USD Law or Loyola Law? Forum

[jasminet]

I have been accepted to USD Law and Loyola Law (3.5/163) and really can't decide which school to attend.

With my scholarships factored in, tuition at USD would be ~$6,000 per year, and tuition at Loyola would be ~$4,000 per year. I'm going to the evening program, continuing the job that I have now during the day (which has offered me ~$5,000 a year in tuition reimbursement if I maintain employment with them for at least one year after I graduate law school, which I'm happy about).

I really want to live in San Diego. I got my undergrad degree at USD and I love the school, but my CoA will be much higher at USD because I will have to pay rent - I have the option of living with my parents in LA if I go to Loyola. Also, my company has offices in both cities, so I don't think that the theory "you should go to school where you want to work" really applies to me since I already have my job and they're willing to put me in either LA or SD.

Basically, since the tuition cost is about the same for both schools, I have to decide between going to Loyola and saving rent money, or going to USD, the school I love in the city I love. My parents will allow me to stay at their house for free if I attend Loyola, but won't be giving me any money, i.e. for books, fees, or rent if I move out, so I'll be paying for everything myself and ideally without loans since I have plenty of those from my undergraduate degree. I'm currently working in insurance, but maybe want to one day switch over to something like human rights/child advocacy, although that might just be a dream.

I seriously can't choose between the two schools - any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

[harveybirdman101]

I have been accepted to USD Law and Loyola Law (3.5/163) and really can't decide which school to attend.

With my scholarships factored in, tuition at USD would be ~$6,000 per year, and tuition at Loyola would be ~$4,000 per year. I'm going to the evening program, continuing the job that I have now during the day (which has offered me ~$5,000 a year in tuition reimbursement if I maintain employment with them for at least one year after I graduate law school, which I'm happy about).

I really want to live in San Diego. I got my undergrad degree at USD and I love the school, but my CoA will be much higher at USD because I will have to pay rent - I have the option of living with my parents in LA if I go to Loyola. Also, my company has offices in both cities, so I don't think that the theory "you should go to school where you want to work" really applies to me since I already have my job and they're willing to put me in either LA or SD.

Basically, since the tuition cost is about the same for both schools, I have to decide between going to Loyola and saving rent money, or going to USD, the school I love in the city I love. My parents will allow me to stay at their house for free if I attend Loyola, but won't be giving me any money, i.e. for books, fees, or rent if I move out, so I'll be paying for everything myself and ideally without loans since I have plenty of those from my undergraduate degree. I'm currently working in insurance, but maybe want to one day switch over to something like human rights/child advocacy, although that might just be a dream.

I seriously can't choose between the two schools - any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

I would first compare the programs at the two schools. Does one have better instructors, courses, clinics, certificates than the other for human rights/child advocacy? I love both cities personally, but for the area of law that I'd like to work in (IP), Loyola is the better fit for me because of proximity to opportunities in that specific area of law, as well as their certificates/courses. For human rights/child advocacy, I imagine you would have a good chance of finding a job in either city. Obviously, there are probably a lot more NGOs and the like based in LA though.

I think this really comes down to a matter of location. Do you want to live and work in San Diego long term? Sounds like you really love USD, and although the debt is daunting, at least you'll have a job and won't have to live with your parents, which can be an absolute bummer as you get older. Even though they're only 2 hours apart, I still think "you should go to school where you want to work" applies in this situation, particularly because after the reimbursement, you'll end up paying very little in the long run for USD.

I wish you the best of luck. I would love to attend either of these schools, so I'm hoping the waitlist will treat me well.

[northwood]

Will your court employer hire you full time upon graduation? Where do you currently work ( how far of a commute) will you be working at all?

Right now I’d say go to either school, albeit he one closer to your job would be preferable. Keep your additional debt as minimal as possible and try to use your income to at least pay for accrued interest on your existing loans.

But more logistical info( in general terms.. ie commute time) would be helpful to answer your inquiry.