<p>Disclaimer: I know very little about law school perceptions beyond the preliminary "top law schools" googling. </p>
<p>I'm trying to weigh the benefits of going to UT compared to a higher ranked law school. I live in TX (go to school in the northeast) and am pretty much a shoo-in, but my GPA is high enough to at least qualify for Columbia, NYU, possibly Harvard and even Stanford or Berkeley acceptance letters (granted that I ace the LSAT). Say I was to get into HYSB, would it be worth forgoing a cheaper education at UT for the sake of a HYSB notch on my belt? Or would I be wise to go to UT for half the price? Essentially, would I get the same education no matter where I end up? Do people in the field recognize UT as a comparable school to HYSB?</p>
<p>Don’t take the LSAT for granted. Go to your library, check out a prep book, and then take a diagnostic. That’s not necessarily a harbinger of your admissions, but it’s something. </p>
<p>That being said, reputation in law schools is very important, especially in BigLaw placement.</p>
<p>Oh most definitely. I don’t expect to sweep the LSAT without working my butt off first. </p>
<p>But in terms of reputation, how much weight would UT carry compared to HYSBC? It seems like some of the more prestigious schools are just that partly because it’s a self-fulfilling arrangement, whereas by dint of UT being in the south, not being an ivy, being a state school, etc., it doesn’t receive the full credit it deserves (I’m just speculating here, trying to play devil’s advocate). </p>
<p>And from what I can tell, UT has some of the best professors and its graduates go on to do impressive things. For example, this is the second consecutive year an alum was awarded a Bristow Fellowship. Also, from what little knowledge I possess on the matter, Jones Day is a BigLaw right? If so, they hire a ton of UT grads.</p>