Choosing between Seton Hall & Boston College Forum

[ryanmiller]

I just recently found out I was admitted to Boston College Law School. Before finding this out, my main choice was the school I received a full ride at: Seton Hall Law.

Seton Hall is ranked 69, while Boston is ranked 29. I live in NJ and have been to SHU Law before, it is a nice building but Newark isn't exactly my main choice to spend 3 years at. And i received a full academic scholarship, so as long as I stay in the top 1/2 of my class I keep it every year.

I would love to go to Boston College. It seems so much more prestigious, and is obviously higher ranked. I haven't heard of any scholarship there, though, and do not know if I should be expecting one (my LSAT was 164, and GPA about 3.61).

I am on my own, so I do not get any money from Boston, that $40,000 a year will lead up to $120,000 in debt when I graduate. I want to 'reach for the stars' though, and go to an especially good school: Boston. Though seton hall may be the better choice, or rather the safer choice.

does anyone have any advice / anything they want to share on one of the colleges that can help me make my decision? Thanks alot!

[noleknight16]

What are you work goals? Big law? Public interest?

Where do you want to work after graduation?

[flem]

Do you not have to pay living expenses? If your total COA at BU is 120K I'd do that over Seton Hall, but if it's 120K + living expenses and you're looking at 180-200K I wouldn't.

Any options in the middle? Seton Hall's toilety-ness is well documented.

[ryanmiller]

What are you work goals? Big law? Public interest?

Where do you want to work after graduation?

I live in New Jersey, so i'm willing to work in the tri state area or any part of new england if I can find a job. I am not too interested in public interest, but i still am not really sure what law I would like to go into (i'm graduating from undergrad in a month with a finance degree)

I want to go into a law with jobs / money available, and am interested in Corporate, Entertainment, Intellectual Property, International, and possibly Immigration law. Criminal law is a possibility too, but I've always had a moral problem with possibly defending a guilty person / prosecuting an innocent person that makes me hesitant to go into criminal, though I find it one of the most interesting.

[bk1]

Do you have money saved up or is someone giving you money? If you don't then BC is going to have you $210,000+ debt at graduation once you factor in non-tuition expenses (cost of living) and interest that accrues while you're in school. Even if you do, you're not factoring in interest which means BC will be at least $135k debt when you graduate.

Neither looks very appealing. On one hand, BC is insanely expensive. I probably wouldn't recommend taking out more than $100-120k (total with interest at graduation) for it. On the other hand you have a 50% chance of losing your scholarship and ending up in massive debt at SHU.

If you really want to "reach for the stars" you should shoot for a higher LSAT, retake and reapply.

[ryanmiller]

Do you not have to pay living expenses? If your total COA at BU is 120K I'd do that over Seton Hall, but if it's 120K + living expenses and you're looking at 180-200K I wouldn't.

Any options in the middle? Seton Hall's toilety-ness is well documented.

I will have to pay living expenses but I have some money saved up, have been working this year, and will work over the summer. I know I said i'm mostly on my own but Im sure my parents will help with living expenses, so I am not too worried about that. The 120k is my main obstacle.

Also, I got a partial scholarship at Cardozo in NYC, but those living expenses would be even more than those for BC. And i've heard about the 'toilet' stuff about Seton Hall, but don't remember what it was mainly about. Bad career prospects at SHU?

[bdole2]

What about Rutgers?

[ryanmiller]

Do you have money saved up or is someone giving you money? If you don't then BC is going to have you $210,000+ debt at graduation once you factor in non-tuition expenses (cost of living) and interest that accrues while you're in school. Even if you do, you're not factoring in interest which means BC will be at least $135k debt when you graduate.

Neither looks very appealing. On one hand, BC is insanely expensive. I probably wouldn't recommend taking out more than $100-120k (total with interest at graduation) for it. On the other hand you have a 50% chance of losing your scholarship and ending up in massive debt at SHU.

If you really want to "reach for the stars" you should shoot for a higher LSAT, retake and reapply.

Some money saved up, in addition to help from parents (Not definite, but I couldn't imagine them not willing to help, you know?)
If i did go to SHU and lost the scholarship, I know for a fact I would transfer out as quickly as I could. But I'm hoping to get need-based aid if I decide on BC, considering tuition will be my responsibility and I have very little money. Maybe this is me being a dumb young kid (i'm 21), but i feel like i'll be fine regardless of the debt I take out in BC. Unfortunately, I know that is way too optimistic and in real life debt does a number to someone's life, and am trying to weigh the risk.


