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Hey there! I wrote an article on this topic for my colleagues and juniors. I am copy-pasting it here-Applying for Clinical / Research Electives in US- Guide for International Medical StudentsAbhijeet Singh Barath,MBBS Batch 2012AIIMS, JodhpurOne may apply for electives in United States via the following four routes-Direct application to University/Hospital using their elective forms available online. Such Universities/Hospitals may fall in following two categories-Open for all: Eg. Mayo Clinic , Cleveland Clinic, Harvard University etc.Open to students from Institutions with which they have bilateral agreement: For eg- Johns Hopkins University (AIIMS,ND has an agreement).Application through international collaborative networks if your university is a participant. For eg.: GHLO (Global Health Learning Opportunities) is an international network of which KMC, Manipal and Mangalore are a part. KMC’s students can apply to any GHLO member university (Eg. Wayne State University) for electives.Application through third party agencies: Eg. AMO (American Medical Opportunities), Chicago Clerkships etc. You pay them and can get your desired elective from amongst the hospitals with which they have a collaboration.Elective through Sponsorship: You may write emails to faculties at various institutions (usually based on pre existing relationship with the faculty), writing about your interests and requesting if they may sponsor your elective. Sponsoring simply means that they are ready to have you with them for an elective. Eg. Washington University at St. Louis, Uni. of Chicago etc.Following is a list of some common requirements:You must be actively enrolled as a medical student at a university to get electives at most places. There are a very few exceptions and most of these options do not carry a very high value. For eg: Global Observership program for International Medical Graduates,available at Cleveland Clinic.USMLE Step 1 score (notable exceptions for this requirement are Harvard , Wayne State and most institutions affiliated to third party organisations)Letter of good standing from Dean.Permission from your home institution to attend these electives.LORs from faculty members who have closely observed your work.Immunization, health forms, vaccine titres.Health and malpractice insurance.TOEFL iBT scores.Application form of the institution.Application fee ± Elective fee. The application fee is usually in the range of $200-$500 at most institutions. While the elective fee may range from none at Mayo Clinic and Cleveland clinic to $2000 at Weill Cornell and Mount Sinai; $3500 at Yale SOM; $4500 at Harvard; $5000 at Uni. of Washington and $6000 at Stanford for a 4 week long elective. Most third parties charge in the range between $2000-$4000 for electives.Some popular destinations for Electives:Open to allMayo ClinicCleveland ClinicWeill CornellUniversity of Texas Medical School at HoustonHarvard UniversityYale SOM (School of Medicine)Ichan SOM at Mount SinaiEmoryNYUUniversity of RochesterUniversity of Texas, SW Medical CentreBarrow Neurological Institute (observership only)University of Miami (observership only)New York PresbyterianUniversities requiring sponsorship from Faculty members at the UniversityU. Of MississippiU. Of Washington SOM, SeattleWashington University at St. LouisCollege of Medicine Tucson, U. of ArizonaSchools requiring B/L agreementJohns HopkinsU. of MichiganBrown ALbertaGeorge WashingtonUniversity of Pennsylvania Perelman School of MedicineVanderbiltU. Utah, Salt lake cityU. of CincinnatiUCLA David Geffen SOMKeck SOM, U. of South CaliforniaFeinberg SOM, NW universityDoes not accept international studentsU. ConnecticutHenry FordSt. Joseph’s Hospital, Dignity Health SystemsALbany medical college?UC San DiegoU. of Arkansas?UTMBU. of KentuckyU. VirginiaAlso it's best to do some background research based on your desired speciality. It's preferable that one rotates at institutions where one wishes to apply in future for a residency and at top notch places where one can get a good LoR.For more information:http://electives.us/unilistims.htmlhttp://www.usmle-forums.com/usce-clinical-rotations/5599-complete-list-clinical-electives-international-medical-students.html

How to become a doctor in the USA if you are from India :Since nobody knows what they are writing, I'll give you a perfect explanation on how to set your dreams on acquiring the coveted MD tag for your son.Let him complete his 12th exam in India. No need to go to the USA in a rush.Now, I assume that your husband is a big bucks man or you come from a affluent family :)I'll be talking about Yale University's School of Medicine, Connecticut, USA.It takes around $60,000 per year to study in Yale.