Please help decide (NU vs Duke vs UChicago) Forum

[swimbrad]

I was in the same spot re: uchicago and NU money... I turned down all job offers for next year knowing that I was going to law school... the extra money isn't worth the year of my life (not straight out of UG)...
hth

[CanadianWolf]

Well you should have at least one year of work experience if you attend Northwestern on a full tuition scholarship which requires a one year deferral.

[JollyGreenGiant]

Another factor is whether you are comfortable working 1 year in a meaningless job that you know you are going to leave anyways. That would drive me to a mid-life crisis before doing what I actually wanted to do would.

[AngryAvocado]

As you may be ignorant of, finding work isn't exactly easy in this economy. The work that you may find (Best Buy, etc) may not be an experience that everyone wants to go through for a year.

You only need a few of thousand dollars to finance a trip to South East Asia or South America for a few months.

As for traveling, not everyone has a mommy or daddy to pay for their European vacations. Some of us aren't from families that can throw money at us to go on half year long vacations.

OMG, you are actually paraphrasing Sarah Palin to make a point. Really? REALLY?!?!

I have traveled around the world multiple times. My parents never paid for shit and the only job I had before I first traveled around the world was working in a bar. Don't blame your parents for your lack of opportunities, blame them for failing to instill in you an imagination or any sense of adventure.

Saying "OMG WORK AND THEN TRAVEL" isn't as easy and/or obvious as you make it sound.

Yes, it really is. Not being boring apparently is the hard part.

Again, enjoy your white picket fence and mid-life crisis.

I've rarely seen so much pretentiousness fit into a single post. Nobody said choosing NU would be a bad decision, especially if OP has something interesting or fun to do in the year off. In fact, I'm a huge proponent in taking a year off to do something meaningful if that's an option. However, if OP is one of the many recent graduates with nothing interesting lined up and a good chunk of student loans hanging over his head, taking the nice scholarship to the T6 school now might very well be the better choice. And, to be honest, some of us had plenty of fun in college and don't need to travel to Southeast Asia for a few months so people like you on the interwebs will think we're interesting.

FWIW to the OP, I decided to forgo law school for a little while to take a job that sounded very appealing to me. I don't regret that decision at all, but I think I might have if I took a year off without anything lined up. Ultimately, only you can guess whether taking a year off would be worthwhile for you, but I really think you're looking at a great option either way.

Also, I don't know if this has already been noted, but I would visit if possible. They both have very different "feels" and that might help you with your decision as well.

[CanadianWolf]

A one-year job should not be meaningless.

[09042014]

HollyGoLucky is teaching english in france, and her life is a 24/7/12 vacation. I'd do that.

[tamlyric]

From what I have read, it appears that Chicago's job placement is significantly better than NU if you don't have real work experience, which I would not have. Assuming this is true, would any of you change your minds? Always go in thinking median at best, right? If someone would knows otherwise/has a different opinion, I am all ears.

Thanks guys!

Really? Where did you read this? It sounds very suspect to me, but I don't know enough to say so with certainty. Can anyone else speak to this?

[tome]

I've rarely seen so much pretentiousness fit into a single post. Nobody said choosing NU would be a bad decision, especially if OP has something interesting or fun to do in the year off. In fact, I'm a huge proponent in taking a year off to do something meaningful if that's an option. However, if OP is one of the many recent graduates with nothing interesting lined up and a good chunk of student loans hanging over his head, taking the nice scholarship to the T6 school now might very well be the better choice. And, to be honest, some of us had plenty of fun in college and don't need to travel to Southeast Asia for a few months so people like you on the interwebs will think we're interesting.

FWIW to the OP, I decided to forgo law school for a little while to take a job that sounded very appealing to me. I don't regret that decision at all, but I think I might have if I took a year off without anything lined up. Ultimately, only you can guess whether taking a year off would be worthwhile for you, but I really think you're looking at a great option either way.

Also, I don't know if this has already been noted, but I would visit if possible. They both have very different "feels" and that might help you with your decision as well.

I won't bother line-by-lining this. However, it is hilarious that you accuse me of being absolutist about the choice, when I have said nothing absolutist at all, and my original post was in response to the absolutist notion that you have to do what is best of your career--so that if there is no great job possibility then there is no reason to take a year off, which is a very silly position to take.

I am 100% serious about you all having mid-life crises, BTW. I had a very fun, very relaxed twenties, and only now in my 30s have I started to think about a career. You certainly do not have to take that path, and there is a happy median, but all (I mean it, all) of my friends who were career focused from college to now regret it. You kids will get it one day, but, alas, by then it will be too late.

