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Hello everyone. I recently got almost a full ride at Suffolk (35k per year) for which I have to maintain a 3.0 (I've heard that is like top half of class). The other option is BC law. I have not heard anything about a scholarship (although I just got in today). I plan on trying to negotiate a scholarship from BC law because I think it gives much better job prospects, but I do not expect to get one (161 LSAT, 3.9 GPA from NYU). I plan on being in Boston after graduation but I am not exactly sure what type of law I want to practice. I am set on biglaw by any means but I am not opposed to it either. I am thinking about doing health law, family law or environmental law. Any thoughts on job prospects? Is it worth it to go into 6 figure debt to go to the much higher ranked BC? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Retake and get into BC or BU with more money?

rad law wrote:Retake and get into BC or BU with more money?

This.

Both of your options are mediocre. Suffolk has poor prospects and BC isn't worth all the debt. I think in this case I'd take Suffolk if I had to choose though.

I would never choose BU or BC at sticker -- retake and reapply.

Do not go to Suffolk. BC.

Just go to BC. Good school. You want to work in Boston.

ylnechev wrote:I plan on trying to negotiate a scholarship from BC law because I think it gives much better job prospects, but I do not expect to get one (161 LSAT, 3.9 GPA from NYU).

Show BC your $ from Suffolk and see if it impresses them!

I'm sure it will. *cough*

After that doesn't work out, just go to BC. One of the best LRAPs outside of the T14 and some of the best Big Law placement outside of the T14. Group think on TLS is that say, Texas, is almost always worth sticker... but BC almost never is. In reality, they're in about the same boat (probably worth sticker more often than not but it all depends on your goals and your job prospects outside of law).

BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

Attorney wrote:

ylnechev wrote:I plan on trying to negotiate a scholarship from BC law because I think it gives much better job prospects, but I do not expect to get one (161 LSAT, 3.9 GPA from NYU).

Show BC your $ from Suffolk and see if it impresses them!

I'm sure it will. *cough*

After that doesn't work out, just go to BC. One of the best LRAPs outside of the T14 and some of the best Big Law placement outside of the T14. Group think on TLS is that say, Texas, is almost always worth sticker... but BC almost never is. In reality, they're in about the same boat (probably worth sticker more often than not but it all depends on your goals and your job prospects outside of law).

You make some good points. BC FTW!

Attorney wrote:

ylnechev wrote:I plan on trying to negotiate a scholarship from BC law because I think it gives much better job prospects, but I do not expect to get one (161 LSAT, 3.9 GPA from NYU).

Show BC your $ from Suffolk and see if it impresses them!

I'm sure it will. *cough*

After that doesn't work out, just go to BC. One of the best LRAPs outside of the T14 and some of the best Big Law placement outside of the T14. Group think on TLS is that say, Texas, is almost always worth sticker... but BC almost never is. In reality, they're in about the same boat (probably worth sticker more often than not but it all depends on your goals and your job prospects outside of law).

What? No way Texas is worth sticker.

Going to BU w/ no money would be a great accomplishment.
I couldn't get in there with a shotgun.

That being said, you should think about retaking... they are absolute GPA sluts, so I imagine if you you bumped it up to 163/164 you'd at least get some money.

Nicholasnickynic wrote:Going to BU w/ no money would be a great accomplishment.
I couldn't get in there with a shotgun.

That being said, you should think about retaking... they are absolute GPA sluts, so I imagine if you you bumped it up to 163/164 you'd at least get some money.

I'd retake. Just a few LSAT points higher and you'd get $$. Suffolk isn't great even free, and while BC is a great school, the 60-70% of the class that doesn't get a clerkship/firm would be pretty SOL with 180k or whatever is debt. Loan payments per month on that kind of debt when you have a 50-70% chance of making 50-70k is downright terrifying.

FiveSermon wrote:BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

This.

I don't see much of a downside to a retake. Barring that, I guess B.C.

FiveSermon wrote:BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

While it may not be suicide, do you really want to be paying off law school debt for the next 20 years if you happen to miss the biglaw boat?

bk187 wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

While it may not be suicide, do you really want to be paying off law school debt for the next 20 years if you happen to miss the biglaw boat?

But unlike 90% of the students who go to BC, OP is willing to work hard. Therefore, top 10% easy.

Blindmelon wrote:

bk187 wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

While it may not be suicide, do you really want to be paying off law school debt for the next 20 years if you happen to miss the biglaw boat?

But unlike 90% of the students who go to BC, OP is willing to work hard. Therefore, top 10% easy.

WIN!

Blindmelon wrote:

bk187 wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:BC at sticker isn't financial suicide. It's not the greatest but people here make it out to be worse than it is.

While it may not be suicide, do you really want to be paying off law school debt for the next 20 years if you happen to miss the biglaw boat?

But unlike 90% of the students who go to BC, OP is willing to work hard. Therefore, top 10% easy.

You don't need to be top 10% for biglaw at BC. More like top 35%. If you include clerkships it's more like top 38-40%. While not a sure thing it's far from top 10% or bust which is what most people here make it out to be...

FiveSermon wrote: You don't need to be top 10% for biglaw at BC. More like top 35%. If you include clerkships it's more like top 38-40%. While not a sure thing it's far from top 10% or bust which is what most people here make it out to be...

ITE I'm skeptical that it's top 40%. Pre-ITE sure.

Right now I'd think it's more like top 1/4 (maaaaybe top 1/3).

bk187 wrote:

FiveSermon wrote: You don't need to be top 10% for biglaw at BC. More like top 35%. If you include clerkships it's more like top 38-40%. While not a sure thing it's far from top 10% or bust which is what most people here make it out to be...

ITE I'm skeptical that it's top 40%. Pre-ITE sure.

Right now I'd think it's more like top 1/4 (maaaaybe top 1/3).

Well the 2010 NLJ numbers were something like 33%. I guess we will have a better picture once the 2011 numbers come out but so far BC/BU seems to have weathered the storm pretty well.

FiveSermon wrote:Well the 2010 NLJ numbers were something like 33%. I guess we will have a better picture once the 2011 numbers come out but so far BC/BU seems to have weathered the storm pretty well.

Cornell's 2010 number was 60%. Their 2011 number is 40%.

I just don't see BC's biglaw placement being high enough to justify the risk of sticker.

bk187 wrote:

FiveSermon wrote:Well the 2010 NLJ numbers were something like 33%. I guess we will have a better picture once the 2011 numbers come out but so far BC/BU seems to have weathered the storm pretty well.

Cornell's 2010 number was 60%. Their 2011 number is 40%.

I just don't see BC's biglaw placement being high enough to justify the risk of sticker.

The 2011 numbers according to ATL was around 42% but some "anonymous" tipster said there were at least 7 or 8 people who didn't want to be noted so if you include that it was around 45% I believe? Who knows if that tipsters was legitimate.

Anyways if anything the NLJ numbers seem to show just general trends. And I agree with you that I wouldn't pay sticker for BC but I could see someone doing so without having the urge to facepalm.

C/O 2011 was a lot worse off than 2012, and 2013 will likely be better. I was joking about needing to be top 10% at BC.

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