Top Law Schools

Both are giving me around the same amount of money in scholarships. Which would you attend? thank you!

well...this can't end well

Post total COA after cost of living and interest.

fatpeopleavenger wrote:well...this can't end well

what can't end well?

There are massive amounts of firms who will just LAUGH in your face in you are fron NYLS.
If you're from Hofstra, they might just make a sad face and say "Awww...."
So...Hofstra?...

Go look at lawschooltransparency.com

The employment outlook is so poor I wouldn't even go if I had a full ride.

ImNoScar wrote:Post total COA after cost of living and interest.

NY Law school $72,816
Hofstra $71,267

alex.feuerman wrote:There are massive amounts of firms who will just LAUGH in your face in you are fron NYLS.
If you're from Hofstra, they might just make a sad face and say "Awww...."
So...Hofstra?...

I disagree. I've met a lot of Hofstra alumni who are doing fantastic. I think it has more to do with what you can offer. But thank you for the insight.

Out of the two, Hofstra. Should you? No. I'm sure a handful of people from Hofstra are doing well, but you really can't count on being that lucky. Its too much money for a hit or miss chance at success. I'd say retake, wait and apply early next cycle, and thank TLS after.

Goodluck!

rad lulz wrote:Go look at lawschooltransparency.com

The employment outlook is so poor I wouldn't even go if I had a full ride.

This.

You may think you're a special snowflake OP and that you'll beat the odds, but so does everyone else. You need to assess this investment as if you are going to finish around the 40-50%ile of the class. The job data for these schools is simply atrocious:

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=newyork
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school=hofstra

The smart thing to do is to retake the LSAT and go to a school worth going to on a scholarship. You're putting yourself behind the 8-ball by going to these schools.

Also, could you please show us your work on your COA numbers?

Cdanesi wrote:I disagree. I've met a lot of Hofstra alumni who are doing fantastic. I think it has more to do with what you can offer. But thank you for the insight.

1. Anecdotal evidence is not really evidence at all--especially since "Hofstra alumni" covers everyone from before the bottom fell out of the legal market, when Hofstra and NYLS were somewhat less terrible ideas. A grand total of 51.2% of Hofstra grads and 39.6% of NYLS grads last year got jobs as lawyers within nine months of graduating, and nearly half of those were in firms of 2-10 lawyers, which very likely means either a) crap firms with no advancement prospects that pay garbage or b) a bunch of desperate Hofstra grads trying to open their own shop, which also pays garbage. Keep in mind--assuming you're correct on your COA, if you're taking out $72k (plus figure $5k interest on top of that), you'll be paying just under $900/month in student loans when you graduate. Since that's after taxes, that means your pre-tax salary will be reduced by about $15k. Neither school makes salary data available (bad sign), but chances are if you do beat the odds and get a job as a lawyer, you'll be making somewhere between $40-60k/year to start. If you want to pay your loans in full and avoid the massive interest hit of IBR, that means in reality you'll be making $25-45k/year, or about $19-34k/year after taxes.

This is not good. If you want to work as a lawyer, retake the LSAT and go somewhere else.

Scotchandsoda wrote:Out of the two, Hofstra. Should you? No. I'm sure a handful of people from Hofstra are doing well, but you really can't count on being that lucky. Its too much money for a hit or miss chance at success. I'd say retake, wait and apply early next cycle, and thank TLS after.

Goodluck!

Hofstra is definitely more respected in NY than NYLS, but we're really talking 6th tier vs 7th tier of NY hiring, which, in this economy, is equivalent to choosing between the trail of tears or the train to auschwitz - either way, chance of success is minimal

guano wrote:

Scotchandsoda wrote:Out of the two, Hofstra. Should you? No. I'm sure a handful of people from Hofstra are doing well, but you really can't count on being that lucky. Its too much money for a hit or miss chance at success. I'd say retake, wait and apply early next cycle, and thank TLS after.

Goodluck!

Hofstra is definitely more respected in NY than NYLS, but we're really talking 6th tier vs 7th tier of NY hiring, which, in this economy, is equivalent to choosing between the trail of tears or the train to auschwitz - either way, chance of success is minimal

lol'd

You're funny when you're not really trying to be funny

Cdanesi wrote:

ImNoScar wrote:Post total COA after cost of living and interest.

NY Law school $72,816
Hofstra $71,267

Over all 3 years? Do you have almost a full ride or something?

Don't go to either

Sent you a PM.

Cdanesi wrote:

alex.feuerman wrote:There are massive amounts of firms who will just LAUGH in your face in you are fron NYLS.
If you're from Hofstra, they might just make a sad face and say "Awww...."
So...Hofstra?...

I think it has more to do with what you can offer.

LOL... whatever helps you sleep at night. Also, the answer to your initial question is "neither."

People in the 50's who dropped out of high school to work in manufacturing could do great. Ain't happenin' today. 10-20 years ago, a JD from virtually anywhere gave you a realistic pathway to success. That pathway does not exist anymore. Any established grads from either of these schools came up in a completely different era.

Cdanesi wrote:

alex.feuerman wrote:There are massive amounts of firms who will just LAUGH in your face in you are fron NYLS.
If you're from Hofstra, they might just make a sad face and say "Awww...."
So...Hofstra?...

I disagree. I've met a lot of Hofstra alumni who are doing fantastic. I think it has more to do with what you can offer. But thank you for the insight.

Baby Boomers?

Retake, ED UVA. Profit.

californiauser wrote:

Cdanesi wrote:

alex.feuerman wrote:There are massive amounts of firms who will just LAUGH in your face in you are fron NYLS.
If you're from Hofstra, they might just make a sad face and say "Awww...."
So...Hofstra?...

I disagree. I've met a lot of Hofstra alumni who are doing fantastic. I think it has more to do with what you can offer. But thank you for the insight.

Baby Boomers?

...

Never trust a Boomer, man.

Mark this date down on your calendar OP. I will bet it is one of the most important days of your life. If you decide to go to either of these schools, you will always regret it. If you have some balls to be rational, you might have made the best choice of your life.

I already took a year off to intern and work and I really don't want to take another year off. Hofstra upped my scholarship so I'm considering. What's the feelings toward Rutgers Newark and Seton Hall? Brooklyn? The same?

Unless they're free (or close to it), none of those schools are worth your time.

RhymesLikeDimes wrote:Even if they're free (or close to it), none of those schools are worth your time.

FTFY