[rayiner]

I've rarely seen so much pretentiousness fit into a single post. Nobody said choosing NU would be a bad decision, especially if OP has something interesting or fun to do in the year off. In fact, I'm a huge proponent in taking a year off to do something meaningful if that's an option. However, if OP is one of the many recent graduates with nothing interesting lined up and a good chunk of student loans hanging over his head, taking the nice scholarship to the T6 school now might very well be the better choice. And, to be honest, some of us had plenty of fun in college and don't need to travel to Southeast Asia for a few months so people like you on the interwebs will think we're interesting.

FWIW to the OP, I decided to forgo law school for a little while to take a job that sounded very appealing to me. I don't regret that decision at all, but I think I might have if I took a year off without anything lined up. Ultimately, only you can guess whether taking a year off would be worthwhile for you, but I really think you're looking at a great option either way.

Also, I don't know if this has already been noted, but I would visit if possible. They both have very different "feels" and that might help you with your decision as well.

I won't bother line-by-lining this. However, it is hilarious that you accuse me of being absolutist about the choice, when I have said nothing absolutist at all, and my original post was in response to the absolutist notion that you have to do what is best of your career--so that if there is no great job possibility then there is no reason to take a year off, which is a very silly position to take.

I am 100% serious about you all having mid-life crises, BTW. I had a very fun, very relaxed twenties, and only now in my 30s have I started to think about a career. You certainly do not have to take that path, and there is a happy median, but all (I mean it, all) of my friends who were career focused from college to now regret it. You kids will get it one day, but, alas, by then it will be too late.

<3

You forgot: "and get off my lawn!"

[tome]

Oops. Get off my lawn!

[Dominusfiki]

Filling in the gaps: Nothing interesting/planned to do for a year if I take the deferral. No undergrad debt. Visited both, but feel like I would be okay any of these places.

On a side not: I was W/L at Harvard. If I get rejected this cycle, and I take the Northwestern deal, does anyone know if I can reapply to Harvard next cycle?

THanks!

[AngryAvocado]

I won't bother line-by-lining this. However, it is hilarious that you accuse me of being absolutist about the choice, when I have said nothing absolutist at all, and my original post was in response to the absolutist notion that you have to do what is best of your career--so that if there is no great job possibility then there is no reason to take a year off, which is a very silly position to take.

I am 100% serious about you all having mid-life crises, BTW. I had a very fun, very relaxed twenties, and only now in my 30s have I started to think about a career. You certainly do not have to take that path, and there is a happy median, but all (I mean it, all) of my friends who were career focused from college to now regret it. You kids will get it one day, but, alas, by then it will be too late.

Oh c'mon...implying that anyone who doesn't jump at the chance to defer a year is facing an inevitable midlife crisis is pretty absolutist. Aside from that, allow me to refresh your memory as to the original quote:

Do you have productive and/or FUN to do in the next year?

If not, I'd go with Chicago.

Maybe you missed the fun part the first time around, but nobody was saying it's "CAREER OR BUST." I took the job after graduating over law school because it sounded like something I might enjoy, not because it would advance my career goals (it had nothing to do with law whatsoever). It's just, to some people, relaxing with their bros while working at Best Buy or whatever for a year actually doesn't sound all that fun. Sure, I like to go out once or twice a week and enjoy myself (I also think that's totally possible in law school and in a law career), but anything beyond that gets pretty old pretty fast. Some people live to work, some work to live, and some have to do both to be happy--and I definitely fall into the latter group. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

[prezidentv8]

I'll just put it this way.

Relative to Chicago, Northwestern is paying you $75000 to turn them away and take a year to do whatever you want. At the end of four years, you will have a T10 law degree and minimal to no debt.

If you believe Chicago's opportunities are that much better, or if you like the school that much more, or if you are that eager to start law school, Chicago is a fine choice.

I would take Northwestern and ride out the economy in the meantime.

[Dany]

I'll just put it this way.

Relative to Chicago, Northwestern is paying you $75000 to turn them away and take a year to do whatever you want. At the end of four years, you will have a T10 law degree and minimal to no debt.

If you believe Chicago's opportunities are that much better, or if you like the school that much more, or if you are that eager to start law school, Chicago is a fine choice.

I would take Northwestern and ride out the economy in the meantime.

So, so credited.

[thisiswater1488]

.

[Helmholtz]

Voted Northwestern. Not lucky enough to be in this situation, but I would like to think it would be an easy choice for me.

[im_blue]

I'd pick Chicago with only a $75k difference (actually under $70k once you factor in lower COL at Chicago). If the decision were NU + 135K + 1 year deferral vs Chicago sticker, then maybe I'd consider NU.