( You can choose another option for getting a BA/BS in a cheaper way. But, stick to Yale to get more familiarized with Yale students and faculty connections ).Yep, costs do matter. The typical financial outlay for n number of expenses such as Living costs/Food/Accomodation/Health Insurance/Hidden costs* would be around $20K-$25K annually.Now, as far as my math gyan is concerned, it evaluates to approx. $880,000for 11 years (including all living xyz costs).If your husband is earning about a $100K per year, then it's not a bigger deal (-:So, by the time your son is 29, he'll be a licensed Doc in the USA.I'd definitely show you more things in detail.Okay, enough talking, let's start -When he completes his 10th and 12th in India, he should actually have a minimum 3.4 GPA or higher equivalent score i.e. 10th > 90% and 12th > 85% which sums up to 3.5 or 3.6 GPA out of 4.0 GPA.Medical schools opt for students with a very high GPA.Note : PCB (Physics+Chemistry+Biology) marks in 12th std should be above 90%.If you get that score and your academic future seems bright, Yale Univeristy will give you a financial aid of $20000-$30000 annually easily :)So, now the total budget for 11 years shall be around $500,000 for 11 years ( I considered $25K as annual grant ). Half a million bucks !! Seems okay and budgetary from my point of view :)(because it takes $170000 exactly for a 2 years MBA degree from Yale:):))Well there is a FAFSA application which you can fill after getting the Visa and maximum unsubsidized loan amount granted would be $20,500 to partially finance Yale education for a term of 11 years :)Well, this is one tip that took me a lot of time to find out that Yale is in Connecticut and this State has early deadlines ( Feb 1st week for 2015-2016 academic year) to fill-up this lengthy form.Here's the navigation link for the federal loan from Government of USA :https://fafsa.ed.govLet him give the TOEFL exam immediately after his 12th exam and let him study for 10 days and pass this exam before the 12th results or even make him join a coaching class for this.....it is easy and mandatory but can be waived off if he is from ICSE background. This is a standard procedure to pass the Visa regulations.(do score above 100 out of 120 on that test).Get the University's offer letter by submitting your Motivation letter and 3 Letters of recommendation from 12th grade's Principal + Professor and 10th grade's Principal.After the admission's letter, fill up the i-20 form ( mandatory requirement for Indian students ).Once selected, your Visa will be approved and your son will get a F1 Student Visa that is totally valid for 5 years (Your son must not get a J1 Visa since he is not a Doctor yet..!!).Now, 3 things you need to keep in your mind :It takes 11 long years in the USA, after completing 12th in India, to complete a specialization (say Dermasurgeon or Gynac,etc.).3 years undergraduate BA/BS in "some specialization" + pre-Med for 4 years + 4 years MD residency.During BA/BS in "some xyz specialization", prepare him for MCAT exam for the preMed ( 3 years are more than enough to pass MCAT ).During the preMed, prepare him for the USMLE exam step by step.( schedule such that you can prepare for last 3 months after each year for USMLE step1 and same goes for step2 and step3 ).The final step must be given in the USA itself ( will update later ).Choose a very good college and which can double his chances for specialization in the future. ( You can choose BA/BS in Music or BA/BS in Psychology.......kindly do not waste time doing such things.....I'd recommend to do a relevant BA/BS. For example, if I were to choose to do Dermatology, I'll have to pick up the closest relevant BA/BS and that would be a BA/BS in Biomedicine or BA/BS in Neuroscience).I know it sounds funny. But I called up Yale University's School of Medicine, I got the perfect reply from the faculty.I'll focus only on Yale.Because Yale has many ties with top medical schools in the US.Also, I'd guarantee you that after doing a BA/BS and after getting a bar of 29 and/or above on MCAT exam, I'd say, stick to Yale and the alumni will help you in the further process that requires some additional possible help.Yale has its own medical residency practice center ( Danbury hospital ).Apply for the AMCAS application to get selected at Yale. ( find it online :))The navigation link for pre-Medical requirements for Yale School of Medicine is given below :http://medicine.yale.edu/education/admissions/apply/premed.aspxUSA norms say that a student from India after completing his/her education in India i.e. after completing MBBS in India should pass the USMLE exam to be entitled for pursuing his/her practice in a medical college.This exam has 3 Steps. It takes 1 to 1.5 years to study and pass this exam.USMLE part1 + USMLE part2 + USMLE part3 ....these 3 exams have a typically high competition.Let him join Kaplan's USMLE preparation course which costs about Rs.21 Lakhs to ace all the 3 steps of UMLE exam ( I'll update about the USMLE fees later ).Here's the navigation link :http://in.kaptestglobal.com/prep/course/about-usmle-examshttp://www.residencysecrets.com/2014/04/09/prepare-wisely-for-the-2015-match-and-beyond/--------------------------------------------------------------------Now, if everthing else goes upside-down and you think that dreams are shattered, don't be cynical :) Just do the MPH (Master of Public Health) which is just a 2 years course and secure your future with a management level status quo at a top-notch reputed hospital or in a top MNC's healthcare firm when you'll be on OPT and you'll have to be lucky enough to get selected in the H-1B visa cap/lottery by USCIS. In 2015, total applicants from all over the world fighhting for H-1B visa were 233,000. From India alone, 90,000+ students were sent to USA in 2014. So just imagine China and the rest of the world behind this rat race.