They’re both really good schools. I’d say pretty equal. I’d just say that the first school has better networking opportunities, but that probably won’t matter till law school anyways. I’m going to look more into the rankings, though. Just to go a little more in depth.
No, these numbers are form the financial aid package they gave me
I have, and will be looking into all of this more. I appreciate the concern, but I am set on law school. I will find a way to make it work. Lawyers have pretty good employment in my area.
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They do include R&B. And nope, I cannot. My family situation is not good, and my parents are kicking me out anyways
The prices are from the financial aid packages I’ve already received. I’m deciding which school I want to attend now.
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Can you explain the interests to me more? I’m a first gen. I thought you wouldn’t be charged till you graduated, then from there you’d start paying loans. I’d hope by then I’d have some kind of sustainable job. Maybe not a lawyer, but something that will provide.
I don’t know much about the finances nor has any college admissions counselor really explained this
What??? Also, those tuition prices are with merit aid. I’m currently applying to local scholarships
I think you really need to see the gist of what people are telling you.
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Loans are not what you think - you can only get so many. And the loans your parents co-sign. Yes, you don’t have to pay interest right away - but it accrues - meaning you’re paying for it from day 1.
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Debt is expensive - so when you have the chance to spend $52K less up front when you don’t have the means to pay it back (and you don’t), that’s a no brainer. The real question is - can you even afford the cheap school?
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Law is an underperforming career. I’m not trying to talk you out of it (never was) but you have to realize the cost - now added onto your undergrad because you went straight through. So that’s even more debt.
Good luck to you - but don’t be non chalant about debt.
Debt is not just - not your friend - but it’s your mortal enemy - and maybe for 20 years or more…imagine a sizable chunk of your paycheck disappearing - and I don’t mean just for taxes!!
Good luck.
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I’m not being nonchalant about it. I just don’t understand how it works. I don’t understand why you’re assuming that. I just feel like people are trying to talk me out of law, and don’t appreciate it. If I was oblivious to the debt factor, I wouldn’t even be considering the cheaper school, but I am looking at cheaper options for this reason
Taking out 80-100k in undergraduate debt is financial suicide, especially if you plan on law school. Lawyers have one of the highest debt to salary ratios of any profession, and that’s just the law school portion. Add the undergraduate debt on that, you have the makings of a miserable career living paycheck-to-paycheck. Lawyers make just a shade above electrical engineers.
That’s assuming you decide law at all. The vast majority of “prelaw” high school graduates don’t go to law school. College is a maturation process, and students find hidden passions. You might decide on healthcare or IT, which would make $100,000 in debt far worse financially.
If that’s the plan, please…DON’T…and take a few semesters at community college before you jeopardize your future.
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I also took AP classes so that may help me out financially a bit. I don’t know if I want to do community college. I know so many people in my area that got trapped that way, but I probably will go with the cheaper school.
I’ll try - others may do better.
I wish you were a Junior - because if you don’t come from wealth and I don’t know your stats, perhaps you could have applied to a school that meets 100% of demonstrated need. Or even done Questbridge. I’m not going to suggest a possible gap year. I’d say community college - but others can speak better.
I’m not the loan guru but here’s a website. You can get $5500 as a first year ,$6,500 as a 2nd year, and $7500 your last two.
You don’t accrue interest during your schooling - well I think you do but the government cover it.
The Parent Plus Loans I believe are what your family co-sign for but if your financial situation isn’t good they may not qualify. For those loans, interest starts billing up on day one and you will be responsible for it - it just adds to the balance.
As I’m full pay - this isn’t my area and others will give you better guidance.
But I think you really need to realize, even if you get a great job, you are looking to walk into a pile of dynamite - and you definitely don’t want to do this. And based on how you describe the family, someone may not lend your parents the money anyway.
Good luck.
Thanks for the website
I’ve only read you try to talk yourself out of law.
