What is better?


For a foreign student, what is better in order to make an LLM and work after the LLM in the USA:
- Pay a top ten university, or
- Receive a scholarship from a top 30 university and not pay anything or pay the half?

For a foreign student, what is better in order to make an LLM and work after the LLM in the USA:
- Pay a top ten university, or
- Receive a scholarship from a top 30 university and not pay anything or pay the half?
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hannenyh

I did the scholarship thing, just because I intended to go back to Norway again afterwards, and firms in Norway don't really care that much. However, my plan changed and I decided to stay for a while. It has proved hard top find a good job after the LLM. I got a job, but it just doesn't pay that great, and I don't do the type of work I want. It is however valuable to have on my resume. On the other hand, I've heard it is hard to get a good job if you graduate from a top 10 school too, but probably not as hard.

I did the scholarship thing, just because I intended to go back to Norway again afterwards, and firms in Norway don't really care that much. However, my plan changed and I decided to stay for a while. It has proved hard top find a good job after the LLM. I got a job, but it just doesn't pay that great, and I don't do the type of work I want. It is however valuable to have on my resume. On the other hand, I've heard it is hard to get a good job if you graduate from a top 10 school too, but probably not as hard.
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So, it is the same? I mean, even though it could be easier to find a job if you are from a top ten school, there are not big differences if you are from a top 30 school?

So, it is the same? I mean, even though it could be easier to find a job if you are from a top ten school, there are not big differences if you are from a top 30 school?
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hannenyh

I don't think it is the same, but someone from a top 10 school should probably answer this. I don't know what percentage of them get jobs afterwards, and if it is worth paying full tuition. At my school only a few people remained in the U.S. to work. However, I think several people didn't apply for jobs or take the bar, so I am not sure what the number could have been. In hindsight I probably would have gotten a 2-year JD instead, just to make it easier. Although way more expensive, it seems worth it if you are adamant about staying in the U.S. for more than a couple of years.

I don't think it is the same, but someone from a top 10 school should probably answer this. I don't know what percentage of them get jobs afterwards, and if it is worth paying full tuition. At my school only a few people remained in the U.S. to work. However, I think several people didn't apply for jobs or take the bar, so I am not sure what the number could have been. In hindsight I probably would have gotten a 2-year JD instead, just to make it easier. Although way more expensive, it seems worth it if you are adamant about staying in the U.S. for more than a couple of years.
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I understand, so, people from top ten universities what do you think about?

I understand, so, people from top ten universities what do you think about?
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Gloss

I went to Stanford LLM. For me it was not that difficult to find a job in the US. I got more than one offer to stay in the US in a regular position as associate in a top law firm making the NY best market salary (160k first year). All my colleagues got jobs also. My general comments about job searching in the US for foreigns are: 1) The country you are from matters a lot for employers and also how the market is going and if your country is going well; 2) School matters a lot also and if you are coming from a top 3 (Yale, Stanford, Harvard) you have really good chances to get a job. If you are coming from a 3-10 school, you have good chances, but you will face more competition. After top 10, you will have a lot of problems. 3) If you can join a small program is better fro job searching, because you face less competition from your school. As you will see, diversity is something that matters in the US, so law firms always pick students from different schools. Therefore, you have to compete first against your classmates and second against students from other schools. If you are one of the few LLM students from your school you can easily become the candidate from your school.
My advice for you is that you should apply to a mix of top schools and schools where you can get scholarship. After you have been admitted, you should decide based on the schools you have been admitted, the amount of scholarship you can get and your chances of paying the LLM if, in a worst scenario, you have to return to your home country.

I went to Stanford LLM. For me it was not that difficult to find a job in the US. I got more than one offer to stay in the US in a regular position as associate in a top law firm making the NY best market salary (160k first year). All my colleagues got jobs also. My general comments about job searching in the US for foreigns are: 1) The country you are from matters a lot for employers and also how the market is going and if your country is going well; 2) School matters a lot also and if you are coming from a top 3 (Yale, Stanford, Harvard) you have really good chances to get a job. If you are coming from a 3-10 school, you have good chances, but you will face more competition. After top 10, you will have a lot of problems. 3) If you can join a small program is better fro job searching, because you face less competition from your school. As you will see, diversity is something that matters in the US, so law firms always pick students from different schools. Therefore, you have to compete first against your classmates and second against students from other schools. If you are one of the few LLM students from your school you can easily become the candidate from your school.
My advice for you is that you should apply to a mix of top schools and schools where you can get scholarship. After you have been admitted, you should decide based on the schools you have been admitted, the amount of scholarship you can get and your chances of paying the LLM if, in a worst scenario, you have to return to your home country.
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