NYLS vs. IU-Indianapolis Forum

[lala222]

I'm seriously confused.

So I've gotten into NYLS, Indiana-Indianapolis, Michigan State, and have been waitlisted/deferred at a bunch of schools (USF, Case Western, St. Louis, LSU, and Chicago Kent). As most of you know a lot of schools have deposits due on April 1st.

If you go on sheer rankings, IU-Indianapolis is higher than NYLS, but if you go based on location NYLS obviously wins. I'm from the Midwest, and would like to work here later after I graduate. I've heard that IU is good if you want to stay in Indiana later on (which I don't want to do, I'd rather stay in Michigan), and that NYLS is good because of the big city opportunities. Does the NYLS name have more merit in the Midwest, even though it is a tier 3?

Also, how should I handle the waitlisted/deferred schools? I'm pretty sure I won't be getting into Case, and then the rest is up in the air.

Would would you do if you were in my position?

[im_blue]

IUB for higher rank and jobs in Midwest. This isn't even a question. NYLS has zero rep outside NYC (and not much in NYC for that matter), so it's actually even weaker than its T3 rank in the Midwest.

[nealric]

Yeah, NYLS shouldn't even be on your radar.

Really, NYLS is one of the worst values in legal education. It boggles my mind that people are willing to pay full tuition there. The fact that you plan on staying in the Midwest is even more compelling. As stated before, NYLS has zero reputation outside of NYC, and questionable reputation even there.

I also wouldn't worry about the wait-list schools. IU is the way to go.

[LSlobbyist]

This really isn't even a fair contest. It's IU in a landslide. Even within NY, NYLS is drowned out in a market dominated by Columbia, NYU, and any number of graduates within the top 20.

And since you want to practice in Michigan, IU would certainly be a better fit, as it does place far better within the Midwest.

[RickyRoe]

How exactly did you get in IU but were waitlisted at StL and LSU?

IU is a great school and Bloomington is a great city. NYLS is a TTT in a city you wont be able to enjoy while in law school but will still have to pay for.

[gabewatch]

im tempted to say flame, or the OP is really uninformed. IUB vs NYLS, especially considering they didnt mention any scholly $ is a ridiculous question to ask. i see NYLS advertisements on facebook for gods sake. come on.

[lala222]

Oh, wow this is REALLY embarrassing.

I have no idea why I wrote Bloomington, I meant Indianapolis. Not Bloomington. Clearly if it was Bloomington the decision wouldn't be that hard.

To all those who replied above, can you respond again based on Indianapolis?

Oops.

[Vincent Vega]

Oh, wow this is REALLY embarrassing.

I have no idea why I wrote Bloomington, I meant Indianapolis. Not Bloomington. Clearly if it was Bloomington the decision wouldn't be that hard.

My bad.

In that case, I would still say IU-Indy, but it's closer than if it was IU-Bloomington. NYLS will give you no more connections in the midwest than any other tier-3 school. Go with IUI.

[im_blue]

Oh, wow this is REALLY embarrassing.

I have no idea why I wrote Bloomington, I meant Indianapolis. Not Bloomington. Clearly if it was Bloomington the decision wouldn't be that hard.

To all those who replied above, can you respond again based on Indianapolis?

Oops.

IUI is still the clear choice here. It doesn't have a great reputation in the Midwest, but NYLS has absolutely none.

[Vincent Vega]

Oh, wow this is REALLY embarrassing.

I have no idea why I wrote Bloomington, I meant Indianapolis. Not Bloomington. Clearly if it was Bloomington the decision wouldn't be that hard.

To all those who replied above, can you respond again based on Indianapolis?

Oops.

IUI is still the clear choice here. It doesn't have a great reputation in the Midwest, but NYLS has absolutely none.

This. Lawyers won't be fooled into thinking NYLS is a great school like the general public might be.

[Aqualibrium]

This is a very stupid question IMO:

OP is:

From the Mid-West
Wants to live in the Mid-West
Claims he/she would rather work/live in Michigan than Indiana.

So isn't MSU the obvious choice of the schools listed? (MSU,IU-I, NYLS)

[danquayle]

You might want to go ahead and repost this, because IU is so far ahead now, it'll be hard to get a grasp of what people think.

And I agree with the above poster... you should be going to MSU. Heck, I'd take MSU over IU-Indy all things being equal. I'd certainly go to MSU if I wanted to stay in Michigan...

Out of curiosity, why no Wayne State?

[lala222]

You might want to go ahead and repost this, because IU is so far ahead now, it'll be hard to get a grasp of what people think.

