Having a really hard time so I thought I'd start a poll. Any opinions are greatly appreciated!

Take the money from Northwestern. It's not as preftigious as Chicago, but it's hard to pass up a full tuition scholarship.

Pretty similar situation to mine:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=182650

I'm going with Chicago (though my cost difference is much smaller). PM if you have any questions about my thought process or share a little more information- where ya from, what do you want to do/end up, etc.

If offers don't change I'd say Northwestern for you though, the two schools were really close for me.

If you have something lined up to do next year where you can make money, defer and go to Northwestern.

If not, and you want to be in the South, go to Duke.

If not, go to Chicago.

Free Northwestern is a really good damn deal. Just get over the whole waiting a year bit (and if you're a k-jd omgz what am I going to do without school thought process).

Yeah, we need more info on this stuff to give informed opinions

Absolutely NU. Take a year and work, enjoy the time off, and go to law school tuition-free. I'm sure this seems like a tough decision, but I really wouldn't hesitate to pick NU. You get to (a) not be a K-JD, and (b) have very little debt. Congrats on the awesome offers!

As a Chicago alum, I'd have a really hard time justifying $90k plus interest (at graduation, not even including interest during repayment) for Chicago over Northwestern.

That said, do you have any beads on year-long positions? You shouldn't just spend the year on the beach or waiting tables; if you really don't have any options for the year off, then I'd go with Chicago. It's a better school; not $100k better on its own (IMO), B=but it is 100k better if the year off will just be a total waste.

Just curious. As an alum, if not $90k, where would you put the dollar difference?

Hard to quantify that. I just know that $90k (probably closer to $100-110k after pre-graduation interest is taken into account) is on the "not worth it" side of the line. $30k would certainly be on the "worth it" side. I don't know when it changes over--it would certainly depend on career goals and so on. UChicago is worth more to someone who wants academia/wants to clerk/wants more national mobility etc., than for someone who would be thrilled with Chicago biglaw, doesn't care about clerking, etc.

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Word. Thanks for responded to 0L neurosis.

It depends on what OP wants to do and where he/she wants to do it.

I would like to do biglaw for a while in the Northeast and eventually get into public interest. One of the appeals of Chicago is that they have the Institute for Justice clinic and I really want to work for IJ someday. To answer the other question, I do have a lead on a job. Nothing too thrilling, but something to do for the year if I choose Northwestern. I know I sound like (or, rather, am) a naive k-jd, but I really am reluctant to take the year off. I know what I want to do and I want to start doing it as soon as I can. I still haven't ruled out Duke because it seems like a good compromise between being cost conscious and getting started sooner.

Also, thank you all for your input!

I will always suggest that people take a year off. You can make some cash, get real world experience, and can enjoy yourself before law school.