I’ve seen people provide you guidance on how to see outcomes, to look for possible pay, etc. I didn’t read anyone try to talk you out of it.
People want you to understand what you are walking into.
Sorry for the word non-chalant - let’s go back to your original premise.
One cost $22K. One costs $35K. Both will need loans to get there.
That means the second has, over four years, $52K ADDITIONAL. Maybe law school changes the 4 to something less or more I’m not sure as it’s 3/3.
So that’s the answer to your question - the higher cost school, in this instance, has no place in the discussion.
If it’s like a Cabrini + Widener, etc. then do the cheaper all six years.
You are in a tough place, OP.
There are three sets of loans on the table: what you can borrow in your own name for undergrad, what you can borrow with you parents signature (assuming that they are solvent enough to sign for them) for undergrad, and what you can borrow for law school.
The 3+3 options (meaning 6 years combined, instead of 7) are attractive, but what is the cost of the 3 years of law school? What would your total post-graduation from law school debt be?
On another thread you mentioned that you were applying to a lot of places with merit aid- did none of them work out?
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To clarify, $27,000 is a manageable amount of debt for a bachelors degree. If you have to take out more than that, it becomes unmanageable relative to the benefits of the degree. There’s a greater chance than not that you’ll choose a different major, so that’s why it’s important to have manageable debt. You might choose to work after college.
Law school is well over $100,000 in loans, and that’s on the cheap side. Add $80,000 in student loans from undergraduate, and you have unmanageable debt, even as a lawyer. Not all lawyers find jobs out of law school. The best thing you can do is avoid debt like a plague for undergraduate.
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I’m not sure if this makes a difference (since it may be a it exaggerated. But I talked to the director of a department at the second school. He told me nobody ever did the 3+3 program with the first school at their school because they get into better law schools for a cheaper piece.
Unlike many on this site, I do not think engineering and computer science are the only way to make a living. 
I had student loans, I went to law school, and I got a good job at a large firm in a mid-size city.
That said, I graduated at the top of my law school class, so it was easier for me to land a higher paying position. I also went to the most affordable school so my debt was less than $50,000 total.
My best friend was not quite as strong of a student and had over $100,000 debt. It was harder for her to find work until I got her hired on at my firm on a contract basis a few years after graduation. That debt was a big burden in her life for many, many years, but she was finally able to take advantage of real estate investments to pay it off. So you could say it worked out.
I do not want to discourage you from following your dream. I will say that the law firms that pay salaries high enough for new lawyers to comfortably pay big law school loans also expect those lawyers to work a LOT of hours. Which sounds fun and exciting when you are young, but is less appealing when you are in your 30s and want to actually see your kids before bedtime.
When making this kind of decision, it is important to think about what you will want and what your life might be like in 10 years or 20 years. How will today’s decision affect that? What if you change your mind or some major life change forces you to change plans?
By all means, follow your dreams. But that doesn’t mean just trusting that it will all work out because you want it to. Your education goals alone will take 6 or 7 years. It is important to think about how you will address contingencies — at least in general terms.
What if your parents can’t qualify for all the loans you need? What if you struggle to pass the bar exam? What if you have to take a leave from school to care for an ailing family member? What if you get married and your spouse lands a job across the country?
Whatever. Life happens. You may well sail through school and get the exact job you wanted. I hope you do. But it isn’t wise to bet the whole farm on the assumption that the next seven years will not throw you any curve balls.
That’s why people here discourage you from taking on debt. Debt follows you and weighs you down when those curve balls come and makes it harder to pivot and adjust. And the more debt, the heavier the weight.
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No. These offers ARE with merit aid. I hit top scholarships from these schools, and this is how pricey it is 
I’m currently trying to apply to some local scholarships.
I will ask about the price of law school. They implied that it would be almost the exact same as undergrad, but I’ll recalrify
I honestly fight really have that option. Im trying to apply for scholarships. I don’t want to go to community college because I’ve seen how it screws people over in my area.