Brooklyn ($$$$) vs. Tulane ($$) Forum

[TheFailboat]

I was 100% confident about heading to Tulane in the fall - I love the south, I want to work in the south eventually, and they offered $25,000 a year in scholarships, which was (until today) the best offer I received this cycle. I've already paid most of my deposit. However, today I got an e-mail from Brooklyn Law School upping their scholarship offer to $47,000 a year - which covers almost all of the tuition expenses.

Now I'm at a loss. I have no intention on ending up in New York in the long run, but the thought of emerging from law school with significantly less debt is so tempting. Even though I really want to go to Tulane, should I take the much better offer at Brooklyn? Or is it better to stick it out at Tulane, which seems to have better employment stats (especially in the South)?

And please don't say "retake and reapply." Trolls.

[bk1]

Neither is appealing. Tulane will put you over $140,000 in debt by the time you graduate. BLS doesn't place where you want to be (and likely has stips on that scholarship). The employment stats from both are fairly mediocre.

Of these two take Tulane since it is where you want to be, but the real answer is retake/reapply.

[Aberzombie1892]

I think $140,000 is overshooting it somewhat.

Other than that, Tulane is a better choice for the OP than Brooklyn.

[bk1]

I think $140,000 is overshooting it somewhat.

Using the 66k/year CoA estimate provided by the school (which doesn't include summers), 25k/year scholarship, interest, but no tuition increases it comes out to 140k.

[Aberzombie1892]

I think $140,000 is overshooting it somewhat.

Using the 66k/year CoA estimate provided by the school (which doesn't include summers), 25k/year scholarship, interest, but no tuition increases it comes out to 140k.

It's $66K now? *Sigh.

[flem]

I think $140,000 is overshooting it somewhat.

Using the 66k/year CoA estimate provided by the school (which doesn't include summers), 25k/year scholarship, interest, but no tuition increases it comes out to 140k.

Regardless, Brooklyn is a toilet and it doesn't fit in with your goals anyway other than the fact it's practically free.

Tulane is the better choice but that is retardedly expensive (unless, of course, someone else is paying). Why so averse to a retake? (not trolling)

[TheFailboat]

I think $140,000 is overshooting it somewhat.

Using the 66k/year CoA estimate provided by the school (which doesn't include summers), 25k/year scholarship, interest, but no tuition increases it comes out to 140k.

Regardless, Brooklyn is a toilet and it doesn't fit in with your goals anyway other than the fact it's practically free.

Tulane is the better choice but that is retardedly expensive (unless, of course, someone else is paying). Why so averse to a retake? (not trolling)

There's several reasons - primarily, my undergraduate GPA was despicable by law school standards so I'd have to score around a 177 on the LSATs to have any chance of getting into a T14, let alone with money, and I don't have the time or money to dedicate to courses and retaking. Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects. I've always wanted to go to law school, and right now I'm at a time in my life when I can go off to school and not completely uproot myself.

I know that most people on TLS will tell me to take a year off and go through the whole process again anyway, but I just can't see doing that.

[flem]

There's several reasons - primarily, my undergraduate GPA was despicable by law school standards so I'd have to score around a 177 on the LSATs to have any chance of getting into a T14, let alone with money, and I don't have the time or money to dedicate to courses and retaking. Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects. I've always wanted to go to law school, and right now I'm at a time in my life when I can go off to school and not completely uproot myself.

I know that most people on TLS will tell me to take a year off and go through the whole process again anyway, but I just can't see doing that.

I have a 3.0 for what it's worth. I'm retaking and reapplying. You have a 3.4 so you're in much better shape. You'd need to hit a 170 probably, not a 177. You already have a 164 so it's not a huge jump, honestly. You can self study and avoid having to take courses. Time is a separate issue, obviously - but I work 50-60 hour weeks and will find the time to do so.

140K for Tulane is really expensive. You'd need to land biglaw to pay that back and live comfortably. You're looking at around 1500-1600 a month just in loan payments to pay that back on a 10 year repayment schedule. If you miss the biglaw boat (aka you're not top 10% at Tulane) you're paying that back likely making 40-60K before taxes. It's a crippling debt load. You'd likely be taking home less after taxes and loan payments than you take home now in exchange for working 60-70 hour.

I understand the concern about being a potential big splitter and landing T14 schools with no money, but you at least have a very reasonable (50/50 from a pure odds standpoint) of landing a job that lets you pay that debt back in a timely fashion.

Tulane is a great regional school but the cost of attendance it too high at that price. That's about the right price for Brooklyn but it's not consistent with your goals. If you would be ok settling in NYC then it might be OK, but there's a huge chance (like 50%) you wouldn't even become a lawyer afterwards.

