Top Law Schools

I'm in at BC, and I'm on the waitlist at Boston university. I'm trying to decide if I should keep my hopes up and wait it out at BU, or if I should just be happy and go to BC even if I get into BU. I'm a long time lurker on here, and I've done some research on both universities. Assuming I do somehow get into BU and the money is the same, which one is better? I am not sure how I'll like Boston. I'm sure I will, but maybe I want to keep my options open to leave Boston.

I've made a list of the strengths of each law school:

Boston University:

More highly ranked (USN)
Ranks better in terms of professors (Princeton Review)
Ranks better in terms of career prospects (Princeton Review)
Places better in in top law firms (Brian Leiter's rankings)
Allegedly better than BC for national job prospects (according to TLS, so not sure if that really means anything)
Placed better in 3 of last 5 years in NLJ placement
Better location than BC

Boston College:

More beautiful campus than BU
Allegedly better reputation in Boston (according to TLS, so I'm not sure if that means anything)
Placed better in NLJ firms 2 of the last 5 years
"Disneyland of law schools" reputation


Can anyone add to this or give me any advice as to what they would do? THanks!

Theres a zillion threads on this - give a forum search. Theres pretty exhaustive discussions that have already taken place. Good luck on the decision!

If you want to keep your options open outside Boston, I'd go with BU.

I don't know that BU has better national prospects than BC, but it does place better into NYC. Otherwise, I wouldn't expect their national placements to be much different. Also, BC has something of a positive reputation among older lawyers because it used to be one of the top ten schools in the country about forty years ago.

Honestly, I don't think staying on the waitlist at BU is worth it for the angst unless you really strongly prefer BU's urban location. The differences otherwise are negligible and easily circumvented by a driven student.

Go check out both schools and see what has a better feel for you. Both schools are pretty much equivalent. Go visit!

p.s. melon I drove by BU Monday and thought of you

I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Yea, but if you want to live in Boston, go to BU as BC isn't in Boston.

Blindmelon wrote:

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Yea, but if you want to live in Boston, go to BU as BC isn't in Boston.

A good thing about BU's location is its proximity to the Charles-- I love the view. I'm BC biased though

Blindmelon wrote:

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Yea, but if you want to live in Boston, go to BU as BC isn't in Boston.

This is true. For anyone familar with NYC, BC's location (Newton) is the equivalent of Westchester in terms of affluency and Brooklyn in terms of proximity to Manhattan.

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Oh, is BU in a bad area? I definitely would like to be closer to the city, but not if it's dangerous.

sissyclark wrote:

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Oh, is BU in a bad area? I definitely would like to be closer to the city, but not if it's dangerous.

Its not at all.... unless you're scared of UGs... cause theres a TON in the area.

Oh, is BU in a bad area? I definitely would like to be closer to the city, but not if it's dangerous.

BU is not in a bad area. I'm not sure why anybody would say that. It's within walking distance of the Charles River, Cambridge, Mass. Ave., Newbury St., Kenmore/Fenway Park, and a ton of great restaurants. Allston's a dump, but you don't have to live in Allston.

If you want to live in Boston, the commute to BC is going to be pretty tough, unless you have a car, and it doesn't make much sense to have a car in Boston. To get to BC Law School, you have to ride the Green Line B train all the way to the end (the B is the worst train on the T: It's a trolley with dozens of stops that's always getting stuck in traffic) and then board a shuttle bus at BC's main campus for the law school. Alternatively, you could take the D train into Newton and walk a mile and a half.

sissyclark wrote:

bceagles182 wrote:I'm not sure BU has a "better location" than BC. Closer to the city, yes, but BC is in a much nicer area (Newton has ranked among the safest places to live in the U.S. for years). BC's Jesuit affiliation can also be either a pro or a con depending on the person. In the end, it's a personal decision that can be debated either way.

Personally, I had the opportunity to attend both for undergrad and chose BC. I'm now waiting to hear back from both law schools.