-------------------------------------------------------------------If his aim is to become a doctor in India, you might as well know the fact that PMTs are no more (i.e. state private colleges can keep it but for the public colleges inside a State, exams like Punjab PMT or Haryana PMT or etc. have been scrapped since 2013).Only way to secure yourself a cool AIR rank is via AIPMT and the ultimate AIIMS.For total medical seats in India check the below awesome MCI's website :http://www.mciindia.org/InformationDesk/ForStudents/ListofCollegesTeachingMBBS.aspx-------------------------------------------------------------------Also, even if a disaster strikes, a very convenient way to get your MBBS degree is by applying to CMU ( China Medical University ......it's a top 10 University approved by MCI's norms ) which is for 5.5 years that includes 1 year practice.The Medical Council of India needs FGME exam after graduating from China. For example, if your son completes his MBBS from China, he has to pass the Foreign Medical Graduates Exam i.e. FGME that is conducted twice each year in June and December.You can now choose the MD specialization (-:Total budget for studying MBBS in China = approximately 21 Lakhs ( really feasible amount ).Note: Don't let your prestige come in your way because you want to save 1 year of your life by not preparing for the AIPMT and AIIMS as a repeater :)Also, CMU accepts students who have >= 80% in 10th and 12th grade.------------------------------------------------------------------So, after your son becomes a Doctor in America with an MD and he wants to practice in India after watching the movie "Swades", all he has to do is watch that movie again and pass the FGME exam. Thats it :)And by that time, he'd have gained a dual citizenship :)Okay, I don't know whether he can go back to the US after he decides to practice again after all the Mahabharat he'd have to face :)Note: Only 1 out of 4 people pass this entrance exam.------------------------------------------------------------I'll update whenever possible (-: if I missed out certain things.You can always contact me via "comments".I hope this helps you ma'am.If you further want to stay in contacts make comments here.:-)The best shortcut to get a Green card is via spousal referral.Marry a U.S. citizen and you'll get your Green card in 6-7 months.I have studied the immigration laws and it makes sense to the officals only if you marry a guy/girl on OPT (and not before graduation).OPT is a temporary work permit that allows you to do your work in the USA only if you get into a Masters program which should be a full-time degree. It can be a 1 year or a 2 year MS program.So, get a MS in a relevant medical stream.After 2.5 years, when you get your Green card, you'll easily have a FAFSA grant valid for yourself to partially fund your MD.

Q. How much is the 3 year tuition at Stanford Law?Cost of Attendance | Stanford Law SchoolTuition Top Law SchoolsPriciest Public Law SchoolsStanford Law School Financial Aid7 Ways to Figure If Going to Law School Is Worth It (Bankrate)Is Going to Law School Worth It? Depends on Where (Investopedia) - Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015 had the top 10% of lawyers earning more than $187,200. All told, it is not uncommon for a law school graduate to enter the working world with a net worth of negative $250,000. Ideally, recent graduates should earn yearly salaries equal to or greater than their total student debt. This level of pay usually allows for paying off student loans within 10 years without materially affecting a person's lifestyle.Cost of Attendance | Stanford Law SchoolTuitionTuition for 2016-17 totals $56,079. Tuition is due in October, January, and April.Cost of LivingFor single students, room and board in university residences costs approximately $23,205 for the 2016-17school year. Required books, if purchased new, cost about $1,530 a year. Local costs for transportation, clothing, recreation, and the like tend to vary. Most single students find they need to budget a total of at least $88,169 for the school year.Laptop ComputersStudents are required to have laptop computers and are advised to have a printer and modem, as well. In addition to using the laptop to write papers and create spreadsheets, students will have the opportunity to take examinations on laptops and will receive administrative notices only via electronic mail. Students may purchase a laptop from the Stanford Bookstore through a special program with the law school. Students who must purchase a laptop to meet this requirement are eligible to have their financial aid budgets increased by as much as $3,300. Only specific computers meet the needs of the law school’s computing systems.Do the math!JD Financial Support | Stanford Law SchoolFinancial Aid Yellow Ribbon Program FormsLoan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)CSS Profile ApplicationFree Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)Financial AidStanford Law offers financial aid is to assist students who would otherwise be unable to pursue a legal education at SLS. Approximately 78 percent of the student body receives a tuition fellowship or loan assistance, with the average fellowship portion per recipient totaling about $23,000 annually. Aid is awarded on the basis of demonstrated need and is provided through a combination of tuition fellowships, government guaranteed loans and private loans.To apply for financial aid, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile application. