summering in big law right now. If anyone has any questions or wants to PM me, feel free. I'll get back to you or post ASAP.

[sgarzax10]

Do you still believe people should go to law school somewhere else if possible? I ask this because I've read your posts in other forums, but thought that maybe your perspective from a year ago has changed now that you've been at the school longer and now that you've found a summer position at a big firm.

[Mce252]

Do you still believe people should go to law school somewhere else if possible? I ask this because I've read your posts in other forums, but thought that maybe your perspective from a year ago has changed now that you've been at the school longer and now that you've found a summer position at a big firm.

I don't think my perspective has changed. It really depends on the circumstances. Personally, I'm glad I went to South Texas because I ended up doing well academically and I have very little debt.

For those considering South Texas in the fall or later, you need to do so cautiously and aware of the amount of debt you will incur to attend. Going to another school might not be the best thing if you have a really low cost of attendance at South Texas, which was my situation. If your cost will be the same, you should definitely go to the highest ranked school you get into.

[sgarzax10]

What advice could you give those of us entering this Fall? I'm interested in knowing stuff about Law Review, OCI, tests, and things like these. Like, is there a tangible impact in job prospects if one is part of the schools Law Review? How much weight do things like law review and moot court carry when interviewing? Is it mostly grades? Is there a certain hiring trend that's going on right now that those of us entering law school might not know about? Like is there a certain type of law that's booming right now?

[Mce252]

What advice could you give those of us entering this Fall? I'm interested in knowing stuff about Law Review, OCI, tests, and things like these. Like, is there a tangible impact in job prospects if one is part of the schools Law Review? How much weight do things like law review and moot court carry when interviewing? Is it mostly grades? Is there a certain hiring trend that's going on right now that those of us entering law school might not know about? Like is there a certain type of law that's booming right now?

The most important thing for any 1L is to get high grades. All of OCI will be based on your first year grades and your interviewing skills--both are very important. For me, that meant focusing on nothing but school and my family. I didn't go out during the week and I treated it like a full time job. My best piece of advice in this area is not to listen to anyone but your professors and 2Ls/3Ls that are at the top of their classes. People get stuck trying to take advice from too many people, and often people that shouldn't be giving advice, and never actually think about how they learn best and how to process the material effectively. I do everything myself, including outlines. Some call this a waste of time; I call it a guarantee that I didn't miss anything.

Law Review is helpful, but not absolutely necessary. When recruiters look at your resume, it will be a requirement for some of the bigger firms. Others tend not to care as much. Either way, it shows that you write well and will have some sort of editing experience.

Moot court, on the other hand, was less important from my experiences. If you are absolutely set on being a trial lawyer, it will be helpful and will give you practical skills. If you're not absolutely sure what you will end up doing, it is a HUGE time commitment and will distract you from your grades. You won't have the opportunity to do much with either law review or moot court stuff as a 1L anyway. I chose not to do it at all.

I wouldn't worry much about area of law right now. You won't be able to choose if you don't have really high grades; you'll have to take what you can get. Get through your first year, see where you are, and then choose your relevant interests depending upon what opportunities present themselves during your 1L summer.

[sgarzax10]

Thanks for sharing that. It is what I--(and probably what others entering law school)--look for in these forums. And congratulations on landing the position at the big firm.