<p>Okay, so here is the deal. I currently attend a local community college here in PA. I have a 3.6 GPA and over 50 credit hours. I am staunchly conservative and majoring in Political Science. I am looking for a school on the east coast that generally leans conservative but is not one of those christian schools that nobody takes seriously. (i.e. Regent etc.) My ultimate goal is to go to law school following my completion of my B.A. However I will be taking out loans for everything and cost is definitely an issue. If I go to a more expensive school out of state will I still get financial aid for Law school. <-- (Probably my biggest concern)</p>
<p>Pheww I know that's a loaded question.</p>
<p>Now these are the schools I have been intrigued by.</p>
<p>Penn State (in state, lower cost but leans left, I'm scared by grades will suffer due to that)
University of Pitt (in state, lower cost but leans left, I'm scared my grades will suffer)
University of Virginia (supposedly leans right and has a good rep, but expensive out of state)
College of William & Mary (supposedly leans right and has a good rep, but expensive out of state)
Wake Forest (supposedly leans right and has a good rep, but expensive out of state)
Boston College (a stretch to realistically get accepted) I presume?
Holy Cross (a stretch to realistically get accepted) I presume?
Washington & Lee (a far stretch to get accepted) I presume?</p>
<p>Overall what is my best move? (it's okay to suggest something not listed) </p>
<p>So main factors encompass cost, political leanings, and reputation for the political science department / pre law and law school acceptance)</p>
<p>The short answer is no, probably not. Law school is expensive (even more so than college). Aid does not work in the same ways it does for college. </p>
<p>How will you borrow enough to pay for a private or out-of-state public college?
Do you realize that there are strict federal student loan limits?
Are your parents willing to sign for large private loans to pay for 2 (?) years of college at ~$50K/year ?</p>
<p>No I didn’t realize that there were strict federal student loan limits. I am not a traditional college student though. I am 26 years old and I have owned a condo and sold it. I have owned a car and made car payments. Now I live back at home with my parents after me and my then fiance broke up. So my credit score is in the 700’s I’m not sure I would need a co-signer. </p>
<p>None the less. So lets say I went to PSU at 15k per year, I would be looking at 2 - 2.5 years before completion so upwards of 30-50 k in loan money. Where would I stand as far as law school goes and what are my options? Is it realistic for someone like me ???</p>
<p>Against the high costs you need to weigh the hiring and salary prospects for graduates of the schools where you have realistic chances of being admitted.</p>
<p>First, please don’t come in here at the last second and demand that people answer your questions immediately. You are complaining after 45 minutes that total strangers haven’t answered your questions! Why didn’t you post this question months ago???</p>
<p>Moving on…I think given the cost of law school the obvious choice is to go Penn State, do really well and get great LSAT scores. Even if it is “left-leaning” that doesn’t mean you are the only conservative on campus. Join one of the conservative political groups on campus or start your own.</p>
<p>^ I know it’s not the greatest decision but quite frankly it is my only decision. That or a MBA in a public policy type major which will probably put me in the same ball park. I don’t have interest in any other fields so this is it for me by process of elimination re-guardless of cost.</p>
<p>My real question here is WILL I BE ABLE TO GET A LOAN? I don’t care what the interest rates are etc. The bottom line is will I get a loan for law school following my undergrad loans? Considering everything is basically being borrowed. I’m not asking if it is a good decision, I’m asking if it is feesable ?</p>
<p>I’m sorry for demanding answers lol. My apology folks. Just a frustrating day for me in crunch time right now trying to make a well informed decision.</p>
<p>Also, post your questions about Penn State in the Penn State forum, you might get more opinions on the political climate there from people in the know.</p>
<p>How about finishing at one of the state colleges to minimize your costs now? For law school, the keys are a high GPA and LSAT score. Are you living in commuting distance of any?</p>
<p>At the other end of the spectrum, the Penn poli sci department has been conservative for a long time, don’t know whether it still is. As an older student you’d qualify for the LPS continuing ed program (much easier to get into than CAS!) and they cover need (as they define it). Some law school courses are open to undergrads, too.</p>
<p>I assume you know about the job market for lawyers right now and for the near future.</p>
<p>I understand the keys to getting into one and yes I am in driving distance of some. My main concern is getting enough loan money (no matter federal or private) to go to law school following my B.A. I’m a real novice with this. Sorry if it is a dumb question.</p>
<p>And could you shed some light on the continuing ed program and ease of entry for an elder statesmen such as myself lol CAS vs. LPS? Not familiar ?</p>
<p>You should take your money questions to the Financial Aid Forum. Look for kelsmom there. She is a real life financial aid officer and can talk you through all of that.</p>
<p>As for Penn State issues, the experts would be in the Penn State forum. Go to the main page where all of the forums are listed, and scroll down until you find the Colleges and Universities Forum. Penn State is in the alphabetical list.</p>
<p>Another place for advice specific to non-traditional students is the Non-trad sub forum which is hidden under the sub-heading “Specialty College Admissions Topics” inside the Admissions Forum.</p>
<p>It’s the continuing ed arm of the College of Arts and Sciences. You get exactly the same diploma at the end, though costs are lower.</p>
<p>Classes are held at night, but you can take day classes under certain circumstances. Day students sometimes take these classes if they have schedule conflicts or want a course or professor who isn’t teaching during the day. Some professors really like LPS students because they’re more serious and focused.</p>
<p>High school seniors can’t apply to this, though. You can’t take a full schedule in LPS until you’re at least 21. That’s why those thousands of seniors don’t compete against you for admission. You essentially compete against yourself here, though don’t say it to them because they need to believe they’re selective!</p>
<p>LPS has walk-in advising hours, though probably not this coming week. They follow the Penn financial aid policies (cover all demonstrated need according to their definition, no-loan packages). And community college graduates who have done well do get in.</p>
<p>Honestly, you should just go to Penn State or whatever is the cheapest since law school will already be quite expensive. I think you shouldn’t care about political leaning too much. Most of medium to large sized university will always have a some minority of ppl who agree with your political view.</p>
<p>If you are looking for a more conservative university, you might consider University of Missouri. It is pretty easy to establish residency there for in-state tuition after the first year (one of the very few places where this is the case). From what I hear, the school financial aid office will tell you what you need to do (might even be info on the financial aid school website). I know a couple of students who have successfully (and apparently legally) done it. If you are that worried about getting graded down for your views, consider it.</p>
<p>The OP’s key concern seems to be money. Boston College is a very expensive private college. The University of Missouri is less expensive, but still over $32K for OOS students.</p>