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Messages - JAGX

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Choosing the Right Law School / Geroge Washington vs University at Buffalo

« on: July 21, 2011, 10:25:56 AM »

So 75k UB vs 220k GW?

GW is a much better school, but I'd be drowning in debt, plus I don't know if I would be able to compete well enough with the other students to snag a six figure job I'd need to pay off my loans. On the plus side, it would be a much better chance for me to earn more once I graduate, and have more opportunities.

UB is just the opposite; easier to compete, less debt, but also less earning power and less opportunities.

Thoughts?

Choosing the Right Law School / Re: Expensive Tier 1 or Inexpensive Tier 2 school? Geroge Mason / UB

« on: February 05, 2011, 02:12:22 PM »

I'm going to visit both schools, talk to careers, alum, and current students.

Choosing the Right Law School / Live at home or on/near campus?

« on: February 05, 2011, 01:55:49 PM »

I'm going to be starring law school in the Fall, and I'm considering going to my local law school (UB).

I live about ~45 min away, and I commute for undergrad. But, for law school, I suspect that I will have to spend long hours after class studying in the library after hours and on the weekends. I would also like to participate in mock trial and/or a law review journal. This being said, it will be add a significant cost to get an apartment. I think it would be easier in general to be able to have a home base to bounce back and forth to between classes, but of course my father disagrees and thinks I should just sit in the library between/after class, then come home after I'm done.

What should I consider and what do you think I should do?

Choosing the Right Law School / Re: Expensive Tier 1 or Inexpensive Tier 2 school? Geroge Mason / UB

« on: January 24, 2011, 04:45:02 PM »

Hmmm these are all good points to consider. I personally don't know which type of law I'm interested in practicing yet, but perhaps criminal law might be an option? Additionally, I don't really know where I want to live in terms of what region, although I do prefer the suburbs to a city.

Frankly I don't even know how some people could know both of these things for sure before they've actually lived in other places and experienced the different types of law curriculum that the schools have to offer...

One thing that I do know is that I would like to have my options open, and surely the caliber of school I attend will determine this to some degree? I know living in buffalo is inexpensive, and I gather the opposite about the other places mentioned, which might pose a problem, because I would have to work to afford that kind of apartment.

The one thing that gives me pause is what the poster above said, about academia. I have often considered this as a plausible career, and being a law professor might just be right for me. The only thing is, what are the odds of actually getting into that profession, and where do GM grads get hired in academia? The numbers I looked at said 2-3% of them went into academia, and I don't know if that is because it is very competitive or because not many people want to go into that field, and I don't know what the salary for that is either?

The final, most stable criterion I suppose would be salary. Either way, I'm going to have to pay back a goo amount of loans, the difference being 36k for UB and 100k for GM. So, I still have much thinking to do...

Choosing the Right Law School / Expensive Tier 1 or Inexpensive Tier 2 school? Geroge Mason / UB

« on: January 23, 2011, 03:42:15 PM »

So, I have a difficult choice to make, I was recently accepted into George Mason, and as you all know, they are a Tier one school around rank #41. The tuition is around 35k for out of state, and it is notoriously hard to adjust to in-state status, so I won't count on that.

In tier two, I have been accepted into the University at Buffalo, ranked #80 or so, with a 12k tuition (after a 5k scholarship). As a bonus, this is my home town, so it's close and I have a minor network of contacts and obviously family in the area, but there aren't too many jobs out here.

I'm also on the wait list for Washington and Lee, which is rated a little better than George Mason.

So what advice would the good people of this forum have for me? Going out of state would cost me about 60-70k more to attend George Mason, and I would not have any family or contacts. But, I would be going into a 'better' school with supposedly better job prospects and a better salary. UB, on the other hand, is close to home, and is very inexpensive. It may even be easier to get into the coveted top 10%, since the competition may not be as stiff. However, the average starting salary is of course lower, and the school name is not as well recognized (although I don't know how well Gorge Mason is either).

What should I do and what factors should I consider?

Choosing the Right Law School / Re: Tier Rankings?

« on: January 13, 2011, 05:47:17 AM »

Thanks for the fast reply, so much useful info.

My decision is based on two things really, which of my reach schools accept me and if it is worth the $ to go to a t25 school, say Boston U. It will cost 3-4x more than say The University at Buffalo, which is ranked say 80th or so. So how could I go about evaluating which would be the better option for me, considering Boston might cost around 35-45k and UB will cost around 12k?

Assuming I get into my reach schools, I debate this issue because I hear the job market for lawyers is really bad, and many people are having a hard time paying back their HUGE loans!

See this link and the several blogs it links to:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/business/09law.html?_r=1
(free to create account)

Choosing the Right Law School / Tier Rankings?

« on: January 12, 2011, 07:59:32 PM »

I'm looking at the U.S. News site, but it goes straight from tier 1 to tier 3, where is Tier 2?

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