BC ($) vs. Rutgers-Newark ($$$).. With revised BC scholly Forum

[ru2486]

Sorry to create another decision thread, but since the last one was so damn helpful, I figure I could use the collective wisdom of TLS-ers again.

I've just been accepted off the waitlist at Boston College with $20,000/year scholarship out of $45,000/year tuition (not including COL) (upwards from an initial $15,000).

I'm still deposited at Rutgers-Newark with $15,000/year scholarship out of in-state tuition of $23,000 (not including COL).

The latter option I could potentially live at home with the 'rents to save money during 2L and 3L (although I plan to live on campus 1L to maximize study-time and minimize commute time). Sure I have some biglaw aspirations, but in this economy, I'm pretty scared of a ton of debt. I'd prefer NYC/NJ over Boston, although biglaw in Boston wouldn't kill me.

Do I stick with the low debt at RU-N and accept midlaw in suburban NJ? Or do I take on the debt for BC to have a shot at Boston/NYC Biglaw? Go big or go home?


Edited: for typos

[JCFindley]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

[ru2486]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

Thanks JCFindley for your consideration! I suppose geographically it goes like this NYC > Northern NJ (Jersey City/Hoboken) > Boston > bumfuck south Jersey suburbia

But perhaps more importantly, can people relate what's happening at medians at Boston College vs. Rutgers-Newark? I can imagine median at RU-N is grim, but it won't happen with very much debt. What happens at median or below at BC?

[CanadianWolf]

You should be asking Rutgers for more money based on your BC acceptance with scholarship.

[ru2486]

You should be asking Rutgers for more money based on your BC acceptance with scholarship.

I already tried asking Rutgers for more money when I received a $27,000/year scholarship from Minnesota, but they didn't budge. Do you think BC's scholly would make them budge?

I'd really like some more people to make a case for BC over Rutgers in my situation.

[JCFindley]

You should be asking Rutgers for more money based on your BC acceptance with scholarship.

I already tried asking Rutgers for more money when I received a $27,000/year scholarship from Minnesota, but they didn't budge. Do you think BC's scholly would make them budge?

I'd really like some more people to make a case for BC over Rutgers in my situation.

I can't remember the link to the ABA job breakdown but median at Rutgers wasn't bad.... (at least with very low debt it wasn't.)

I really can't come up with a good reason to go BC at that cost difference over RU given your end game job desires.... Fordham with that price difference would be a different story given your preference for NYC but BC s not going to give you national reach so if you are not wanting Boston for the majority of your job prospects it wouldn't make sense for me......

[JCFindley]

Oh, and FWIW my geographic preferences are identical to yours and ruled out BC/BU before I even sent apps in......

[Easy-E]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

Generally speaking, how much does NJ Midlaw pay? 60k range, or pretty broad?

[JCFindley]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

Generally speaking, how much does NJ Midlaw pay? 60k range, or pretty broad?

That sounds about right but Rutgers places HEAVILY into local and state Gov't in NJ.... To be honest I don't know the avg pay on that but with a mere 40/50 K of debt it should be quite manageable.....

[Easy-E]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

Generally speaking, how much does NJ Midlaw pay? 60k range, or pretty broad?

That sounds about right but Rutgers places HEAVILY into local and state Gov't in NJ.... To be honest I don't know the avg pay on that but with a mere 40/50 K of debt it should be quite manageable.....

Okay. I've always been curious about the real job prospects at R-N. As a lifetime NJ resident (plenty of connections in-state and NY) with an LSAT average that could get me a big chunk of money, it's always been in the back of my mind. Always a good safety I suppose.

[JCFindley]

So, basically 30k/yr vs 8K/yr and CoL possibly being MUCH cheaper at RU-N, right?

So, 66K plus interest plus CoL differences of ___ for 2 and 3L.......

BC will give you a little better chance at biglaw in NYC and an obviously better chance at biglaw in Boston where as minimizing debt at RU-N will allow the money in NJ Midlaw to service the minimal debt with relative ease.....

If you honestly prefer NJ to Boston then the answer is obvious to me. If it is more that you really want NYC but NJ would be OK then it is a little murkier.

If you were big law or bust that answer would be obvious as well.....

If you rank midlaw with a realistically serviceable debt level above big law in Boston then go to RU-N.

I would do RU-N if I had your choices but only you can really decide what your end game plan is and which you would prefer.....

Generally speaking, how much does NJ Midlaw pay? 60k range, or pretty broad?

That sounds about right but Rutgers places HEAVILY into local and state Gov't in NJ.... To be honest I don't know the avg pay on that but with a mere 40/50 K of debt it should be quite manageable.....

Okay. I've always been curious about the real job prospects at R-N. As a lifetime NJ resident (plenty of connections in-state and NY) with an LSAT average that could get me a big chunk of money, it's always been in the back of my mind. Always a good safety I suppose.

Within my limited context of LS requirements RU-N was my solid second choice. My requirements were that the military GI Bill would pay 100% of costs and it gave me a solid chance of getting a job. Add to that my wife's requirements that I could do this midlife change of career dream chase thing/midlife crisis (whichever you choose to call it) was that we did this in or around NYC. That meant Fordham, RU-N, Cardozo, and possibly St Johns in that order.... The only two I was sure I would take were Fordham and RU-N.....

Rutgers Newark with little or no debt is a good deal and I would be heading there myself in the fall if I hadn't got into Fordham as well....

JC

[Easy-E]

Generally speaking, how much does NJ Midlaw pay? 60k range, or pretty broad?

That sounds about right but Rutgers places HEAVILY into local and state Gov't in NJ.... To be honest I don't know the avg pay on that but with a mere 40/50 K of debt it should be quite manageable.....

Okay. I've always been curious about the real job prospects at R-N. As a lifetime NJ resident (plenty of connections in-state and NY) with an LSAT average that could get me a big chunk of money, it's always been in the back of my mind. Always a good safety I suppose.

Within my limited context of LS requirements RU-N was my solid second choice. My requirements were that the military GI Bill would pay 100% of costs and it gave me a solid chance of getting a job. Add to that my wife's requirements that I could do this midlife change of career dream chase thing/midlife crisis (whichever you choose to call it) was that we did this in or around NYC. That meant Fordham, RU-N, Cardozo, and possibly St Johns in that order.... The only two I was sure I would take were Fordham and RU-N.....

Rutgers Newark with little or no debt is a good deal and I would be heading there myself in the fall if I hadn't got into Fordham as well....

JC

Wow, I'd love Fordham at no debt , that's pretty awesome. Obviously you earned it but congrats.

[ru2486]

Yeah mega congrats JCFindley! Thank you for your service.

For myself I have enough saved up to cover housing on campus and living expenses for 1L, and assuming I live at home 2L and 3L, my debt should be roughly 25k plus interest. Still more than I'd like, but not 100k for BC.

does anybody want to make the case for BC?

[jerseylwstudent]

People think too short term on these forums. BC is much better and more well known then Rutgers. The money will all work itself out in the end. Think long term. Go BC.

[JournalismToLaw]

People think too short term on these forums. BC is much better and more well known then Rutgers. The money will all work itself out in the end. Think long term. Go BC.

Wait, you're arguing other people are thinking too short term?!

[ru2486]

what is it with jerseylwstudent necroing the shit out of old threads

[JCFindley]

what is it with jerseylwstudent necroing the shit out of old threads

ROFLMAO, I thought BC had come back with even MORE money when I saw this thread then saw it was a couple BC threads old.... Nice job JLS.....