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At the moment I have no idea what type of law I want to do. My plan is to go private out of Law School to pay back my loans and then eventually move into the public sector. I also plan on moving back to South Florida after I graduate to be near my family.
I applied late in the admissions cycle and I think that may have influenced the lack of scholarships I received. I had a 171 3.81, although if I reapply it would go down to 3.76 because of my final semesters grades.
I am a little cautious of being in a big city versus actually having a college campus.
Any insight would be much appreciated!

I don't think your numbers would get you scholarships at either of those schools, even if you had applied earlier. If you want to go to either of them, I'd say take your acceptance and run. Otherwise, reapply next year at some lower T14s and try to get $$ from them.

I would probably retake the LSAT to try to improve my score. 171 was my average on practice tests but I would try to bump it up to 174. This year I applied to some lower T14 schools. Northwestern offered me a big scholarship but I would have had to defer a year and I didn't want to commit to that too early.

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For you to get money from either of UCB or NYU I'm guessing you have to get your LSAT up and since you scored at your PT average last time, that is by no means a given. If you want to ultimately go to either of those schools I would go this year, if you are willing to go to a lower T14 with a good scholarship, I would apply early next year.

Berkeley since it fits your vibe more, and cause I want your NYU seat

OP: It's unclear where you want to attend law school since you turned down Northwestern's scholarship offer & don't want to be in a big city environment which seems to rule out NYU.

What were your other options & results this cycle ?

Your GPA drop to 3.76 from 3.81 may affect your chances for readmission to NYU & Berkeley especially if you fail to get at least a 172 on your LSAT retake (interesting how a one point improvement to 172 increases chances for admission to NYU & Berkely when below a 3.8 GPA according to lawschoolnumbers.com data).

Are you willing to ED to Michigan or Virginia next cycle ? Or is your priority to obtain a significant scholarship offer from a non-city located law T-14 law school ?

Seems like a 177 LSAT score is needed for Harvard to become an option next cycle with your new GPA.

This is one of those cases where I think sitting out a year could really hurt you at Boalt. They are known to favor high GPAs, and anything under a 3.8 usually requires you to really hit the LSAT out of the park. A decrease in your GPA like you are predicting could ultimately preclude you from even being admitted at all to Boalt next year.

NYU. If you want to end up in South Florida, I imagine that more employers from there recruit at NYU. Or don't go. You probably aren't going to get more money next year w/o an LSAT increase, and you could risk going down so either go now or take NYU. If NU is still on the table, that wouldn't be a terrible option. Deferring wouldn't be bad and you aren't likely to do better next cycle.

After weighing everything I am definitely leaning towards NYU. It would be easier to come back to Florida and I am warming up to the idea of living in the city. My only regret is not putting down a deposit on the Northwestern offer. The deadline was April 29th but does anyone think it's possible that since the offer was deferred they may still be open to me accepting? I would call them and beg essentially, but obviously wouldn't want to do that unless I was sure I would accept their offer. It was 150K if anyone is curious.

I really appreciate all the comments and voting. You guys make things so much easier to sort through and I look forward to continuing to contribute to this board and hopefully help others as I learn more.

Call Northwestern & ask. Let NU know that your acceptances to NYU & Berkeley overwhelmed you & affected the timing of your final decision.

P.S. Even though Berkeley's matching scholarship practice excludes Northwestern, it won't hurt to ask Berkeley to match NU's $150,000 scholarship offer.

gatorspader wrote:After weighing everything I am definitely leaning towards NYU. It would be easier to come back to Florida and I am warming up to the idea of living in the city. My only regret is not putting down a deposit on the Northwestern offer. The deadline was April 29th but does anyone think it's possible that since the offer was deferred they may still be open to me accepting? I would call them and beg essentially, but obviously wouldn't want to do that unless I was sure I would accept their offer. It was 150K if anyone is curious.

I really appreciate all the comments and voting. You guys make things so much easier to sort through and I look forward to continuing to contribute to this board and hopefully help others as I learn more.

I would definitely call Northwestern and see if the offer is still on the table. It probably isn't, but they might give you something. Northwestern with $150k>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NYU>Berkeley for your purposes. Northwestern won't make it as easy to get back to South Florida, but with hustle you might be able to and you would have a strong shot at NYC firms (many of which have Miami offices).

chasgoose wrote:

gatorspader wrote:After weighing everything I am definitely leaning towards NYU. It would be easier to come back to Florida and I am warming up to the idea of living in the city. My only regret is not putting down a deposit on the Northwestern offer. The deadline was April 29th but does anyone think it's possible that since the offer was deferred they may still be open to me accepting? I would call them and beg essentially, but obviously wouldn't want to do that unless I was sure I would accept their offer. It was 150K if anyone is curious.

I really appreciate all the comments and voting. You guys make things so much easier to sort through and I look forward to continuing to contribute to this board and hopefully help others as I learn more.

I would definitely call Northwestern and see if the offer is still on the table. It probably isn't, but they might give you something. Northwestern with $150k>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NYU>Berkeley for your purposes. Northwestern won't make it as easy to get back to South Florida, but with hustle you might be able to and you would have a strong shot at NYC firms (many of which have Miami offices).