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1. A service of the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is free to all applicants. Please note that the Title IV School Code for Stanford Law School is E00341 and our CSS Profile code is 7832. To receive an aid package prior to the May 1 admissions response deadline, you must complete both applications by March 15, 2017.In general, the financial award system operates as follows:Each year the school determines a standard budget to cover basic costs (tuition plus living expenses).Each student’s need is calculated by subtracting reported resources from the standard budget. These resources include one–third of reported assets; 57% of summer gross earnings over $6,000; assumed earnings of spouse (if married); and an imputed parental contribution (based on the CSS Profile analysis) if the student is dependent.Each student is then expected to borrow or otherwise raise a portion of this need, with the remainder being an outright grant, subject to a limit of full tuition.Financial aid is evaluated annually. Therefore, one cannot be guaranteed the same level of aid over three years of attendance.Stanford Law School uses an age-based test to determine the dependency percentage from your parent contribution. Unless you are 29 years of age as of September 1, financial resource information from your parents must be submitted on the CSS Profile application. Parental information is never required on the FAFSAfor graduate students.Under our policy guidelines, the following rules apply:If you are 25 or younger as of September 1, we will take into consideration the full extent of our calculated parental contribution when determining your eligibility for our need-based scholarship assistance.If you are 26 as of September 1, we will protect 25% of your calculated parental contribution and use only 75% of that contribution when determining your eligibility for our need-based scholarship assistance.If you are 27 as of September 1, we will protect 50% of your calculated parental contribution and use only 50% of that contribution when determining your eligibility for our need-based scholarship assistance.If you are 28 as of September 1, we will protect 75% of your calculated parental contribution and use only 25% of that contribution when determining your eligibility for our need-based scholarship assistance.If you are 29 as of September 1, no parental resources are considered when determining your eligibility for our need-based scholarship assistance. Therefore, you need not submit any parental financial information to CSS Profile.Loans available to law students come primarily from three governmental programs: Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loans. All graduate and professional students are independent for purposes of determining federal loan eligibility.Additional financial aid information is provided in the School’s Financial Aid Handbook.2016-17 FINANCIAL AID HANDBOOKYellow Ribbon ProgramThe Post-9/11 GI Bill, also known as Chapter 33, is the most commonly used VA educational benefits program at Stanford. This program provides funding for tuition, required fees, books, and housing. The level of a qualifying veteran’s Chapter 33 benefits is determined by the length of military service since 9/11/2001. For the 2016-17 academic year, the base benefit for tuition and fees is capped at $21,970.If you qualify for Chapter 33 benefits at the 100% level, you will receive additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Under this program, Stanford Law provides an annual contribution to supplement the Chapter 33 base tuition benefit. The VA matches Stanford’s Yellow Ribbon contribution. For the 2016-17 academic year, Stanford Law’s annual Yellow Ribbon contribution for students will be 50% of the remaining tuition and fees with the VA providing the other 50% — together covering the full costs of tuition and fees.Most VA educational benefit programs pay benefits directly to students on a monthly basis. However, under the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33), the VA sends tuition and fees benefits to Stanford, where the Central Financial Aid Office is responsible for applying the funds to the student account (university bill). Chapter 33 books and housing benefits are sent directly to students monthly. You may need to apply your housing benefits to the university bill to pay for on-campus room and board.FormsThe following forms will be provided by the Office of Financial Aid as necessary but are available here if additional copies are needed:Continuing Student Financial Aid Supplement Form 2016-17Loan Memo 2016-2017Loan Comparison Chart 2016-2017Loan Request Form 2016-2017Expense Budget 2016-17Due to the nature of federal, state, and institutional guidelines, this