And as for Rutgers, I did not even apply. I didn't get a fee waiver, and figured I would get into SHU with a scholarship anyway.

[flem]

I will have to pay living expenses but I have some money saved up, have been working this year, and will work over the summer. I know I said i'm mostly on my own but Im sure my parents will help with living expenses, so I am not too worried about that. The 120k is my main obstacle.

Also, I got a partial scholarship at Cardozo in NYC, but those living expenses would be even more than those for BC. And i've heard about the 'toilet' stuff about Seton Hall, but don't remember what it was mainly about. Bad career prospects at SHU?

1) You need to nail down your total COA. "I'm sure my parents will help and I have some money saved up" isn't really an answer.

2) Bad career prospects, section stacking of scholarship kids, hyper saturated market, sleaziest dean in the history of all of academia, etc

[flem]

Some money saved up, in addition to help from parents (Not definite, but I couldn't imagine them not willing to help, you know?)
If i did go to SHU and lost the scholarship, I know for a fact I would transfer out as quickly as I could. But I'm hoping to get need-based aid if I decide on BC, considering tuition will be my responsibility and I have very little money. Maybe this is me being a dumb young kid (i'm 21), but i feel like i'll be fine regardless of the debt I take out in BC. Unfortunately, I know that is way too optimistic and in real life debt does a number to someone's life, and am trying to weigh the risk.

Bruh, if you lost your scholarship at SH that would mean you have grades that would prohibit you from transferring. You need to be prepared to DROP OUT.

And as for Rutgers, I did not even apply. I didn't get a fee waiver, and figured I would get into SHU with a scholarship anyway.

[ryanmiller]

Yea, I honestly just did not want to go to Rutgers.

[bobbyh1919]

BC is a fine school, but please don't confuse BC at sticker with "reaching for the stars." The fact that you are from NJ and didn't even apply to Rutgers suggests to me that you haven't even come close to fully exploring your options.

As another poster mentioned, if you happen to lose your scholly at SHU, you wouldn't be able to transfer to anywhere worth while anyway. I would seriously sit this cycle out if I were you, study your options a bit more, retake the LSAT, and make a better effort next fall.

[bk1]

Some money saved up, in addition to help from parents (Not definite, but I couldn't imagine them not willing to help, you know?)
If i did go to SHU and lost the scholarship, I know for a fact I would transfer out as quickly as I could. But I'm hoping to get need-based aid if I decide on BC, considering tuition will be my responsibility and I have very little money. Maybe this is me being a dumb young kid (i'm 21), but i feel like i'll be fine regardless of the debt I take out in BC. Unfortunately, I know that is way too optimistic and in real life debt does a number to someone's life, and am trying to weigh the risk.

1. Almost no law school gives need aid. The ones that do give very little and often take into account your parents if you're that young. I highly doubt you will get anything from BC.

2. If you lost your scholarship, where would you transfer? Transferring is based on grades and your school. You'd be below median from SHU, your transfer chances to any school worth going to would be atrocious.

3. You won't always be fine with that debt from BC. Can you imagine paying off $135k+ debt (with interest continually accruing) while working at a job that pays around $40-50k/year? A huge portion of BC's class ends up like that. Not to mention that around 20% of their class doesn't even get full time jobs as lawyers.

4. I'd probably choose BC if you really are going to only be taking out $40k/year. It's not ideal (and about $10k/year more than ideal), but it's a hell of a lot better than SHU. But you better make sure that your parents are willing to chip in that much. The truth is that the best course of action is likely to retake/reapply.

[noleknight16]

I'd take BC personally. Seton Hall just seems like a crappy law school. It seems like there should be another middle option.

[ryanmiller]

1. Almost no law school gives need aid. The ones that do give very little and often take into account your parents if you're that young. I highly doubt you will get anything from BC.

2. If you lost your scholarship, where would you transfer? Transferring is based on grades and your school. You'd be below median from SHU, your transfer chances to any school worth going to would be atrocious.

3. You won't always be fine with that debt from BC. Can you imagine paying off $135k+ debt (with interest continually accruing) while working at a job that pays around $40-50k/year? A huge portion of BC's class ends up like that. Not to mention that around 20% of their class doesn't even get full time jobs as lawyers.

