NYC market: NYLS (FULL RIDE) or BLS (50% Scholarship) Forum

[francesfarmer]

What are your stats (LSAT/GPA)?

3.45 and 159

Are you willing to leave NYC for school?

No I would really rather not and I could live at home if I really wanted to

Going into debt for a degree from a place like NYLS is a horrible idea and you shouldn't do it just because you'd rather not retake or leave NYC. If you choose any of the three options you have presented us (or if you retake for Fordham and above), you should absolutely live at home to minimize debt.

[WaltGrace83]

1) Retake is going to be the majority response, as it should be.

2) What are the stipulations on your scholarships? Brooklyn's is usually particularly awful if I remember correctly.

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.

[critical mass]

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.

+1

[chipotle123]

1) Retake is going to be the majority response, as it should be.

2) What are the stipulations on your scholarships? Brooklyn's is usually particularly awful if I remember correctly.

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.

That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?

[WaltGrace83]

Once again, the following (0L) advice comes from the principle NOT of being a dick but rather to make you understand the situation. Look, I'm an 0L as I said and so I am not some guru on law school admissions. However, I have had MANY people close to me go to TT/TTT schools: one drives a UPS truck, one has been unemployed for a year, one has just got a job at a JD-advantage job. Here it goes...

You're ideas quite simply ARE naive and you are headed for disaster if you do not change your tune.

That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

You still ARE that student. You don't want to retake despite the treacherous path ahead.

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Networking only goes so far. People rarely get jobs by networking IF they don't have the credentials. I am not saying that these schools won't land you a job or something. They might. But you are taking on a BIG risk even for free. You'd be better off working at McDonalds for 3 years if you don't end up getting a job because at least then you would have made some money.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?

Most people say the quality of education is roughly the same at every school. BUT THAT SHOULDN'T BE YOUR main FOCUS. You know what should? SECURING A JOB.

From these schools, you have a better chance at NOT becoming a lawyer then becoming one. Take off the rosy glasses. Even for free, these schools can very well be (probably be) a giant waste. of. time. There simply are not enough jobs to go around, much less jobs that are good. In NYC, you are competing with some of the best newly-minted lawyers around: Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Harvard, Yale, Duke, uPenn, etc. and you are comfortable going in there with a degree from a TTTT? Are you serious?

You need to retake. It's that simple. If you don't, unfortunately you are digging your own grave. I'm a bit tired of people just giving up. There's nothing more gratifying then getting something that you have truly worked hard for.

[jbagelboy]

1) Retake is going to be the majority response, as it should be.

2) What are the stipulations on your scholarships? Brooklyn's is usually particularly awful if I remember correctly.

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.

That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?

Must be a troll

[chipotle123]

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?[/quote]

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.[/quote]


That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?[/quote]

Must be a troll[/quote]


I'm being a troll? I'm just voicing my concerns, they may sound ignorant or naive but I'm trying to collect information here to make a more educated decision.

I'm not as concerned about landing a job than landing a good job.

WaitGrace83, I really appreciate your feedback and I totally get what you're saying. I would like to say that I may be a little different from people close to you in that I have over 2 years work experience and a CPA. I'm thinking those qualities will make me a lot more marketable when looking for a job/ OCI if I can manage to do well grades-wise.

[NYSprague]

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.[/quote]


That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?[/quote]

Must be a troll[/quote]


I'm being a troll? I'm just voicing my concerns, they may sound ignorant or naive but I'm trying to collect information here to make a more educated decision.

I'm not as concerned about landing a job than landing a good job.

WaitGrace83, I really appreciate your feedback and I totally get what you're saying. I would like to say that I may be a little different from people close to you in that I have over 2 years work experience and a CPA. I'm thinking those qualities will make me a lot more marketable when looking for a job/ OCI if I can manage to do well grades-wise.[/quote]

I just don't know about this. I don't know anything about these schools. I think if you studied and retook you could get more money/better options.

It is just hard to say with your goals.

It is never too late to press for more money. I would keep asking.

I wish I had more advice. I'm afraid you might be wasting your time and money going to these schools.

[victory]

I wish I had more advice. I'm afraid you might be wasting your time and money going to these schools.

TCR.

Do not expect to transfer to bigger schools. Do not solely rely on your work experience to make you marketable for a biglaw job. Retake and try again.