information is subject to change without notice.Loan Repayment Assistance Program (LRAP)For graduates who take low-paying public interest jobs and have substantial educational debt, Stanford Law School offers the Miles and Nancy Rubin Loan Repayment Assistance Program — the most generous loan relief program in the country — along with a variety of other fellowships. Stanford Law was one of the first law schools in the country to launch such a program, setting the standard for schools that have followed our lead. Stanford Law makes loans to eligible applicants to help meet education loan payments. Loans made by Stanford through this program will be forgiven (up to 100 percent) depending on verification of participant income using federal tax returns. Visit the LRAP section of this site for additional information.7 Ways to Figure If Going to Law School Is Worth ItYour school's reputation"For the group of very select law schools at the top, the employment prospects are terrific," says Steven Harper, a former attorney and author of "The Lawyer Bubble: A Profession in Crisis." "Life can look awfully good, and it will be awfully good for the vast, vast majority of those people, but that's maybe 10 percent out of 200 law schools."There's a sharp discrepancy in job prospects between first- and lower-tier schools. When comparing U.S. News and World Report's top 20 law schools with institutions that landed in the 126-to-146 ranking range, students attending upper-echelon institutions were nearly twice as likely to hold full-time, long-term law jobs as their lower-tier counterparts. Students attending lower-tier schools were also about 2.5 times more likely to be underemployed.The Ivy League isn't the only ticket to a post-graduate job, says Kyle McEntee, executive director of Law School Transparency, an organization that helps students with the decision to attend law school, and provides employment and underemployment data on law institutions nationwide. Schools with a solid local reputation and strong ties to the community can be just as effective at finding work in that area.Your rankRegardless where you attend, your performance will be a factor for future employers. A study published last year in the Journal of Empirical Legal Studies shows that grades are "the most important predictor of career success," even more so than your school's reputation. The study, authored by law professors at UCLA and the University of Arizona, states that "... it is well known that judges care greatly about grades in choosing their clerks, professors care about grades in choosing their research assistants, and many employers insist on good grades in choosing new hires."Harper says that students who can stay above the bottom 25th percentile in GPA have the best shot at landing a job that pays enough to repay student loans."You have to be really honest and realistic with yourself about 'how well am I going to stack up against my peers?'" he says. "You have a very hard time convincing anybody, I think, who's entering law school that they'll ever wind up below the median, much less below the 25th percentile in anything, whether it's practicing law or something else, but guess what? That's just mathematics. There's an honest self-reflection that has to happen."Your specialtySome legal fields are hotter than others, which may explain why schools like New York University are changing their curricula to focus more on specializations. A study by Robert Half Legal of 200 attorneys in hiring positions revealed that litigation, business, commercial and health care law are expected to offer the greatest number of jobs.Leslie Levin, associate dean for academic affairs at the University of Connecticut School of Law, says that students can increase their marketability by having a clear idea of the law field they'd like to practice and by taking relevant courses and pursuing externship opportunities."Focusing on an area in which the student would like to practice and then positioning him or herself as somebody (who) is knowledgeable in that area will increase their employability," she says. "So, for example, if somebody gets a tax certificate, they are going to be more appealing if they want to go to a firm or the government and practice tax than somebody else."Summer associate gigs help, too. More than 90 percent of law students who held summer associate positions in 2012 were offered entry-level positions after graduation, reports the National Association for Law Placement.Your expectations"(Students) should think foremost on why they want to be a lawyer," says Andrew J. McClurg, author of "1L of a Ride: A Well-Traveled Professor's Roadmap to Success in the First Year of Law School." "If their only reason was to make a whole lot of money, that was never a good reason, even when the economy was great."Many students have unrealistic expectations about post-law school life and few have a clear picture of the daily lives of practicing attorneys, says Levin. Some don't know that they may not use their J.D. A survey by the NALP shows that 1 in 5 2012 graduates worked in a nonlegal profession or held jobs where a degree might have been an advantage or requirement, but passage of the bar was not required.The best way to understand