NYU (70k) vs UCLA (120k) Forum

[fingerscrossedxx]

I know there is a search function and I have looked through a number of threads, but I dont think many address my issue re: international student.

I'm currently deposited at UCLA with a 38k per year scholarship, but I just got admitted to NYU with a 25k per year scholarship. I got the chance to visit UCLA and I loved the school, the faculty, and I think I could do really well there, PLUS their scholarship is very substantial (for first year they added on an extra 6000 so I only pay 10k for my first year) (their scholly is 44,000 out of 54000 first year)

At the same time, I'm worried as an international student about job prospects. I keep hearing that as an international our best bet is to go for biglaw as those firms are more willing to hire us and go through the hassle of doing all the required paperwork, and I know for sure NYU will give me a better chance at that, but at the same time its hard to turn down that money at UCLA.

No ties to either place, don't mind working in Cal or New York, just worried about getting a job. Would I be crazy to go for UCLA over NYU?

[Doorkeeper]

To get biglaw at UCLA, conventional wisdom is that you have to be top 1/3. And even then you're only really looking at LA biglaw.

NYU is much, much better at getting kids into biglaw past the top 1/3. In addition, it has a much more national reach in terms of placement (Although as an international student you probably will need to focus on major markets where ties aren't an issue). It's definitely worth the extra 50k in my opinion if you want to maximize your chances at biglaw in any location.

[chasgoose]

Yeah, I would say that $50k more for NYU is probably worth it in your case. If your main interest is getting a job, NYU will be much better at doing that. You probably will be mostly limited to NYC jobs if you have no ties elsewhere, but NYC is a much easier market than LA to break into in the first place and about 80% of people who did EIW last year got at least one offer so you will probably get a job. I don't think that is the case at UCLA.

[fingerscrossedxx]

To get biglaw at UCLA, conventional wisdom is that you have to be top 1/3. And even then you're only really looking at LA biglaw.

NYU is much, much better at getting kids into biglaw past the top 1/3. In addition, it has a much more national reach in terms of placement (Although as an international student you probably will need to focus on major markets where ties aren't an issue). It's definitely worth the extra 50k in my opinion if you want to maximize your chances at biglaw in any location.

Thanks guys. That's the impression I'm getting as well... But would LA biglaw be that hard to break into without any ties to the market?

For those voting for UCLA in the poll, reasoning?

[CanadianWolf]

With a 162/3.9, you've done quite well. Congratulations !

Without more info. regarding your background & interests, it's difficult to recommend any law school other than NYU, Columbia & Harvard for international students. Are you still on Harvard's waitlist ?

[Law Sauce]

Yes you would be crazy to go to UCLA over NYU at those prices. Definitely go to NYU. Not even close at all. Yes you could go to SoCal from NYU, just work there 1L summer or create ties some other way and have good grades, second, living in NYC and getting some understanding of the legal field and practice areas, you may want to go to NYC or DC, which will be far easier from NYU. NYU opens more doors for marginally more, NYU at over half off is a steal, congrats.

[fingerscrossedxx]

With a 162/3.9, you've done quite well. Congratulations !

Without more info. regarding your background & interests, it's difficult to recommend any law school other than NYU, Columbia & Harvard for international students. Are you still on Harvard's waitlist ?

Haha thanks. I feel so lucky to even have these options. Yes I'm still on Harvards waitlist and will be riding it till the end, but I'm trying to proceed withougt banking all my money on Harvard :p

[fingerscrossedxx]

Yes you would be crazy to go to UCLA over NYU at those prices. Definitely go to NYU. Not even close at all. Yes you could go to SoCal from NYU, just work there 1L summer or create ties some other way and have good grades, second, living in NYC and getting some understanding of the legal field and practice areas, you may want to go to NYC or DC, which will be far easier from NYU. NYU opens more doors for marginally more, NYU at over half off is a steal, congrats.

Thanks for the info on options. I guess its true that I could do NYU to SoCal but it would be rather hard to do UCLA to New York. :p

Goodness, it seems my decision is pretty clear. I just feel so bad for turning down UCLA, everyone over there has been GREAT so far. Which yes, I know, I'm not going to pick a school just cause I feel bad turning them down haha.

[CanadianWolf]

Try to negotiate a deferral year acceptance from Harvard.

[Doorkeeper]

Try to negotiate a deferral year acceptance from Harvard.

They don't do that. WL is explicitly used to fill space in this year's incoming class.

Good thinking though.

[fingerscrossedxx]

Try to negotiate a deferral year acceptance from Harvard.

They don't do that. WL is explicitly used to fill space in this year's incoming class.

