Top Law Schools

With the exception of my waiting on a few decisions, I've pretty much narrowed down to these 2 schools. I know I want to be in NYC when I graduate and I'm prty sure I want to do biglaw. Any advice is appreciated.

Very interested in this as well- Im in a very similar predicament. Does attending a T20 at sticker make more sense than attending a T30-50 with nearly a full tuition scholarship? Sorry to barge in on your thread OP- was literally just going to make one.

No worries, for me Fordham with 90K knocked out full scholly at Cardozo and scince I know I will be in NYC upon graduation I'm not tht into vandy or ucla and bu hasn't said anything in refrence to scholly neither has gulc. Not sure if gulc is going to justify the price diff of Fordham for NYC biglaw.

What re you looking at?

Fordham is a $30k/yr scholarship? Fordham. Gtown isn't worth the extra $90k, especially for NY.

TripTrip wrote:Fordham is a $30k/yr scholarship? Fordham. Gtown isn't worth the extra $90k, especially for NY.

Yeah, Fordham 30k/year, gulc sticker, bu sticker, ucla 30k/year, vandy 25k/year +5k (80total), Cardozo full scholly

Rlabo wrote:

TripTrip wrote:Fordham is a $30k/yr scholarship? Fordham. Gtown isn't worth the extra $90k, especially for NY.

Yeah, Fordham 30k/year, gulc sticker, bu sticker, ucla 30k/year, vandy 25k/year +5k (80total), Cardozo full scholly

With COL wouldn't Vandy be cheaper than Fordham? I'd say they have comparable stats to Gtown for a lot cheaper so not sure why they're out of the mix?

Vandy's Biglaw placement is also just slightly lower than Fordhams, but Vandy's clerkship is significantly higher so with that self selection out I'd say you have a better shot at Biglaw out of Vandy.

muskies970 wrote:

Rlabo wrote:

TripTrip wrote:Fordham is a $30k/yr scholarship? Fordham. Gtown isn't worth the extra $90k, especially for NY.

Yeah, Fordham 30k/year, gulc sticker, bu sticker, ucla 30k/year, vandy 25k/year +5k (80total), Cardozo full scholly

With COL wouldn't Vandy be cheaper than Fordham? I'd say they have comparable stats to Gtown for a lot cheaper so not sure why they're out of the mix?

Vandy's Biglaw placement is also just slightly lower than Fordhams, but Vandy's clerkship is significantly higher so with that self selection out I'd say you have a better shot at Biglaw out of Vandy.

Yes. And while basically everyone from Fordham competes for NYC firms, many from Vandy will opt out of NYC. That should work to your advantage.

retake

Got a 169 and do not plan to retake. Still hoping for a Cornell acceptance. Wl at 4 t14 so far, and waiting on 4 more pending decisions (Harvard prob ding, nyu ding/wl, penn ding/wl, Cornell in/wl). Vandy is out almost purely because of location. While I love the schools spirit and think they have a good reach for NYC, I just can't realistically see myself picking up and going to Tennessee, especially since I have decent to good offers closer to home. Col for NYC is zero as I'm from brooklyn so unless I opt out of living at home I'm set there.

A 90k scholarship at Fordham is still $169k debt when you add interest. That level of debt almost necessitates a big law job, but that's an unlikely outcome at either school. Frankly I wouldn't go to either.

rad lulz wrote:A 90k scholarship at Fordham is still $169k debt when you add interest. That level of debt almost necessitates a big law job, but that's an unlikely outcome at either school. Frankly I wouldn't go to either.

That seems a bit too risk averse to say you wouldn't go to a t20-t14 school cuz of the debt. If anything with that advice I should take Cardozo with full scholly and get a free jd but we both know that would basically screw me out of any chance of big law. I guess I'm stuck hoping I get a Cornell acceptance, though I still wouldn't think I'm in the worst boat you can be in with my current options that warents a "don't go to law school."

Rlabo wrote:

rad lulz wrote:A 90k scholarship at Fordham is still $169k debt when you add interest. That level of debt almost necessitates a big law job, but that's an unlikely outcome at either school. Frankly I wouldn't go to either.