what attorneys do is by observing them first-hand, she says."Even in college, people often will get part-time jobs in law firms. They can volunteer for organizations where lawyers are working and doing public interest work. They should talk to lawyers; if they know lawyers, they can shadow lawyers," she says. "The one thing they shouldn't do is assume that what they are seeing is the entire range of what lawyers do."Your connectionsGetting into a good school and acing your classes is only half the battle. The law grads who are getting jobs are the ones who have spent time hobnobbing with future employers, says McClurg."Joining student organizations and going to bar functions and putting yourself out there and making connections, other than your academic record, that's really one of the only things you can do" to increase your marketability, he says.That also means remembering that you may not be able to get a job in your first choice of legal field, says Blair Gould, a third-year law student at Wayne State University who's primarily interested in corporate and real estate law but is also gaining litigation experience."People need to continuously be diversifying their legal skill set," he says. "Take advantage of any kind of connections you can make and join any civic or social organization you can because all of those things will come into play eventually. You never know what's going to happen in the future."Your financial prospectsNearly 9 out of 10 third-year law students advise those considering law school to consider an institution's financial aid package before enrolling, reports Kaplan. That's because how much you borrow will largely determine where you work after graduation.Median starting salaries at law firms clock in at $90,000 per year -- a 28 percent drop since 2008 -- but not every lawyer is bringing home the big bucks. Median salaries at public interest organizations hovered at $44,600 annually, while judicial clerks and government employees earned $52,000. That's barely enough to cover the $558 monthly student loan payments public law students face if they borrow the average $76,000 in loans at an 8 percent interest rate over a 30-year period. On the flip side, the median salary at large firms is $160,000.The good news is that more than 100 law schools offer loan assistance and forgiveness incentives, reports Equal Justice Works, and public interest workers may be eligible for accelerated federal loan forgiveness. Scholarships also abound, but read the fine print, warns McEntee."Oftentimes scholarships come with stipulations, and stipulations are difficulties," he says.Your goalsIf working in the legal profession is what you want to do for all the right reasons, debt and employability statistics shouldn't derail you, but they should be a consideration, says Levin. To keep financial figures in check, Levin recommends that students consider lower-cost state schools or attend law school part time. They should also do some serious research to ensure they understand what attorneys do, the variety of contexts in which they work and whether they would be a good match for the legal profession."If (being an attorney) is really what makes you happy, it may take longer to pay off the debt, but that doesn't mean it's not worth it," she says. "(Whether law school pays off) really depends on what you hope to get out of your law degree and what you want to do with your life."Read more: http://www.bankrate.com/finance/college-finance/going-to-law-school-worth-it-1.aspx#ixzz4XVp2B6s2Follow us: @Bankrate on Twitter | Bankrate on FacebookIs Going to Law School Worth It? Depends on WhereBy Greg DePersio | Updated January 26, 2017 — 6:00 AM ESTA 2015 study by the Access Group Center for Research and Policy Analysis found that only one in five people who graduated from law school between 2010 and 2015 strongly agreed that obtaining a law degree was worth the cost. Perhaps more troubling, only 38% of law school graduates, down from 56% between 2000 and 2009, described themselves as having a good job after graduation.With four out of five recent law school graduates at least somewhat regretting their decision to attend – and six out of 10 failing to find a good job after graduating – it makes sense to examine whether going to law school is still worth it in 2017. Keeping in mind the high tuition costs, interest rates and potential salaries, another good metric to consider would be its ROI (return on investment), calculated as its salary-to-debt ratio in a new study by online lender SoFi.Law School CostsGoing to law school full-time requires a three-year commitment, and the average tuition and fees for just one of those years at an American Bar Association-accredited institution often exceeds $40,000. This cost does not include rent, food, transportation and other living expenses. As the law school workload does not permit most students to hold jobs, student loans represent the most common method of paying these costs. Consequently, the average law school graduate in 2015 took on over $140,000 in student debt to obtain his or her degree.For many students, student loan debt accumulates on top of debt they already carry from undergraduate school. Members of the class of 2016 graduated