Oh, is BU in a bad area? I definitely would like to be closer to the city, but not if it's dangerous.

it is not dangerous at all. it is just that newton is an uppity suburb so therefore "more safe".

they are both very safe. I drove through BC's law campus the other day and just couldn't imagine being in BU's tower for three years when I could be....there. I don't know call me shallow/immature but that tower would make me want to slit my wrists. (in at both at sticker)

Sorry if this has been said:

Princeton review:

5. Boston College
10. Boston University

Cupidity wrote:Sorry if this has been said:

Princeton review:

5. Boston College
10. Boston University

On what metric is this?

dakatz wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Sorry if this has been said:

Princeton review:

5. Boston College
10. Boston University

On what metric is this?

Princeton review is even more arbitrary than US News. Each year they switch BC and BU back and forth for best placement or whatever. Its dumb.

imisscollege wrote:they are both very safe. I drove through BC's law campus the other day and just couldn't imagine being in BU's tower for three years when I could be....there. I don't know call me shallow/immature but that tower would make me want to slit my wrists. (in at both at sticker)

I love the tower.

Blindmelon wrote:

dakatz wrote:

Cupidity wrote:Sorry if this has been said:

Princeton review:

5. Boston College
10. Boston University

On what metric is this?

Princeton review is even more arbitrary than US News. Each year they switch BC and BU back and forth for best placement or whatever. Its dumb.

imisscollege wrote:they are both very safe. I drove through BC's law campus the other day and just couldn't imagine being in BU's tower for three years when I could be....there. I don't know call me shallow/immature but that tower would make me want to slit my wrists. (in at both at sticker)

I love the tower.

How many times must we see the same thread over and over lol.

Cupidity wrote:Sorry if this has been said:

Princeton review:

5. Boston College
10. Boston University

That was the ranking from 2 years ago I belive. Last year and this year have BU ahead. But like someone else said, I don't think Princeton Review is that accurate. BU can't be number 3 in career prospects.

Every non-TLS person I've asked about this (students I know at other law schools around the country, professionals at my job/elsewhere, professors who wrote my LORs) all seem to think that BC has a better reputation overall. I'm probably biased (in at BC, rejected from BU), but hey, I'll take it.

I'm sure you can find an equal number of people that say the opposite, though, FWIW. Both BC and BU are great schools. If I had both to choose from, it would probably amount to who offered the better package.

GobiasIndustries wrote:Every non-TLS person I've asked about this (students I know at other law schools around the country, professionals at my job/elsewhere, professors who wrote my LORs) all seem to think that BC has a better reputation overall. I'm probably biased (in at BC, rejected from BU), but hey, I'll take it.

I'm sure you can find an equal number of people that say the opposite, though, FWIW. Both BC and BU are great schools. If I had both to choose from, it would probably amount to who offered the better package.

I've had the exact opposite experience with the first. The latter is right.

Blindmelon wrote:

GobiasIndustries wrote:Every non-TLS person I've asked about this (students I know at other law schools around the country, professionals at my job/elsewhere, professors who wrote my LORs) all seem to think that BC has a better reputation overall. I'm probably biased (in at BC, rejected from BU), but hey, I'll take it.

I'm sure you can find an equal number of people that say the opposite, though, FWIW. Both BC and BU are great schools. If I had both to choose from, it would probably amount to who offered the better package.

I've had the exact opposite experience with the first. The latter is right.

Really? I have to agree with Gobias on the first and the second.

tram988 wrote:

Blindmelon wrote:

GobiasIndustries wrote:Every non-TLS person I've asked about this (students I know at other law schools around the country, professionals at my job/elsewhere, professors who wrote my LORs) all seem to think that BC has a better reputation overall. I'm probably biased (in at BC, rejected from BU), but hey, I'll take it.

I'm sure you can find an equal number of people that say the opposite, though, FWIW. Both BC and BU are great schools. If I had both to choose from, it would probably amount to who offered the better package.

I've had the exact opposite experience with the first. The latter is right.

Really? I have to agree with Gobias on the first and the second.

We're dangerously close to rehashing everything.

Blindmelon wrote:

We're dangerously close to rehashing everything.

Haha /thread

tram988 wrote:

Blindmelon wrote:

We're dangerously close to rehashing everything.

Haha /thread

Seriously. There should be a BU v. BC FAQ or a sticky thread or something.