Indiana-Indianapolis, Cleveland-Marshall, Hofstra or CUNY? Forum

[anti-hero09]

I have been admitted to the following schools and I need to make a decision soon. I am very concerned about keeping my finances under control, I do not like the idea of having a substantial amount of debt. I managed to finish my undergrad with practically no debt and I am not generally comfortable with taking out huge loans, especially in this economy. That is why I am currently leaning more towards Cleveland-Marshall since its 22K, and CUNY-Queens which is roughly 17K a year. I am interested in practicing Criminal law, your input is much appreciated, Thank you

[deadpanic]

Definitely scratch out Hofstra if you want to keep costs under control. And if you are not in state for IU-Indy, scratch it too.

I would pick CM. It has a good reputation in Cleveland and will keep your costs the lowest. I don't know much about CUNY, but I know the living costs would be a whole lot higher and CM is a better school.

[TTH]

Without more info, I'd say C-M. The really important question is where do you want to practice? Keep in mind a C-M degree isn't going to travel outside of NE Ohio.

[anti-hero09]

Yeah I will be out of state for all these schools, and I really like all of these cities and wouldnt mind living there. Im moving from a small town in Michigan so any city will be a major improvement in my quality of life. I love New York City but ive never been to Hempstead, from what i hear it isnt that great. I guess its going to be CM then...but there is something else I wanted to ask. Do you guys really buy into Hofstra starting salary figures of 100K to 160K? Cause I am not a math wiz but if youre making that much straight out of law school then having close to 200K in debt isnt that big of a deal, any thoughts? Also does anyone know if you can apply to be in state after a year at Indiana-indy or CM? Thanks again,

[deadpanic]

Do you guys really buy into Hofstra starting salary figures of 100K to 160K?

No.

The top 5% may get that, but don't count on it. Hofstra is not a good decision at sticker. I've also heard that you can get in-state at Cleveland State for your 2nd & 3rd years, but can't confirm this.

[TTH]

Yeah I will be out of state for all these schools, and I really like all of these cities and wouldnt mind living there. Im moving from a small town in Michigan so any city will be a major improvement in my quality of life. I love New York City but ive never been to Hempstead, from what i hear it isnt that great. I guess its going to be CM then...but there is something else I wanted to ask. Do you guys really buy into Hofstra starting salary figures of 100K to 160K? Cause I am not a math wiz but if youre making that much straight out of law school then having close to 200K in debt isnt that big of a deal, any thoughts? Also does anyone know if you can apply to be in state after a year at Indiana-indy or CM? Thanks again,

There's no way Hofstra grads are making 160 ITE, and I kind of doubt there were many Hofstra grads making NYC biglaw even before the recession.

In Ohio, you can get in-state residency after your first year. This is the rule at OSU and Cincy, so I imagine it's the same for any Ohio public school. There's no way to get residency as a student in Indiana. I think you'd have to live and work there for two years prior to enrolling to be considered in-state. I called IUB and asked, but I stopped listening after "Not really," so I don't remember the details clearly.

Congratulations on getting out of the State of Michigan.

[OgmiosII]

I faced a similar situation last year in ultimately deciding between attending Cleveland-Marshall and CUNY. I chose Cleveland-Marshall based on location and "portability of the JD." What I mean by portability is that students graduating from CM work in a variety of fields (corporate, public interest, real estate, etc.). CUNY primarily focuses on public interest.

CM and CUNY are regional schools (CM grads generally remain in Ohio and CUNY grads generally remain in the NY metro area). However, if you are determined to do public interest work, CUNY might be the best option on your list.