Would You Still Go to Law School If You Hadn't Got Into the Schools You Did?

[filet o' fish]

Assuming for whatever reason you didn't get into the range of schools you got into (t14, t1, t2, whatever), would you still go to law school?

If so, why?

If not, why not? And what else would you do (besides saying that you'd take the next year to study for and retake the LSAT)?

[SCK2008]

Yes.  I want to be a lawyer.  Please tell me more about your avatar.

[t L]

No. Not worth the cost.

[Bulldog86]

Hmm. So if I hadn't got into any T1s (and assuming I knew that I didn't have the numbers going in, so I would've applied to some safeties below that level), would I still go? Probably.

I'm from Georgia, so if I'd gotten into (say) Ga. State, it's cheap and decent, and I'd be OK with that option. Failing that, if I could get into Mercer, I'd strongly consider it -- I'm from Macon and know lots of Mercer alums that are successful there, and I'd be fine staying. If I didn't get in Mercer, though, I'm not sure... I really want to be a lawyer, but if I had to move far away and/or take out a huge amount of debt, and still face long-shot career prospects... well, I don't think I could do that to myself.

Assuming I wasn't too discouraged, I'd probably try to get a job in government or something and work on the LSAT. If I just couldn't handle that, I'd probably either try to get certified to teach (while hoping my parents -- both teachers -- didn't try to have me committed!) or maybe look at grad schools in psychology or something. There just aren't too many options for BAs...

[JeNeSaisLaw]

I hope not. I think about this often. I hope I would have been smart enough to not sink money irresponsibly.

[R.P. McMurphy]

i doubt it. i'm still a bit hesitant going to W&L. i'd maybe go to a T2 with a huge scholarship or a T3 with a full ride. there is no way i'd pay full price for anything ranked below 30ish.

of course, this is how i feel now that my cycle is done. if the best school i'd been admitted to was a T2, maybe i would have gone...i dunno.

[Pop Up Video]

If I don't get into any of the schools on my list, I would reapply the next year to the local T2 with <$20,000 tuition. And hope for a scholarship.

[SCK2008]

My philosophy is go to law school if you want to be a lawyer.  Bank on your own abilities and make it happen.  Sounds silly I guess.  But how many people told Emeril not to go to culinary school b/c opening a restaurant is a recipe for failure?  And BAM!  Now look at him...follow your heart.

[filet o' fish]

My philosophy is go to law school if you want to be a lawyer.  Bank on your own abilities and make it happen.  Sounds silly I guess.  But how many people told Emeril not to go to culinary school b/c opening a restaurant is a recipe for failure?  And BAM!  Now look at him...follow your heart.

Lol, one out of how many?

[Pop Up Video]

My philosophy is go to law school if you want to be a lawyer.  Bank on your own abilities and make it happen.  Sounds silly I guess.  But how many people told Emeril not to go to culinary school b/c opening a restaurant is a recipe for failure?  And BAM!  Now look at him...follow your heart.

I just think of law school as an investment because it's a professional school, and the point is to get a job. If a school costs $50,000+ per year in tuition + expenses but doesn't offer a reasonably good shot at a well-paying job, it's not a very good investment, no matter how much I want to be an attorney.

So I don't think of law school as any rite de passage, but rather as an investment.