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My friend just got off the fordham waitlist. Fordham would be at sticker and significant financial debt. Brooklyn would be a full ride, so he/she would only have to pay for housing.

My friend is dead set on NYC and would like to do biglaw.

Opinions?

If you want biglaw and are debt averse, then neither.

BeachandRun23 wrote:My friend just got off the fordham waitlist. Fordham would be at sticker and significant financial debt. Brooklyn would be a full ride, so he/she would only have to pay for housing.

My friend is dead set on NYC and would like to do biglaw.

Opinions?

Bolded part probably isn't true. Unless your "friend" has wealth you're not telling us about, he would also have to pay for 3 years of food, clothes, transportation, utilities, books, entertainment and possibly health insurance. All in the most expensive city in the country. It could come to almost 100K in debt.

But still, I voted Brooklyn. I don't think a 1 in 4 chance at Biglaw is worth taking on a still further 140K in debt.

CAVEAT: Does the Brooklyn scholly have the top 40% stip? If so, that's a problem.

Another thing, why do people constantly post for their "friend" when it is really for them? This is an online, anonymous forum.

Robespierre wrote:

BeachandRun23 wrote:My friend just got off the fordham waitlist. Fordham would be at sticker and significant financial debt. Brooklyn would be a full ride, so he/she would only have to pay for housing.

My friend is dead set on NYC and would like to do biglaw.

Opinions?

Bolded part probably isn't true. Unless your "friend" has wealth you're not telling us about, he would also have to pay for 3 years of food, clothes, transportation, utilities, books, entertainment and possibly health insurance. All in the most expensive city in the country. It could come to almost 100K in debt.

But still, I voted Brooklyn. I don't think a 1 in 4 chance at Biglaw is worth taking on a still further 140K in debt.

CAVEAT: Does the Brooklyn scholly have the top 40% stip? If so, that's a problem.

Brooklyn has the top 40% stips and clothes, food, transportation...etc are valid expenses but they have to be paid whether you go to law school or not.

ndirish2010 wrote:Another thing, why do people constantly post for their "friend" when it is really for them? This is an online, anonymous forum.

It isnt for me. My friend doesnt use TLS and I was curious to see what TLS would do. Check my post history, ive never mentioned either of the two schools before.

Top 40% stip doesn't matter. If OP's friend is not in the top 40% at BLS, OP's friend is better off dropping out anyway.

Take BLS, give up on biglaw, and drop out if you lose the scholarship.
-or-
Retake/reapply for a better school than Fordham if you sincerely want biglaw.

I think Fordham gives a good chance at a good career. I was surprised but I met a few international lawyers who were working for Nato and they loved Fordham and had lots of things to say about it.

Brooklyn they did not comment about.

Maybe it was just by chance, but it was kind of cool to hear that they believed that Fordham has a great education.

What is ur friend leaning towards? BLS of F?

BeachandRun23 wrote:

Robespierre wrote:

BeachandRun23 wrote:My friend just got off the fordham waitlist. Fordham would be at sticker and significant financial debt. Brooklyn would be a full ride, so he/she would only have to pay for housing.

My friend is dead set on NYC and would like to do biglaw.

Opinions?

Bolded part probably isn't true. Unless your "friend" has wealth you're not telling us about, he would also have to pay for 3 years of food, clothes, transportation, utilities, books, entertainment and possibly health insurance. All in the most expensive city in the country. It could come to almost 100K in debt.

But still, I voted Brooklyn. I don't think a 1 in 4 chance at Biglaw is worth taking on a still further 140K in debt.

CAVEAT: Does the Brooklyn scholly have the top 40% stip? If so, that's a problem.

Brooklyn has the top 40% stips and clothes, food, transportation...etc are valid expenses but they have to be paid whether you go to law school or not.

Re: the bolded, yes, but if you're not in LS you probably wouldn't be paying them with money borrowed from a bank, with interest and non-dischargeable in bankruptcy!

atxkid wrote:I think Fordham gives a good chance at a good career. I was surprised but I met a few international lawyers who were working for Nato and they loved Fordham and had lots of things to say about it.

Brooklyn they did not comment about.

Maybe it was just by chance, but it was kind of cool to hear that they believed that Fordham has a great education.

What is ur friend leaning towards? BLS of F?

Fordham

Fordham.

However, it depends on the type of person he is. You're essentially paying for the opportunity, and it will be up to him and his skills to take advantage of that opportunity and beat out others. If he believes he has what it takes to do that, go to Fordham.

If he is waivering about his future performance, might as well go to BLS.

If he is risk averse, go to BLS.

So what did he choose?

I chose Fordham.

