ITT: TLS Decides my Fate (BU v Fordham v Cardozo) Forum

[aliarrow]

I'm updating this for the new situation. I'll probably be retaking in June just to see how it goes, but assume I do the same or worse.

Geographic Preference:
A major city. This is the main thing, if I had to rank places I want to end up:
1) New York City (by a lot)
2) Boston
3) Washington D.C.
4) Chicago
5) Minneapolis
6) Tampa
7) Miami

Career Goals:
Interested mostly in something transactional. I love entrepreneurship and would like to find something in start-ups eventually (or even start my own companies) - doesn't even have to involve VC work. But as for general sectors to launch my career:
1) Biglaw
2) Business (acknowledged that in-house isn't likely after graduation)
3) Government
4) Academia - possibly non-legal academia (acknowledged there isn't a chance directly out of any of my school choices without at least a prestigious PhD/JSD Program)
5) Midlaw
6) Public Interest
7) SmallLaw

I'm thinking something like BU would be great since it would give me access to the Boston Market in addition to a fighting chance in NYC (and stronger national scope) than if I just went to Fordham and banked it all on New York.

[D-ROCCA]

If you want transactional, you need NYC, so I think it's BU or Fordham.

[KeepitKind]

Although they serve a hearty meal, I personally wouldn't base my law school decision on access to Boston Market

[aliarrow]

Although they serve a hearty meal, I personally wouldn't base my law school decision on access to Boston Market

^ Clearly never tried BM's creamed spinach

[aliarrow]

If you want transactional, you need NYC, so I think it's BU or Fordham.

Yeah those are pretty much the main two I was trying to decide between, and the close results of the poll aren't helping much. I guess it's a toss-up. Fordham is about $30k more or so due to COL, but it also seems to offer slightly better overall prospects (at least for what I want to do).

[Nicholasnickynic]

why don't you give us useful information, like say how much each school costs after scholly. I hate when people do this. No one gives a shit about your scholly #s. Just gives us the CoA for each school.

[aliarrow]

why don't you give us useful information, like say how much each school costs after scholly. I hate when people do this. No one gives a shit about your scholly #s. Just gives us the CoA for each school.

Updated poll with COAs

[Patriot1208]

Your career goals sound very specific and in need of a retake.

[romothesavior]

None of these schools is worth it at the price you're looking at. But if I absolutely had to choose, I'd take BU. It is a good school, but 175k to go to BU? Ouch, no thanks.

[aliarrow]

Your career goals sound very specific and in need of a retake.

Well I was planning to just transfer up to T6 after I rock 1L.

(jk, no shitstorm please)

I have been considering a June retake after I put down my deposit (so I still have somewhere locked down in the event I do worse or the same). I scored a 167 last October, but I think this was at the low end of my potential since about 80% of my PTs were 175 exactly, and I didn't sleep at all the night before...

[Patriot1208]

Your career goals sound very specific and in need of a retake.

Well I was planning to just transfer up to T6 after I rock 1L.

(jk, no shitstorm please)

I have been considering a June retake after I put down my deposit (so I still have somewhere locked down in the event I do worse or the same). I scored a 167 last October, but I think this was at the low end of my potential since about 80% of my PTs were 175 exactly, and I didn't sleep at all the night before...

Considering this and your career goals I would hold off a cycle and retake.

[romothesavior]

Your career goals sound very specific and in need of a retake.

Well I was planning to just transfer up to T6 after I rock 1L.

(jk, no shitstorm please)

I have been considering a June retake after I put down my deposit (so I still have somewhere locked down in the event I do worse or the same). I scored a 167 last October, but I think this was at the low end of my potential since about 80% of my PTs were 175 exactly, and I didn't sleep at all the night before...

If you legitimately were scoring consistent mid-170s on your PTs, you'd be a fool to take out 175k to go to law school with your 167 (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You sound like you have a lot of potential to rock the LSAT and do a lot better than the options you are currently looking at. Focus hard on the LSAT and re-take. Even getting 3-4 more points would save you tens of thousands (maybe 100k+) to these same schools. Good luck.

