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Related Discussions
Take the full ride or, nah?
Hey, guys! I have a dilemma. Would you take a full ride to a lower ranked school and try to transfer later? I know transfers aren't guaranteed and everything else that comes with the uncertainty of transfers. My thinking is that I won't be taking out any loans so what could it hurt? That's just my thinking but let me know if you guys see any problems with it. Once I transfer to the school of my choice I know I'd be taking out loans so if the transfer is successful that's one year I don't have to pay for. Is it crazy though to ditch the full ride for loans?? I have around $20K loans from undergrad and I'd be looking at about another $40K if the transfer is successful. The school gives plenty of scholarships but I'm not thinking I'd get anything more that maybe $5K if that. I am iffy about staying at the lower ranked school if a transfer is unsuccessful but it wouldn't be detrimental if I did. The lower ranked school doesn't have the best rep but I personally know lawyers from the school that are doing fine. Like most times, I've heard the horror stories and I've heard the success stories about the school and the graduates so I take that with a grain of salt. The first-time bar passage rate at my school of choice is significantly higher than the lower ranked school but there's not a huge difference between the employment rates for the schools. Idk where I want to focus so I can't use that to determine which school has the better program for me. I don't plan on relocating so the weight of the school in a new state or the likes is irrelevant in determining which school is best. What would you guys do?
Comments
If you would be happy with a degree from your lower choice school (the full ride one), then I would go there, but with the understanding that transfer plans are never reliable. If you're really determined to go to the higher school, I would reapply next year. Loans (and avoiding them) are a really big deal, but so are employment/career outcomes. You mentioned that your school of choice offers a lot of scholarships. If you did decide to reapply next year (maybe with a higher LSAT?), is there a chance that you could have the best of both worlds and be admitted with a decent scholarship?
Banking on a transfer is like dating a girl who is easygoing (but you aren't in love with) just so you get attention from her hotter friend. It's a bad idea and it won't work out like you think it will.
Lol @Ohnoeshalpme I love that analogy.
I'd say go with your gut. The thing with making these types of decisions is that you can rationalize both options. There's evidence for and against either scenario so you might as well just go with your intuitive sway.
I was also in a similar scenario and decided to take the full-ride at a lower-ranked school with an 85% post-graduation employment rate. I want to transfer into a T20 at a larger nearby city that gives some scholarships to transfer students and would boost my chance at biglaw which would let me pay off the debt easily. By then I will have finished my first-year internship thanks to the lower-ranked school guaranteeing internships for students.
I like the higher-ranked school because of its opportunities for international law in addition to the location. With that said, I know I will have to be at the top of my class at the lower-ranked school. If I don't transfer, I will still graduate with a free degree and probably still be able to get a job (worst case scenario earning $50k/year in government), so I view it as a win-win scenario.
Lower ranked school for sure. All of the attorneys I've spoken to and who have advised me have always said one or both of two things: (1) it's better to be a big fish in a little pond than a small fish in a big pond. Meaning, shine and succeed in the less prestigious institution and get those resume boosters because there's way more competition in the bigger more prestigious schools. (2) Literally no one cares where you went to law school unless you're in a top 10 school. Future employers will care more about bar passage and any honors you've received in law school.
Just regular advice, the days of making $100k a year starting out attorney salaries are long gone. Therefore, the smallest amount of debt you can incur will set you up for the future much better and allow you to choose a job based on interest and passion instead of one that will help you pay the crushing law school debt back (that's more advice I've gotten from practicing attorneys).
Do not put your cards on a "maybe" of a transfer. If you don't like the school, don't go. But if it's a full ride, and you'd be okay going, do it. The lack of debt is a pretty amazing thing. Or, apply to both. Use the scholarship offer from the one to negotiate.
But if you really aren't happy with the idea of going to and graduating from the lower ranked school, don't do it. Skip a cycle, get your LSAT up higher, and try again for your target school.
I think it also depends on your career goals, though. If you're trying to be a law professor/clerk on the Supreme Court/work at the biggest New York City defense firm/be a top entertainment lawyer, it will be MUCH harder to achieve those goals outside of T10/14. But if you're trying to practice in the state of the scholarship school, if you're looking to work in a lower-paying law area like public interest, etc, there are so many benefits to going to your scholarship school.
