Should I defer a great offer from Northwestern? Forum

[Reedie]

Go for the Northwestern joint degree. Academia is a huge risk. That's not to say it can't be worth it, but it's a pretty awesome opportunity to be able to hedge your bets by going for a joint degree, having other options and not having a ton of debt. Also, having a PhD should be a big plus for academic work in the legal field--probably enough to compensate for not having gone to one of the academic feeder schools. If Northwestern has someone you can work with who is well known in the field, I really can't see the advantage to joining in a terminal MA program in the HOPES of moving on to the doctoral program. It mainly hinges on how good your research is at this point.

[apropos]

I'm surprised by the poll. Go to Oxford, defer enrollment at Northwestern and reassess in two years. If NW and its money is going to wait for you, you gotta take the opportunity to study at Oxford. Everything academia looks better, and, hell, you get to go live abroad for two years studying something you obviously love at arguably the best University in the world. There is no downside besides (maybe) more time in school. You want to go into academia anyways, and its another degree from a different school.

[Scrutinizer]

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[CanadianWolf]

Turning down two doctoral programs for a master's program seems foolish to me if your career ambitions are in academia.
Masters programs often are not highly selective, some masters programs at Harvard University, for example hover around a 50% acceptance rate. Masters degrees are, for the most part, worthless degrees in the world of academia--other than a MBA or a terminal masters such as a MFA--that just postpone facing the real world for a couple of years. Isn't it unusual for one to pursue a masters degree when offered a well respected funded PhD. program ? Has Northwestern University given you any assurance that it will hold your funding, scholarships & admission for two years ?

[Kretzy]

If the funding is guaranteed after your deferment, I don't think there is much opportunity cost to Oxford for you. If anything, the research experience and polishing you'll gain in the M.Phil could make it an easier 6 years at Northwestern.

You also shouldn't discount the focus NW is putting on placement of graduates into tenure-track law teaching programs. Particularly if you aren't gunning for a T-14 teaching role, you'll be given a great deal of institutional support, due to the small nature of the program and how badly NW wants to break in as a player on the law teaching market.

[northwood]

Take the deferral for 2 years at NU and go to Oxford. Your only cost is travel( assuiming you live in North America), and you have the opportunity of a lifetime to study and explore. In a year and a half from now, re evaluate your goals, and options. NU has told you it will wait for you, so go explore!

Congrats and good luck

[Tifoso]

.

[fakemoney]

Reading this post, all I can think is "FML"

Sorry, that's all I got.