Undergrad College... And Debt Load?

Graduate School Law School
1

<p>With weeks to go before the start of the fall semester of my senior year, I am reconsidering my undergrad college. I would love to stay where I'm at but I'm not sure if that is even an option. </p>

<p>Question: how important is undergrad university quality in law school admissions? I'm not sure if my school gives me much of a leg up anyway. I go to University of Miami which is considered an excellent school, but does it help my chances out any more than my local state school (a tier 4 school)? With a 178 LSAT, I am shooting for a top 20 law school (although my GPA expectation on graduating is only a 3.3 with tremendous upward trend after major change -- I think I'm called a splitter?). As it does help, I should mention I'm a URM. </p>

<p>Advice? </p>

<p>Below is optional reading (well I guess it is all optional after all): </p>

<p>The problem is purely financial. This will sound personal, but it isn't like I'll ever meet any of you, so this is my problem: my dad is so far behind on his taxes that he could never fill out the FAFSA. Being behind on taxes is symptomatic of being overextended financially which leads to crap credit so I can't cosign any loans with my parents or my grandparents who are so poor that my parents have to support them financially (hence overextended). I maybe can cosign with another relative, but is it worth taking out a $30K loan? </p>

<p>I don't want to feel strapped when the local school costs nothing, but I love my school. That said, I've had 3 good years here. The thing is, I will have a lot of loans in law school and adding more feels suffocating. I plan to move back home after law school for one year to pay toward debt. Currently, my undergrad debt in 3 years is $37k. </p>

<p>Advice?</p>

2

<p>Do you have a 174 or a 178?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/law-school/932124-undergrad-gpa-almost-3-4-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/law-school/932124-undergrad-gpa-almost-3-4-a.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Also, wouldn’t you be eligible sizeable merit based scholarship at UMiami Law?</p>

3

<p>174 projected. I should have mentioned that but then all everyone would say is how my situation is hypothetical and whatever. 178 actual on June test. I knew someone would spot that!</p>

<p>I don’t want to go to UMiami Law even though I do want to practice in Miami. But maybe with scholarship from UMiami Law taking on debt now wouldn’t be so bad. Nice thought. Thanks.</p>

4

<p>178 3.3 and a URM? Your a lock for top ten no matter where you go to school. Blanket the t14 in admissions and you have a lot of acceptances and scholarship money in your wake.</p>

<p>Just skimmed the financial part, but with your stats and being a URM you will receive significant scholarships from t14 schools and close to a full ride from t20, stop worrying.</p>

5

<p>The 178 gets you way down the road, but when you say URM, remember that it matters what kind of URM.</p>

6

<p>URM = Black or Mexican. (Mainly anyway)</p>