Top Law Schools

Fordham vs WUSTL

NYC FTW!! go to fordham, for real. also, make a poll

also hai JD

You have way more reasons to pick Fordham over WUSTL. It's about going where you'd be happy. Also, I can come up from DC and visit. I rarely have business in STL.

paulinaporizkova wrote:NYC FTW!! go to fordham, for real. also, make a poll

also hai JD

HI!!!! <3

Specific reasons why you are for Fordham, aside from that it's in NY?

.

JenDarby wrote:

paulinaporizkova wrote:NYC FTW!! go to fordham, for real. also, make a poll

also hai JD

HI!!!! <3

Specific reasons why you are for Fordham, aside from that it's in NY?

that's mostly it. but that would be my main reason since i want to go to NYC with my degree. also, possibly lower COL for you because of the BF situation. also, NYC>>>>STL legal market wise,,,, and in general

Rent-free living should be included in the OP. A largely helpful determining factor.

JenDarby wrote:15k/year at Fordham vs 25k/year at WUSTL

I just received the offer from Fordham, and haven't tried to negotiate yet, but I am not counting on getting any more. I was set on WUSTL, but now I am leaning heavily towards Fordham.

I am very open geographically, CA being my top choice as far as states go, but I have no problem living/working other places. I would definitely prefer living and workiing in NY compared to MO, BUT I am very very debt adverse. My bf lives in NY, and was willing to live with me in MO, but NY would be far more convenient for him/us.

Thoughts?

(my main concerns are regarding job prospects. I recognize there will be a COL difference, but try to leave that factor out)

Fordham> YOu are super excited about it, your SO prefers NYC to St.L and you also prefer NYC. Leaving Cost of Attendance out- its a less expensive school, and it places well in its area. If you go to WUSTL it will be muich more difficult to go to NYC ot california.- If you go to Fordham then you will establish your ties and network in NYC. Sure you may not get biglaw, but if you want NYC you should go to school in NYC. If you want MO then WUSTL is the better choice, but its pretty clear to me that you dont want that.

IMHO- in your case you need to consider your SO in addition to your wants and needs. He wants to be i nNYC- and if hes working ( not putting pressure on him) then it will lessen your cost of living, and you can take out less money in loans for that use that savings to offset biglaw chances. I think that will make it easier to stomach the difference in ranking a bit easier!

Fordham!

*It may be difficult to go straight back to California from Fordham, but no more so than from WUSTL. At least with Fordham, it will be relatively easy to get a job in NYC after. If after a few years working in NY, you want to go to California, that seems far more doable (and common) than a Midwest to California move.

NYC is one of the safest big cities in the country, and STL is one of the most dangerous.

The biggest pro WUSTL / STL has over Fordham / NY is the lower rent, but that doesn't affect you. Outside of housing, it's pretty easy to do NY on the cheap because it's that fabulous of a city.

Much congratulations! ...and also a little envy.

Fordham. It won't be easy to get California from either school, but NYC sounds like a better fallback option for both you and the bf.

You can also live in Queens to help offset the difference in cost. The apartments are bigger, rent is cheaper, and you'll still have an easy commute to school.

I'd go Fordham. I've been thinking about going to school in big markets versus going to places with fewer job prospects. I've decided that going to a place where you will have access to SA work without having to relocate for 3 months is a HUGE factor for those of us with SOs. In your case, as in mine, going to school in a big market and having the ability to work in the summer and after school without moving makes the whole process much easier/

Magnolia wrote:Fordham. It won't be easy to get California from either school, but NYC sounds like a better fallback option for both you and the bf.

You can also live in Queens to help offset the difference in cost. The apartments are bigger, rent is cheaper, and you'll still have an easy commute to school.

Commuting from Queens to the upper west side would be pretty hellish, on the NR or on the 7. Honestly I'd say Jersey on the PATH would be an easier commute, but if you want to save money just live in Washington Heights.

bigkahuna2020 wrote:

Magnolia wrote:Fordham. It won't be easy to get California from either school, but NYC sounds like a better fallback option for both you and the bf.

You can also live in Queens to help offset the difference in cost. The apartments are bigger, rent is cheaper, and you'll still have an easy commute to school.

Commuting from Queens to the upper west side would be pretty hellish, on the NR or on the 7. Honestly I'd say Jersey on the PATH would be an easier commute, but if you want to save money just live in Washington Heights.

Uh, what? First, 62nd street is hardly the UWS. Second, commuting from someplace like Flushing would be hellish, but not Astoria. Living off NQ would be an easy 15-30 minute commute, depending on which stop you live off of. The 7 would require a transfer, but so would the PATH train. The R is miserable and should be avoided at all costs.

Washington Heights might be fine during the day, but it will suck late at night when there aren't any express trains running. It's a solid hour ride on a local train. I've specifically avoided moving to Jersey because all of my friends who live there say that the money saved isn't worth the hassle of the commute. Maybe all of them are wrong, but I'm skeptical that the commute is as easy as you make it out to be.

Magnolia wrote:

bigkahuna2020 wrote:

Magnolia wrote:Fordham. It won't be easy to get California from either school, but NYC sounds like a better fallback option for both you and the bf.

You can also live in Queens to help offset the difference in cost. The apartments are bigger, rent is cheaper, and you'll still have an easy commute to school.