[limelightwave]

If it's between these choices, and you're mainly deciding between Fordham and BU, I'm voting BU because of this:

Fordham (where I haven't gotten in yet

[aliarrow]

Your career goals sound very specific and in need of a retake.

Well I was planning to just transfer up to T6 after I rock 1L.

(jk, no shitstorm please)

I have been considering a June retake after I put down my deposit (so I still have somewhere locked down in the event I do worse or the same). I scored a 167 last October, but I think this was at the low end of my potential since about 80% of my PTs were 175 exactly, and I didn't sleep at all the night before...

If you legitimately were scoring consistent mid-170s on your PTs, you'd be a fool to take out 175k to go to law school with your 167 (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You sound like you have a lot of potential to rock the LSAT and do a lot better than the options you are currently looking at. Focus hard on the LSAT and re-take. Even getting 3-4 more points would save you tens of thousands (maybe 100k+) to these same schools. Good luck.

Thanks, and I know that does make the most sense. It's just so brutal to think about going through a whole cycle again (and yeah, I know it's illogical to think about things like that since it will be even more brutal to pay an extra $100k in debt).

[romothesavior]

Thanks, and I know that does make the most sense. It's just so brutal to think about going through a whole cycle again (and yeah, I know it's illogical to think about things like that since it will be even more brutal to pay an extra $100k in debt).

Think of it like this... What if someone came up to you with $100,000 in a briefcase and said, "You can have this if you re-take the LSAT and go through the cycle again." Wouldn't you take it? I know I would. Also, you'll save a few grand in interest by taking out significantly less in loans and being able to pay it off more quickly, and you can get a job and save a few extra grand for law school that way too. You are potentially looking at far in excess of 100k in savings if you take a year off, get a 170+, and go through the process again.

Sucks to take a year off, but you won't regret it. Trust me... I wish I had taken a year off, and I had far less incentive to do so than you do!

[aliarrow]

Thanks, and I know that does make the most sense. It's just so brutal to think about going through a whole cycle again (and yeah, I know it's illogical to think about things like that since it will be even more brutal to pay an extra $100k in debt).

Think of it like this... What if someone came up to you with $100,000 in a briefcase and said, "You can have this if you re-take the LSAT and go through the cycle again." Wouldn't you take it? I know I would. Also, you'll save a few grand in interest by taking out significantly less in loans and being able to pay it off more quickly, and you can get a job and save a few extra grand for law school that way too. You are potentially looking at far in excess of 100k in savings if you take a year off, get a 170+, and go through the process again.

Sucks to take a year off, but you won't regret it. Trust me... I wish I had taken a year off, and I had far less incentive to do so than you do!

Yeah you're right. Would it be better to put down a deposit at BU just in case I do do worse (which might stop me from getting in later w/ 2 LSATs, since I'm pretty borderline as it is)? Or... if I do put down a deposit and renege would that also hurt my chances of getting in again next cycle?

[romothesavior]

Thanks, and I know that does make the most sense. It's just so brutal to think about going through a whole cycle again (and yeah, I know it's illogical to think about things like that since it will be even more brutal to pay an extra $100k in debt).

Think of it like this... What if someone came up to you with $100,000 in a briefcase and said, "You can have this if you re-take the LSAT and go through the cycle again." Wouldn't you take it? I know I would. Also, you'll save a few grand in interest by taking out significantly less in loans and being able to pay it off more quickly, and you can get a job and save a few extra grand for law school that way too. You are potentially looking at far in excess of 100k in savings if you take a year off, get a 170+, and go through the process again.

Sucks to take a year off, but you won't regret it. Trust me... I wish I had taken a year off, and I had far less incentive to do so than you do!

Yeah you're right. Would it be better to put down a deposit at BU just in case I do do worse (which might stop me from getting in later w/ 2 LSATs, since I'm pretty borderline as it is)? Or... if I do put down a deposit and renege would that also hurt my chances of getting in again next cycle?

