Emory v. Fordham?? HELP Forum

[BlackLaw]

I'm trying to decide between Emory and Fordham. I am interested in a clerkship. I want to do civil rights law and public interest but my ultimate goal is to either be a judge or go into academia. I want to practice in NY, DC or Chicago.

Here's why I'm torn:

Fordham

-I prefer NYC over Atlanta
-I'm from DC, so I'd be closer to my family and my s/o
-While COL in NY is high, I have a connection where I can live in a two bedroom in Harlem for $700-$800

Emory

-Ranked higher than Fordham

I've never been to Fordham but I went to Emory for ASD and while the campus and faculty seemed great, I am not overly impressed with the course selection and number of programs. But will Emory provide me with better opportunities because of it's ranking (in comparison to Fordham)?

[theanswer]

The apartment in Harlem is a great deal for NYC, but you also have to keep in mind that it is still a good trek from Lincoln Square.

It is possible that Emory will provide you better opportunities, but not because of its rank. An Emory degree will give you a huge advantage in the Atlanta market, an advantage that you will simply not see in NYC with a Fordham degree, especially ITE. That said, the NYC market is much larger than Atl.

In situations like this I think it is best to decide based on which school will leave you with the least debt, and perhaps factor in personal preferences to a small degree if the numbers you come up with are fairly close.

[Aberzombie1892]

I'm trying to decide between Emory and Fordham. I am interested in a clerkship. I want to do civil rights law and public interest but my ultimate goal is to either be a judge or go into academia. I want to practice in NY, DC or Chicago.

Here's why I'm torn:

Fordham

-I prefer NYC over Atlanta
-I'm from DC, so I'd be closer to my family and my s/o
-While COL in NY is high, I have a connection where I can live in a two bedroom in Harlem for $700-$800

Emory

-Ranked higher than Fordham

I've never been to Fordham but I went to Emory for ASD and while the campus and faculty seemed great, I am not overly impressed with the course selection and number of programs. But will Emory provide me with better opportunities because of it's ranking (in comparison to Fordham)?

1. Where would you rather work: NYC or Atlanta?

Granted, Emory does place about 25% of its class in NYC. However I wouldn't really count on that.

2. If the answer to 1 (above) is "I don't know," ask yourself if you are a rankings whore (in lack of a better term).

If so, Emory would clearly be the better choice. If Emory continues to increase its medians year over year, it will be ranked between `14-19 in only a few years.

3. If the answer to 3 is no, then look at the costs/scholarships/cost of living.

4. If 3 doesn't matter to you, compare the programs between the schools and see which one you like better.

5. If 4 is irrelevant to you, flip a coin. Heads Emory. Tails Fordham.

Hope that helps.

[najumobi]

I'm trying to decide between Emory and Fordham. I am interested in a clerkship. I want to do civil rights law and public interest but my ultimate goal is to either be a judge or go into academia. I want to practice in NY, DC or Chicago.

Here's why I'm torn:

Fordham

-I prefer NYC over Atlanta
-I'm from DC, so I'd be closer to my family and my s/o
-While COL in NY is high, I have a connection where I can live in a two bedroom in Harlem for $700-$800

Emory

-Ranked higher than Fordham


I've never been to Fordham but I went to Emory for ASD and while the campus and faculty seemed great, I am not overly impressed with the course selection and number of programs. But will Emory provide me with better opportunities because of it's ranking (in comparison to Fordham)?

go with fordham. you're just torn over the fact that emory is ranked higher but that doesn't mean much....they're considered peer schools; wustl, emory, uiuc, nd, gw, bc, bu, fordham are considered to be part of the same group, despite their rankings). + you prefer nyc.

[ggocat]

But will Emory provide me with better opportunities because of it's ranking (in comparison to Fordham)?

No.

[OperaSoprano]

I'm trying to decide between Emory and Fordham. I am interested in a clerkship. I want to do civil rights law and public interest but my ultimate goal is to either be a judge or go into academia. I want to practice in NY, DC or Chicago.

Here's why I'm torn:

Fordham

-I prefer NYC over Atlanta
-I'm from DC, so I'd be closer to my family and my s/o
-While COL in NY is high, I have a connection where I can live in a two bedroom in Harlem for $700-$800

Emory

-Ranked higher than Fordham

I've never been to Fordham but I went to Emory for ASD and while the campus and faculty seemed great, I am not overly impressed with the course selection and number of programs. But will Emory provide me with better opportunities because of it's ranking (in comparison to Fordham)?

1) You need to visit Fordham before you make a decision like this, if you possibly can. There are a million intangibles that will affect your quality of life in law school, and for many people, visiting makes the decision much clearer.

2) Emory does face a lot less competition in Atlanta than Fordham does in NYC, but the NYC market is much bigger, and Fordham has the best non T14 placement in NYC. Theanswer's comment's are credited here.

3) $700-800 for a 2br apartment is insanely cheap. Depending on where in Harlem your apartment is, if you can walk to the 1, or the A or C, that's actually a pretty fast commute. If I didn't have my current apartment, I would personally decamp for uptown.

4) While academia is hard to break into (not impossible, but you will need stellar grades and publications) for graduates outside a handful of very top schools, you can absolutely land a wonderful public interest job. Fordham has the Stein Scholars, which provides mentorship and summer funding for public interest students. It's really competitive, and I didn't get in, but I found alternate funding through a group on campus that puts together our annual public service auction. Fordham provides wonderful opportunities for students like me who are involved in public service during our time here-- one of the student groups helped me find an internship that is a great fit.

5) That said, you need to compare job placement at both schools, and think about where you would be happiest living. Fordham has a reputation for being very regional, but a lot of that is self selection, as 96% of incoming 1Ls indicated that NYC is their first choice market, and employment statistics show that the majority do stay here (at least for their first jobs after graduation.)

6) Re: ranking: After about the top 18 schools, the importance of ranking breaks down somewhat, and admits should look at the best regional school or schools in their region.

[BlackLaw]

thanks!

[twintipping_bumps]

If Emory continues to increase its medians year over year, it will be ranked between `14-19 in only a few years.

Do you have more information on this effort? I have read about how Emory will offer people $$$ close to their desired median while not offering as much to people well above, and their very narrow band of 165-167 coupled with the fairly rapid rise in score band over the last few years seems to indicate that they are being very attentive to their LSAT numbers and raising them consistently.

How far do you think they can go with this, and what factors can you identify that might prevent Emory from becoming a #15 - #18 school?