Question

[DJ JD]

I recently sent out my apps to several East coast (nyu, columbia, fordham, penn) and West coast (loyola (LA), ucla, usc, boalt) schools. I've been offered a full scholarship at Loyola already, and I plan to practice law in LA.

If I were admitted to USC/UCLA, do you think it's worth it to take out loans and forego the scholarship at Loyola? I'm confident that it's worth it to take out loans for NYU/Columbia/Penn/Boalt, I'm just not sure about SC and UCLA, in terms of getting jobs in LA.

Truthfully, I don't have to decide until I hear back from all of these schools, but it's hard not to think about it ahead of time.

Thanks for reading, and commenting.

-DJ (3.8 from Dartmouth; 166 LSAT).

[joe23sxe]

I would take the money and run. Loyola has a great reputatation in L.A. and is pretty much the unanimous No. 3 law school in a huge legal market with surprisingly few law schools. Think about it: You'd be getting paid to study law minutes from the beach at a great law school in a great market. You wouldn't have to worry about post-graduation debt and, judging from the fact that you'd be on scholarship, you'd probably graduate near the top of your class, guaranteeing you a job.

[AaronRCheng]

Hey, I'm a current 1L at Loyola right now... taking a break to study from my finals (probably not the wisest choice).

Loyola is a great school.  If you do well here, you're right on par with graduates from UCLA and USC for the Los Angeles market.  If Loyola is giving you a free ride, I would take it (because chances are, you'll probably do well enough to keep that scholarship).  Although if money is less of any issue for you, go to USC or UCLA.  You can place lower in the class and still land big law.

[ButImAGilmore]

Hey, I'm a current 1L at Loyola right now... taking a break to study from my finals (probably not the wisest choice).

Loyola is a great school.  If you do well here, you're right on par with graduates from UCLA and USC for the Los Angeles market.  If Loyola is giving you a free ride, I would take it (because chances are, you'll probably do well enough to keep that scholarship).  Although if money is less of any issue for you, go to USC or UCLA.  You can place lower in the class and still land big law.

Don't go to Loyola, apparently their students can't formulate proper sentences! 

[Emilia]

Make sure it's not too difficult to keep the Loyola scholarship once you're there.  Keep in mind that the locations and campuses of Loyola and UCLA especially are very different and offer very different experiences. 

Also, surprisingly few law schools?  UCLA, USC, Loyola, Pepperdine, Southwestern... plus schools near LA like University of San Diego, Cal Western, Thomas Jefferson, Whittier, and Chapman, all of which probably have graduates looking for jobs in the Los Angeles market.

If nothing else, going to USC or UCLA will make football season more fun,  and what they say about the Trojan family is not exaggerated (as far as I know).

[joe23sxe]

If nothing else, going to USC or UCLA will make football season more fun,  and what they say about the Trojan family is not exaggerated (as far as I know).

What, that Trojans are often responsible for creating unwanted families?

[joe23sxe]

Yeah, they are responsible for preventing the creation of unwanted families. Yet they often fail. Though I think the joke is ruined now.

[juliemccoy]

LLS is not "minutes" from the beach. It is located downtown. Congrats on your scholarship. Wait and see what schools accept you, check your finances and attend the highest ranked school you can afford. It stands to reason that you could at least get a partial scholarship elsewhere if a great school like LLS gave you a full ride.

How did you find out about your LLS acceptance, by the way?

[DJ JD]

it's not a scholarship. my mom works for loyola grad school, so i can go for free (i didnt want to get into the specifics)

[salamyen]

How did you hear from Loyola? I haven't seen anyone accepted from there yet.