When I made the decision to apply to law school I was open to all possibilities. I had no ties to any one state or interest in any particular school. Growing up in a military family, I moved around a lot so I never really had one state I could call home. In fact, the only criteria I had was that I knew I wanted to go to law school in a big city. As acceptance letters began to roll in, however, I realized that I needed to make some tough decisions, and needed a system for evaluating my options.

So I sat down and determined four factors that I would look at when deciding what law school to choose. While your own personal criteria for choosing a law school may be different, the following factors are a great starting point if you’re not sure where to start in your own decision making process. In the end, I discovered that none of these factors cemented my decision; rather, it was a mixture of all four criteria and an unexpected fifth criteria that helped me find my law school home.

Picking the highest ranked law school

My first method for picking a law school was based on US News and World Report rankings. I visited the highest ranked school I was accepted to, and everything started out well. The course offerings were great, and I loved the campus.

The longer I visited, however, I realized I didn’t care for the people. When I sat in on a first-year class, the students didn’t really talk to me. Afterwards, I went to speak with the professor, and he didn’t seem to have the time for me either. By the end of the day, it was clear that the school was not right for me.

Picking the school that gave me the most money

Originally, I had given a lot of thought to picking the law school that gave me the most money. Law school is expensive; as an out-of-state student, law school is extra expensive. I knew my parents were not in a position to help me financially, which meant scholarships and loans were my only options to pay for law school. If this is the case for you as well, don’t stress too much. Figuring out how to pay for law school is something that all students applying to law school struggle with.

After visiting several schools, I came to the realization that no matter which school I chose I would have to take out loans. If I was going to pay for law school with loans anyway, why not base my decision on something more substantial?

This led to criteria number three.

Picking the school based on program or area of study

While not everyone knows why they want to go to law school, I knew that JAG was the job I wanted upon graduation. JAG stands for Judge Advocate General and is the title given to lawyers in the military. A JAG is very similar to an Assistant District Attorney. Both are trial attorneys who prosecute cases on behalf of the government. I knew I wanted to become a JAG, therefore I needed a school that would teach me practical courtroom skills, This meant that schools with solid trial advocacy programs were at the top of my list.

I visited three schools and inquired about the acceptance rate into JAG. One school didn’t know what JAG was, and other schools seemed disingenuous, as if they were only telling me what I wanted to hear. “Our students have great success finding jobs after graduation. We have over a 90% acceptance rate into JAG.”

Feeling frustrated, I turned to one final criteria.

Picking a law school based on location

As I mentioned earlier, I knew I wanted to attend law school in a big city. I already loved Philadelphia, due to its location between New York and D.C., and because I’m a fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, so I decided to visit Temple.

It was during my visit to Temple that I inadvertently stumbled on the most important criteria for picking a law school: community.

As part of my visit, I attended a first-year Property class. During the class, several students showed me their syllabus and volunteered their books to help me follow along with the class discussion. Other students shared their Temple stories and experiences with me during the short break. After class, I spoke with the professor, who was not only willing to share his time with me, but introduced me to the trial advocacy director after I expressed interested in being a JAG.

When I visited career services, the Assistant Dean told me very frankly that she didn’t know the statistics for Temple Law graduates accepted into JAG. She did explain to me that Temple had a great trial advocacy program that would make me a competitive JAG applicant and that her staff would serve as a resource for me as I began my application to JAG.

So Why Temple?

When I made the decision to go to Temple Law, it wasn’t the highest ranked school I was accepted to, it didn’t give me the most financial aid, and it didn’t have the highest acceptance rate into JAG. What it did have was a strong sense of community, a place where I could be myself and not feel judged, a great trial advocacy program, and a faculty and staff that listened and truly cared. For me, this made all the difference.

Now, as a 3L set to graduate in May who has been accepted into the Air Force JAG Corps, I can say that I made the right decision. It is very important to visit the law schools you are interested in, even if you are not sure what you are looking for in a school. Taking a tour, attending a class, and talking to current students is the best way to get a feel for what life at the law school is actually like. While it’s great to compare law school rankings, job acceptance rates, and financial aid, at the end of the day, you are looking for a place to call home for the next three years. Pick a place that you enjoy, and where you feel safe and welcomed. Law school is tough, but attending a law school that you love makes all the difference in the world.