Good thinking though.

I'm not sure how this would help? I'm a little confused :p

[moneybagsphd]

If you really want UCLA, try to squeeze a full ride out of them. Otherwise, go to NYU and don't look back.

[madvillain]

Hey, I'm another international applicant this cycle who had the same financial options (until I was accepted by HLS a month ago). I also felt bad about turning down UCLA and their scholarship, they were certainly very generous and accommodating throughout the whole process. However when I went to NYU's ASW I was very impressed by the school environment and more importantly the career opportunities offered, compared to UCLA, to foreign students. In the long run the security of landing a corporate job will easily outweigh the 50K difference in tuition, and NYU will give you the best opportunity to do so in the NYC market, which is the largest market anyway. Also, there are a lot of other internationals at NYU (compared to UCLA) so you have plenty of international upper-level students who can give you advice and suggestions.

[fingerscrossedxx]

Hey, I'm another international applicant this cycle who had the same financial options (until I was accepted by HLS a month ago). I also felt bad about turning down UCLA and their scholarship, they were certainly very generous and accommodating throughout the whole process. However when I went to NYU's ASW I was very impressed by the school environment and more importantly the career opportunities offered, compared to UCLA, to foreign students. In the long run the security of landing a corporate job will easily outweigh the 50K difference in tuition, and NYU will give you the best opportunity to do so in the NYC market, which is the largest market anyway. Also, there are a lot of other internationals at NYU (compared to UCLA) so you have plenty of international upper-level students who can give you advice and suggestions.

Thanks for this madvillain. Here's hoping my cycle ends just like urs and i get off that HLS waitlist And yes, I got the sense at UCLA that international students were few, and mostly LLMs. It would be good to have that sense of community at NYU as well.

[fingerscrossedxx]

Just crunched the numbers. It seems the loan I'll be taking out for NYU will be 13k more than the one at UCLA. I think at the end of the day thats worth it to go to NYU. I did appeal the award and they're currently considering it, so HOPEFULLY they can increase that :p

Thanks for all your input people it is MUCH appreciated!

[Mr. Somebody]

NYU is the right choice (Though I picked the third option )

Was that award from NYU need based?

[fingerscrossedxx]

NYU is the right choice (Though I picked the third option )

Was that award from NYU need based?

Haha, I'm leaning towards the last option as well haha. Yes they seem to say it was needbased. But honestly I have no idea, cuz my needbased from UCLA was MUCH less than that, and this award is called a "deans scholarship" so I have NO idea what NYU is doing haha.

[moneybagsphd]

Just crunched the numbers. It seems the loan I'll be taking out for NYU will be 13k more than the one at UCLA. I think at the end of the day thats worth it to go to NYU. I did appeal the award and they're currently considering it, so HOPEFULLY they can increase that :p

Thanks for all your input people it is MUCH appreciated!

NYU's award or UCLA's? b/c NYU probably won't increase your award based on your UCLA scholly, but UCLA might increase your award based on your NYU scholly.
My situation might make you feel a little better about your own. I have to decide between Columbia at full freight and USC with substantial money. I've done the math; 3 years tuition at Columbia will cost nearly 300,000 after interest. Consider yourself lucky.

[fingerscrossedxx]

Just crunched the numbers. It seems the loan I'll be taking out for NYU will be 13k more than the one at UCLA. I think at the end of the day thats worth it to go to NYU. I did appeal the award and they're currently considering it, so HOPEFULLY they can increase that :p

Thanks for all your input people it is MUCH appreciated!

NYU's award or UCLA's? b/c NYU probably won't increase your award based on your UCLA scholly, but UCLA might increase your award based on your NYU scholly.
My situation might make you feel a little better about your own. I have to decide between Columbia at full freight and USC with substantial money. I've done the math; 3 years tuition at Columbia will cost nearly 300,000 after interest. Consider yourself lucky.

I VERY much do!! I feel sooo lucky. I did see your thread :p What did you decide re columbia vs nyu?

and i know NYU would have no real reason to increase it, i just thought it wouldnt hurt to ask. cause ucla upped their scholarship TWICE already. Once to beat a scholarship and once with just an acceptance to an equally ranked school! so ive learnt in this process that it NEVER hurts to ask.

[fingerscrossedxx]

Just a quick update, NYU didnt increase their scholarship offer, and for some reason I was really hoping they would. So at the end of the day as much as I wanted to go I decided to turn them down. I'm not sure if my co-signer would be okay with me taking on an extra 20k in loans per year so I went with the money. And also riding out that H waitlist and praying to dear God

Thank you all for your responses though! It made it that much more painful to turn down NYU :p