Question about tier 3 California schools

[dubris]

I'm looking to apply to tier 3 schools for "safeties." I know a couple of grads from Pacific, and they do pretty well, so I am open to going to a tier three school. If I were to pick 2 out of these four universities to apply to, which should they be:

Pepperdine
Chapman U.
Southwestern
Pacific (McGeorge)

Thanks

[LawSchool2006]

Pepperdine and Chapman!! They have good recs in their areas.

[Munkeysgrrl]

Pepperdine and Chapman!! They have good recs in their areas.

I second that.  If you want to practice in OC, go to Chapman, I know people that have done very well.  If you want to practice in LA, go to Pepperdine.  Or go to whoever gives you $$!  Chapman is pretty generous.  Good Luck!

[jd4me]

What do y'all think about Whittier Law School?

[Aonghus]

I think less than a two thirds of their L1s make it to graduation, and of those that graduate less than 1/3 pass the bar.

Not very good odds, I wouldnt go without a full ride, and then you got a pretty good chance at pissing way 3 years for nothing.

[Keilie]

McGeorge is fairly generous as well, if you have high numbers.  Think about where you want to be after school, they all have better regional influence than even moving elsewhere in the state.

[The ZAPINATOR]

edit

[dubris]

My concern about Pepperdine is that it is right on the beach. It can't be cheap to live there. Whereas McGeorge is in Sacramento, which is very cheap for California (I went to undergrad at Davis.)

[Munkeysgrrl]

My concern about Pepperdine is that it is right on the beach. It can't be cheap to live there. Whereas McGeorge is in Sacramento, which is very cheap for California (I went to undergrad at Davis.)

You don't have to live right on the beach.  I am from NorCal, and honestly there aren't many people who would choose Sac over Malibu.  Quality of life is important when you are in law school.  Sorry, but Sac sux!

[ruskiegirl]

Well, I think I may have a shot at getting into somewhere in the top 14 as a diversity admit (I grew up in Romania in the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union and its satellite states).  That said, I'm still applying to Pepperdine as a safe school.  It's practically on the freaking beach, in Malibu.  Think of the bikinis!  The school itself looks beautiful from pics I've seen, and I have heard they don't even do it justice.  And it apparently has a good reputation if you'd like to work in the LA area.

Then again, I'm biased.  I went to Lipscomb University, another small church of Christ-affiliated school in Tennessee, and I got a ridiculously great education.  I found amazing professors who really cared about me as a person, and who have been mentors and advisors to me ever since.  I figure Pepperdine would be similar to Lipscomb, so I wouldn't at all mind going there, and if I were you, I'd apply!  No question about it.

That said, if I get into a top-14, that's where I'm going unless Vandy makes me a ridiculously good offer.  (Look at me, I haven't even applied yet and I'm already counting my chickens... I prefer to think of it as "planning ahead" and I have several different scenarios already all planned out).

In summation:  Definitely apply to Pepperdine.

ZAP   

My buddy got into Vandy on the best merit scholarship they offer with a 3.8/167, so you definitely ought to get some money out of them.  Your diverisity will definitely help as well, and may even land you in the top 14, so definitely apply to a few up there.

Have you thought about Tennessee for a safety?  They would probably give you preference as an in-state applicant and they are ranked a bit higher than Pepperdine. 

What type of law do you want to do? Where do you want to practice?