NU or Emory($$)? Forum

[MaggieM]

Hello all, this is my first post on this forum!

I realize that I'm procrastinating terribly, but now I must choose between Emory and NU. Emory gave me 90K, NU gave me...nothing. Not sure which one I should pick.
Here are some things to consider:
-I have a moderate size inheritance (~45K) which I will be using to defray the cost
-My parents will help me a little
-I am not really sure what kind of law I want to do, but I'm definitely don't want to do criminal law, or anything that involves a) meeting clients or b) going in front of a judge. Ideally, I would be in a room with a book, a pad of paper, and a computer and would just read and write all day. Basically, prison except I'd also be allowed Starbucks.
-At this point no real geographical preference.

[Aberzombie1892]

If you don't want to meet with clients, you're in the wrong profession.

[Yukos]

If you're from the South and don't mind working there all your life, Emory.

If you're from anywhere else, NU.

[FlanSolo]

If you don't want to meet with clients, you're in the wrong profession.

[Samara]

Basically, prison except I'd also be allowed Starbucks.

Sounds like you're really excited to be a lawyer and definitely won't get burned out at all.

-At this point no real geographical preference.

Well, you better figure it out. And figure out what you want to do. Do you want biglaw? Small law? Govt/PI? What practice area? Where you want to work and what you want to do makes a huge difference.

If you have no idea and are going into this kind of blind, as it appears you are doing, stick with Emory. At least there your debt will be low enough that you won't have to be biglaw or debtor's prison. I don't think anyone should be taking on over $200k of law school debt with such ill-defined goals.

[flem]

If you have no idea and are going into this kind of blind, as it appears you are doing, stick with Emory. At least there your debt will be low enough that you won't have to be biglaw or debtor's prison. I don't think anyone should be taking on over $200k of law school debt with such ill-defined goals.

Emory would still leave you 150Kish in the hole, even with scholarship and inheritance (assuming you're financing living expenses and everything else through loans with minimal parental help). Emory is too expensive for the likely outcome, plus Atlanta blows.

[Samara]

If you have no idea and are going into this kind of blind, as it appears you are doing, stick with Emory. At least there your debt will be low enough that you won't have to be biglaw or debtor's prison. I don't think anyone should be taking on over $200k of law school debt with such ill-defined goals.

Emory would still leave you 150Kish in the hole, even with scholarship and inheritance (assuming you're financing living expenses and everything else through loans with minimal parental help). Emory is too expensive for the likely outcome, plus Atlanta blows.

? Emory provides a COA of $71k/year, so for three years that's $215k. Subtract $90k scholarship = $125k. Subtract $45k inheritance = $80k. Add in interest, assume no paid summer job = <$100k (too lazy to figure out interest) That's a manageable debt load for most jobs, no?

http://www.law.emory.edu/admission/admi ... ition.html

[flem]

? Emory provides a COA of $71k/year, so for three years that's $215k. Subtract $90k scholarship = $125k. Subtract $45k inheritance = $80k. Add in interest, assume no paid summer job = <$100k (too lazy to figure out interest) That's a manageable debt load for most jobs, no?

http://www.law.emory.edu/admission/admi ... ition.html

2 things:

1) I read 90K as 70K because I've already worked 35 hours before coming in the door today
2) Law school transparency lists total COA for C/O 2015 at 253K, so I went off that number. So it looks like total debt load is 115K

Still higher than I'd be comfortable with for Emory, honestly. Especially without a specific geographic preference, a degree that is more portable with guaranteed better placement makes more sense.

Then again OP seems clueless as to what goals/ambitions/other important shit they should figure out, so there's that. Also, you didn't address my larger, salient, and more important point - Atlanta is SPS

[Aberzombie1892]

If we assume that the OP has to pick one of these two schools (no retaking, no surprises, no waiting), Emory for $115,000 is a better bet than NU for $280,000.

[Samara]

2 things:

1) I read 90K as 70K because I've already worked 35 hours before coming in the door today
2) Law school transparency lists total COA for C/O 2015 at 253K, so I went off that number. So it looks like total debt load is 115K

Still higher than I'd be comfortable with for Emory, honestly. Especially without a specific geographic preference, a degree that is more portable with guaranteed better placement makes more sense. Then again OP seems clueless as to what goals/ambitions/other important shit they should figure out, so there's that.

Emory for $100k or so is not a great choice, but I wouldn't plunk down well over $200k outside of YSHCC without knowing at least a little bit what I want to do. At NU, OP will have to gun for biglaw. What if OP hates biglaw? Or hates law school? The big problem I would have is that you're supposed to assume median, right? Median at NU is in that gray area where the interview/ties/fit plays a huge role. If OP has no idea what they want and is unenthusiastic about biglaw, OP is going to have a tough time at OCI.

