Is Business School the Answer?

It’s been a while since we had a good Xtranormal video. The So You Want To Go To Law School sensation inspired a number of predictable spinoffs. But that mediocre flow eventually subsided.

But Xtranormal is still a pretty funny way of getting your point across. A tipster came across a good one over at Wall Street Oasis. It’s actually a series of videos called “Adam the Analyst.” The one that caught our tipster’s attention was the episode asks if he should go to law school. He’s told that law school is awful, and he should go to business school instead.

Joking aside, isn’t that clearly the right answer?

You can watch the video here. The law school hypo is funny. And the advice is simple: law students eventually want to kill themselves, and business students party for two years. You’ve heard it before.

But just because it’s a cliché doesn’t make it wrong.

First, let’s dispense with the question of, “Well, do you want to be a lawyer or a business person?” Most students who go to professional school want to make money. And if you don’t have a “head for business,” you’re probably going to be disappointed with your opportunities for advancement in the legal profession anyway.

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The old rule was that law school was for the risk averse. Investment bankers make more money in good times, but they get fired during the downturns. Law school is for the people who value job security over maximizing their income.

Except, that’s not exactly true anymore, is it? Going to law school is playing the lottery with your financial future. You pay for an extra year of education than your business school counterparts, and most of the jobs can’t even approach a high enough salary to justify the cost of the education.

And do lawyers get fired? Of course they do. They get fired just like everybody else in a recession. Those lucky enough to get a job in the first place are culled when the economy goes soft.

If everything goes right, the best lawyers with the greatest business acumen end up working for the brightest B-school graduates.

Look, if you want to help people and not make a lot of money doing it, law school might be right for you. But if you are just looking for a good paycheck and a comfortable life, is this really even a question?

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Heck, maybe only business school grads even understand the time value of one whole extra year of your professional life.

If you want to make money and have a comfortable life, you should go to...

  • Business School (74%, 900 Votes)
  • Law School (26%, 322 Votes)

Total Voters: 1,220

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Adam the Analyst – Episode 7: Two Years and Out [Wall Street Oasis]