4. I'd probably choose BC if you really are going to only be taking out $40k/year. It's not ideal (and about $10k/year more than ideal), but it's a hell of a lot better than SHU. But you better make sure that your parents are willing to chip in that much. The truth is that the best course of action is likely to retake/reapply.

1. Yikes. No subsidized loans that don't begin interest until graduation, either?

2. True, i'm going to have to think about all my options before accepting this SHU offer. I got a substantial scholarship from cardozo as well, only having to pay between 10-15k a year for school, with it automatically renewing instead of having strings attached.

3. That much debt is definitely someone to be wary of, especially since if I went to BC it would be in an effort to get a good job right out if possible. I always put too much emphasis on the median private sector salary, though, when thinking about career prospects.

4. interesting, thanks. and you mean make sure they're willing to help me pay for living expenses, right?

I'd take BC personally. Seton Hall just seems like a crappy law school. It seems like there should be another middle option.

Thanks for the advice, and Cardozo would be my middle option as of now.

[CanadianWolf]

Consider waiting & reapplying next cycle since applications may decline even further. Apply to a wide range of schools to increase your financial options. Right now your choices, cynically speaking, may be viewed as professional suicide versus financial suicide (okay, maybe a little dramatic, but hopefully you see my point).

[bk1]

There are subsidized loans, but the max you can get subsidized is 8500/year. You will be taking out Stafford (subsidized/unsubsidized) and GradPLUS loans.

Realize that median private sector salary for BC's 2010 class is based on 91 salaries. Their graduating class was 265. This means only 45 of their 265 grads (17%) actually make the median private sector salary.

I mean make sure they are willing to contribute as much as you expect them to contribute. It would be a rude awakening to find out you have to take 10k (or even more) out in loans per year because you weren't getting as much from them as you expected.

[Tiago Splitter]

There are subsidized loans, but the max you can get subsidized is 8500/year.

And subsidized Staffords are going away too.

[ryanmiller]

There are subsidized loans, but the max you can get subsidized is 8500/year. You will be taking out Stafford (subsidized/unsubsidized) and GradPLUS loans.

Realize that median private sector salary for BC's 2010 class is based on 91 salaries. Their graduating class was 265. This means only 45 of their 265 grads (17%) actually make the median private sector salary.

I mean make sure they are willing to contribute as much as you expect them to contribute. It would be a rude awakening to find out you have to take 10k (or even more) out in loans per year because you weren't getting as much from them as you expected.

Very informative, especially concerning the loans and salary reporting, thanks alot. Wow, this stuff is starting to get pretty scary; this morning i was ecstatic just to get in to BC, now i'm afraid to go.

[flem]

Very informative, especially concerning the loans and salary reporting, thanks alot. Wow, this stuff is starting to get pretty scary; this morning i was ecstatic just to get in to BC, now i'm afraid to go.

Welcome to TLS bruh

[bk1]

There are subsidized loans, but the max you can get subsidized is 8500/year.

And subsidized Staffords are going away too.

[TLS_noobie]

Realize that median private sector salary for BC's 2010 class is based on 91 salaries. Their graduating class was 265. This means only 45 of their 265 grads (17%) actually make the median private sector salary.

Just for further clarification, according to LST (as of Feb. 2010):
BC
245 grads
53.5% are represented in the quartiles
So, 131 grads total represented.
Then, the range of salaries is: 145k - 160k and that encompasses 50% of that 131.
So, about 65 grads are making 145k-160k that we know of.

Seton Hall
308 grads
24% are represented in the quartiles
So, 73 grads total represented.
Then, the range of salaries is: 95k - 160k and that encompasses 50% of that 73.
So, about 36 grads are making 95k - 160k that we know of.

Just some food for thought. OP, check out LST if you haven't already, I think looking at the stats in their context can shed a little more light on the matter.

[bk1]

Just for further clarification, according to LST

LST is still 2009 isn't it? I used BC's 2010 data: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/la ... _full.html

[TLS_noobie]

Just for further clarification, according to LST

LST is still 2009 isn't it? I used BC's 2010 data: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/la ... _full.html

Yeah, I think you are right, BC's is more up to date. LST says Feb. 2010, which would actually be 2009's numbers I guess.

[ryanmiller]

Just for further clarification, according to LST

LST is still 2009 isn't it? I used BC's 2010 data: http://www.bc.edu/content/bc/schools/la ... _full.html

these stats seem more promising but obviously that gap of non-reported students happens for every school.