r/OutsideT14lawschools

Got in 3/20 and the deposit date is approaching and I haven't received scholarship info. Deposit date is 4/15. I'm planning to call the admissions office on Monday to see if its possible to know before Wednesday. Anyone else dealing with this or have put down a deposit before knowing how much money they will receive?

I don’t know what to do and I feel like I just need to deconstruct this and see what input others might have to offer.

I got into Lewis & Clark, which has a strong regional reputation where I’m currently living in Portland. I think long term I would love to be in Portland or in the PNW in general, but this also isn’t a dealbreaker. I also applied to UO (where I got my undergrad degree, and absolutely loved it) but I’ve been UR for weeks and haven’t heard back yet. I think UO would also be a great option, but even if I got in being in Eugene just wouldn’t set me up for the same networking opportunities as being in Portland.

I grew up in the Bay Area CA and I’m definitely not opposed to living/working there for a while or longer if I ever decided not to move back to Oregon. I applied to USF and UC Law SF. Got into USF with a larger scholarship than L&C offered (not super significant, but an extra $11k per year), and I’ve been waitlisted at UC Law SF.

I went into this whole process thinking that L&C was my top choice and if I got in that would be it. I went to an ASD for L&C and had a good time for the most part, but I met some people who were not very nice and I ultimately left that day feeling a little bit off about the school in general. I can’t quite pinpoint exactly what’s holding me back but I’m just not feeling 100% convinced that it’s the right place for me. Logically, it makes the most sense to go here as it would offer the best networking opportunities in Portland and other attorneys I know through my current job have expressed very positive opinions of it as a law school. I wouldn’t have to move to attend, and I have a lot of really good friends here.

I toured USF and UC Law SF recently, and I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I really liked everything I saw at USF. The people I met were incredibly welcoming and the student orgs, vibes, and class structure seem pretty aligned with who I am and what I want out of my law school experience. However, this school doesn’t have a great reputation especially in the Bay Area with all the stronger regional competition, and they’re known for predatory grading practices (my scholarship offer is conditional to maintain a 2.8 or higher). I think it also wouldn’t pull its weight in terms of name/reputation if I returned to Oregon. Touring UC Law SF, the vibe I got was that it’s a much more competitive atmosphere but there are a ton of opportunities available to UC grads that I feel I’d be set up nicely for success no matter what. Even with its drop in rankings it’s still respected in the Bay and I think (if I happened to get accepted off the waitlist) I would deem it the “best” school in my options in terms of reputation, employment outcomes, rankings, etc. I am obviously waitlisted and it’s too risky in my opinion to assume that I’ll get in, but I want to stay on the waitlist to keep it on the table.

I think it makes sense to go to L&C and that’s where I’m leaning but I still have this queasy feeling that it’s not the right fit, and I’m not sure if it’s just because of the people I met or something else. I guess I’m looking to hear others opinions. If you have some personal experience or insight you could offer that would either reinforce L&C as the right decision or argue in favor of another school I’d really appreciate the input!

Also for context I’m not gunning for any specific line of work/big law/etc necessarily, I just want good odds for bar passage, employment, and to hopefully love my job and earn a good salary. My current work has given me a lot of experience with property/land use law and I’m interested in that, but I am open to exploring other specialties.

Recently I was accepted into both American University and University of Richmond, with both schools offering 40k a year.

On its face, Richmond seems to be a better choice: better employment outcomes, better ranking, less expensive with tuition and cost of living. I'm already located in Richmond, where I could stay with family, and I genuinely like living here.

What gives me some pause, and I do feel it's secondary to focusing on career outcomes and expenses, is that Richmond seems to lack diversity. I'll be able to better gauge this for myself when I tour, but my view of U of R is that its very small, cliquey, and upper-class white. Not looking to relive undergrad, just considering the personal experience and whether AU will provide better opportunities to connect with a wider range of people.

I don't have a strong sense of what focus or area of law I want to work in yet, but I am drawn towards international law and government/policy. AU does compete with better schools in a very compacted market, but with it being in DC it does seem a better choice for that.

Just curious what any of you all think and appreciate the time.

Hi! I am a 25 year old girl and a incoming 1L at SCU Law. I need to find a new apartment by May! If you are looking for a roomie to go apartment hunting with and/or to fill a room DM me and ill tell you a little bit more about me and what I am looking for. (Also down to to house hunt if theres more than 2 of us!)

Incoming 1L deciding between Tulane Law School and American University Washington College of Law. Any advice regarding which school to attend?

Would also love to learn about which metrics Big Law firms use to decide whether to offer a 1L + recruiting tips

nKJD with 1 year experience at a bulge bracket bank in middle office role. Any help is appreciated!

I applied at the beginning of Feb.

What did you all think? Does anyone planning on attending want to connect with me? I live in Chicago right now!

I applied with my GREs from when I got a masters degree a few years ago (at USC). I am still deciding on whether or not I want to do the part time program at Loyola, go to USC, or just stay at my job.

Please tell me the positives and negatives of each ? I did get more $ at Brooklyn but not sure how Brooklyn does with placements ?

TL;DR: R&R next cycle or attend with little scholarship?

Hey all. I’ve been contemplating posting this, so sorry if it's a long read. So far, I’ve heard back from 4 out of 13 schools, 2 have been As (AU WCL and Suffolk), one WL (UNLV), and one R (GW). I like AU's IL program, so I'm happy about that. However, both schools gave me very little scholarship (basically nothing). I kinda expected this, but still applied as I felt pressured (family, society, etc.). For context: 3.72 GPA, T3 softs (1 year public service WE), really strong essays and LoRs, first-gen minority. I’m interested in PI, immigration/human rights, and IL. Sadly, I felt my LSAT would limit me (154). I don’t know if there is much else I can do to improve my application other than the LSAT.

I guess I shouldn’t rule myself out yet, but I can’t help but feel like I screwed myself with the low LSAT and wasted my potential and overall strength of my application. I have started thinking of possibly R&Ring next cycle, but I would hate to go through the process all over again, like rewriting the essays I was proud of and taking the LSAT again (taken it 3 times so far, very clearly the bane of my existence). I guess it helps that I would have a job I really love and have great relationships in.

I’m kind of in a tough spot right now. I’m waiting to hear back from other schools, but my deposit deadlines are April 22 and 24. I could keep waiting for the rest of the schools to give me their decisions, but I feel like time is passing me by and I have to make a decision soon: either accept an offer or R&R. On top of all of this, my employer has extended a return offer and expressed they would love to have me another year (they've been super supportive, overall great work environment and learning experience). I don’t want to leave them waiting as I feel it is rude and I really value them. My parents are adamant that I should just accept one of the offers I have and go to law school now rather than later. They're weirdly nonchalant about the loans (their argument is you can make back money but can’t get back time). I’m feeling lost and overwhelmed. I don’t know how much longer schools will take to send out their decisions, but I feel like I should make a decision by May, so if I do end up R&Ring, I can start studying again in time for Aug, Sept or Oct LSAT (Oct being the last option). 

I could possibly negotiate the scholarships, but I’m not really sure until I receive all of my decisions. I've read that some schools offer scholarships after 1L. I’ve also read some people have chosen to defer, but I am not sure my reasons would qualify (I believe AU WCL does binding deferral but Suffolk doesn’t). I also worry that either school might not accept me the second time around. Is it common for schools that have accepted you previously to accept you again in another cycle?

Am I being too negative too soon? Maybe I’m just spiraling lol. But with how tough and crazy this cycle has been, I’m afraid it's only going to get more competitive. It probably will, so maybe I should be grateful and commit to one…