- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 9029
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Oct 20, 2017 4:53 pm
#40780
Below is a transcript of a conversation between a student, Dallin, and one of our Admissions experts, Dave, regarding a hypothetical question.
Dallin: "Hello, my questions are currently hypothetical, and won't become concrete until I begin receiving acceptance letters and scholarships. But here's my question: Would I be better off going to Columbia most likely at full cost, or UT most likely debt free (or close to it.) I am a Texas resident and want to practice patent law in Houston. Eventually I want to open up a firm with my brother. But in addition to that, I have a big interest in doing a federal clerkship and in putting myself on the right track of becoming a judge one day. I know that judgeship isn't something I can plan for really, or even expect, but I do think a clerkship would go a long way to help make that happen.
Also, UT is set, but the case of Columbia might also be for any of the other top 7 or so schools, excluding HYS, as they are most likely just out of reach."
Dave Killoran: "Hi Dallin, Thanks for the questions. It's so tough to answer hypotheticals, in part because so often the hypothetical doesn't come to pass exactly as foreseen
In this case, I personally would go debt free, because that's a guarantee. No matter what happens in law school or what future choices you want to make, you won't be saddled by huge debt, which can be debilitating. But, everyone makes their own choices, and what I say may not apply to you. It's a decision you have to weigh, and you have to prioritize each factor. UT is certainly a stellar law school with a massive network in Texas, so it's not like you can go wrong going there. Columbia is obviously very special, and has great hiring stats, and the only downside is the debt (which is a big one). I strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with all the costs associated with law school, and then look carefully at what the monthly debt looks like after you graduate.
I'd recommend reading my analyses of other decisions on this forum, because some are similar to the one you pose and because I reference a host of useful tools for analyzing the decision, as well as the reasons behind some of my thinking."
Dallin: "Hello, my questions are currently hypothetical, and won't become concrete until I begin receiving acceptance letters and scholarships. But here's my question: Would I be better off going to Columbia most likely at full cost, or UT most likely debt free (or close to it.) I am a Texas resident and want to practice patent law in Houston. Eventually I want to open up a firm with my brother. But in addition to that, I have a big interest in doing a federal clerkship and in putting myself on the right track of becoming a judge one day. I know that judgeship isn't something I can plan for really, or even expect, but I do think a clerkship would go a long way to help make that happen.
Also, UT is set, but the case of Columbia might also be for any of the other top 7 or so schools, excluding HYS, as they are most likely just out of reach."
Dave Killoran: "Hi Dallin, Thanks for the questions. It's so tough to answer hypotheticals, in part because so often the hypothetical doesn't come to pass exactly as foreseen
In this case, I personally would go debt free, because that's a guarantee. No matter what happens in law school or what future choices you want to make, you won't be saddled by huge debt, which can be debilitating. But, everyone makes their own choices, and what I say may not apply to you. It's a decision you have to weigh, and you have to prioritize each factor. UT is certainly a stellar law school with a massive network in Texas, so it's not like you can go wrong going there. Columbia is obviously very special, and has great hiring stats, and the only downside is the debt (which is a big one). I strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with all the costs associated with law school, and then look carefully at what the monthly debt looks like after you graduate.
I'd recommend reading my analyses of other decisions on this forum, because some are similar to the one you pose and because I reference a host of useful tools for analyzing the decision, as well as the reasons behind some of my thinking."