TCR is to wait a year, retake if possible, and figure out what you want to do. If not that, at least at Emory you can drop out after 1L year with no debt.

Also, you didn't address my larger, salient, and more important point - Atlanta is SPS

I don't think I've ever met anyone with an overall positive opinion of Atlanta. So you may be right.

[nmcdgt]

? Emory provides a COA of $71k/year, so for three years that's $215k. Subtract $90k scholarship = $125k. Subtract $45k inheritance = $80k. Add in interest, assume no paid summer job = <$100k (too lazy to figure out interest) That's a manageable debt load for most jobs, no?

http://www.law.emory.edu/admission/admi ... ition.html

2 things:

1) I read 90K as 70K because I've already worked 35 hours before coming in the door today
2) Law school transparency lists total COA for C/O 2015 at 253K, so I went off that number. So it looks like total debt load is 115K

Still higher than I'd be comfortable with for Emory, honestly. Especially without a specific geographic preference, a degree that is more portable with guaranteed better placement makes more sense.

Then again OP seems clueless as to what goals/ambitions/other important shit they should figure out, so there's that. Also, you didn't address my larger, salient, and more important point - Atlanta is SPS

Why so much Atlanta hate

[flem]

Why so much Atlanta hate

If you're into a giant sprawling mass of a city with no culture and terribad mass transit combined with the incredible ignorance of the south, then yeah, ATL is perfect.

Counterpoint: Braves games are fun and it's full of recent SEC grads so the girls are hot

[nmcdgt]

.

[romothesavior]

OP why are you even going to law school? What do you want with your degree? Im hesitant to recommend either because you don't seem to really know what you're looking for.

[CanadianWolf]

OP: Where is your home ? In the South ? If so, ask Emory for more money based on your Northwestern offer. If not, then what are your numbers & how many times have you taken the LSAT ? Also, any other law school options ?

[mr.hands]

Surely, you can find a school between these two that will offer you money. Vandy? UT?

[rad lulz]

If you want to be a lawyer but don't want to deal with clients, you're gonna have a bad time.

Don't go to law school.

[CanadianWolf]

Seems as if OP has Emory's top scholarship according to lawschoolnumbers.com. I believe that there is a competitive award that offers more, but that competition has ended.

[TomahawkChopper]

Atlanta isn't a terrible place. Virginia Highlands is a really cool area for young people.Great art scene, parks, concerts, restaurants, bars, boutique shops.You have 3 professional sports teams and UGA football if that's your thing. No, the mass transit isn't very good any you may be limited to either to Buckhead or the Highlands/Grant Park area for nights out.

There are a lot worse places to live.

That said, I'm from Atlanta and basically refuse to live south of DC.

[westinghouse60]

I didn't apply to either of these schools and don't know when start dates are, but how the hell has OP really procrastinated this much? Have fun finding an apartment/moving/enrolling in less than a week?

[jenesaislaw]

? Emory provides a COA of $71k/year, so for three years that's $215k. Subtract $90k scholarship = $125k. Subtract $45k inheritance = $80k. Add in interest, assume no paid summer job = <$100k (too lazy to figure out interest) That's a manageable debt load for most jobs, no?

http://www.law.emory.edu/admission/admi ... ition.html

2 things:

1) I read 90K as 70K because I've already worked 35 hours before coming in the door today
2) Law school transparency lists total COA for C/O 2015 at 253K, so I went off that number. So it looks like total debt load is 115K

Still higher than I'd be comfortable with for Emory, honestly. Especially without a specific geographic preference, a degree that is more portable with guaranteed better placement makes more sense.

Then again OP seems clueless as to what goals/ambitions/other important shit they should figure out, so there's that. Also, you didn't address my larger, salient, and more important point - Atlanta is SPS

The 253k COA on LST includes projected increases in tuition and cost of living from 2011-2012 tuition. It also includes interest as it accumulates.

Also, Atlanta is great if you live within a few miles of Midtown or in Midtown or a bordering neighborhood. I only deal with traffic when I venture away from this area.

[jcdjgd]

250K+ to pay back with no scholly at NU. I'm more risk aversive and with your goals and background from the south, go Emory.

[top30man]

If you want to be a lawyer but don't want to deal with clients, you're gonna have a bad time.

Don't go to law school.

Yes, this OP. In law, clients pay all your bills. You kind of have to deal with that.

[noleknight16]

I'm not sure what OP really wants to do so it's hard to give an answer.

[mindarmed]

Well executed flame, OP.