T3 for Free or T1 for $$?

[Brutal]

It's starting to look like I'm going to have the choice of going to a Tier 3 school with a scholarship (probably a sizable one) versus going to a Tier 1 school for full cost.

Anyone have any thoughts on this?

[Ashley O]

My first reaction is to pay the money and go with the top school. Reputation is everything in the law field. But, there are probably some counterarguments, such as where do you plan to practice, and such.

[Anne]

I would say it depends, to a degree, on which schools they are and where you want to practice. But Ashley does have a good point: In the law world, reputation is everything, and the cost of a T1 school might be made up in the salary you'll get after graduation (assuming the legal market gets better, that is).

[lawdog]

I would say part of that decision would rest on what you intend to do with the law degree. Incidentally, if the scholarship you're considering is merit-based, that can lend you some status--being a bigger fish in a slightly smaller pond can be a point of distinction as well.

[LawSchoolGuy]

Take the money and run!

[Brutal]

It's Suffolk in Boston that's the lower ranked school. I get a good sense from my conversations with them that they will float a lot of $$ my way. So, that's super cheap, and I like Boston enough to stick around and practice there. But, that's a city where you have Harvard, and even BC and BU are well-regarded. Suffolk is kind of the straggler from a reputation standpoint.

If I can pull off getting into a school like Georgetown or better, there's more or less no chance I'll get any cash. 

[LSAT Eliminator]

Brutal call (pun intended!).

Seriously, that is a very difficult decision. You're right about Suffolk not really standing up reputationally to the other schools there. My personal take has always been go for the biggest name because that gives you the best opportunities, but that does depend to an extent on whether biglaw or corporate law is your goal. If it isn't, and you want to go into something like environmental law, then maybe you don't need Gtown or something similar. Any idea what you want to practice?

[Anne]

It's Suffolk in Boston that's the lower ranked school. I get a good sense from my conversations with them that they will float a lot of $$ my way. So, that's super cheap, and I like Boston enough to stick around and practice there. But, that's a city where you have Harvard, and even BC and BU are well-regarded. Suffolk is kind of the straggler from a reputation standpoint.

If I can pull off getting into a school like Georgetown or better, there's more or less no chance I'll get any cash. 

If you're considering practicing in Boston, you'd be better served by holding out for a higher-ranked school like a Georgetown. You'll have a heck of a time competing against Harvard, BU, and BC, not to mention the other top 15 schools that all look to practice in the Boston area, even without taking into consideration any specialty you may want to practice, if you go to Suffolk. In fact, if you're considering practicing anywhere in the Northeast, you might be better off just holding out for the school with the better ranking and better-known name. In your case, I think that taking the higher school with no cash might be the better option.

[lawdog]

If you're planning on a career in academia, then you should give some serious consideration to the ranking of the school that will provide your pedigree. If you're looking for a job at a big Boston or New York firm, you'd better be prepared for some impressive competition. If you're planning to hang a shingle as a tort lawyer, on the other hand, or want to join a smaller practice, in many cases a law school's big name might not matter as much as your own accomplishments and abilities.

[Anne]

Hey Brutal, did you think about this anymore? I'm curious to know which direction you decide to take.

[Brutal]

I'm going to sit and wait for a while, and see how it plays out. I love the idea of having almost no debt when I graduate, but if I can't get a job, what's the use? On the other hand, if I have so much debt that I have to work 1000 a week to get by (assuming I can get a job), then that is no good either.

[Brutal]

Also, if i had to decide right now, I'd take the money. At least then I know that I don't have the debt concerns, and I can search for the right job for longer, if need be. 

Thanks for asking!

[Anne]

Also, if i had to decide right now, I'd take the money. At least then I know that I don't have the debt concerns, and I can search for the right job for longer, if need be. 

Thanks for asking!

Honestly, that's probably what I would do, too. There's something to be said for financial peace of mind. But to really know I'd have to actually be holding the letters in my hands. The siren call of the highly-ranked school might be too much to ignore.

[LawSchoolGuy]

Also, if i had to decide right now, I'd take the money. At least then I know that I don't have the debt concerns, and I can search for the right job for longer, if need be.  

Thanks for asking!

Honestly, that's probably what I would do, too. There's something to be said for financial peace of mind. But to really know I'd have to actually be holding the letters in my hands. The siren call of the highly-ranked school might be too much to ignore.

 

And I quote:

Take the money and run!

[Brutal]

Take the money and run!

It's easy to say that, but you are making a decision to attach your name to a certain school, and that decision follows you around for life. I want doors to open because of my law degree, not close. Sure, 20 years down the road no one will likely care that much, but for those first few years, it will have a huge impact.

Hence my dilemma, and my question.