Should I choose a T4 scholarship or admission to mid ranked schools?

[bigs5068]

I have been offered two big scholarships one to Widener 42,000 for the three years and a 25,000 scholarship to Texas Wesleyan, but I have been admitted to some better schools like Franklin Pierce and Michigan State.  I am just wondering what people's experience have been as a scholarship student and is it worht it to take the money and go to a lower ranked school.  Where when dealing with the slightly higher ranked schools there isn't as much attention.  I am not getting into Harvard or anything so is a tier 3 school really that much better than a T-4 and having 40,000 less debt.  I need to make my decision soon and I want to know what other people think.   

[Matthies]

There is something to be said for having a law degree with zero or little debt. Even from a low ranked school, and getting a low paying job, if you owe nothing its more in your pocket even if you make less. However, what the strings for the scholarships, what the curve at the school, how many lose their scholarships? Last, but probably most important when you’re looking at these schools is where do you want to live? They are all very regional. How big is the city you will be going to school in? Does it have a decent sized legal market so you can make contacts and get internships since you will likely have to rely on your own devices to land a job?

[bigs5068]

Those are good points the Widener scholarship is 14,000 guaranteed and I have to maintain a 3.0 each year.  Do most law students maintain a 3.0 or is that rare?  Texas Wesleyan guarantees 25,000 which is a good chunk of change, but Dallas does not really appeal to me.  Delaware I know has a lot of opportunities since it is where so many corporate headquarters are.  I am just trying to figure it out since decision time is coming up soon.  Anyways, thanks for your advice!

[Matthies]

Those are good points the Widener scholarship is 14,000 guaranteed and I have to maintain a 3.0 each year. 

  You need to find out what the schools cruve is, if the school cruves to a 3.0 then you have about a 50% chance of keeping, but many lower rnake schools cruve much lower than this (bassiclly the higher rank the higher curve). If the school cruves to a 2.7 or a 2.5, 3.0 is going to get much harder to hit, and you could lose money, so whatever you pick budget like you won't get any $ and maket sure your oK with that figure, if you keep it great, if you don't you already know the worst case numbers and are ok with them.

My T2 has a 3.0 curve so basscilly half the class has a 3.0 or abouve and half a 2.9 or below.

[vap]

As Matthies has said, location is very important, in addition to the curve/requirements to keep the scholarship at each school.

Also, regarding Delaware, does the state really have that much business?  I thought it just has lots of corporations registered there without much physical presence.  Dallas has a pretty heavy business concentration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_companies_in_Dallas/Ft.Worth

[latinlord]

As Matthies has said, location is very important, in addition to the curve/requirements to keep the scholarship at each school.

Also, regarding Delaware, does the state really have that much business?  I thought it just has lots of corporations registered there without much physical presence.  Dallas has a pretty heavy business concentration: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_major_companies_in_Dallas/Ft.Worth

Widener has a very very harsh curve... i think like a 2.5 or something... But there are a lot of opportunites on the east coast, widener grads are all over PA, DE and NJ.. But what hurts is the amount of competition they have to face from the tons of other law schools in the region.

[bigs5068]

Well now I just got offered an 80,000 scholarship to La Verne which is in L.A. I almost went there for undergrad.   know it is only provisionally approved and I thought I heard somewhere they have a very harsh curve is their anyway to find out what a schools curve is?  I assume the school will make it seem that I will maintain a 3.0 each year which I hope to do, but if it is very difficult to do I want to know.  Thanks for everybody's input so far.

[willametterules]

I have been offered two big scholarships one to Widener 42,000 for the three years and a 25,000 scholarship to Texas Wesleyan, but I have been admitted to some better schools like Franklin Pierce and Michigan State.  I am just wondering what people's experience have been as a scholarship student and is it worht it to take the money and go to a lower ranked school.  Where when dealing with the slightly higher ranked schools there isn't as much attention.  I am not getting into Harvard or anything so is a tier 3 school really that much better than a T-4 and having 40,000 less debt.  I need to make my decision soon and I want to know what other people think.   

I took a full ride to a T4 and lost it to the curve (2.96/4.0)...needed a 3.0 to keep the scholarship.  At my T4 half of the class had a scholarship, 65% or so lost them.  My 2.96 put me in about the middle of the class.  I'm currently finishing up at a T2.

My advice?  Don't take the bargain basement school unless you are content to graduate from there and work in the region it places people.  If the school has shaky initial career placements and you have no network...DON'T GO!

People lose these scholarships and get trapped paying full tuition at these schools ALL THE TIME...the schools count on this and use the curve to ensure it.  If they won't flat out tell you the curve or how many members of the previous class lost scholarships...you know you should run away fast.  Likewise, if they feed you some bull about how good your numbers are and that you shouldn't worry your pretty little head about losing your scholarship...run away.

All of this is posted everywhere in this site.  What isn't?  The fact that attending a lower ranked school where people flunk out in high numbers (attrition rate) and decreased job opportunities intensifies competition to often staggering levels.  Throw on top of that worrying from grading period to grading period whether or not you'll lose your scholarship.  Law school is stressful enough all by itself...the kids at high ranked programs have no idea how hard attending these programs can be. 

I gave it a shot and am now at a regional school in a region and market I love.  I'm very grateful for the "free" first year, but would not have continued law school as a full tuition paying student at a T4 under any circumstances.  There just isn't enough bang for your buck for the average student. 

[bigs5068]

Thank you for that asking how many kept the scholarship is a great question that I will definetly be asking.  I wish I wasn't in CHina now and I could investigate some of these schools a little more.  La Verne is in L.A. which is my hometown and there is some opportunity.  I guess the curve to keep the scholarship is 2.6 which shouldn't be to difficult but I don't know.  Are there any current La Verne students anywhere??? Alumni who have had succesful careers etc?  I just want to hear from someone other than an admissions officer.

[willametterules]

Thank you for that asking how many kept the scholarship is a great question that I will definetly be asking.  I wish I wasn't in CHina now and I could investigate some of these schools a little more.  La Verne is in L.A. which is my hometown and there is some opportunity.  I guess the curve to keep the scholarship is 2.6 which shouldn't be to difficult but I don't know.  Are there any current La Verne students anywhere??? Alumni who have had succesful careers etc?  I just want to hear from someone other than an admissions officer.

I'm sure you already looked, but the attrition rate for first years at La Verne is 23%.... that's a big problem. By graduation, 30% of the class doesn't graduate.

http://officialguide.lsac.org/SearchResults/SchoolPage_PDFs/ABA_LawSchoolData/ABA4381.pdf