Has anyone in the history of LSD ever turned down their highest ranked school?

[hilljack]

rankings don't, but brackets do--the same firms that interwiew at the T14ish schools will interview at other schools, but not t3s--the difference between a school like Michigan and a school like Ohio State is not that great; the difference between Michigan and Georgia State on the other hand.


also, I geuss I am idealistic, but I want to go to a top school for a better education.

[TBoneUCLA]

i wouldnt argue that going to a higher ranked school often comes with perks such as better job opportunities. i would def agree witht hat

but i am saying that the population at large often make school decisions based on other things like specific programs, location (for a myriad of reasons) and money offers.

[jessesamuel]

I'm leaning toward Hastings over UGA and Iowa.

[hilljack]

i wouldnt argue that going to a higher ranked school often comes with perks such as better job opportunities. i would def agree witht hat

but i am saying that the population at large often make school decisions based on other things like specific programs, location (for a myriad of reasons) and money offers.

I agree; I don't think it is a wise choice to choose solely on rankings--if I were accepted to Yale and Harvard, I would go to Harvard because I would rather live in Boston and Harvard has a better business law rep.  If I were accepted to Harvard and UGA w/ full ride, I would still go to Harvard, even though I would much rather live in Georgia, because the difference is to great.  Other people, as you said, would very reasonably choose otherwise.

[tacojohn]

I'm trying to decide between Marquette and IU-Bloomington, which is about 70 spots in the rankings.  If IU doesn't give me the scholarship they said I was in the running for, then it's Marquette all the way.  But if the money is equal, then it's going to be my love for Bloomington vs. my love for studying sports law (well, the sports industry in general, but sports law at Marquette).

I probably could have gotten into some T14's but the only one I had any desire to go to was U of M, so I only applied there, and they waitlisted me.

And Wayne State over IUB?!!!  As a native Michigander, and tireless defender of Detroit being "not that bad", I still can't imagine that.  Must be something much much more important than location, because great college town beats bad neighborhood of top 10 most dangerous city everyday.  Guess I'm just way too biased toward Bloomington.

[Guy Incognito]

I'll almost surely end up taking the full ride at a 20-30 ranked school over no money at Chicago, Penn, Michigan etc. 

Tough decision, but I think it is right for me. 

Unfortunately money does play a role in all of this. 

[AuburnChick]

I did! i turned down GSU for samford!

[burghblast]

I'll almost surely end up taking the full ride at a 20-30 ranked school over no money at Chicago, Penn, Michigan etc. 

Tough decision, but I think it is right for me. 

Unfortunately money does play a role in all of this. 

YOu're the first person I've seen make this decision.  I'd love to hear your rationalizations and justifications for this, because I debated the same thing myself before deciding to spend the money on the better school.

[tacojohn]

I'll almost surely end up taking the full ride at a 20-30 ranked school over no money at Chicago, Penn, Michigan etc. 

Tough decision, but I think it is right for me. 

Unfortunately money does play a role in all of this. 

YOu're the first person I've seen make this decision.  I'd love to hear your rationalizations and justifications for this, because I debated the same thing myself before deciding to spend the money on the better school.

One of the reasons I think it's so rare is that a lot of law school applicants (not all, not even most, but a lot) just see it as a present value problem.  "Is going $100,000 more into debt worth my extra $ millions later?"  I don't know exactly how it works out (although most law schools have the data to do it), but most see the future sum as being worth more.

If I get off the Michigan waitlist, then most likely I'll be turning them down for either a school barely in the top 100, or a top 40, both with full-tuition scholarships.  But then again, I'm a special case.

[TBoneUCLA]

I'll almost surely end up taking the full ride at a 20-30 ranked school over no money at Chicago, Penn, Michigan etc. 

Tough decision, but I think it is right for me. 

Unfortunately money does play a role in all of this. 

YOu're the first person I've seen make this decision.  I'd love to hear your rationalizations and justifications for this, because I debated the same thing myself before deciding to spend the money on the better school.

burgh, did you read all of the responses on here? i personally named two people i know that are doing the same thing (ditching a t20 for a low t1 high t2 school with moolah)   not to mention several others have as well