Help Me Choose! (Iowa & Temple $$$$, BU, UIUC & WUSTL $$) Forum

[JayTal]

So it’s getting to be about that time and I need to figure out where I’ll be headed this fall.

For me, it’s all about location. I’d like to go to school and start my career in a large city (Boston, Chicago, NYC, Philly, DC)…BUT I’d be willing to go to a school in a smaller city so long as I’d have a reasonable shot at landing a job (not necessarily BigLaw) in a large city post-graduation. I’m from the Midwest and have no desire to stay in the Midwest unless it’s to live and work in Chicago. So here are my choices:

Temple (Full-Ride)
Iowa (Full-Ride)

W&L ($24 per year)

UIUC ($20K per year, guaranteed)
WUSTL ($20K per year, guaranteed)
BU ($20K per year, guaranteed)

Fordham (Sticker)
GW (Sticker)

[General Tso]

iowa full-ride looks pretty damn good

if not that then wustl

[Veritas]

both Temple and Iowa can get you to one of your big cities, but I think Temple is more sure of it since it's in the city, right?

I've heard mixed reviews about Iowa placing well in Chicago.

After that I think I would take BU over WUSTL. Better city and you have access to Boston and New York.

[JayTal]

[quote/]
I've heard mixed reviews about Iowa placing well in Chicago.

After that I think I would take BU over WUSTL. Better city and you have access to Boston and New York.[/quote]

That was my concern. The full-ride is attractive, but I'm nervous of being trapped in the Midwest and not in Chicago.

[keg411]

Any scholarship stipulations? Or just "good standing"?

[JayTal]

Iowa is top third; Temple, UIUC, BU, W&L, WUSTL are all good standing.

[Veritas]

JT, how do you feel about debt? Are you overly concerned? Are parents helping out at all?

I really see this as BU v. Temple. And I would pick BU.

Where are you leaning?

[JayTal]

Nah, debts not too big of a problem. I'd like to graduate with as little as possible BUT I'll be in debt no matter what. I'm leaning towards BU but want to know what others think (mainly, does Iowa or UIUC have a shot at Chicago?)

[Veritas]

Nah, debts not too big of a problem. I'd like to graduate with as little as possible BUT I'll be in debt no matter what. I'm leaning towards BU but want to know what others think (mainly, does Iowa or UIUC have a shot at Chicago?)

I think UIUC has a much better shot, over Iowa.

BU, ftw.

[keg411]

Nah, debts not too big of a problem. I'd like to graduate with as little as possible BUT I'll be in debt no matter what. I'm leaning towards BU but want to know what others think (mainly, does Iowa or UIUC have a shot at Chicago?)

If this is the case, then go to BU. I would personally feel more comfortable with BU in Boston than WUSTL for Chicago.
If you were super debt adverse, then I'd say Temple full (since Iowa has strings) because it places well and has a large city as it's "home market".

[JayTal]

Nah, debts not too big of a problem. I'd like to graduate with as little as possible BUT I'll be in debt no matter what. I'm leaning towards BU but want to know what others think (mainly, does Iowa or UIUC have a shot at Chicago?)

If this is the case, then go to BU. I would personally feel more comfortable with BU in Boston than WUSTL for Chicago.
If you were super debt adverse, then I'd say Temple full (since Iowa has strings) because it places well and has a large city as it's "home market".

Those were my thoughts exactly.

[danquayle]

Nah, debts not too big of a problem. I'd like to graduate with as little as possible BUT I'll be in debt no matter what. I'm leaning towards BU but want to know what others think (mainly, does Iowa or UIUC have a shot at Chicago?)

If this is the case, then go to BU. I would personally feel more comfortable with BU in Boston than WUSTL for Chicago.
If you were super debt adverse, then I'd say Temple full (since Iowa has strings) because it places well and has a large city as it's "home market".

Those were my thoughts exactly.

Forget Fordham and GW from the outset, they're not worth the sticker over the options you have. I basically consider BU/Fordham/GW as a wash anyways, so BU+money > Fordham/GW at sticker.

If you primary concern is living in a big city, then go to BU. All of these schools are going to place into large cities, but they also place huge numbers in smaller cities. That's only because the Midwest isn't as dense all around as the east coast. In this instance I'd suggest you follow the axiom of going to school where you want to practice. So go to a school already in a big city. For this reason, I'd scratch UIUC and Wash U immediately. I'd say differently if you had a full ride.

Temple and Iowa are options purely because of the full ride. Full rides change the game a bit because, as I've said numerous times, debt is going to be more restricting than prestige in your job hunt. I know you're telling me that you're not particularly worried about debt, and while this might be true as a preference, pragmatically you're going to have to start paying off those loans eventually. The higher the debt, the more your monthly payments you'll have to make and the more restricted you'll be in picking a job. For example, compare Iowa and UIUC. If you go to Iowa and you can't break into the Chicago market immediately, you'd more likely have the luxury of being able to go to Chicago, take a nominal job and network for a year or so. If you went to UIUC with that debt and were shut out of the Chicago market, you'd probably have to take whatever job you could get just to keep your head above water... even if that job is in Peoria.

Between the full rides, I'd favor Iowa because it is a stronger degree. I'm only hesitant because you seem very insistent on getting into a major market. Iowa's only natural MAJOR market is Chicago, and even though its a stronger degree than Temple all around, its placement in Chicago won't be close to Temple's in Philadelphia. Even so, you'll get the Iowa degree cost free and you'll likely have the freedom to move where you want in order to market that stronger degree. Its a lifetime degree we're talking about here, and I'd favor Iowa over Temple.

So thats my analysis. For someone with neutral preferences as far as job placement, I'd suggest you go to the best school that gave you a full ride (--> Iowa. But you seem set on a big city and indifferent to debt, so I'd go with the best big city school that gave you some money. (---> BU) But that should be your debate, Iowa + little debt versus BU+more debt.

[JOThompson]

BU would be your best bet ITE. I also have a full ride at Iowa and will likely turn it down for Minnesota at half price, as I'd like to practice in the TC. I can understand your worries about being trapped in the midwest since Iowa doesn't have much of a home market.

[keg411]

Between the full rides, I'd favor Iowa because it is a stronger degree.

Iowa scholarship has a tough stipulation. Temple scholarship has none (except "good standing"). This is why the Temple full is actually a full. Iowa full is a full for 1L only.

[JayTal]

Well I have always had my heart set on BU But I wanted to see what others thought. Thanx for the replies! Looks like I'll be heading to Boston this fall

[Puffy]

Why would anyone want to live in Boston? It's a small, provincial city with terrible climate, and plus the people are really ugly. If you want city with bad weather and ugly people, I would go to Chicago. At least the people are nice there.

[JayTal]

Why would anyone want to live in Boston? It's a small, provincial city with terrible climate, and plus the people are really ugly. If you want city with bad weather and ugly people, I would go to Chicago. At least the people are nice there.

Because I can legally get marred in Boston; not in Chicago.