I highly doubt you will do worse, but you can put one down just in case. I don't think doing worse will affect you at all, and reneging won't hurt if you explain why you retook and say you still want to go there. You might even be able to negotiate a scholarship in the summer if you get a 170+ in June, and if they play hardball, you can just wait a year.

[aliarrow]

I just ordered the new book of 10 lsats and the December 2010 PT... It officially begins (back to this shit again). I've been pretty active on TLS for a year and half, so I wont be disappearing anytime soon, so I'll probably update this thread after I get the retake score if anyone cares.

[paratactical]

If you legitimately were scoring consistent mid-170s on your PTs, you'd be a fool to take out 175k to go to law school with your 167 (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You sound like you have a lot of potential to rock the LSAT and do a lot better than the options you are currently looking at. Focus hard on the LSAT and re-take. Even getting 3-4 more points would save you tens of thousands (maybe 100k+) to these same schools. Good luck.

I completely agree with this.

Also, it sounds like your GPA probably isn't too stellar and some WE and distance from the GPA could help your application.

[aliarrow]

If you legitimately were scoring consistent mid-170s on your PTs, you'd be a fool to take out 175k to go to law school with your 167 (and I mean that in the nicest way possible). You sound like you have a lot of potential to rock the LSAT and do a lot better than the options you are currently looking at. Focus hard on the LSAT and re-take. Even getting 3-4 more points would save you tens of thousands (maybe 100k+) to these same schools. Good luck.

I completely agree with this.

Also, it sounds like your GPA probably isn't too stellar and some WE and distance from the GPA could help your application.

3.5
Not awful, not great.

[paratactical]

Yea. Not awful, but not great. Do you have any WE already or are you fresh from UG?

[aliarrow]

The worst thing is just worrying about finances and work for this extra year. I have a job now as a Legal Assistant, but the commute is an hour each way, I take an hour break, and I usually have to put in 8-10+ actual hours each day, so these 11-13 hour workdays are really kicking my ass and I don't know how much longer I can do it for $11 an hour.

[aliarrow]

Yea. Not awful, but not great. Do you have any WE already or are you fresh from UG?

Graduated in December, I've been working in the aforementioned job since then.

[paratactical]

The worst thing is just worrying about finances and work for this extra year. I have a job now as a Legal Assistant, but the commute is an hour each way, I take an hour break, and I usually have to put in 8-10+ actual hours each day, so these 11-13 hour workdays are really kicking my ass and I don't know how much longer I can do it for $11 an hour.

Oh, I dig on that. I'm gunning for BU/BC in the future, but I'm a biglaw paralegal right now. I've thankfully gotten raises and cut my commute, but I know what you're going through. The real thing is, one more year of shit and you could have some dope admissions and some serious cashflow for school. It sucks now, but it's such a better financial decision to rock out that LSAT and get that extra dough.

EDIT: Not to mention some dope professional LORs from people at your firm. All this shit can really help.

[aliarrow]

The worst thing is just worrying about finances and work for this extra year. I have a job now as a Legal Assistant, but the commute is an hour each way, I take an hour break, and I usually have to put in 8-10+ actual hours each day, so these 11-13 hour workdays are really kicking my ass and I don't know how much longer I can do it for $11 an hour.

Oh, I dig on that. I'm gunning for BU/BC in the future, but I'm a biglaw paralegal right now. I've thankfully gotten raises and cut my commute, but I know what you're going through. The real thing is, one more year of shit and you could have some dope admissions and some serious cashflow for school. It sucks now, but it's such a better financial decision to rock out that LSAT and get that extra dough.

EDIT: Not to mention some dope professional LORs from people at your firm. All this shit can really help.

Thanks for the encouragement, that does help. Good luck to you with BU/BC.
The thing I worry about most is finding time to study for the LSAT retake since I don't typically get home until the late evening. I'm thinking of trying to do one full timed PT Sat and Sun, then maybe try to do one twice a week in the office (off the clock) after everyone leaves. Just review/study independent sections whenever