You all presented some good arguments. I’m def not banking on the transfer. I know it’s not a guarantee but i don’t see the issue with trying if i decide to go to the lower ranked school. I’ve been waitlisted at my school of choice but I have to pay my seat deposit for the lower ranked school tomorrow. It’s gonna be a long night!
It really shouldn't be a long night. If you feel you "have" to go to your dream school, ride out the wait list while prepping for your next LSAT and next year's cycle. If you are willing to go to the other or even think you may be, put down the deposit. You can always back out of it.
While the decision would be easy for me (I'd run with the scholarship and not look back), I'm at a different place in life than your typical applicant. If 5-10-15 years from now, you know you'll always look up at the diploma from the "not dream school" with regret, then don't go. Raise your LSAT score and apply again. If not, then go with the scholarship and enjoy being debt free.
Either way, make a choice and move on (and sleep well)!
How much do you like the school you got the full offer from? And can it help you meet your goals?
Also, do you have to meet a GPA or class rank requirement to continue receiving the scholarship?
@LSAT_Wrecker why do you say you'd just take the scholarship and run? I'm just curious. I think I've fallen into the "I'm not getting any younger (I'm 35) and I'm just itching to get this show on the road" trap. I don't want to make a crazy decision because of this but that full ride is nothing to sleep on. Also, the non-refundable seat deposit for the lower ranked school is due today and the final decision for the waitlist for the higher ranked school is Monday. I'm sure that's not a coincidence!
@lsatplaylist I like the higher ranked school more solely because of the rep of the lower ranked school but I know that I can obtain the same degree from the lower ranked school. The only condition for the scholarship is maintaining a 2.75 GPA at the end of each year.
A couple of different points.
I get the "I'm old and ready to start". Best case, I'll sit down at orientation at 47 and graduate at 50. But, if not going to your "dream school" is something that you will always regret, then don't go to the lower ranked school if there is any chance you can retest and get in.
Why would would I take the scholarship? Given a full ride at the significantly lower ranked school in my town (that has 2), it would very hard FOR ME to say no. Reasons: My wife loves her job, I have a great house / mortgage rate, my daughter's school is amazing with excellent follow on opportunities available. I'm not doing big law. That being said, I'm applying to 3 instate schools and 2 west coast schools, they all have a chance. However, real money from either of the 2 schools where I currently live will be hard to say no to. My professional goals include public defense or public interest and the ability to continue coaching my daughter's basketball team.
Transferring: Besides the likelihood of it actually happening, I am not at all interested in transferring and losing 1 year's worth of networking and the bonds built during 1L of whichever school I go to. Whatever school I go to, I'm all in. T-shirts, hats, sweaters, sports teams, full commitment. Part of that is building up my own confidence in the institution so that I can feel more confident when I make my own case to a future employer.
Seat deposit: If you are still up in the air and, very importantly, if you see any possibility of going to the full scholarship school, drop the money on the deposit. If you get accepted off the WL (celebrate!!) and decide to go, whatever that lost deposit is won't really mean that much to you. It will be a sunk cost.
Note: I don't claim that any of my inputs to the decision process are transferable to you. I only put them out there since you asked. I think you have to decide if you are willing to live the rest of your life with a "JD from Full Ride School" on your wall or if you really want "JD from Dream School" on your wall and are willing to bump up your numbers and apply again. There is a still a chance of making it off the wait list, and I think there is absolutely no problem waiting to see how that plays out, but orientation day at your other school is getting close...
Good luck, its a first world problem (turning down a full ride to law school) that you are facing.
Did you contact the other school to ask about if they could possibly increase your offer? If so, what did they say?
@LSAT_Wrecker good stuff. Good points about the bonds built during 1L as well. That hadn't crossed my mind. I was just curious to know your reasons for taking the full ride scholarship. I'd love the degree from the higher ranked school but I won't be devastated and I highly doubt I'd think twice about seeing the lower ranked school degree hanging on my wall.
@lsatplaylist I haven't heard back from the higher ranked school yet. Their waitlist deadline is Monday and I'll know about the scholarship offered then.
When you think about the interest rate on loans, you'd save even more money with that scholarship. But the situation comes down to what rankings you're looking at. For example, Penn vs Boston University-- take Penn. Boston University vs Loyola, look into the alumni associations (very important) and employment percentage rates 1 year out of school. If it's lower than 80%, hard pass.