That seems a bit too risk averse to say you wouldn't go to a t20-t14 school cuz of the debt. If anything with that advice I should take Cardozo with full scholly and get a free jd but we both know that would basically screw me out of any chance of big law. I guess I'm stuck hoping I get a Cornell acceptance, though I still wouldn't think I'm in the worst boat you can be in with my current options that warents a "don't go to law school."

My advice would actually be see if you can retake and get into Cornell (or other T13), hopefully with some money (like I wouldn't pay $250k+ to go to a T14).

Rlabo wrote:Got a 169 and do not plan to retake. Still hoping for a Cornell acceptance. Wl at 4 t14 so far, and waiting on 4 more pending decisions (Harvard prob ding, nyu ding/wl, penn ding/wl, Cornell in/wl). Vandy is out almost purely because of location. While I love the schools spirit and think they have a good reach for NYC, I just can't realistically see myself picking up and going to Tennessee, especially since I have decent to good offers closer to home. Col for NYC is zero as I'm from brooklyn so unless I opt out of living at home I'm set there.

Oh. with no COL, Fordham with 90K sounds like a good option

rad lulz wrote: Cornell (or other T13)

lol @ gtown hate.

I have yet to negotiate at all so hopefully I may be able to get smtn out of gulc to justify attendance (but they've been very strange this cycle with aid). I see the idea of taking again appealing to a lot, but I have no intention of going down that road again and pushing off law school for a year, especially since I already have (IMO) some solid offers.

Rlabo wrote:I have yet to negotiate at all so hopefully I may be able to get smtn out of gulc to justify attendance (but they've been very strange this cycle with aid). I see the idea of taking again appealing to a lot, but I have no intention of going down that road again and pushing off law school for a year, especially since I already have (IMO) some solid offers.

Oh I missed that part were you have 0 CoL.

You should calculate total CoA with interest

Rlabo wrote: Col for NYC is zero as I'm from brooklyn so unless I opt out of living at home I'm set there.

Um, this is fairly important. Might be a good idea to mention at the beginning that you'd save an additional ~$75K by going to Fordham.

Rlabo wrote:I have yet to negotiate at all so hopefully I may be able to get smtn out of gulc to justify attendance (but they've been very strange this cycle with aid). I see the idea of taking again appealing to a lot, but I have no intention of going down that road again and pushing off law school for a year, especially since I already have (IMO) some solid offers.

Fordham is solid for that price, but not for someone who wants big law. What are you going to do if you miss that boat? Because not getting big law is your most likely outcome out of Fordham

You need a higher score or hope Cornell takes you.

With that kind of money difference, plus knowing you want NYC and prob biglaw, Fordham seems like a no brainer to me. Also, if NYC is really that important to you, it seems that guaranteeing three years of your life in NYC should be worth something (a factor often discounted on this board).

169/3.6x so my chances are Cornell are decent to good, just don't want to count on it especially this late in the cycle. Im born and raised in ny and know I will be here regardless of where i go to school or if I get big law in nyc after. I don't care as much to be in NYC for ls rather than being there upon graduation, but it makes sense to be there given other options ( if I had duke or umich than it would be fine to be out of NYC). that being said gulc is prob better for NYC big law where Fordham is prob better for non- big law NYC.

I think Fordham is a good option (vomited in my mouth a little typing that) in your case. With no COL, you're looking at potentially a ~$60k degree with a reasonable shot at achieving what you want. There's no shame in living at home when the other option is using your potential future earnings (re: loans).

I would also choose Fordham over Cornell IN YOUR SPECIFIC CASE. You are probably in at Cornell but it would likely be at sticker. Even if they matched the 90k, which they won't do, you'd be losing out on COL for 3 years.

I'd take Fordham and definitely live at home unless you get Cornell with 30k+

make a poll.

Got a 169 and do not plan to retake.

Two more points could mean a $60k scholarship at Cornell..... just sayin'.

Run with the money like you just robbed the bank.

TheNextAmendment wrote:Does attending a T20 at sticker make more sense than attending a T30-50 with nearly a full tuition scholarship.

Attending a T20 at sticker is generally a bad financial decision.