[gnomgnomuch]

Your best bet would be to sit out a cycle, study your ass off and reapply. Really focus on LG (since with a 159, im sure you've missed points there, try 7sage), and try shoring up RC and LR as well. A 170 might be out of reach, it might not be, that's up to you to find out, but getting even a 6 point boost to your LSAT would put MUCH MUCH better schools in play,10/11 points and you'd be in at the lower/middle t-14, maybe even with some money.

Use the time to polish your personal statements/LOR's/Resume etc etc, come back with a much nicer application a year from now, and apply on day 1, you'll have significantly better options. The LSAT can be up to ~75% of your total application, and a 3.5 gpa will keep you in play even all the way up to Columbia Law (assuming a high enough LSAT)

Good Luck =)

[gnomgnomuch]

In the case of Brooklyn's scholarship, I have to remain in the top 80% of my class each year. I also tried to negotiate more scholarship from Brooklyn about a month ago and they said no. So two questions:

1) Would it be alright to request again since deposit deadlines have passed, and if so what's the best way to ask again?

2) How hard is it to transfer from any of the schools in the poll (Hofstra, NYLS, BLS) to a Fordham, NYU or Columbia? I'm assuming it is very difficult but is it do-able?

Not to be a dick but if you cannot get a better LSAT score what makes you think that you will be able to own law school and have even a chance at transferring? I cannot speak to the difficulty of doing this (it is very high though - probably less than a 1% chance if anything), but for the purposes of your situation you will NOT be able to transfer. Ever. To ANY school with a higher ranking.

If you aren't happy graduating from there, don't go. There is no way around it. Your situation is not good. It can be better ONLY IF you retake.

That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

My main concerns are quality of education, overall law school experience and cost, in that particular order. I am lucky in that I would consider myself to be at a substantial advantage connections/network wise over the average law student because of my work experience, networking and family.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?[/quote]

Must be a troll[/quote]


I'm being a troll? I'm just voicing my concerns, they may sound ignorant or naive but I'm trying to collect information here to make a more educated decision.

I'm not as concerned about landing a job than landing a good job.

WaitGrace83, I really appreciate your feedback and I totally get what you're saying. I would like to say that I may be a little different from people close to you in that I have over 2 years work experience and a CPA. I'm thinking those qualities will make me a lot more marketable when looking for a job/ OCI if I can manage to do well grades-wise.[/quote]

I just don't know about this. I don't know anything about these schools. I think if you studied and retook you could get more money/better options.

It is just hard to say with your goals.

It is never too late to press for more money. I would keep asking.

I wish I had more advice. I'm afraid you might be wasting your time and money going to these schools.[/quote]


Equating a degree from a t-14 to a top 100 is laughable. The education will be MUCH better, the opportunities will be better, in general everything will be better. In biglaw the higher ranked school you're in, the easier it is to get a job, and vice versa, so if at Yale, basically EVERYONE gets a job, at BLS, you'd have to be solidly top 25%... and that wouldn't be a guarantee of getting a biglaw job, it might just create the possibility of getting one. At t-14's the firms chase you, at BLS you chase them.

[chipotle123]

Equating a degree from a t-14 to a top 100 is laughable. The education will be MUCH better, the opportunities will be better, in general everything will be better. In biglaw the higher ranked school you're in, the easier it is to get a job, and vice versa, so if at Yale, basically EVERYONE gets a job, at BLS, you'd have to be solidly top 25%... and that wouldn't be a guarantee of getting a biglaw job, it might just create the possibility of getting one. At t-14's the firms chase you, at BLS you chase them.[/quote]


I think there is clearly a distinct difference seeing as how people are willing to put their plans on hold just for the opportunity to attend one of these prestigious institutions. However, I do not see the difference occurring in areas like faculty and resources as I do with GPAs and LSAT scores. A high LSAT score and GPA is usually indicative of someone who is highly intelligent and capable of excelling in the study of law, hence why Big Law firms are chasing them. Yea I would love to go to a T14 like NYU or Columbia but I'm not going to predicate pursuing a law degree on it because I feel like I can get what I need to get at other institutions as well.

Basically what I'm saying is that at the end of the day, the difference between someone graduating from a T14 and not T14 could be more of a perception issue and not a competence issue. And in the end, your degree from a T14 is not gonna save you if you're not performing at the level you are expected to.

