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Below, PowerScore's Dave Killoran provides some law school choice advice to a student, Jonathan.

Jonathan: "Hi Dave! It has been very helpful to read through some of your other responses. I’ve narrowed my choices down to Harvard, Michigan, and Northwestern… but now I’m stuck. I currently live in Chicago with my partner, and I have a slight preference to stay in Chicago for school. I plan to pursue a federal clerkship followed by public interest/government work in Chicago or DC.

Harvard (COA=$330,000, Loans=$100,000): Obviously it would be amazing to be a student at Harvard, and the school would get me to my goals. The big downside here is the cost. While I wouldn’t need to take out an exorbitant amount of debt (compared to many other law students), it would take out a lot of savings. I am also nervous about relying too heavily on the LIPP program due to how it calculates assets regarding spouses, homes, etc.

Michigan (COA=$120,000, Loans=$0): I loved Michigan when I visited and would graduate debt-free. The biggest benefits to attending Michigan over Northwestern would be the community vibe and what seems to be a very strong contingent of PI students, though the school is a little more expensive.

Northwestern (COA=$95,000, Loans=$0): This would be my cheapest option (full ride, no debt). The other biggest benefit is that it would be the least disruptive to my partner and me; we’d still be near friends, and my partner could continue working at their current job. However, based on what I’ve heard from current students, I’m concerned about the school’s relatively poor PI career support.

To be honest, I think I am leaning toward Northwestern, but I’m worried that I’m doing so for bad reasons: the lack of disruption in my life and how it feels nice to have gotten a full ride. Would I be putting opportunities out of reach by choosing Northwestern over Michigan, or Northwestern/Michigan over Harvard? How much stock should I be putting in the “Harvard” name? And how much should I be focusing on the strength of the PI support? I feel very conflicted."

Dave Killoran: "Hi Jonathan,

Thanks for the message! As always, think of this as a purchasing decision, because you are of course purchasing debt in exchange for career results/options. You’ve already done the excellent and most helpful work of establishing the price, so let’s look at what you are buying: https://www.lawschooltransparency.com/s ... rthwestern.

The first question is, are the HLS numbers so much better than the others that they are an obvious, slam-dunk choice? I wouldn’t say so. Their big advantage is in clerkships, and 14.3% fed clerkships is strong. Knowing that’s your preferred path gives that some weight, but at least to me I don’t see their numbers as being so much better that you should go broke for it. I know it’s tough to walk away from the HLS name, but with a looming recession, having depleted savings/debt is not typically a smart move when the alternative is still a T14 name.

Second, if we set HLS aside for the time being, it becomes Michigan vs Northwestern. You’ve identified a $25K difference there, and no debt on graduation from either. So it really becomes a matter of whether the clerkship/PI advantages outweigh the moving consideration. And only you can answer that. But, what you can do to help yourself is talk to Northwestern staff and students about the PI experience there–find out if the environment is right for you and whether this is a legit concern or something that’s not an issue.

Last, the disruption issue is real, since your private life and comfort will affect you performance in school. On the other hand, the “full ride” vs not shouldn’t be a consideration since it has no material effect in the future (aside from $$, which we quantified already). At the end of the day, pick the school that you feel you will do best at while being happiest–the outcomes are different, but similar enough that it’s not a massive difference.

Thanks!"

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