Top Law Schools

Updated info: Fordham award is now at 90k. I'm pretty much sold on Fordham (as in, I deposited), but should I be concerned about the difference in rankings among all three contenders? I feel like I'll be okay in NY coming from Fordham, but the TLS mentality freaks me out sometimes.

Original post-

-Part of me would like to stay in NY, but another part thinks it might be fun to try living somewhere else. That is to say, I don't have anything absolutely holding me to NY. I would most likely want the option of getting back to NY after graduation though.
-Most interested in nonprofit/public policy work. I have solid connections to several think tanks, nonprofits and governmental agencies at the city and state level, but who knows what will happen in three years. Don't really care about big law, but would like the option of getting a job @ a mid-size firm should my career goals change. I mean, I feel pretty set on PI, but isn't that what every 0L says?
-Waiting on Cornell, which might game changer. Not sure how I feel about my chances this late in the game, though.

I guess that's everything. I keep hearing that I should go to the best ranked school I get into, but that really doesn't seem to make sense in this case. Going to visit UCLA in a few weeks Visited UCLA and really liked it, but I just don't know that West Coast placement + only a $12k need-based grant is a good idea. Feedback would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I would probably say Cornell if accepted. I like BU though. Possibility to get back to NY, you'll have the Boston market as a target as well. Plus, you'll save a lot of money.

BU. Gets you access to somewhere other than NYC in addition to solid access to NYC. Better than Fordham at equal cost. Is also your best deal.

ucla over the rest. DOzo will give you 10% placement in biglaw/biggov/midlaw. Fordham prob around 25%. UCLA gives prob a 30-40% chance at a good job. Taking Fordham or BU will still leave you with a lot of debt regardless. The only way you could pay it back is for you to get biglaw or the 10 year ibr requirement for working at non profits.

thexfactor wrote:ucla over the rest. DOzo will give you 10% placement in biglaw/biggov/midlaw. Fordham prob around 25%. UCLA gives prob a 30-40% chance at a good job. Taking Fordham or BU will still leave you with a lot of debt regardless. The only way you could pay it back is for you to get biglaw or the 10 year ibr requirement for working at non profits.

BU will leave OP with around 100k worth of debt which is definitely feasible (though not ideal) to pay off within 10 years on a 50k/year salary.

Didn't the graph linked at the top of this page essentially state that 45% of Fordham graduates from the c/o 09 are making 145k + 9 months after graduation? That number may be diluted now/by 2014, but I still think Fordham probably gives you stronger than 25%.

Eagles_Legendz wrote:Didn't the graph linked at the top of this page essentially state that 45% of Fordham graduates from the c/o 09 are making 145k + 9 months after graduation? That number may be diluted now/by 2014, but I still think Fordham probably gives you stronger than 25%.

Class of 2009 did OCI in 2007 (before the crash). Things are drastically different for them than it is for those doing OCI now or in the near future.

Fordham may be close to 30-35% for OP but it has always been weaker than BU (which also places in NYC) and it would be insane to (significantly) pay more for Fordham than BU.

bk187 wrote:

Eagles_Legendz wrote:Didn't the graph linked at the top of this page essentially state that 45% of Fordham graduates from the c/o 09 are making 145k + 9 months after graduation? That number may be diluted now/by 2014, but I still think Fordham probably gives you stronger than 25%.

Class of 2009 did OCI in 2007 (before the crash). Things are drastically different for them than it is for those doing OCI now or in the near future.

Fordham may be close to 30-35% for OP but it has always been weaker than BU (which also places in NYC) and it would be insane to (significantly) pay more for Fordham than BU.

I agree with most of that, though I'm not sure BU gives him a better shot in NY.

That being said, I think BU is the answer here.

Eagles_Legendz wrote:I agree with most of that, though I'm not sure BU gives him a better shot in NY.

That being said, I think BU is the answer here.

I'm not saying BU places better in NYC. I'm saying that it leasts places comparably to (albeit less than) Fordham.

UCLA for Cali.
BU for Boston.
Fordham for New York.

Thanks everyone. I do agree that BU is the best deal. I guess I'm just on the fence because I really don't know if I want to leave NY and I'm having a hard time walking away from so much $ @ Dozo. I know why I should let it go, it's just a bit difficult to actually do so.

UCLA or BU.

CanadianWolf wrote:UCLA or BU.

This, probably BU since you haven't expressed any desire to be in CA long term.

Out of curiosity, does anyone know how different CoL is going to be between UCLA and BU?

BU. UCLA has the better reputation, but no scholly = huge debt.

BU. I think fordham gives you a better chance at NYC big law ( not overall but in NY), but the difference in COA- scholarship and differences in tuition- between fordham and BU don't make up the chance for NYC biglaw... you still have a decent chance if you are high in your class at BU.

Don't think this one is that close...BU for sure.

"Part of me would like to stay in NY."

If you stay in NY, would you have free room and board (e.g., with family or S.O.)?

Unless UCLA is willing to bid for you, have fun in Boston...

Robespierre wrote:"Part of me would like to stay in NY."

If you stay in NY, would you have free room and board (e.g., with family or S.O.)?

I guess I could stay with family if I really needed to (same goes for UCLA), but definitely would prefer to keep my apartment.

Thanks for all the feedback.

aaaaaah wrote:

Robespierre wrote:"Part of me would like to stay in NY."

If you stay in NY, would you have free room and board (e.g., with family or S.O.)?

I guess I could stay with family if I really needed to (same goes for UCLA), but definitely would prefer to keep my apartment.

Thanks for all the feedback.

So you could get the Dozo JD with $0 debt? Do it. The others will expose you to 100K+ in debt and in this environment they can't come anywhere near guaranteeing you the immediate high-paying job it'll take to pay it back.

Especially because you like NYC and don't care all that much about Biglaw.

Bump for new info. Total Fordham award is @ 90k (though the 3rd year 15k need-based grant may change depending on summer employment). I'm pretty much sold on Fordham (as in, I deposited), but should I be concerned about the difference in rankings among all three contenders? I feel like I'll be okay in NY coming from Fordham, but the TLS mentality freaks me out sometimes.

BU still...it is ranked 10 spots up! You can also work the Boston and NYC firms if you are close to the top of the class.

elm84dr wrote:BU still...it is ranked 10 spots up! You can also work the Boston and NYC firms if you are close to the top of the class.

agreed. 22 vs. 30. I don't know why OP deposited at the lower ranked school.

elm84dr wrote:BU still...it is ranked 10 spots up! You can also work the Boston and NYC firms if you are close to the top of the class.

Yeah, that's what makes me hesitate to withdraw from BU (I have a deposit extension, so not panicking yet)... but I just don't know if rankings will really matter given my career goals and geographic preference. I'm really not big law or bust and I definitely wouldn't want to bank on being @ the top of the class at either school in order to get big law. Thanks for your feedback though-- it gets to the heart of my concern.

VictoryFord wrote:

elm84dr wrote:BU still...it is ranked 10 spots up! You can also work the Boston and NYC firms if you are close to the top of the class.

agreed. 22 vs. 30. I don't know why OP deposited at the lower ranked school.

They are both due today. BU gave me an extension, Fordham didn't.