Can anyone legitimately argue that law school education outside the T14 is materially weaker in terms of giving you the tools to succeed? Because to me its more of a connections and reputation issue and eventually people will see through the reputation of your law school and into your capabilities to successfully and efficiently do your job.

[victory]

Equating a degree from a t-14 to a top 100 is laughable. The education will be MUCH better, the opportunities will be better, in general everything will be better. In biglaw the higher ranked school you're in, the easier it is to get a job, and vice versa, so if at Yale, basically EVERYONE gets a job, at BLS, you'd have to be solidly top 25%... and that wouldn't be a guarantee of getting a biglaw job, it might just create the possibility of getting one. At t-14's the firms chase you, at BLS you chase them.

I think there is clearly a distinct difference seeing as how people are willing to put their plans on hold just for the opportunity to attend one of these prestigious institutions. However, I do not see the difference occurring in areas like faculty and resources as I do with GPAs and LSAT scores. A high LSAT score and GPA is usually indicative of someone who is highly intelligent and capable of excelling in the study of law, hence why Big Law firms are chasing them. Yea I would love to go to a T14 like NYU or Columbia but I'm not going to predicate pursuing a law degree on it because I feel like I can get what I need to get at other institutions as well.

Basically what I'm saying is that at the end of the day, the difference between someone graduating from a T14 and not T14 could be more of a perception issue and not a competence issue. And in the end, your degree from a T14 is not gonna save you if you're not performing at the level you are expected to.

Can anyone legitimately argue that law school education outside the T14 is materially weaker in terms of giving you the tools to succeed? Because to me its more of a connections and reputation issue and eventually people will see through the reputation of your law school and into your capabilities to successfully and efficiently do your job.

I've lurked on TLS for quite a while, and I originally thought that a T14 degree was not too much better than a non-T14. My mind changed. Check out LST and check out the attorney's list for any top firm. For a non-URM, a good law school is a requirement. Clients see where a firm's attorney's go to law school and will use that to estimate whether or not they should use Wachtell or Patterson.

For example: http://www.wlrk.com/attorneys/List.aspx List of attorneys at Wachtell. Click on a letter and look at each person's educations. From browsing, I found one woman from a TTT (a URM who graduated magna cum laude and was editor in chief of her LS's Law Review, and then went to clerking for two years), while the rest were from T14s. Now, you'll see a few more from second tier law schools, but rarely from the three you listed. Quality of education at a T14 truly is > quality of education at Hofstra (the best option available to you ATM).

Hopefully, a poster with more knowledge to share can come in and offer more advice. Don't develop special snowflake syndrome because of former work experience; you'll just be disappointed. Take the advice of the majority and retake. If you study and use the LS section here, I guarantee you that you will get 160+ without knowing anything else about you. As you've already passed multiple CPA exams, you'll more than likely be able to score 173+. That score opens up a world of opportunities locked to TTT graduates.

[cahwc12]

Equating a degree from a t-14 to a top 100 is laughable. The education will be MUCH better, the opportunities will be better, in general everything will be better. In biglaw the higher ranked school you're in, the easier it is to get a job, and vice versa, so if at Yale, basically EVERYONE gets a job, at BLS, you'd have to be solidly top 25%... and that wouldn't be a guarantee of getting a biglaw job, it might just create the possibility of getting one. At t-14's the firms chase you, at BLS you chase them.

I think there is clearly a distinct difference seeing as how people are willing to put their plans on hold just for the opportunity to attend one of these prestigious institutions. However, I do not see the difference occurring in areas like faculty and resources as I do with GPAs and LSAT scores. A high LSAT score and GPA is usually indicative of someone who is highly intelligent and capable of excelling in the study of law, hence why Big Law firms are chasing them. Yea I would love to go to a T14 like NYU or Columbia but I'm not going to predicate pursuing a law degree on it because I feel like I can get what I need to get at other institutions as well.

Basically what I'm saying is that at the end of the day, the difference between someone graduating from a T14 and not T14 could be more of a perception issue and not a competence issue. And in the end, your degree from a T14 is not gonna save you if you're not performing at the level you are expected to.

Can anyone legitimately argue that law school education outside the T14 is materially weaker in terms of giving you the tools to succeed? Because to me its more of a connections and reputation issue and eventually people will see through the reputation of your law school and into your capabilities to successfully and efficiently do your job.

