Top Law Schools

Hey everyone- I have applied to lots of schools and only gotten a couple acceptances yet and no idea about money but I am already agonizing about the options I have and I am looking for unbiased opinions. I do not want a biglaw job- I am interested in healthcare law or potentially a government job (with the DA or something like that). I live in CT and plan on staying in the New England area for sure. I did not expect to do great on the LSAT and was going to cross my fingers for UCONN, which is commuting distance from where my fiance and I were planning on living. Then, I did great on the LSAT and started considering top ten schools. Then I got into NYU- totally unexpected. I guess the 176 LSAT didn't really sink in until the acceptance letter came. I posted earlier about hating NYC and most people said suck it up and apply, so I did. Now, I am wondering whether the benefits of going to NYU (or another top 10 school that I've applied to and haven't heard from yet) outweigh the downside of NYC, which I hate, and being long distance from my fiance (getting married this summer and commute from our side of CT is just too long so we would be living apart), and probably higher tuition cost, when I am not looking for the *most* competitive job (although I understand the entire job market is more competitive right now). Anyway, sorry for the rambling but I'd love to hear thoughts.

If you hate NYC, don't go there. Why spend time in a place you don't like? There are plenty of good schools outside of New York. And with that LSAT score you could probably get some serious scholarship money outside of the top 10 from schools located in places you'd rather be.

markie wrote:Hey everyone- I have applied to lots of schools and only gotten a couple acceptances yet and no idea about money but I am already agonizing about the options I have and I am looking for unbiased opinions. I do not want a biglaw job- I am interested in healthcare law or potentially a government job (with the DA or something like that). I live in CT and plan on staying in the New England area for sure. I did not expect to do great on the LSAT and was going to cross my fingers for UCONN, which is commuting distance from where my fiance and I were planning on living. Then, I did great on the LSAT and started considering top ten schools. Then I got into NYU- totally unexpected. I guess the 176 LSAT didn't really sink in until the acceptance letter came. I posted earlier about hating NYC and most people said suck it up and apply, so I did. Now, I am wondering whether the benefits of going to NYU (or another top 10 school that I've applied to and haven't heard from yet) outweigh the downside of NYC, which I hate, and being long distance from my fiance (getting married this summer and commute from our side of CT is just too long so we would be living apart), and probably higher tuition cost, when I am not looking for the *most* competitive job (although I understand the entire job market is more competitive right now). Anyway, sorry for the rambling but I'd love to hear thoughts.

Apparently good government jobs are also very prestige driven. However, I would say that if you can get in at another top 10 school that you would like more, go for it. I wouldn't want to live in NYC either, and doing the long distance thing is not cool. In the grand scheme of things, 3 years might not be so long, but it will sure feel long to you if you hate your life.

In brief, like you I'm all for quality of life, and you'll get a fantastic diploma regardless of where exactly you end up (in the top schools).

normally I'd say go to NYU. but in your case you'd just seem like you would be ridiculously unhappy if you went there so I'd say don't do it. on the other hand, I'm not too familiar with New England geographically, but it doesn't seem like NYU is really all that from from CT (but then again I don't know exactly where you live). I mean an hour or two drive really isn't so bad as you couldn't see each other on weekends.

If your numbers are good enough for NYU they're probably good enough to get a full ride at BC or BU. If you can swing that, Boston's a short train ride/drive away from CT and you could visit your fiance every other weekend or something like that.

Then again, depending on your numbers you could possibly get into Yale and Harvard, and you should apply to both. You certainly have the LSAT for it.

Any shot at Yale?

I applied to Yale and Harvard, as well as BC and BU. Haven't heard yet. Mostly I am afraid that Harvard and Yale aren't good shots (3.47 GPA, non URM) and that the only top schools I will get are NYU or Columbia. I would be able to go home on weekends, its about a 2 hour commute. But I don't think Yale/Harvard will be options, I am thinking its probably NYU/Columbia vs. BU/BC/UCONN (although I have not heard from any of these three places yet) and I am just not sure whether an NYU degree is a lot better for what I want to do... I am trying to be open minded because I know its a great opportunity and not easy to pass up.

markie wrote:I applied to Yale and Harvard, as well as BC and BU. Haven't heard yet. Mostly I am afraid that Harvard and Yale aren't good shots (3.47 GPA, non URM) and that the only top schools I will get are NYU or Columbia. I would be able to go home on weekends, its about a 2 hour commute. But I don't think Yale/Harvard will be options, I am thinking its probably NYU/Columbia vs. BU/BC/UCONN (although I have not heard from any of these three places yet) and I am just not sure whether an NYU degree is a lot better for what I want to do... I am trying to be open minded because I know its a great opportunity and not easy to pass up.

Yale is prob out. I don't know man, not married so I can't relate. If you're a guy (sorry, can't fully tell from the name) do what your future wife wants... trust me. Unhappy wife may mean extremely awful law school experience.

markie wrote:I applied to Yale and Harvard, as well as BC and BU. Haven't heard yet. Mostly I am afraid that Harvard and Yale aren't good shots (3.47 GPA, non URM) and that the only top schools I will get are NYU or Columbia. I would be able to go home on weekends, its about a 2 hour commute. But I don't think Yale/Harvard will be options, I am thinking its probably NYU/Columbia vs. BU/BC/UCONN (although I have not heard from any of these three places yet) and I am just not sure whether an NYU degree is a lot better for what I want to do... I am trying to be open minded because I know its a great opportunity and not easy to pass up.