college with over $37,000 in student debt on average. While most lenders allow the deferment of undergraduate loan payments while attending law school, any unsubsidized portion of such debt continues to accrue interest. All told, it is not uncommon for a law school graduate to enter the working world with a net worth of negative $250,000.Expected SalaryTaking on such debt might be a smart investment if a law degree provided reasonable assurance of a high-paying job. Ideally, recent graduates should earn yearly salaries equal to or greater than their total student debt. This level of pay usually allows for paying off student loans within 10 years without materially affecting a person's lifestyle.Stories abound, however, of law school graduates struggling to find any sort of legal job, much less one that enables the repayment of student debt in a timely manner. The New York Times revealed in 2015 that more than 20% of graduates from the class of 2010 held jobs that did not require law degrees. Only 40% worked in law firms, compared to 60% from the class of 2000. The remainder operated solo practices, with varying degrees of success, or performed contract work.The SoFi study, which incorporates data from student-loan refinancing applications between Jan. 2014 and Dec. 2016, shows that some schools do better than others when it comes to both job placements and salaries. Looking at students three years out of law school, Cornell University, Columbia University and New York University take the top three spots in the SoFi study with average salary paid in excess of $177,000. Consider that the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2015 had the top 10% of lawyers earning more than $187,200.For the Class of 2015, Columbia University saw 401 out of its 413 graduates find full time jobs; at New York University the numbers were 474 of 485. In some cases, of course, students may choose to put off those high-money jobs for prestigious public service spots: In 2015, 99 of 199 Yale Law School graduates were employed in clerkships, which paid a median salary of $69,000 (Yale ranks 8th on the SoFi list for salaries).Graduates of second-tier programs often settle for work outside of top law firms, where the pay is much lower. The 2015 median pay for law school graduates across the board was only $64,800. Idealistic young attorneys who choose public service fare even worse financially. Entry-level district attorneys earn a median pay of $37,000; public defenders do slightly better at $40,000.Schools with the Best Salary-to-Debt RatioEven new lawyers who land good jobs rarely receive paychecks commensurate with their debt levels. The SoFi analysis also ranks law schools based on which offer the best value defined by their salary-to-debt ratio. That figure is an indication of how much more your potential salary could exceed your potential debt and help make a more informed decision about whether law school is worth it.Brigham Young University takes the number-one spot: With students expecting an average salary of $108,000 and holding an average debt just below $65,000, the school has an impressive 1.7x salary-to-debt ratio, making it a a good value-for-money bet. University of Texas at Austin, comes in second with the ratio at 1.4x on the back of lower debt burden thanks to its relatively cheaper tuition. Yale Law School ranks third – not just because of higher salaries graduates get compared to the top two on this list ($177,771; BYU is $64,873 and UT, $147,44), but also because of its generosity with financial aid.Opting for schools that fare poorly on this metric could cost you. Take for example, Florida Coastal School of Law, which ranked lowest on the SoFi ROI list, with a salary-to-debt ratio of 0.5x. Let's break down the numbers: The school's tuition, $44,000, is at par with some of the top schools in the country. Students graduate with $158,427 in debt (considerably higher than the $123,793 Yale grads have), but the average annual salary for graduates is only $84,664.Other ConsiderationsThe numbers do not consider the financial risk of being a law school dropout. The first-year law school attrition rate nationwide is nearly 7%. A handful of law schools lost over 30% of their first-year students in 2015. Enrolling in law school but failing to finish offers no greater marketability than a bachelor's degree. It does, however, substantially add to a person's debt load.All told, the decision to attend law school is one that should be approached with great consideration. Indeed, 1% of attorneys have successful, high-paying careers. Supply and demand dynamics, however, have changed considerably since the 1980s, with fewer high-paying, entry-level jobs and many more law school graduates chasing those jobs. Pile on tuition costs – which, for decades, have risen at three times the inflation rate – and going to law school is not the financial no-brainer that it once was. For more on the choice, see Career Advice: Accounting vs. Law and Career Advice: Investment Banking vs. Law.Read more: Is Going to Law School Worth It Anymore? | Investopedia http://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/082416/going-law-school-worth-it-anymore.asp#ixzz4XVq64gcoFollow us: Investopedia on Facebook