And I agree with the above poster... you should be going to MSU. Heck, I'd take MSU over IU-Indy all things being equal. I'd certainly go to MSU if I wanted to stay in Michigan...

Out of curiosity, why no Wayne State?

Why would you choose MSU over IUI, especially if IU is ranked where as MSU is still a tier 3? Do those rankings really distinguish you after graduation?

As far as Wayne State, I got wait-listed (I forgot to include that and SUNY in my previous list). Whats your take on Wayne State? I don't really know much on their program.

I would prefer to stay in Michigan after graduation, but with this economy who knows if there will be any jobs available. So, if I have to leave the State, would going to MSU still be the best option? Wouldn't rankings be the judge of school then?

[Vincent Vega]

Once you get outside the top schools, it is generally best to stay within the region (often even the state) you want to practice in. There is unlikely to be a sizable alumni base from IUI in Michigan, thus it is better to move down in rank in order to get better job opportunities.

[Aqualibrium]

You might want to go ahead and repost this, because IU is so far ahead now, it'll be hard to get a grasp of what people think.

And I agree with the above poster... you should be going to MSU. Heck, I'd take MSU over IU-Indy all things being equal. I'd certainly go to MSU if I wanted to stay in Michigan...

Out of curiosity, why no Wayne State?

Why would you choose MSU over IUI, especially if IU is ranked where as MSU is still a tier 3? Do those rankings really distinguish you after graduation?

As far as Wayne State, I got wait-listed (I forgot to include that and SUNY in my previous list). Whats your take on Wayne State? I don't really know much on their program.

I would prefer to stay in Michigan after graduation, but with this economy who knows if there will be any jobs available. So, if I have to leave the State, would going to MSU still be the best option? Wouldn't rankings be the judge of school then?

The rankings don't matter!

With that in mind these are your prospects:

MSU - Stay in Michigan

IU-I - Stay in Indy

NYSL - No job?

[danquayle]

You might want to go ahead and repost this, because IU is so far ahead now, it'll be hard to get a grasp of what people think.

And I agree with the above poster... you should be going to MSU. Heck, I'd take MSU over IU-Indy all things being equal. I'd certainly go to MSU if I wanted to stay in Michigan...

Out of curiosity, why no Wayne State?

Why would you choose MSU over IUI, especially if IU is ranked where as MSU is still a tier 3? Do those rankings really distinguish you after graduation?

As far as Wayne State, I got wait-listed (I forgot to include that and SUNY in my previous list). Whats your take on Wayne State? I don't really know much on their program.

I would prefer to stay in Michigan after graduation, but with this economy who knows if there will be any jobs available. So, if I have to leave the State, would going to MSU still be the best option? Wouldn't rankings be the judge of school then?

Around this level, the rankings really don't mean so much, particularly in light of regional preferences. IU-Indy does fantastic in Indianapolis, but really has little portability beyond the city, let alone the state. Michigan State is still a step behind Wayne in Michigan IMO, but it has 3 significant advantages:

1) A solid Big 10 name.
2) The prospects for future portability out of state.
3) Wayne controls its market, but said market is dying.

I've always thought that if you want to stay in Michigan but also have a shot at getting out of state, MSU is the place to go. Its relatively new and has nowhere to go but up. I wouldn't be surprised if it passes up both Wayne and IU-I in the next 5 years.

Its hard to undersell the importance of prestige, and whether its justified or not, when the Detroit College of Law rebranded itself the Michigan State College of Law, its jumped in prestige. As an illustrative note, my company generally recruits from:

Notre Dame
Michigan
Indiana
Ohio State
Michigan State

I can guarantee it wouldn't be on that list if it were still DCL.

The only real downside of MSU is they're not public and you won't get a break on in-state tuition. But the usually make up for that with scholarship money.

So, in summary. Yes, you'e right in that IU-Indy is a "better" school than your other options. Where you're wrong is thinking this will translate into better job options in the market you want to be in. Alumni like to hire other alumni, and there are tons more MSU alumni in Michigan than IU-I alumni. There's probably more MSU alumni in markets like Chicago as well, due to their difference in institutional objectives.

Edit: In terms of MSU alumni in general, I know for a fact that they have more alums in Chicago. The highest concentration of MSU alumni is in Chicago, not Michigan.

As for NYLS, its the poster child for the differential between price and value that plagues law school in general. Its like 10th dog in its own market, before you even consider all the other schools that are trying to place into NYC. With the COL, I wouldn't touch NYLS absent a full ride.

[TTH]

I'm a big fan of the whoever voted for NYLS. I like your style.