BU $$$ vs. Sticker @ Chicago, Penn, Berk Forum

[thelawguy777]

I got an early $100K from Boston University... I have also got an acceptance at Chicago, Penn, and Berkeley but with no money... Up to this point I have basically discounted BU completely... My goals are Big Law all the way in any market... Should I be considering the Boston University offer?

(I also have acceptances at other t7-14 schools but none of which I really want to attend)

Also, has anyone ever heard of leveraging some money at t14 schools by flashing a t-20 scholarship?

[stratocophic]

I got an early $100K from Boston University... I have also got a ding at Chicago, Penn, and Berkeley but with no money... Up to this point I have basically discounted BU completely... My goals are Big Law all the way in any market... Should I be considering the Boston University offer?

(I also have acceptances at other t7-14 schools but none of which I really want to attend)

Also, has anyone ever heard of leveraging some money at t14 schools by flashing a t-20 scholarship?

With regard to your question, the answer depends on the market you're interested in and debt aversion.

Edit: There ya go.

[im_blue]

I got an early $100K from Boston University... I have also got a ding at Chicago, Penn, and Berkeley but with no money... Up to this point I have basically discounted BU completely... My goals are Big Law all the way in any market... Should I be considering the Boston University offer?

(I also have acceptances at other t7-14 schools but none of which I really want to attend)

Also, has anyone ever heard of leveraging some money at t14 schools by flashing a t-20 scholarship?

LOL, ding means rejection!

[thelawguy777]

]

LOL, ding means rejection!

Please notice the correction...

[02082010]

Chicago vs. BU?





Really?






....really?

[stratocophic]

Chicago vs. BU?





Really?






....really?

Biased much? Totally correct though

[fortissimo]

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[FuturehoyaLawya]

I got an early $100K from Boston University... I have also got an acceptance at Chicago, Penn, and Berkeley but with no money... Up to this point I have basically discounted BU completely... My goals are Big Law all the way in any market... Should I be considering the Boston University offer?

(I also have acceptances at other t7-14 schools but none of which I really want to attend)

Also, has anyone ever heard of leveraging some money at t14 schools by flashing a t-20 scholarship?

boston university is not a peer school, so it's not going to work (and i would be very surprise if it does).


you'll be debt-free (sort of....you may still have to take out loans for COL), but probably have a harder time finding a job if your not in the top 10% of the class or higher at BU! Chicago will probably open more doors than Boston (but you'll have no debt and most likely no job). I definitely would go with Chicago.....BU is just not on the same level as the other schools. Call the Chicago and Penn, see if you can be considered for merit aid. If you got so much money from BU, you must be a competitive applicant......

[badwithpseudonyms]

It's nice when your tough decisions are all good options. Congratulations!

Excluding COL, QOL, market preference, financial considerations/aversion to debt, my answer here is probably Chicago. It's the best. Penn and Berkeley give you pretty good chances of biglaw anywhere in the country also, so if you like one more than the other for one of the reasons listed above, I'd say you're safe to go with that. BU is a much riskier proposition. If you were not sure you wanted to do biglaw all your life then it might be nice to come out of law school with minimal debt, but this does not seem to be the case. HTH

[najumobi]

can't OP use chicago to get money from berkeley and penn?

[englawyer]

can't OP use chicago to get money from berkeley and penn?

i'd be surprised if that worked; i thought schools only negotiate based on dollars received elsewhere.

[najumobi]

can't OP use chicago to get money from berkeley and penn?

i'd be surprised if that worked; i thought schools only negotiate based on dollars received elsewhere.

ahh...maybe that's the case...was just curious about negotiating options.

[starstruck393]

can't OP use chicago to get money from berkeley and penn?

i'd be surprised if that worked; i thought schools only negotiate based on dollars received elsewhere.

ahh...maybe that's the case...was just curious about negotiating options.

Maybe Penn, but still doubtful...

[dk8]

i wouldn't take BU over those schools without a full ride.