What do you want to do?

You know, NYU Law is 2 blocks from a subway station, you can take the B or the F up to the 7, take the 7 one stop to Grand Central, and then from there take the MTA New Haven Line all the way up to CT... you'd be able to go visit her in CT like, every few weekends or so. Similar if you get into Columbia (1 to the S to Grand Central).

^ Seriously. Metro-North from GCT to NH is like $8.25 (less from 125th, should you get into Columbia) or something, and takes under two hours on the express. You could be in Stamford in close to 40 minutes if you are lucky. Get a place with roommates in the city for during the week, and then get your reading done on the train when you go home for the weekends. After your 1L year, when you have more control over your schedule, arrange your classes so that you only need to spend a few days a week in the city.

Thanks for the advice! I am actually the female in the relationship but yes, if I am unhappy my guy will be unhappy, that is definitely the way it works. The subway information definitely makes it seem more doable- does anyone know if NYU 1L year will be SO busy that I will never have the time to actually go home (one of my biggest fears is that the workload will make a 2 hour commute both ways seem like too much of a waste of time and fiance works Saturdays which makes it tough for him to do the visiting). We do not live near Stamford, actually we live very close to Hartford, which is a lot further from NYC. I had no idea you could try to arrange classes on only a few days a week after 1L year. Fiance would come with me wherever but he has a job he loves in the area of CT we are hoping to end up in so I hate to see him give it up for something temporary. I do like Boston, and we have friends and family there, but I still think the difference between BC/BU and NYU is not inconsequential. Plus I am hearing more and more good things about NYU, the faculty, etc. I am trying not to think about Yale/Harvard since they are such long shots.

I have heard that government jobs are very competitive, more so in the current job market, and I would also love to have a shot at a clerkship (in CT hopefully). Makes the decision harder for sure!

Amtrack out of Penn Station may be a better bet up to Hartford (I have family in West Hartford). It generally costs a bit more, but it's pretty comfy. I have a friend in a pretty rural part of Manchester; she has the train stop at the little station there, which is a 10 minute walk from her house, takes probably 2:45 door-to-door, and is around $12.00 off-peak.

I don't know how it is at NYU, but I only have classes 4 days a week, and have several friends at various law schools who have classes only on Tuesday and Thursday.

Anonymous Loser wrote:Amtrack out of Penn Station may be a better bet up to Hartford (I have family in West Hartford). It generally costs a bit more, but it's pretty comfy. I have a friend in a pretty rural part of Manchester; she has the train stop at the little station there, which is a 10 minute walk from her house, takes probably 2:45 door-to-door, and is around $12.00 off-peak.

I don't know how it is at NYU, but I only have classes 4 days a week, and have several friends at various law schools who have classes only on Tuesday and Thursday.

Here at UVA we got a "fall break" (three days off after a weekend, to make it a five-day weekend) and I visited NYC then. I also have had time to drive to DC for a couple weekends a semester, which is a two-hour drive each way. I have what most people on this forum would call good grades.

As long as you're willing to work hard and get your work done during the week, you can take time to enjoy the weekends. Also, studying on the train is awesome. Take your stuff with you, study on the way there, and then study on the way back, and you managed to do a lot of studying despite traveling a few hours each way! Penn Station is not hard to get to either, if Amtrak ends up being the better way to go, just take the subway to Penn Station and take the Northeast Regional up to CT and back.

Why not Cornell? Or Penn? Or the plethora of other t-14 and t-25 schools that place very well in the New England area?

cornell and penn are even farther away from CT. Haven't heard back from Cornell but I did apply, didn't finish my application to Penn mostly because I was lazy and didn't want to do the extra essay since I am not that excited about Penn.

The why not xyz school question right now though is mostly that I have heard back from NYU and not anywhere else yet. And I honestly had not expected to get in.

go to NYU. Gov't jobs are prestige hungry, don't usually hire straight from LS and most gov't folk have private firm background. Gov't agencies aren't big on the whole training you to actually be a lawyer.

If I want to get a job in CT after law school, is it WAY better to go to NYU or could I go to Uconn and get a "hometown" boost. I basically NEED a job in the Hartford area to allow my fiance to keep his dream job. I heard UCONN dominates the CT clerkship scene... is this just becuase NYU grads don't normally apply for CT clerkships or gov't agency jobs in CT?

i am pretty sure they would hire a NYU grad, there probably just aren't that many that apply...but take someone else's opinion over mine

You're probably in at Harvard and out at Yale. You should definitely go to H.

Halibut6 wrote:You're probably in at Harvard and out at Yale. You should definitely go to H.

she has less than a 3.5, almost auto-ding at Harvard...

I would advise applying to Western New England School of Law. You could probably get a full ride, even this late in teh cycle.

T14_Scholly wrote:I would advise applying to Western New England School of Law. You could probably get a full ride, even this late in teh cycle.

I would advice not listening to this poster at all, his advice is always terrible, and this is no exception.

I know I am most likely out at Harvard and Yale, but without the rejection email/letters in my hand, its hard to totally stop thinking about it... the wait is killing me. Feeling pretty good about NYU at this point, after thinking about transportation options etc. Still... how long do you think it would take Harvard, Yale, even Columbia, to look at a fairly straightforward app and reject you based on numbers. Wish they would get to it.

T14_Scholly wrote:I would advise applying to Western New England School of Law. You could probably get a full ride, even this late in teh cycle.

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