U of Minnesota vs. Wash U in St Louis

[spacecadet]

The situation:

UofM: 20,000/year scholarship (54% of tuition). I really enjoyed Minneapolis but wasn't too impressed by their admitted students weekend. (About $84,000 of debt after 3 years)

The admissions staff at UofM were also very kind and willing to be helpful but their response to emails hasn't been too great, there was just something about the students that I couldn't put my finger on, and the Dean didn't speak to us until the second day of admitted students weekend.

Wash U: 15,000/year scholarship (35% of tuition). I was really impressed by their admitted students weekend but was not impressed by St. Louis. (About $111,000 of debt after 3 years).

The admissions staff at Wash U have always been attentive, answering my emails almost immediately and the staff (professors and administration) all had great enthusiasm about the program and I was really impressed by the Dean. And, they have an amazing clinical program.


My aspirations are to practice International Development law or Immigration/Asylum Law and it is really important for me to return to my home state of California. I know that I'll be at a disadvantage at either school since they are in the Midwest and that's where their main markets are.


I've already deposited at Wash U. UofM's deposit deadline is tomorrow ($750)... should I deposit if I'm unsure?

Help?

[Ninja1]

If you really want to get back to California, why aren't you going to go to school there? If you can get into Minnesota and WUSTL with cash, you should be able to get into any of the UC schools and USC.

[lawboy81]

yeah, kind of weird. i'd imagine washington u might travel a little further though minnesota is just as good if not better.

[skaklight]

As a current Minnesotan and undergrad alumni who has lived in St. Louis and been to California:  Don't go to MN unless you like BIG schools and don't mind COLD weather.  U of MN is one of the largest colleges in the country in both enrollment and size.  I know people going to Wash U law school right now and they love it.

[bigs5068]

Yea as Ninja you should really go to California if that is where you want to work. Your professors, career service etc is going to have connections locally for the most part of course they will probably have a few connections outside of the area, but you are going to learn Minnesota Law at Minnesota granted a lot of the core concepts are the same at any ABA school, but there a lot of nuances to every state particularly California, which after my first year seems to deliberately want to make life harder for law students by being the one state that makes exceptions to every law.