Top Law Schools

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Hey, can you calculate the total cost of attendance for these three options? Also, what are your numbers? Just looking at them I would say your best bet is BU, but it will likely be a very risky decision.

If you want big law, you should retake, because its not likely from any of these schools. If you attend any of them, there is a 2/3 chance you will not achieve your goal. Also, Fordham should automatically be eliminated if you do not want NYC.
Retake and reapply next year.

empyreanrrv wrote:Hey, can you calculate the total cost of attendance for these three options?

this!


use this to help you out
http://www.law.georgetown.edu/admission ... geid=61621

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Stay at your job for another year and retake the LSAT. None of those schools are worth that much money.

You aren't special, everyone tries very hard in law school, don't expect to be at the top 1/4th of your class. Expect to be at 50%.


Retake. None of these schools are worth taking 250k in loans for when you have a 3.8x gpa and can retake the LSAT. A test that if you improve 3-4 points on will be worth over $100,000+ at least. (After tax, so $160,000)

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NU at sticker is your best option relative to these on the table.


Did you score 10 points higher from your cold diagnostic or from a test you took after studying significantly for?

I studied for about 2 months. Not having enough timed, 5-section tests was the biggest thing. Took the exam Oct 2011 and then retook Oct 2012.

So have you studied 14 months or 2 months total for the LSAT?


Of your current options, I'd go with BU but it isn't worth 180k + interest in loans.

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What were your PT scores? 2-3 points opens up some significant money where you are now and a 170 opens up T14 with a good chance of significant money.


You can go now (It isn't advisable financially, but you're gonna do what you're gonna do) but if you have any belief that you can improve your score even a few points, it can significantly change your entire life and you should absolutely try.


The opportunity cost to study again for the LSAT is that you work for a year and save money while studying. Scoring lower isn't a risk.

The opportunity cost of not being in the top 1/4th of your class is roughly $195k in student loan debt that you may not pay off for 25 (20?) years.

That is too much debt for these schools... please retake the LSAT. You could take the June test and use it as a bargaining chip for money, or apply to better schools next cycle. Median at BU/GW/Fordham with 150k+ is an awful place to be.

As far as BU's COA being lower than GW and Fordham -- that is, in part, because they greatly underestimate how much you'll spend on housing (and don't include health insurance or transportation in the equation). So, if you're going to rent a house and live with 10 people, sure you can make it on what they estimate, but if you plan on getting an apartment, you'll probably spend more.

floydthebarber518 wrote:Retaking is essentially off the table. It's not a road I am considering taking right now. Fordham is close to being eliminated, but the thing is, I do want NYC. BUT, I'd also like Boston and DC as well, thus making my decision difficult. I can see why you make the 2/3 chance argument, but that analysis of BigLaw placement assumes all applicants to have the same chances of BigLaw. Although BigLaw is NOT the be-all/end-all, I fully intend on graduating top 1/4 of my class. This is my expectation. (Yes, easier said than done). Money aside, I wouldn't spend 3 years of my life half-assing.

I stopped reading at this. If I had a dime for every law student in last year's class who thought they would "just do in the top 25% bro" I'd have 50,000 dimes.

First, your biglaw prospects are almost 100% dependent on your first-year grades. So "three years half-assing" means you don't really know how the system works. Huge red flag.

Second, it's not just about "half-assing" your studies. It's about being one of the lucky people who gets law school exams a few months before everyone else. You just have no idea if you're one of those people until first semester grades come out, and you can't assume so simply because they gave you some money (hint, they give a lot of people money).

Out of those options, I would take Chi-Kent out of the picture. Unless your at the very top of the class, and are set on Chicago, it will be difficult to find work.

As far as you wanting to be in NYC, I would look at the numbers closer at GW BU and Fordham. BU has the smallest class size, Fordham and GW are nearly double. The percent of students who go on to big law jobs are similar (27%-30%). The problem with Fordham is that it is typically NYC or bust. GW and Boston give you the opportunity for jobs in different markets (DC is the toughest market to crack, but if you're open to government jobs GW sends about 30% of it students to government/PI jobs).

Best of luck getting of those waitlists! In the mean time I'd recommend getting Fordham of the list.

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For what it's worth, GW is now offering $25,000 a year (figure includes grants/scholarships combined), making COA similar.

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floydthebarber518 wrote:

Kalinda wrote:Out of those options, I would take Chi-Kent out of the picture. Unless your at the very top of the class, and are set on Chicago, it will be difficult to find work.

As far as you wanting to be in NYC, I would look at the numbers closer at GW BU and Fordham. BU has the smallest class size, Fordham and GW are nearly double. The percent of students who go on to big law jobs are similar (27%-30%). The problem with Fordham is that it is typically NYC or bust. GW and Boston give you the opportunity for jobs in different markets (DC is the toughest market to crack, but if you're open to government jobs GW sends about 30% of it students to government/PI jobs).

Best of luck getting of those waitlists! In the mean time I'd recommend getting Fordham of the list.

Thank you. Now that GW has upped their offer, it's become even harder. COA is now similar. I will likely try to re-negotiate w/ BU w/ the GW offer. Least I could do is try.

Other than that, i'll be waiting on NU. #1 choice, for sure.

BU will probably negotiate with a GW offer.

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That is a decent sized scholarship. I'd take it if it doesn't have a contingent GPA over the median.