Indiana $, Loyola, $$, UCLA $$$, USC $$$$, UT$$$$,

[SoCalLawLove]

I want to practice in Los Angeles but Indiana (#27) has offered me a full ride.  UCLA and USC have always been my dream schools but I'd have to pay pretty close to sticker for each (30k, 45k).  Loyola has a good reputation (#56) and alumni network in LA and has offered me a 75% scholarship (10k).

Let me know what you think and why.

[like_lasagna]

UCLA

Indiana is not a good idea if you want to practice in Los Angeles. UCLA is the best school of the four and a better value than USC anyway. Loyola isn't a bad school, but you'll be much better off going to UCLA (one of the best law schools in southern California) and not being put in a hole in terms of finding a job.

[lawstudent2011]

If it's free go for it.

[bigs5068]

Do not go to Indiana if you want to be in L.A. Go to UCLA or USC those are the best schools in the area and will open a lot of doors in L.A. Loyola is fine school, but really nobody cares if it was ranked 56th, 43, 96th, it is a slightly above average law school in a flooded market. People from Harvard, Yale, UCLA, Stanford, Berkeley, USC, move to L.A. for jobs and Loyola although a good school does not hold a candle to the others.

If you did nto have access to one of the top schools in the area I would always say take the money, but when Elite schools accept you then you should go. UCLA & USC are elite schools. Loyola, Pepperdine, Hastings, etc are not they are good, but do not carry anywhere near the prestige UCLA and USC does.

Indiana just makes no sense unless you wanted to live in Indiana. Nobody in L.A. is going to be impressed by an IU degree. In Indiana they would, but it does not sound like you want to end up there. So don't go.

[lawstudent2011]

If school X costs you $100K in debt and the other is $0, then who cares if you have to (god forbid) try a little harder to get work day one?
Even if you took a whole year off you'd still come out ahead!(no interest)

[bigs5068]

The name of your school will be with you for your entire legal career. If it was a school like Loyola Marymount full price tag or Southwestern free. Then Southwestern, because nobody will really know the difference. UCLA and USC will open a lot of doors by their name alone, and if you get into a nationally known school. Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, UCLA, USC, Stanford, Berkeley, and a select few short list of other schools 100K is probably worth it.

Not to mention you will go in debt at Loyola, or Indiana because you will need to pay for living expenses. I imagine there is also a condition to keep your scholarship and if you do not meet it at the end of your first year you will be stuck paying full price at a school that is not elite.

[SoCalLawLove]

Thanks for all of the input guys!  Loyola's offer is contingent upon me staying in the top 30% of the class at the end of each year, however Indiana has offered my a full ride with no exceptions.  As long as I don't fail out or have a serious ethical charge placed against me IU is free.  I have some money saved and the grants that I expect to get should make living expenses, which are much cheaper in Indiana then in LA, pretty much a non-factor.  Though Big Law and a high starting salary are goals of mine, they become significantly less important when I have zero debt to worry about.  I am confident that my personality and my academic success will lead me to employment in Los Angeles, even if it's not at a top 100 firm.  Also I've heard of plenty of UCLA law students that are really struggling to get hired.  So, even if I do go to an "elite" L.A. school, big law employment surely isn't guaranteed, though graduating with significant financial obligations would be.  I am still strongly considering UCLA and USC but IU does sound pretty appealing. 

Any and all other comments are greatly appreciated!

[bigs5068]

Graduating debt free is certainly appealing, but you are going to be in Indiana for three years. All your connections will be out there, and L.A. employers are more likely to hire from prestigious schools or L.A. schools than from Indiana. Just imagine the difficulty you will have getting to an interview in L.A. while your in school. No Los Angeles employers will come to Indiana for On-Campus Interviews. I am sure IU has very few if any people that ever contact their career services from L.A. Indiana works fine in the Midwest, but just the practicability of getting out to L.A for a single interview will be onerous.  Of course you can do it, but if your ultimate goal is to end up in L.A. you should go to school in L.A.  UCLA & USC are not guarantees and no school is, but odds are if you go to UCLA, USC, or even Loyola you will end up employed in L.A.

That 30% is a huge red flag against Loyola. There is a 70% chance you will not end up in the top 30%, nothing against you, but everyone in law school is smart and hard working. Class rankings are a bit of crapshoot and I would highly discourage you from passing up UCLA, USC or even IU for a scholarship with that stringent of requirements.

[SoCalLawLove]

Anyone else able to chime in??  If I do decide to go to school in LA, and one have thoughts on UCLA vs USC??  I haven't received my final financial aid package from with school yet, but assuming they cost the same amount of money where should I go?  I realize UCLA has a slight edge in the rankings but USC students pass the bar on the first try at a significantly higher rate than UCLA (91% vs 81%).  Also, I feel like the Trojan network of employers is more loyal to their base than the Bruin network.   Thoughts, experiences, advice??

[MeganEW]

I think you can narrow it down to IU vs. UCLA. UCLA is going to be best for LA (at worst, tied with USC) and has in-state tuition, but graduating with minimal student loan debt will also provide you a lot of options if you want to do PI or even just take your time during your job search.

If you can make it out to Bloomington, definitely go visit and really try to get a feel for the school. Hopefully it'll be clear after visiting both. It might also help to talk to attorneys in LA and see what they think.  You might try to leverage your IU scholarship to get more money from UCLA and/or USC, too.

Congrats on the great options!