In terms of Chicago schools, DePaul is behind UChicago, Northwestern, Loyola and Kent in both rankings and reputation. That's not to say it isn't a great school, you'll just have to do very well in order to get a good job coming out of school. Still, I have heard that DePaul has a very extensive alumni network. If you don't mind practicing in Ohio, I imagine that OSU's reputation is very high there, and it would be easier to get a good job.Just my two cents.
There's a good chance I'm going to wind up at DePaul... I got shot down by OSU in a heartbeat. So naturally, I want to say take the better school and go with OSU.Then again alot may just be location - I think OSU had a 161 median and DePaul a 160? I'm from Chicago so...Are you an Ohio resident?? (also plays into definition of the totals for tuition - you know this...)HOWEVER, I'm tempted to say that in general the Big Ten schools are all somewhat similar in status (except for Northwestern ---higher--- and MSU and Penn St ---lower--- than the norm); and therefore OSU people might even have an upper hand in the Chicago market. DePaul does have that alumni network and ppl there are pragmatic about lining up jobs it looks like... and of course keep in mind you don't have to start doing biglaw in order to wind up there a couple years, or several years, down the line --- there is certainly lots of great experience very valuable to the biglaw scene that is outside of its boundaries. This might be a very good argument for DePaul's superiority due to Chicago connections - although maybe its not the right attitude to figure on "settling" for outside of the top 10% if you really want the highest paying job straight out of the gate. ALso, it is worth noting U of Illinois places much better than DePaul in Chicago's big firms. (but, if you revert to scores, U of I probably tops OSU significantly, but in terms of ranking they are both within like 20 places....ARGH!?!) I'm stuck. Ah, who knows... this is a good question if you want to practice in Chicago eventually.I'll say either (1) go with the school you feel more comfortable with or (2) default to OSU.EDIT: Never mind this is all pointless if you are saying location is not a factor. Well, I guess I'm not sure what your factors are then, or your ultimate objective
I'm going to throw in my two cents, and say you should pick OSU. Depaul is great I'm sure, but with so many highly ranked schools in the region, I bet Chicago is a tough job market. OSU is the best in the area, so there wouldn't be too much competition in Columbus. I also am a pretty big Columbus fan, as it is a very nice mid-sized city with lots to do, good nightlife, great cultural activities, especially through the school. The law school itself is nice, and the new law students only apts. are only a block from the law school and really nice. I went to OSU for undergrad, and lived right in the area (just before they cleaned up and gentrified it! Oh well). I really enjoyed my time there, and encourage anyone thinking about it to go! Chicago is great, but I don't think you can beat the Ohio COL. Or QOL for that matter.
OSU! I'm a bit biased because I used to live in Columbus (and have never lived in Chicago), but I would suggest OSU simply because Columbus is a wonderful place to live. I just moved from there to Dallas last summer, and I really miss it. (Of course, my sentimentality probably shouldn't be your deciding factor.) If you do decide on OSU, though, please let me know. I can suggest places to live and fun things to do in C-bus (if you've not been before).I second the others' thoughts on the school rankings too. DePaul is certainly not #1 in Chicago, but OSU is #1 in Columbus (and Ohio). As a 0L myself, I can't say I'm certain how much that matters, but it seems to be an important distinguishing factor between them.Good luck.
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