"ASPIRING ATTORNEYS WHO have been accepted into multiple law schools and who intend to start a J.D. program this fall face a difficult predicament because of the coronavirus health crisis, which has caused law schools to close their campuses. Unlike in years past, someone accepted into various law schools cannot visit those campuses to determine where he or she feels most comfortable.
The spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, prevents in-person meetings with current law students, faculty, alumni and others who might be able to share insights about a particular J.D. program. Social distancing guidelines issued by public heath officials and government authorities discourage in-person interactions.
That means admitted law students must seek information about the schools that accepted them in ways other than on-campus experience or in-person interaction. J.D. admissions experts note many methods for researching law schools remotely." …
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-graduate-schools/top-law-schools/articles/how-to-choose-a-law-school-if-you-cant-tour-campus-due-to-coronavirus
My guide for how to choose a law school even in a normal year: compare costs for your T14 acceptances. No visiting necessary.
I would agree but add local law school’s where you are happy to live and practice. Attending say, UT-Austin or UCLA or Minnesota on the cheap can be an excellent choice if those are locales where you want to settle down.
@bluebayou I get your point. But I guess “on the cheap” is relative. Obviously if you are in state UT, UCLA and Minn. are significantly cheaper. However OOS they are all still about 54K. Again cheaper than the 65-70K price rage of the T14 but not exactly on the cheap.
However along the lines of what you stated I.e. looking for the bargain if you are willing to live and practice in the city/state where the school is located I made a list of the cost of the top 50 UNWR law school that are less than 50,000K for OOS tuition. To state the obvious In State listed first OOS listed second
- ASU $28000; $47,000
- U Florida $22,000; $38,000
27, Iowa $28000; $48,000
- UNC $24,500; $41,600
- Bama $24,000; $43,000
- UGA $20,000; $38,600
- U. Of Ill $38,000; $48,000
- W&M $35,000; $44,000
- BYU $13,500; $27,000
- OSU $31,500; $46,000
- Wisconsin $25700; $44,000
- George Mason $25,000; $41,000
- UWash $37,000; $48,500
- WFU $47,000; $47000
- Utah $29,000; $38,000
- U Colo $32,000; $38,600
- Arizona $26,000; $30,300
- Maryland $34,000; $49,300
- FSU $20,700; $41,000
@evergreen5 assuming you can get into and afford a T14 you are correct it is a pretty easy decision.
Cheap to me is rarely paying sticker price. Fortunately, all but HYS offer merit money, and with the right numbers (for example, above 75th %) it can be big time merit money. Someone who has the stats for a T10 will almost certainly receive merit money at Texas or UCLA, and most other law schools ranked lower.
My point was that attending UT on a discount for someone who wants to live and practice in Texas can be a great deal, and much better than paying a whole lot more for a T14.
@bluebayou I am new to how law school admission works these days as I graduated from law school eons ago in 1987.
My daughter is going to be a senior next year and is starting her LSAT prep. Took a full practice test as a baseline and got a 165. She has a 4.0. She had some trouble with the”logic” portion but Is hopefully with lots of prep over the summer she can get over 170 when she tests in the fall.
Just so I understand. You are saying that even at T14 schools (other than HYS) folks above 75%tile aren’t paying the $68000 sticker price, correct?
Thanks for your input and information as we start this process.
Over the past few years, I have read an analysis–easily accessible on the internet–about “best value law schools”. If I recall correctly, the University of Georgia School of Law has been determined to be “the best value law school in the US” on more than one occasion.
If you want to practice in a particular state, but are not interested in biglaw, then the state flagship law school is often one’s best choice for cost & for professional connections.