Top Law Schools

I know these have been compared a hundred times, but I want to get everyone's thoughts on the scholarship award. I tried negotiating with RU and they won't give me anything. SH offered $35k a year with top half stipulation. I know I want to stay in NJ, but I frankly have no idea what kind of law I want to practice. Any thoughts??

I haven't even been around very long but even I know to ask for your LSAT/GPA stats, your long-term goals, and your other background information.

Try to negotiate the seton hall stips.
Go to Seton Hall and drop out if you lose the $$$.

top30man wrote:Try to negotiate the seton hall stips.
Go to Seton Hall and drop out if you lose the $$$.

Credited
The school's are true peers so at that scholly SH is cheaper.
If you can't maintain top 50% there, you'd likely fare no better at Rutgers and at either school below median is bad

dingbat wrote:

top30man wrote:Try to negotiate the seton hall stips.
Go to Seton Hall and drop out if you lose the $$$.

Credited
The school's are true peers so at that scholly SH is cheaper.
If you can't maintain top 50% there, you'd likely fare no better at Rutgers and at either school below median is bad

Dingbat is spot on and said what I was trying to. You're screwed both ways if you miss median. I'd say consider a retake but barring that go seton hall.

top30man wrote:

dingbat wrote:

top30man wrote:Try to negotiate the seton hall stips.
Go to Seton Hall and drop out if you lose the $$$.

Credited
The school's are true peers so at that scholly SH is cheaper.
If you can't maintain top 50% there, you'd likely fare no better at Rutgers and at either school below median is bad

Dingbat is spot on and said what I was trying to. You're screwed both ways if you miss median. I'd say consider a retake but barring that go seton hall.

More like you are screwed if you aren't top 10%

JamesChapman23 wrote:

top30man wrote:

dingbat wrote:

top30man wrote:Try to negotiate the seton hall stips.
Go to Seton Hall and drop out if you lose the $$$.

Credited
The school's are true peers so at that scholly SH is cheaper.
If you can't maintain top 50% there, you'd likely fare no better at Rutgers and at either school below median is bad

Dingbat is spot on and said what I was trying to. You're screwed both ways if you miss median. I'd say consider a retake but barring that go seton hall.

More like you are screwed if you aren't top 10%

That's bullshit.
You can still get a decent legal job if you're not top 10%.
If you don't take out massive debt, then a job that pays $50-$60k is acceptable.
Not everyone wants to work corporate

Edit: says the dingbat who never wants to see the inside of a courtroom. Biglaw or bust - wut!

dingbat wrote:

JamesChapman23 wrote:

top30man wrote:

dingbat wrote: Credited
The school's are true peers so at that scholly SH is cheaper.
If you can't maintain top 50% there, you'd likely fare no better at Rutgers and at either school below median is bad

Dingbat is spot on and said what I was trying to. You're screwed both ways if you miss median. I'd say consider a retake but barring that go seton hall.

More like you are screwed if you aren't top 10%

That's bullshit.
You can still get a decent legal job if you're not top 10%.
If you don't take out massive debt, then a job that pays $50-$60k is acceptable.
Not everyone wants to work corporate

+1 on this...

They are peer schools and cheaper is better. If the price tag were close I would do Rutgers but that is because I like college football and if I were median I could reevaluate then with a relatively cheap option to continue....

I was going to make a similar topic but I'll just post in this one.

Rutgers-N 12k scholarship ($14,957 cost of attendance)
Seton Hall 35k scholarship ($14,570 cost of attendance)

Living expenses would of course be the same.

superbloom wrote:I was going to make a similar topic but I'll just post in this one.

Rutgers-N 12k scholarship ($14,957 cost of attendance)
Seton Hall 35k scholarship ($14,570 cost of attendance)

Living expenses would of course be the same.

Whichever one has better stips

superbloom wrote:I was going to make a similar topic but I'll just post in this one.

Rutgers-N 12k scholarship ($14,957 cost of attendance)
Seton Hall 35k scholarship ($14,570 cost of attendance)

Living expenses would of course be the same.

The obvious question is are the stips the same? I have heard on here that SH section stacks but that is purely hearsay.....

I would consider the one with the more lenient stips if they are different and if they were the same I would lean towards Rutgers because if you do loose the money it is more affordable and they are dead even peers in NJ..... Plus, you can go to Rutgers football games in the fall whereas you have to wait for B-ball at SH......

Big law or bust eh Ding? I pegged you as a DA for sure......

JCFindley wrote:Big law or bust eh Ding? I pegged you as a DA for sure......

I'm not adversarial enough for court.
Also, I'm really freaking good at what I do (money mumbo jumbo) and I plan on continuing in a similar vein

That, and I love the thrill of the deal - closing is hectic as hell and a mad scramble to get shit done. not for everyone, but I love it.

dingbat wrote:

JCFindley wrote:Big law or bust eh Ding? I pegged you as a DA for sure......

I'm not adversarial enough for court.
Also, I'm really freaking good at what I do (money mumbo jumbo) and I plan on continuing in a similar vein

That, and I love the thrill of the deal - closing is hectic as hell and a mad scramble to get shit done. not for everyone, but I love it.

Cool beans. I want the court room in a BAD way and am quite adversarial; I just do it in a nice way..... As it relates to this thread that is why I like RU-N so much; they place VERY well in state and local NJ gov't positions.....

Nick18 wrote:I know these have been compared a hundred times, but I want to get everyone's thoughts on the scholarship award. I tried negotiating with RU and they won't give me anything. SH offered $35k a year with top half stipulation. I know I want to stay in NJ, but I frankly have no idea what kind of law I want to practice. Any thoughts??

Being from NJ, I know that both schools have a nice reputation in-state.

I mean there's probably a bit more bad-rumors about Seton-Hall. And they are private, so the cost will *hopefully be put towards better programs, career services etc. But they have a good amount of diversity and some good employment stats, even if they supposedly place a lot of people in small-time traffic court. People will tend to say; "Go to Seton Hall" just based off of the higher rank. But frankly outside of rank 30ish; the ranks don't matter as much anyway.

Rutgers Newark is the choice that I'd go with frankly. $22k a year; need I say more?! The school has more-or-less the same employment statistics as SH, the cost is about half and they name carries more weight in NY, PA, CT, DE etc. Also it has a lot of respect in-state; few NJ residents & law firms will scoff at a Rutgers degree (with a good GPA & Law Review).

The downside of both of these schools is that you have to do pretty darn good (top 10-15%) to earn the big-bucks out of law school. Also you had better want to work in the NJ-NY area, because that's about as far as I could see the schools carrying you.

Go with RU-Newark if you must choose between these two; half the price, same presitge, same employment stats.