Scholarship Vs. Prestige Vs. Waiting

[sandonxf]

Hi everyone!

I'm in the thick of the admission's process and I would appreciate some advice as I weigh my options.

My goals and ambition is to work as an international lawyer for either the State Department or USAID on economic legal foreign policy. I am currently focused on two options that I would appreciate opinions on.

I have received a full-tuition offer from Texas A&M University School of Law - (Would live at home no room and board expenses expected)

The University of Georgia has offered me a scholarship which would leave me with about $10,000 a year left in paying tuition ($30,000 total + any room and board which I am currently estimating to reach about $90,000 for everything, being generous).

I also got waitlisted from University of Texas at Austin

Part of the issue is getting a good feel for Texas A&M. Their rankings are increasing at a record pace, but I cannot get a feel as to where they will be in the next few years. I already know I want to specialize in international law, and Georgia has a very strong program. But I also am determining what advantageous there are to pioneering at an up and coming law school; I am speaking with the director of A&M's international program and would be willing to start an international journal.

Furthermore, I do envision myself obtaining a master's degree in International affairs, and both schools have great options though A&M has the specific area economic concentration that I desire.

My UGPA was 3.888 and my LSAT score was a 166. With such a competitive admission's cycle this year, should I wait a year? I feel like I am already set for starting this year, and I would not be thrilled at waiting another year, but if it is best for my future career, I would be willing.

I know this is a lot, and I appreciate your thoughts!

Sandon

[Dave Killoran]

Hi everyone!

I'm in the thick of the admission's process and I would appreciate some advice as I weigh my options.

My goals and ambition is to work as an international lawyer for either the State Department or USAID on economic legal foreign policy. I am currently focused on two options that I would appreciate opinions on.

I have received a full-tuition offer from Texas A&M University School of Law - (Would live at home no room and board expenses expected)

The University of Georgia has offered me a scholarship which would leave me with about $10,000 a year left in paying tuition ($30,000 total + any room and board which I am currently estimating to reach about $90,000 for everything, being generous).

I also got waitlisted from University of Texas at Austin

Part of the issue is getting a good feel for Texas A&M. Their rankings are increasing at a record pace, but I cannot get a feel as to where they will be in the next few years. I already know I want to specialize in international law, and Georgia has a very strong program. But I also am determining what advantageous there are to pioneering at an up and coming law school; I am speaking with the director of A&M's international program and would be willing to start an international journal.

Furthermore, I do envision myself obtaining a master's degree in International affairs, and both schools have great options though A&M has the specific area economic concentration that I desire.

My UGPA was 3.888 and my LSAT score was a 166. With such a competitive admission's cycle this year, should I wait a year? I feel like I am already set for starting this year, and I would not be thrilled at waiting another year, but if it is best for my future career, I would be willing.

I know this is a lot, and I appreciate your thoughts!

Sandon

Hi Sandon,

Thanks for the questions! There are really four main points here as I see it:

1. "Part of the issue is getting a good feel for Texas A&M. Their rankings are increasing at a record pace, but I cannot get a feel as to where they will be in the next few years." — Well, no one really knows, to be honest. They certainly have room to grow, and I suspect they will rise a bit more next year, but after that it gets harder. It's way easier to go from 90 to 50, than it is to go from 50 to 30. So, I suspect they will settle into the 40s for a bit, but after that it's unknown. Look at UCI, a similarly new law school. Debuted at 30, moved up a little, and then this year dropped to 35. Cracking anything above 25 is tough going.



2. "I also am determining what advantageous there are to pioneering at an up and coming law school" — Definitely there are some! Being the founding member and likely editor of a new journal is a great resume builder. But within that it also shows that you are working with a relatively new school (and I say that in reference to the A&M tenure; while the school existed previously, they didn't have the same goals as they clearly do now). Many of the traditional pieces are not in place, which is both an opportunity and a negative.



3. "should I wait a year?" — This is a very personal decision, and so I can only say that next year will still be more competitive than last year. I'm already starting to see a number of elite applicants opt-out this year, and so I'm getting concerned it will be even more competitive than initially we expected. My prediction is that next year at Texas you would be waitlisted again.



4. Texas A&M vs Georgia — One of these is a rising school with no high-level established track record, and the other is well-established as a low 30s and sometimes T30 law school. You can see this difference in the employment numbers: https://www.lstreports.com/compare/georgia/texasam. So, for $90K, you can calculate the percentages advantage you are buying. And, while your goal isn't biglaw etc, the legal field (including the government) is built on name brands and so Georgia has an advantage there. But maybe A&M breaks their back to help you establish an international law journal, you make some killer connections through that, and it all plays out fine in the end. There's no way to know beforehand, so you have to weigh whether that debt is worth those percentages, or whether you'd prefer the safer, no-debt route and are willing to forge your own path. There are advantages both ways, so it's down to your personal preferences.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!