[T14_Scholly]

I, as an aspiring 0L and based on my impressions of what other people have said on this and other websites, declare that you should attend Chicago over BU with lots and lots of money. After all, $100,000 is an insignificant sum of money, in the grand scheme of things. Who would want to turn down an offer of one hundred thousand dollars for nothing in return, if given the choice? Not many people I know.

[starstruck393]

I, as an aspiring 0L and based on my impressions of what other people have said on this and other websites, declare that you should attend Chicago over BU with lots and lots of money. After all, $100,000 is an insignificant sum of money, in the grand scheme of things. Who would want to turn down an offer of one hundred thousand dollars for nothing in return, if given the choice? Not many people I know.

[T14_Scholly]

In addition, BU possesses less lay prestige than those other schools. I implore you to consider this factor when making your decision.

[stratocophic]

I, as an aspiring 0L and based on my impressions of what other people have said on this and other websites, declare that you should attend Chicago over BU with lots and lots of money. After all, $100,000 is an insignificant sum of money, in the grand scheme of things. Who would want to turn down an offer of one hundred thousand dollars for nothing in return, if given the choice? Not many people I know.

ITT, someone ^ appears destined to cull themselves from the market by accepting a full ride to a TTT.

[jks289]

As someone who is probably happily attending BU next year, I still think Chicago or Berkeley if BigLaw is your goal. Maybe consider BU if you decide on the Boston market, but otherwise a no brainer. If you were talkign about Cornell or Georgetown, that might be different, but there is just too much distance between BU and Chicago or Berkeley. Berkeley will probably give you in-state tuition based on your other acceptances. And I do believe it is possible to leverage based purely on acceptances at peer schools, but not for much. Good luck, you have some great choices.

[keg411]

If you are "Big Law or Bust" and need major mobility, Chicago. If you are very debt adverse and don't need BigLaw and are willing to stay in Boston, BU.

[4910]

Chicago no doubt

[fortissimo]

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[jnorsky]

If Big Law is your goal, and it will not change, it is pretty much an argument between Chicago and Penn. Berkeley is a great school, but not the BigLaw powerhouse that Penn and Chicago are. Especially for NYC. I would visit both schools and pretty much choose the one you like.

[jks289]

As someone who is probably happily attending BU next year, I still think Chicago or Berkeley if BigLaw is your goal. Maybe consider BU if you decide on the Boston market, but otherwise a no brainer. If you were talkign about Cornell or Georgetown, that might be different, but there is just too much distance between BU and Chicago or Berkeley. Berkeley will probably give you in-state tuition based on your other acceptances. And I do believe it is possible to leverage based purely on acceptances at peer schools, but not for much. Good luck, you have some great choices.

Penn typically places more into biglaw than Berkeley...so I don't get why OP would choose Berkeley over Penn if "biglaw" is his goal. Also, the UCs are being more stringent with residency requirements now that the state is bankrupt. My 2L friend got rejected for residency despite staying his 1L summer in CA. I wouldn't be surprised if they routinely reject more people for residency because they are broke.

Chicago is the obvious answer and I think Chicago places better than the other two schools in pretty much every metric.

I attended a UC for undergrad and my husband is a UC grad student. The only people who get turned down for residency are the ones who don't both to become actual residents. It takes more than just living here. You need to get a CA driver's license, register to vote, files taxes in CA, and pay utilitity bills, etc. But if you meet the residency requirements for a year, then they don't turn you down. Chicago is the best school overall, and Berkeley is every bit as good as Penn in quality and placement if not better, but cheaper. So why would anyone choose Penn?

[nealric]

Chicago is the best school overall, and Berkeley is every bit as good as Penn in quality and placement if not better, but cheaper. So why would anyone choose Penn?

Problem is that the Boalt tuition is going up to 50k IN STATE. It won't actually be any cheaper. In fact, if OP is forced to pay the heinous 60k out of state tuition, it will cost more.

I think Chicago is the clear choice. The only thing that would make me consider BU in this case would be full ride + stipend.