Commuting from Queens to the upper west side would be pretty hellish, on the NR or on the 7. Honestly I'd say Jersey on the PATH would be an easier commute, but if you want to save money just live in Washington Heights.

Uh, what? First, 62nd street is hardly the UWS. Second, commuting from someplace like Flushing would be hellish, but not Astoria. Living off NQ would be an easy 15-30 minute commute, depending on which stop you live off of. The 7 would require a transfer, but so would the PATH train. The R is miserable and should be avoided at all costs.

Washington Heights might be fine during the day, but it will suck late at night when there aren't any express trains running. It's a solid hour ride on a local train. I've specifically avoided moving to Jersey because all of my friends who live there say that the money saved isn't worth the hassle of the commute. Maybe all of them are wrong, but I'm skeptical that the commute is as easy as you make it out to be.

Astoria is at least a 30 minute commute, and probably longer is you don't live on top of the Astoria Blvd Station. The walk from the N (Q does run until 59th) is pretty damned long. 62nd is certainly the UWS, Hells Kitchen stops at 59th. Washington Heights would not be an "hour ride" to 66th on the 1-this is just simply false. Not to mention the express doesn't start running until 96th anyway (unless you take the A, which cuts the commute to less than 25 minutes including the walk)

Don't get me wrong, I would move to Astoria in a BLINK if I wasn't moving from the city in a few months, but not if I had to get west of the park.

bigkahuna2020 wrote:Astoria is at least a 30 minute commute, and probably longer is you don't live on top of the Astoria Blvd Station. The walk from the N (Q does run until 59th) is pretty damned long. 62nd is certainly the UWS, Hells Kitchen stops at 59th. Washington Heights would not be an "hour ride" to 66th on the 1-this is just simply false. Not to mention the express doesn't start running until 96th anyway (unless you take the A, which cuts the commute to less than 25 minutes including the walk)

Don't get me wrong, I would move to Astoria in a BLINK if I wasn't moving from the city in a few months, but not if I had to get west of the park.

The commute from Astoria all the way to the East Village is 30 minutes. It doesn't take that long to get to Fordham. I'm not sure what walk from the N you're referring to, but it's only 6 blocks from 57th/7th to Fordham. (Sidenote, the Q runs into Queens now.) Also, Astoria Blvd. is pretty deep into Astoria. She could be living a lot closer, to both the city and the train, and still save on rent (though the commute from Ditmars or Astoria Blvd. still wouldn't be bad). And lol, yes I realize that 62nd is technically the UWS. My point was that trying to get 3 blocks uptown from the very bottom of the park is not the same as trying to get to 96th and Amsterdam, in which case yes, coming from Queens does suck.

I've never been able to get from Lincoln Center to Wash Heights in 30 minutes in the middle of the night. However, if you say it can be done, I won't argue the point. Regardless, I'm not saying that Wash Heights isn't a viable option. I was just suggesting an alternative.

Oh but WUSTL is so beautiful

Fordham hands down.

NYC > Midwest... Fordham
Convenience... Fordham (not having to move, BF won't have to find a new job, etc)
BF... Fordham
Cost... WUSTL

WUSTL is definitely cheaper, but Fordham isn't too bad since you are splitting CoL. Since it would be easier for your BF and you prefer NYC, I don't think the cost difference warrants WUSTL in this case.

woo that was a lifetime ago

JenDarby wrote:I very much prefer NY, however....

I tried negotiating with Fordham and received no additional money. WUSTL just sent me an unsolicited raise in my scholarship.

45k at Fordham vs 90k at WUSTL

They're probs trollin TLS and know who you are JD

rad law wrote:

JenDarby wrote:I very much prefer NY, however....

I tried negotiating with Fordham and received no additional money. WUSTL just sent me an unsolicited raise in my scholarship.

45k at Fordham vs 90k at WUSTL

They're probs trollin TLS and know who you are JD

Or they got the list from LSAC about who double deposited.

LOL rad...

I'm leaning back towards WUSTL now, though I really want to want NY and Fordham.

JenDarby wrote:LOL rad...

I'm leaning back towards WUSTL now, though I really want to want NY and Fordham.

How srs are you with this bf and does he have a good jerb.

choices choices

JenDarby wrote:

rad law wrote:

JenDarby wrote:LOL rad...

I'm leaning back towards WUSTL now, though I really want to want NY and Fordham.

How srs are you with this bf and does he have a good jerb.

We are very serious, and he does have a very good job. He travels for this job, and is willing to live in St. Louis with me, but I would see him significantly less than if we lived in NY (where he already technically lives).

If you can see yourself being married to or with this dude like long term style, go to Fordham. He seems like he's pretty stable or whatever. I'd pay more money to be with someone I love, but I'm a cynical ass now so LOL I won't have to make that choice.

GL.

I'm guessing it's 90k now right (with 5k in interest-free loans for Fordham).

The practical answer is almost definitely WUSTL unless you know you want Biglaw (and only barely), or NYC. We're talking about about 65k in debt difference when you include COL, which adding up the pay in interest that will end up costing you much more than that in real dollar figures. I guess the question is how much of a difference it is for you and your bf between NYC and St. Louis. Personally, I think that people undervalue happiness around here, but also overestimate how much things like location will impact that.