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#85860
Below, an accepted law student, Max, receives some admissions advice from PowerScore CEO Dave Killoran.

Max: "Hi Dave,

I am currently debating between attending 3 schools right now: Pitt, Drexel, and Duquesne. I am from Central Pennsylvania, so I can see myself in either Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, so this isn’t much of an issue. Going through the application process, my goal has been to participate in a dual program where I would receive both my law degree (focus on health law) and a Master’s in Public Health. My dream job would be to work for a government agency, like the Department of Health or FDA and work on health policy, but I can also see myself working anywhere in reality. The statistics for each school are as follows:

#76 Pitt:
COA= about $53,000 ($21K in tuition, but currently negotiating)
Employment Score = 74.2%
Under-employment = 12.5%
Public Service: 20.8%
National Firms: 17.5%
Regional Firms: 15%

#93 Drexel:
COA= about $58,000 ($18K in tuition)
Employment Score = 80.6%
Under-employment = 7.5%
Public Service: 11.9%
National Firms: 11.9%
Regional Firms: 20.1%

#122 Duquesne
COA= about $32,000 ($0 in tuition)
Employment Score = 71.6%
Under-employment = 9.2%
Public Service: 14.7%
National Firms: 5.5%
Regional Firms: 19.3%

Some Extra Information:

Pitt: Their second highest landing spot for alumni is in DC. They have a semester in DC program where you can intern for various government departments, so this would be incredibly helping in landing a job at a federal agency. Of the three schools, the health law program at Pitt is the best. After touring, I found myself really enjoying the atmosphere and people at the law school.

Drexel: This is a very young law school and has jumped in the rankings over the past several years, so there is a possibility that this school has a bright and competitive future. I have already been accepted into the Master’s program and have been offered an additional $23,000 scholarship towards it. However, unlike the other two schools, there has been very little engagement with admitted students in the forms of e-mails and open houses, which has been kind of a turn-off. The only tours they offer are virtual, so it is hard to get a feel for the school itself.

Duquesne: They have offered me a position as a Dean’s Scholar, which includes a full tuition scholarship and invitations to various leadership seminars, along with a special reception with the Dean. I was left a great impression by this school’s admissions team who called me personally to inform me of my scholarship, and the Assistant Dean of Admissions herself gave me personal tour on a Saturday morning. Unlike Pitt, Duquesne is right next to the Downtown area of the city where several big firms are located, allowing students to work during their 2 and 3L years. They do not offer a dual degree program with a Master’s of Public Health, but they do have a dual program where I can earn a Master’s in Healthcare Ethics.

Please let me know if there is anymore info you would like! Hope you can be of assistance!

Thanks,
Max"

Max: "Oh, I have also been waitlisted at Richmond, Temple, and Cardozo. I’m not sure if that really changes anything in terms of what you will say, but wanted to make sure you had all of the information!"

Dave Killoran: "Hey Max,

Thanks for the info! I’m at a bit of a disadvantage here since I don’t specialize in healthcare-related programs, so please take the below with that in mind :)

Based on what you said I’d lean toward Pitt. You liked the place and people, their health program is the best, they have the strongest national placement and good placement into DC. Those are all strong positive, and the cost is less than Drexel. Drexel is indeed growing, but you can’t bet on the future of a school or its ranking/prestige–things can change there. And it’s more expensive for a lower ranking and lower job stats. Yes, the Philly location is a plus, but that’s their big advantage right now. Duquesne isn’t that much cheaper, and they don’t have the health program you like. If you think the personal touch they showed was a game changer, then by all means keep them in. But based on what you’ve said, it would seem like Pitt would be the leader right now.

FYI, the WL schools don’t change anything since they aren’t solid yet.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!"

Max: "Thanks Dave! This was super helpful!"

Max: "To update:

I got the chance to visit Drexel and really loved the campus and Philadelphia. The law building was not the most exciting, but nonetheless I can definitely see myself there. From what I have seen of both cities, I definitely prefer Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, but know I can be happy in either city. I’ve also been able to negotiate scholarships at both schools and have looked at housing in each city to get a more realistic idea of the COA. Additionally, I have now factored in both degrees into the total cost.

#67 Pitt: COA= $96000
#81 Drexel: COA= $84550

Does this change anything in your eyes?"

Dave Killoran: "No, not really since the costs are so very close. I think it’s about that health choice and where you feel you will perform best at this point :) Congrats again!"

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