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Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 12:58 pm
by mnlawgirl
Hello-
I am currently choosing between Mitchell Hamline, University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota.
Mitchell Hamline & University of St. Thomas both offered 100% tuition
University of Minnesota offered 18k, current tuition is about 40k
I want to live and work in Minnesota, ideally clerk for a federal judge and then work at a large law firm. My dream in life is to become a judge.
My LSAT was a 161, and my UGPA was a 3.8. I took the LSAT once.
Do I take the money, or go to the school with the higher rank? I want to make sure I am successful in school, unsure how different the atmosphere is in a T1 school vs. T3/T4 but I thrive when I can make great and true connections with professors.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:00 pm
by Hand
money or rank? why not both? you have great choices! (assuming you don't care about employment prospects)
GOOD LUCK FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:15 pm
by minnbills
UMN grad here - the U is a better bet for your goals. You will still need to be top 25% to have a good shot at a federal clerkship/biglaw job.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:17 pm
by mnlawgirl
Hand wrote:money or rank? why not both? you have great choices! (assuming you don't care about employment prospects)
GOOD LUCK FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
I definitely care about employment prospects!! I think that's probably one of my biggest worries, but so is like 100k in debt.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:27 pm
by CanadianWolf
Consider retaking the LSAT for better options with significant scholarship money.
However, if your dream is to become a local judge (as opposed to federal), then often low ranked law schools can be adequate for securing state court clerkships followed by at least 5 years of small firm practice followed by running for judicial office. But, since you want to clerk for a federal judge & work in the federal system, then Minnesota is the better choice, but you should still retake the LSAT for more money & better school options.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 3:39 pm
by Greenlanpern
Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 4:43 pm
by Barney Fritz
Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:19 pm
by admin lawyer
No, you want money and good rank. A few of my friends got full rides at top schools and were really happy about it. People who paid full tuition at lower ranked schools were not at happy. However, nobody really regrets ever going to law school because following your dreams is what's most important.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:22 pm
by KissMyAxe
Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:57 pm
by mnlawgirl
admin lawyer wrote:No, you want money and good rank. A few of my friends got full rides at top schools and were really happy about it. People who paid full tuition at lower ranked schools were not at happy. However, nobody really regrets ever going to law school because following your dreams is what's most important.
Thanks for that, I appreciate it. I think I will go for something in the middle. I am more interested in following my dreams and being a good person than being the person with the best credentials. Maybe that's not the right mindset, but being a good and likable person matters to me.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 5:59 pm
by taxman128
I would not recommend the schools profiled above by Law School Transparency. It's pretty obvious why. Good Luck!
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 6:18 pm
by Barney Fritz
KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
Aren't you some ginger living in your parents' basement in South Carolina pretending to be a mistaken genius?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 7:35 pm
by ilovesf
I read on another thread that hamline is only good for food law. Is that what you want to study?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2018 10:09 pm
by cdotson2
KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
on-topics don't exist anymore, didn't you get the news?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 1:47 am
by jbagelboy
cdotson2 wrote:KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
on-topics don't exist anymore, didn't you get the news?
This board went to shit like 10 days ago. All the halfway decent poasters have moved to top-law-schools.com
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:42 am
by Sinatra
You should never consider money. Always go to highest ranked school because they have better libraries and clinics.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 1:42 pm
by HarrisonBarnes
Minnesota is a great, nationally regarded law school. You should always go to the best law school that you can. If you go here, you will have options to potentially work all over the country--in prestigious employers--when you get out and the other will limit you. Employers assume that most attorneys go to the best law schools they got into. Money is a short-term consideration--the better law school you go to the more money you will generally make and the less the loans you take out will eventually matter.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 2:40 pm
by LSthrowawy2014
jbagelboy wrote:cdotson2 wrote:KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
on-topics don't exist anymore, didn't you get the news?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 3:52 pm
by Excellent117
[quote="HarrisonBarnes"]Minnesota is a great, nationally regarded law school. You should always go to the best law school that you can. If you go here, you will have options to potentially work all over the country--in prestigious employers--when you get out and the other will limit you. Employers assume that most attorneys go to the best law schools they got into. Money is a short-term consideration--the better law school you go to the more money you will generally make and the less the loans you take out will eventually matter.
I'm sorry, but this is objectively terrible advice which, unfortunately (for whatever reason), seems to have become the norm around here.
The total non-discounted cost of attendance at U of M is roughly $230k. Even with your $18k scholarship (which I'm assuming is per year and has no GPA stipulations attached), you're still looking at nearly $200k in debt before accounting for interest, which will significantly increase the total amount you'll pay over the lifetime of the loan.
That kind of debt load, combined with the career and earnings prospects for the average student graduating from Minnesota, is in no way a "short-term consideration." Instead, you'd be looking at a potentially crippling amount of debt that will follow you for a huge portion of your remaining life.
One more note: a U of M degree isn't at all portable beyond Minneapolis/Minnesota and to suggest otherwise is laughable.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 5:37 pm
by jbagelboy
LSthrowawy2014 wrote:jbagelboy wrote:cdotson2 wrote:KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
on-topics don't exist anymore, didn't you get the news?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 8:02 pm
by Pomeranian
jbagelboy wrote:LSthrowawy2014 wrote:jbagelboy wrote:cdotson2 wrote:KissMyAxe wrote:Barney Fritz wrote:Greenlanpern wrote:Retake. DUH! I got a 161 first time around and then incread to 166. Also have 3.8. got 20k at one T6 (need based bc post-WL late in cycle), and 20k off at 2 T14 (merit based bc early in cycle).
I studied for LSAT for 4 years lol, and it paid off, since I outperformed my #s with scholly $.
Are we supposed to be impressed
I got a 146 the first time and a 180 the second and I'm going to Yale for free
Stop flaming on the on-topic boards. You literally cannot go to Yale for free.
on-topics don't exist anymore, didn't you get the news?
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:21 pm
by Mr. Archer
HarrisonBarnes wrote:Minnesota is a great, nationally regarded law school. You should always go to the best law school that you can. If you go here, you will have options to potentially work all over the country--in prestigious employers--when you get out and the other will limit you. Employers assume that most attorneys go to the best law schools they got into. Money is a short-term consideration--the better law school you go to the more money you will generally make and the less the loans you take out will eventually matter.
So much no. Minnesota is not even nationally known to have a law school. Cost is always a consideration for the long-term. Go home, you're drunk.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:13 am
by Sinatra
Mr. Archer wrote:HarrisonBarnes wrote:Minnesota is a great, nationally regarded law school. You should always go to the best law school that you can. If you go here, you will have options to potentially work all over the country--in prestigious employers--when you get out and the other will limit you. Employers assume that most attorneys go to the best law schools they got into. Money is a short-term consideration--the better law school you go to the more money you will generally make and the less the loans you take out will eventually matter.
So much no. Minnesota is not even nationally known to have a law school. Cost is always a consideration for the long-term. Go home, you're drunk.
Quit flaming the on topics. Our lord and Savior would not provide false information.
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 2:26 am
by G_willy
Rank
Re: Money or rank?
Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2018 10:55 am
by Harnas Barnas
Mr. Archer wrote:HarrisonBarnes wrote:Minnesota is a great, nationally regarded law school. You should always go to the best law school that you can. If you go here, you will have options to potentially work all over the country--in prestigious employers--when you get out and the other will limit you. Employers assume that most attorneys go to the best law schools they got into. Money is a short-term consideration--the better law school you go to the more money you will generally make and the less the loans you take out will eventually matter.
So much
no. yes!