If you're South Florida or bust, NU is far and away your best bet. NYU will give you more safety, but only if you bid NYC. For South Florida, for any of these schools you'll have to go beyond OCI, and will be perceived similarly at all three schools.

rayiner wrote:

chasgoose wrote:

gatorspader wrote:After weighing everything I am definitely leaning towards NYU. It would be easier to come back to Florida and I am warming up to the idea of living in the city. My only regret is not putting down a deposit on the Northwestern offer. The deadline was April 29th but does anyone think it's possible that since the offer was deferred they may still be open to me accepting? I would call them and beg essentially, but obviously wouldn't want to do that unless I was sure I would accept their offer. It was 150K if anyone is curious.

I really appreciate all the comments and voting. You guys make things so much easier to sort through and I look forward to continuing to contribute to this board and hopefully help others as I learn more.

I would definitely call Northwestern and see if the offer is still on the table. It probably isn't, but they might give you something. Northwestern with $150k>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>NYU>Berkeley for your purposes. Northwestern won't make it as easy to get back to South Florida, but with hustle you might be able to and you would have a strong shot at NYC firms (many of which have Miami offices).

If you're South Florida or bust, NU is far and away your best bet. NYU will give you more safety, but only if you bid NYC. For South Florida, for any of these schools you'll have to go beyond OCI, and will be perceived similarly at all three schools.

I don't know about NU or Berkeley, but NYU will have about 15 or so Miami firms at EIW plus some other FL firms. It probably has more to do with the cost-effectiveness of recruiting at such a large school (plus having CLS up the street) than anything else, but having a firm come to OCI is a lot easier and probably more likely to turn into a callback than mass-mailing (all other things being equal). Still, if you can get that scholarship back from NU, take it.

chasgoose wrote: I don't know about NU or Berkeley, but NYU will have about 15 or so Miami firms at EIW plus some other FL firms. It probably has more to do with the cost-effectiveness of recruiting at such a large school (plus having CLS up the street) than anything else

Right, I can't think of other top schools near Berkeley or NU that firms can visit at the same time...

Redamon1 wrote:

chasgoose wrote: I don't know about NU or Berkeley, but NYU will have about 15 or so Miami firms at EIW plus some other FL firms. It probably has more to do with the cost-effectiveness of recruiting at such a large school (plus having CLS up the street) than anything else

Right, I can't think of other top schools near Berkeley or NU that firms can visit at the same time...

Yeah, but they are still small schools with very few (SLS) to a few (Chicago) potential applicants who want to work in south FL. Recruiting at OCI events costs a lot of money and firms aren't going to do it unless they know there will actually be students to hire that meet their needs. NYU alone is about the same size as NU/Chicago or Berkeley/SLS, and CLS is only slightly smaller. Going to NYU/CLS is more cost-effective for a Miami firm than going to SLS/Berkeley or Chicago/NU. That's one advantage to going to a large school like NYU/CLS, firms are more likely to find making the recruiting trip worth the cost because there is a much larger pool of students to hire from.

It's not to say that NYU/CLS are any better at getting you the job, but I highly doubt that as many Miami firms are going to make the trip out to the Bay Area as they would to NYC. If you are the type that does well in interviews, having your first contact with a firm at OCI instead of through a mass-mailing, can help. At equal cost, NYU is probably the best choice for getting back to Miami, if the scholarship at NU comes back into play, go there.

Yeaaaaaaaah the 150k at NU was definitely the best option here. Try to give them a call and be honest with where you are coming from, and that after much re-evaluating, you regret not depositing. If they say no, oh well.

You had 150k at NU and you didn't take it? For shame OP, for shame.

The only reason I wasn't more seriously considering Northwestern was the fact that I had to defer a year, and I didn't know about other financial offers by their deadline. If I knew now what I knew then I would have definitely put down the deposit. I am probably going to call them on Tuesday and see what my options are. I am hoping since it is a deferred option there is a chance the option is still open. If not, then I have some serious thinking to do.

Thanks again. All opinions and suggestions are welcome and have been extremely helpful. You guys really make this an incredible community.

I called Northwestern today and they said the offer still stands. I appreciate all of your guys help in making my decision. I figured some people might be interested in an update.

Thanks,
Gatorspader

Happy to hear it. I'd take that offer and run.

Take the NU offer. They are essentially paying you $150k+ (factor in the 8% interest that will accrue on those loans over the span it takes you to pay them back) to wait a year. It would be insane not to take it.

I am indeed taking the NU offer. I know NYU may open some extra doors for me if I am middle of the class than NU. But I would still have plenty of options available. Hopefully I can work my butt off and be top of the class at NU to make the difference negligible.

gatorspader wrote:I am indeed taking the NU offer. I know NYU may open some extra doors for me if I am middle of the class than NU. But I would still have plenty of options available. Hopefully I can work my butt off and be top of the class at NU to make the difference negligible.

So they gave it back to you? Nice. You made the right decision. Congrats.

Why do you want to go to law school?