Top 50 law school with no scholarship or lower-ranked school

[Peter deVries]

What follows is the transcript of a conversation between a student, Sabrina, and one of our Admissions gurus, Nikki, regarding Sabrina's decision to either attend a top 50 law school with no scholarship or a lower ranked law school with a large scholarship amount.


Sabrina: “Hi! I am currently trying to decide between attending a top 50 law school with no scholarship or a lower ranked (but not by much) law school with a large scholarship amount. The top 50 school is UNC Chapel Hill and the top 100 school is Villanova. I am currently out of state for UNC but will be able to get in state residency by next year. I'm not totally sure what field of law I would like to practice but I am leaning towards Healthcare law. I haven't had to take out any student loans for my undergraduate career and with the scholarship given to me by Villanova and the money I have in savings(I've worked 3 jobs at the same time throughout undergrad) if I attend there the loan I would need to take out would be minimal, but if I go to UNC I will have to take out a much heftier loan and risk exiting law school almost a quarter million in debt. I'm leaning towards Villanova because of its location to Philly and all the money I would save, but I also know that UNC has a great program.”

Nicolay Siclunov: “Hello Sabrina, Attending Villanova virtually free is a sweet deal, but you need to keep in mind the following:

1. Most scholarships are conditional upon achieving a certain GPA year-to-year. Make sure you read the fine print.
2. Only about 10% of the graduating class from Villanova ends up in a BIGLAW firm, so if that's the ultimate objective - you need to be top-10% of your class, give-or-take.
3. Nearly 20% of Villanova students attend tuition-free. Assuming these are among the most qualified students in the entering class, competition for a spot in the top-10% of the class is likely to be keen.

Check out the following links about Villanova:

• http://abovethelaw.com/schools/villanova-law/?rf=1
• http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/ ... jobs/2015/
• http://www.philly.com/philly/business/l ... right.html

UNC-Chapel Hill is a vastly superior program. Roughly a quarter of the class manages to secure a BIGLAW job, and 5% goes on to pursue federal clerkships. The school has a much stronger reputation nation-wide than Villanova, and places exceptionally well in North Carolina, D.C. and (to a lesser extent) NYC:

• http://abovethelaw.com/schools/universi ... olina-law/
• http://www.lstscorereports.com/schools/unc/jobs/2015/

The question is, is this worth a difference of $250K? Probably not, but it's a very subjective decision - it depends on your career objectives, location preferences, etc. Both schools are regional, so you need to be comfortable with the idea of working in the Philly area if you go to Villanova. UNC has a broader reach for sure, but keep in mind that 50% of the class remains to practice in North Carolina.

Have you tried negotiating the amount of scholarship money at UNC-Chapel Hill? Are there any other schools you're still waiting on?

As it stands now, I'm leaning slightly towards Villanova, assuming 1) your scholarship is NOT conditional; 2) you're comfortable practicing at a smaller law firm; and 3) have no problem settling in Philly and the surrounding areas.

Good luck with your decision!”

Sabrina: “Hi! Thank you so much for your response. I haven't tried negotiating with UNC, I actually didn't even know that was something I could do. I'm not waiting on any other schools, I've narrowed it down to these two. I have family and ties in both areas so I am okay with living in either region. I do know that my scholarship to Villanova is not conditional. I haven't fully decided which field of law I would like to practice, but I think I am leaning towards either Health Care law or a federal clerkship. How would one go about negotiating?”

Nicolay Siclunov: “Hi Sabrina, Schools are typically willing to negotiate the amount of aid they offer, especially if a comparable school has offered you significantly more money. Unfortunately, Villanova and UNC are not exactly in the same tier, which would make it difficult to leverage your aid at Villanova. Still, it's worth a shot: simply email the Dean of Admissions and/or Financial Aid at UNC, thank them for admitting you into their class, and say you're reaching out to discuss the amount of aid they are offering. Say you've received a generous aid from Villanova (and any other school ranked similarly to UNC), and ask if there is any opportunity for you to receive a comparable financial aid package. It's important to emphasize that UNC is your top choice, and financial considerations are the only thing standing in the way of sending in your deposit.

On a side note, no one expects you to know what area of specialization you'd like to focus on after graduation. Law schools differ in this regard way less than most people suspect: the curriculum is virtually standardized for the first year anyway. Also, a federal judicial clerkship is not a field of law, so the choice you've described is moot. A clerkship is one of the most coveted professional experiences you can have right after law school. It usually lasts a year (or two), after which - well, you can pretty much write your own ticket to a law firm of your choice Good luck with your decision!!”