I'm saying this as someone who is retaking and reapplying after getting into a strong regional T2 with money and realizing that the cost of attendance was still too high for the likely outcome. I know the thought of retaking and reapplying might be hard to stomach but it's really the most prudent choice. Waiting a year while retaking and reapplying could honestly net you Tulane for free or T25 schools with money, or splitter friendly top 14 schools.

It's a huge financial decision that will impact the rest of your life. You just need to be sensible.

Also, have you tried leveraging BLS offer with Tulane?

[TheFailboat]

Also, have you tried leveraging BLS offer with Tulane?

I plan on attempting (composing an e-mail now, actually), but apparently Tulane is pretty hard to sway with scholarship offers. I'm hoping I'll have better luck since the first deposit deadline has already passed and they have a better idea of who will actually be attending in the fall

[flem]

Also, have you tried leveraging BLS offer with Tulane?

I plan on attempting (composing an e-mail now, actually), but apparently Tulane is pretty hard to sway with scholarship offers. I'm hoping I'll have better luck since the first deposit deadline has already passed and they have a better idea of who will actually be attending in the fall

Give it a shot. Thoughts on everything else I took the time to write out?

[TheFailboat]

Also, have you tried leveraging BLS offer with Tulane?

I plan on attempting (composing an e-mail now, actually), but apparently Tulane is pretty hard to sway with scholarship offers. I'm hoping I'll have better luck since the first deposit deadline has already passed and they have a better idea of who will actually be attending in the fall

Give it a shot. Thoughts on everything else I took the time to write out?

Sorry - good advice, very well worded, and you're probably correct. I'm a bit wary of Brooklyn, especially with all the legal trouble they've had recently (irony). I'd almost be afraid to go there even if it was totally free. I think the best course of action is to at least see if Tulane can up their offer and then take it from there...

[flem]

Sorry - good advice, very well worded, and you're probably correct. I'm a bit wary of Brooklyn, especially with all the legal trouble they've had recently (irony). I'd almost be afraid to go there even if it was totally free. I think the best course of action is to at least see if Tulane can up their offer and then take it from there...

See if they do, but for the likely outcome you'd need a total COA of around 100K to have that make any financial sense (and even then it's still a gamble). It's tough to be sensible about it because it's exciting to be accepted into schools (and exciting to have money thrown at you) but you have to look at the big picture. It's a decision that affects the rest of your life and it's a gamble 10% of their class will win (big time) and the rest will pretty much lose.

[timbs4339]

Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects.

Yet you would potentially weigh yourself down with 120K in non-dischargeable, high-interest rate student loan debt to enter another low-paying field with crappy job prospects?

[TheFailboat]

Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects.

Yet you would potentially weigh yourself down with 120K in non-dischargeable, high-interest rate student loan debt to enter another low-paying field with crappy job prospects?

Without straying too far from my original question, I'm currently working in the museum world - it's very, very, very difficult to gain any type of career advancement without at least a master's degree. Even then, the job prospects coming out of an art history program are far fewer and lower-paying than entry-level legal positions. Basically, I'll have to head to grad school anyway. Law school is something I've been considering for years, so it seems like the better career path to take right now.

[flem]

Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects.

Yet you would potentially weigh yourself down with 120K in non-dischargeable, high-interest rate student loan debt to enter another low-paying field with crappy job prospects?

Without straying too far from my original question, I'm currently working in the museum world - it's very, very, very difficult to gain any type of career advancement without at least a master's degree. Even then, the job prospects coming out of an art history program are far fewer and lower-paying than entry-level legal positions. Basically, I'll have to head to grad school anyway. Law school is something I've been considering for years, so it seems like the better career path to take right now.

He meant waiting a year to retake/reapply, not pursue a master's in museum work.

Also, great av.

[timbs4339]

Also, I'm currently stuck in a low-paying field with little to no better prospects.

Yet you would potentially weigh yourself down with 120K in non-dischargeable, high-interest rate student loan debt to enter another low-paying field with crappy job prospects?

Without straying too far from my original question, I'm currently working in the museum world - it's very, very, very difficult to gain any type of career advancement without at least a master's degree. Even then, the job prospects coming out of an art history program are far fewer and lower-paying than entry-level legal positions. Basically, I'll have to head to grad school anyway. Law school is something I've been considering for years, so it seems like the better career path to take right now.

I don't think you have to give up on law. But you should exercise good judgment (an important skill for a lawyer to have) and wait a year. A few more points could equal substantial scholarship money and as long as you are not starving right now I don't see why it would hurt. Think of it as someone paying you to take the LSAT for 1 year with the opportunity to get a big bonus (+50K) at the end.

And check the LSAT prep forums. You may have not had an optimal study regimen or there may be ways to improve. You don't even need to take an expensive prep course to do well.