Only clueless 0L with zero reference point would go to Fordham at sticker. I would be worried even with 1/2 ride.

"Risk Averse"? Really? To be worried about 210k worth of toxic debt? Even if you are privileged enough to get biglaw, that debt is like a high-interest, toxic mortgage. The government will not subsidize the vast majority of the debt (only 8.5k worth per year), so it is growing every year you are in school. Many years of biglaw would be required to service that amount of debt. If you don't get biglaw (like the majority of your class), you become a complete debt slave for the rest of your days.

If you don't retake or find a different profession, I would go to BLS a year, and drop out if I wasn't in the top 25 percent of my class after 1l.

atxkid wrote:So what did he choose?

I chose Fordham.

Fordham 0Ls attempting to rationalize their potentially devastating financial decisions.

I am a Fordham alum and I would love for your friend to go to Fordham but if he isn't born with a silver spoon, he should go to Brooklyn.

Chose Fordham basically sticker last year. Going into 2L...worst mistake I've ever made in my entire life. I has put me back significantly and I dread waking up each morning.

Keep your head up. You will find something.

Robespierre wrote: Bolded part probably isn't true. Unless your "friend" has wealth you're not telling us about, he would also have to pay for 3 years of food, clothes, transportation, utilities, books, entertainment and possibly health insurance. All in the most expensive city in the country. It could come to almost 100K in debt.

But still, I voted Brooklyn. I don't think a 1 in 4 chance at Biglaw is worth taking on a still further 140K in debt.

1) There is no reason a young single person needs the equivalent of an after-tax income of $33K to live in Brooklyn while attending law school. BLS offers subsidized (below market) housing, and a roommate situation a few subway stops away can be had even cheaper.

2) I doubt Fordham is even 1/4 Biglaw in the current climate.

blsingindisguise wrote:

Robespierre wrote: Bolded part probably isn't true. Unless your "friend" has wealth you're not telling us about, he would also have to pay for 3 years of food, clothes, transportation, utilities, books, entertainment and possibly health insurance. All in the most expensive city in the country. It could come to almost 100K in debt.

But still, I voted Brooklyn. I don't think a 1 in 4 chance at Biglaw is worth taking on a still further 140K in debt.

1) There is no reason a young single person needs the equivalent of an after-tax income of $33K to live in Brooklyn while attending law school. BLS offers subsidized (below market) housing, and a roommate situation a few subway stops away can be had even cheaper.

2) I doubt Fordham is even 1/4 Biglaw in the current climate.

What's BLS's %?

Look, I think debt is an important factor to consider but I think it would be somewhat disingenuous to say that there are not differences in employment outcomes between the two. It's fine to troll for your school but don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

Bronx Bum wrote:Chose Fordham basically sticker last year. Going into 2L...worst mistake I've ever made in my entire life. I has put me back significantly and I dread waking up each morning.

That's so hardcore. Could you elaborate?

SchopenhauerFTW wrote:

Bronx Bum wrote:Chose Fordham basically sticker last year. Going into 2L...worst mistake I've ever made in my entire life. I has put me back significantly and I dread waking up each morning.

That's so hardcore. Could you elaborate?

This.

bk187 wrote:Take BLS, give up on biglaw, and drop out if you lose the scholarship.
-or-
Retake/reapply for a better school than Fordham if you sincerely want biglaw.

Also this.

Lolek wrote:Fordham.

However, it depends on the type of person he is. You're essentially paying for the opportunity, and it will be up to him and his skills to take advantage of that opportunity and beat out others. If he believes he has what it takes to do that, go to Fordham.

If he is waivering about his future performance, might as well go to BLS.

If he is risk averse, go to BLS.

You don't know if you have what it takes, and you really can't know. That's the problem.

Master Tofu wrote: 2) I doubt Fordham is even 1/4 Biglaw in the current climate.

What's BLS's %?

Look, I think debt is an important factor to consider but I think it would be somewhat disingenuous to say that there are not differences in employment outcomes between the two. It's fine to troll for your school but don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.[/quote]

Lol BLS is around 5%. I would never suggest that anyone has a realistic shot of biglaw going into BLS. Not throwing stones at all, just pointing out something that might be unrealistic in the comparison. 1 in 4 still sounds like a pretty good shot to some people. What if it's 1 in 5, 1 in 6, 1 in 7? Honestly neither school is a good option if you really want biglaw -- your best bet in that case is to retake the LSAT and aim higher. But if a person must choose between these two, I would say BLS with the full ride. From talking to friends at Fordham, I'm glad I made that choice.

blsingindisguise wrote:1 in 4 still sounds like a pretty good shot to some people.

Yeah, to people who can't do math.