A high LSAT is indicative of the time commitment to preparing for the LSAT. Those who score higher without this prep time simply put the hours in before they knew about the LSAT. People who start low have to put more hours in. It's important to understand though that a high LSAT score doesn't make you smart any more than being an honor-roll student. The reason only 1% of people get a 99% LSAT score is because they were the best 1% of test takers and put the most time in.

You're spot on that the educational quality from BLS to NYU probably is minimal at best, although the difference in student intelligence is probably a bit larger. But you're wrong to equate that to the ability to secure a job. Firms care very much about where you went to school and it affects how deeply they look into your class. In regards to transferring, I know two people who went from Yeshiva and BLS to Columbia and NYU, respectively, and I can tell you that neither of them would recommend doing what they did, even the guy who intentionally went to BLS in order to transfer up after 1L.

If you're unwilling to live NYC, your GPA is going to prevent you from getting a good deal on law school, and therefore you should either retake for a chance at NYU sticker, or just don't go.

[Micdiddy]

I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

Not to beat a dead horse but you need to follow your own advice here. If you are to put in your MAX effort and take advantage of your LAST opportunity, you need to start by RETAKING and giving your max effort on the LSAT. I put more effort into it than all of college and high-school combined and it was very, very worth the effort. Show yourself you can do it. Trust me, if you can't work up the effort to get a higher LSAT score you will suck at any law school you go to, you won't magically gain motivation at school if you can't even be motivated to retake the most important test you will ever take in your life.

[john1990]

If you do not want big law then you might as well do hofstra.

[anyriotgirl]

http://www.top-law-schools.com/forums/v ... 8&t=229180

[chipotle123]

My scholarship to BLS was increased to 40K/Year

[sd5289]

That is a very valid point in regards to the LSAT and transferring. Unfortunately I feel like I could have done better (probably 165 or so at least) but I have myself and my issues to blame. I've been the kind of student who has done well in school without putting in MAX effort most of my life and I look at law school as my last opportunity to see what happens when I give it my all. I know that sounds very naive and cliche but the way I look at it, this is my last round of formal education and something that I'm excited about.

Um, if you can't do this for the 3-4 months it takes to get a better LSAT score, what makes you think you'll survive 3 years of law school much less have any chance of doing well? Compared to law school, the LSAT is like the pre game warm ups before a double-header. If your reason for not doing well on the LSAT is because you didn't put in enough effort, take it again and actually try or don't go to law school.

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

*facepalm*

You're not serious, right? The decision doesn't necessarily have to be T14 or bust, but you're putting nothing but bad options on the table and trying to get people to pick one for you. Every school on your list was subject to a lawsuit over their employment statistics.

Through my due diligence I've come to feel as if BLS has more to offer in terms of quality of education (they seem to have a great faculty and focus on practical and experiential learning) and overall experience. Am I incorrect in my assumption that BLS offers a higher quality legal education over Hofstra and NYLS?

I was not at all impressed with BLS on these counts, but I didn't even bother with Hofstra or NYLS so I can't tell you which is better. I can tell you that BLS at 50% off is not worth it. BLS might be worth it at a full ride for someone who wants to work at the DA's office or some sort of public service office in Brooklyn. But definitely not worth it at anything below full ride.

[chipotle123]

In my opinion, as professionals, we are judged on our expertise, work ethic and quality of product we produce. In the end your success is not mainly predicated on where you go to school, but more so what you're made of (how much you know, how much experience you have, your network, your work ethic) Sure going to a T14 school can open many doors and opportunities, but as far as receiving a quality education and being prepared to succeed in practice, how different can a top 14 school be from a school in the top 100?

*facepalm*

You're not serious, right? The decision doesn't necessarily have to be T14 or bust, but you're putting nothing but bad options on the table and trying to get people to pick one for you.

I'm not trying to get anyone to pick for me, that would be pretty pathetic IMO. Just wanted to see what the prevailing opinion was.... But thanks for your "advice" after the fact. Super helpful and original

[victory]

I think every single poster recommended that OP retake and sit it out this cycle...c'est la vie.

[sd5289]

Looks like you made the decision a grand total of a few hours before (probably while I was in the middle of taking a final), but I normally try to hit the NYC specific threads because I'm local and did the dance with just about all of the NY schools before choosing. So, you're welcome. And,

c'est la vie.