Emory ($$) v. Illinois ($$$) Forum

[kaf5631]

I have 38K/year at Emory and 30K/year at Illinois, I will be covering everything else with loans. I work in Chicago (currently at a BigLaw firm that I think will hire me post grad if I want it) and I'm from the Chicago area, though I have no real burning desire to stay here. I feel like Illinois is seen as kind of a joke school, but they have decent placement in Chicago. I have some friends in ATL/at Emory who love it. I want Big Law post-grad.

I am leaning strongly toward Emory, but it's hard to ignore UIUC at this price. I've been out of school for 3 years already, so I'm not postponing another year in case anyone wants to tell me to retake the LSAT. I would ideally like to try and transfer to NU after my first year, so that's a factor too.

I'm in at ND too with a crap scholarship (12K/year), I'm not really considering it seriously at that price, but I'm throwing it in the mix in case anyone strongly disagrees.

[snowball2]

Well, the joke school placed a third of its 2016 grads at firms with 100+ lawyers (22% at 500+). Emory's percentages were 28%/19% respectively). 2/3 of UIUC's overall placements were in Illinois. Illinois was not in the top 3 states for Emory job placements (somewhere below 6%). So it all depends on whether you want to be in on the joke.

[beinghuman]

If you really want big law after graduation, you'd be wise to delay. Another year out school will not hurt your career prospects if it means scoring better on the LSAT and going to NU or U of Chicago, while going to U of IL or even Emory might, especially if you're not in the top of your class. You could work and start saving money for school, etc.

Hoping to transfer or thinking that your firm will hire you after graduation are no sure things. It would depend, among other factors, on how well you do in your first year so unless you have a firm commitment from the firm, you shouldn't make calculations based on those hopes. So from the perspective of a cost-benefit analysis, my advice is to give the LSAT another chance. If you don't score higher, you'd know and you'd have "lost" one year -and you could def make it a productive year if you wanted- but if you do score higher, you'd have a lot to gain.

Good luck!

I have 38K/year at Emory and 30K/year at Illinois, I will be covering everything else with loans. I work in Chicago (currently at a BigLaw firm that I think will hire me post grad if I want it) and I'm from the Chicago area, though I have no real burning desire to stay here. I feel like Illinois is seen as kind of a joke school, but they have decent placement in Chicago. I have some friends in ATL/at Emory who love it. I want Big Law post-grad.

I am leaning strongly toward Emory, but it's hard to ignore UIUC at this price. I've been out of school for 3 years already, so I'm not postponing another year in case anyone wants to tell me to retake the LSAT. I would ideally like to try and transfer to NU after my first year, so that's a factor too.

I'm in at ND too with a crap scholarship (12K/year), I'm not really considering it seriously at that price, but I'm throwing it in the mix in case anyone strongly disagrees.

[champloo]

I have 38K/year at Emory and 30K/year at Illinois, I will be covering everything else with loans. I work in Chicago (currently at a BigLaw firm that I think will hire me post grad if I want it) and I'm from the Chicago area, though I have no real burning desire to stay here. I feel like Illinois is seen as kind of a joke school, but they have decent placement in Chicago. I have some friends in ATL/at Emory who love it. I want Big Law post-grad.

I am leaning strongly toward Emory, but it's hard to ignore UIUC at this price. I've been out of school for 3 years already, so I'm not postponing another year in case anyone wants to tell me to retake the LSAT. I would ideally like to try and transfer to NU after my first year, so that's a factor too.

I'm in at ND too with a crap scholarship (12K/year), I'm not really considering it seriously at that price, but I'm throwing it in the mix in case anyone strongly disagrees.

Have you tried negotiating your scholly at UofI? If you haven't, do it now. Search this site for how to do it. 15k/year for tuition for UofI or Emory or ND is too much. Don't go to either school being biglaw or bust. Don't assume you're current employer will guarantee to hire you as an associate post grad even if it's in writing and your dad is managing partner. Do be prepared to get median or below after 1L. Do be prepared to hustle and network.

Lol at "3 years out of school already, so not postponing". You'll regret this once you start working. I also wonder how you view loyola depaul kent if UofI is a joke school.