- PowerScore Staff
- Posts: 9012
- Joined: Feb 02, 2011
- Fri Apr 20, 2018 10:09 am
#45092
Below is a law school admissions question from a student, Nathan, and a response by PowerScore CEO Dave Killoran.
Nathan: "Hello,
I have enjoyed reading your article and the conversations in the comment section. After narrowing down my options and excluding offers from other schools, I am still having a bit of difficulty deciding between two law schools. Washington University in St. Louis has offered me a $105,000 scholarship and at Saint Louis University I have been offered a full tuition scholarship. Both schools will have similar cost of living expenses so my decision is whether or not to incur approximately $55,000 in debt to attend WashU.
WashU was my top choice when I began the application process. My undergraduate degree was earned at SLU and I liked attending school in the St. Louis area. I am comfortable on both campuses and would be happy attending either school.
I am not sure where I what to practice but I do want to remain in the mid-west or upper south. Also, I am not sure of the type of law I want to practice but am considering looking at JAG corps, prosecution or criminal defense. If I attend SLU I would choose their Healthcare Law program (ranked #1) with a dual degree in Healthcare Administration to increase my employment opportunities. Because the schools' rankings are so different, I think I would need to set myself apart from other applicants if I attend SLU.
Are the advantages offered by attending WashU worth $55,000 debt, or would it be better to attend SLU and incur zero debt?
I appreciate any advise that you can offer me.
Nathan"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Nathan,
Thanks for the question! In a sense, your choice here is the central discussion we've been having throughout these posts, and as you probably noticed, the answer is never black and white. That said, sometimes the shades of grey lean in one direction moreso than the other, and I tend to feel that's the case here.
First, a direct comparison of the schools is useful: https://www.lstreports.com/compare/washu/slu/. I want you to look at a few things, such as the employment rating (WashU's is demonstrably better) as well as things like the large firm rating and clerkships rating. That biglaw/clerkship rating is a sort of measuring stick for how the school is viewed on the bigger stage, and WashU is the clear winner here. Rankings too, show that same positions: WashU is #18 and SLU is #88, and a comparison of the LSAT/GPA numbers shows a significant difference. WashU is getting better students and is viewed in a much more positive light overall.
So, the real question reduces to, "is that higher ranking and better reputation/placement worth $55K?" I tend to think it is. If it was $100K or $150K, that would be a much tougher question in my opinion, but $55K doesn't worry me as much, and you can see a *definite* difference in what you are getting.
One caveat: just keep in mind this is all about how your perform at each school, which is something we can't know. If you chose SLU and just crushed it, you'd likely end up better off than (or at least the same as) if you just did middle-of-the-pack at WashU.
Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!"
Nathan: "Thank you for responding! Basically, I had the exact same thoughts, but it was validating to see that someone else agreed with me. I recently went to an admitted student's day at WashU to get a feel for some of my potential future classmates. Everyone I met seemed pretty nice, and I was fairly impressed by some of the presentations given by the faculty. I will probably end up going there. Again, thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it!"
Dave Killoran: "Great, glad I was able to help! Enjoy WashU and go knock it out of the park
"
Nathan: "Hello,
I have enjoyed reading your article and the conversations in the comment section. After narrowing down my options and excluding offers from other schools, I am still having a bit of difficulty deciding between two law schools. Washington University in St. Louis has offered me a $105,000 scholarship and at Saint Louis University I have been offered a full tuition scholarship. Both schools will have similar cost of living expenses so my decision is whether or not to incur approximately $55,000 in debt to attend WashU.
WashU was my top choice when I began the application process. My undergraduate degree was earned at SLU and I liked attending school in the St. Louis area. I am comfortable on both campuses and would be happy attending either school.
I am not sure where I what to practice but I do want to remain in the mid-west or upper south. Also, I am not sure of the type of law I want to practice but am considering looking at JAG corps, prosecution or criminal defense. If I attend SLU I would choose their Healthcare Law program (ranked #1) with a dual degree in Healthcare Administration to increase my employment opportunities. Because the schools' rankings are so different, I think I would need to set myself apart from other applicants if I attend SLU.
Are the advantages offered by attending WashU worth $55,000 debt, or would it be better to attend SLU and incur zero debt?
I appreciate any advise that you can offer me.
Nathan"
Dave Killoran: "Hi Nathan,
Thanks for the question! In a sense, your choice here is the central discussion we've been having throughout these posts, and as you probably noticed, the answer is never black and white. That said, sometimes the shades of grey lean in one direction moreso than the other, and I tend to feel that's the case here.
First, a direct comparison of the schools is useful: https://www.lstreports.com/compare/washu/slu/. I want you to look at a few things, such as the employment rating (WashU's is demonstrably better) as well as things like the large firm rating and clerkships rating. That biglaw/clerkship rating is a sort of measuring stick for how the school is viewed on the bigger stage, and WashU is the clear winner here. Rankings too, show that same positions: WashU is #18 and SLU is #88, and a comparison of the LSAT/GPA numbers shows a significant difference. WashU is getting better students and is viewed in a much more positive light overall.
So, the real question reduces to, "is that higher ranking and better reputation/placement worth $55K?" I tend to think it is. If it was $100K or $150K, that would be a much tougher question in my opinion, but $55K doesn't worry me as much, and you can see a *definite* difference in what you are getting.
One caveat: just keep in mind this is all about how your perform at each school, which is something we can't know. If you chose SLU and just crushed it, you'd likely end up better off than (or at least the same as) if you just did middle-of-the-pack at WashU.
Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!"
Nathan: "Thank you for responding! Basically, I had the exact same thoughts, but it was validating to see that someone else agreed with me. I recently went to an admitted student's day at WashU to get a feel for some of my potential future classmates. Everyone I met seemed pretty nice, and I was fairly impressed by some of the presentations given by the faculty. I will probably end up going there. Again, thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it!"
Dave Killoran: "Great, glad I was able to help! Enjoy WashU and go knock it out of the park
"