Northeastern v. BU Forum

[THE ILLEST BIRD 3000]

AN INSANELY ILL BIRD

[isuperserial]

Both have offered significant scholarship. Northeastern has offered significantly more. My situation is such that I will graduate free of debt regardless. Trust me that you would not envy the circumstances.

So: BU is obviously the higher ranked school. But I truly, madly, deeply, love Northeastern's co-op program. "The law school education model is broken!" everyone says, and I'm convinced! I agree! Northeastern seems to solve these most obvious problems. It's the only logical way to run a trade school. And but, its academics are just, well, worse.

I love the Northeastern campus and co-op program, though I'm deeply apprehensive about their lack of grades and the utility of their degree outside of the Boston market (I'm planning to stick around, but what if I change my mind?). I've been out of university for a few years, didn't like being an undergrad, and love the idea of spending months at a time outside of the classroom. I'd likely be a top student at Northeastern and a median at BU. I think I'd be happier at Northeastern.

But BU is a better school. And it'll be on my my resume/CV the rest of my life. So it's BU, right? Right?

First off, you don't know what you'd be at each school, so don't bank on being the hottest shit to ever walk through Northeastern.

Secondly, unless you're going to law school to not become a lawyer, go to BU. Northeastern gives you a 40 percent shot at being a lawyer, BU gives you 65. It's not about rank, it's about employment. If you were talking about SMU or something as an alternative, that'd be another story. All things being equal, picking the school that gives you worse employment prospects seems like a pretty bad decision.

Third option is to retake and re-apply.

Anyway, to give any better of advice we need COA, career aspirations etc.

[dissonance1848]

What are OP's numbers?

Where does OP want to practice?

Where does OP have ties?

What is COA for Northeastern and BU?

Until the above are answered, advice will be worthless.

[empyreanrrv]

Northeastern gives you a 40 percent shot at being a lawyer, BU gives you 65. It's not about rank, it's about employment.

This is the gist. If the Northeastern co-op program were worth it, you'd see Northeastern placing much better than 55% into long-term full-time employment. BU places about 70% without the same program.

Don't try to guess where you will place in the class, it is a futile exercise.

[cinephile]

If you can graduate for free, go to BU. This is a no brainer. If you want to do clinics, then do clinics.

I go to BU and managed to do a part-time externship (unpaid and without credit) during my 1L year (and balanced it with my classes, 10 hours a week is nothing).

And you can complete up to 12 hours of clinics, so technically you could do one for 3 credit hours every semester during 2L and 3L year. Or if you wanted to work for a semester full-time you could do a semester in practice anywhere while you're at BU. This plus your summers pretty much gives you the same result as the co-ops. And if you want to be practical, then take practical classes like contract drafting, accounting for lawyers, depositions, negotiations, etc. It's a choice people make and you can take whatever you'd like and make of your experience in law school what you will.

[cahwc12]