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NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:31 pm
by thisisunexpected
Choice: NYU (probably at sticker, was just admitted off the waitlist today, so we'll say $280k) vs. Duke ($180k)

Goals: the usual, clerkship, public interest or biglaw, NYC

Other: I've worked at a firm in NYC for 4 years now, so I have some connections here already. I have some savings and a 401k I can cash out, but the vast majority of the above amounts will be loan-funded. I've got a week to decide.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:43 pm
by valrath
I don't think NYU is worth 100k more than Duke

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:44 pm
by Bronck
valrath wrote:I don't think NYU is not worth 100k more than Duke
FTFY

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:56 pm
by Tom Joad
Duke. Don't be silly.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 10:57 pm
by JamMasterJ
Duke unless you get 67K

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:02 pm
by hephaestus
Tom Joad wrote:Duke. Don't be silly.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:04 pm
by supernma
OP what are your numbers (if you don't mind sharing them)?

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:11 pm
by thisisunexpected
3.4/170. They're clearly having a weird year.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:13 pm
by supernma
Word. Actually that seems about right to me. Did you do ED to NYU? Just curious.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:18 pm
by rickgrimes69
1. NYU is objectively not worth sticker price.
2. NYU is objectively not worth $100k more than Duke.
3. Seriously, NYU is not worth $100k more than Duke.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:21 pm
by supernma
I would probably disagree with you on that one. Just sayin'.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Wed May 22, 2013 11:26 pm
by Ti Malice
ImNoScar wrote:
Tom Joad wrote:Duke. Don't be silly.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 12:12 am
by thisisunexpected
supernma wrote:Word. Actually that seems about right to me. Did you do ED to NYU? Just curious.
Nope, applied in February.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 12:45 am
by rad lulz
Ti Malice wrote:
ImNoScar wrote:
Tom Joad wrote:Duke. Don't be silly.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 1:13 am
by jbagelboy
I would not attend NYU with sticker debt

Duke at that price is a respectable deal

50K at NYU would beat your Duke scholarship professionally speaking with NYC biglaw/PI ambitions (although you should know whether you want to work for a law firm or in public service since they have pretty different trajectories...). Then again, this is with the assumption that you have 4 years of NYC ties, friends, maybe family, and arent looking for change.

With these two options I voted you stick with Duke. Update with scholarship information if it comes in. Also, CONGRATS on NYU with a 3.4!

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 1:37 am
by heywatchitbuddy
Question about Duke, roughly what percentage of the class gets biglaw?

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 2:13 am
by sublime
..

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 2:35 am
by quakeroats
sublime12089 wrote:
heywatchitbuddy wrote:Question about Duke, roughly what percentage of the class gets biglaw?
http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

40 to 50% depending on your definition of Biglaw.
You should probably add in that 12.9% federal clerkship number.

If we're doing fed clerks plus 250+ firms that's 62.6%.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 9:39 am
by sinfiery
rickgrimes69 wrote:1. NYU is objectively not worth sticker price.
Objectively is a strong word.



OP, I picked NYU at 200k over UVA at 115k. It wasn't the best financial decision but I'd rather live in NYC for 3 years in my 20s and my career goals could really be boosted by lateraling from a v5 firm which NYU dominates non t6 schools in.


Still financially stupid and I can't advise anyone to do what I did. Go to Duke.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 9:59 am
by rickgrimes69
sinfiery wrote:
rickgrimes69 wrote:1. NYU is objectively not worth sticker price.
Objectively is a strong word.
It's an accurate one. IMO, no school outside of HYS is worth sticker ITE, and those schools are only worth it because of their excellent LRAP. $280k for law school is just too expensive nowadays, and NYU just isn't special enough (no offense) to merit such an absurdly high COA.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:04 am
by sinfiery
How do you feel about PAYE? It seems to have the potential to dramatically lower the downside of the law school investment? And if the tax bomb is removed, is a little bit too perfect.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:11 am
by loomstate
The argument for NYU in this situation depends on OP's interests and goals.

If OP wants biglaw, NYU is a legitimate move - whereas NYU has about 5% bad outcomes and Duke has about 15%. That being said, if OP is capable enough to avoid bottom ~5% at NYU that may equate to capable enough to avoid bottom ~15% at Duke. But who knows.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:45 am
by thisisunexpected
loomstate wrote:The argument for NYU in this situation depends on OP's interests and goals.

If OP wants biglaw, NYU is a legitimate move - whereas NYU has about 5% bad outcomes and Duke has about 15%. That being said, if OP is capable enough to avoid bottom ~5% at NYU that may equate to capable enough to avoid bottom ~15% at Duke. But who knows.

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

http://www.lstscorereports.com/?school= ... =employers

I would think that the bigger difference would be if I want PI/government? NYU has been placing about twice as many people there (20-25%) as Duke (8-10%) according to lst.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 10:46 am
by Doorkeeper
JamMasterJ wrote:Duke unless you get 67K
This. Make sure you tell NYU about your Duke scholarship. People who get accepted off of the waitlist can get scholarship money.

Re: NYU v Duke

Posted: Thu May 23, 2013 11:12 am
by rickgrimes69
sinfiery wrote:How do you feel about PAYE? It seems to have the potential to dramatically lower the downside of the law school investment? And if the tax bomb is removed, is a little bit too perfect.
If the Tax Bomb gets removed (and that's a big If) that lowers the risk a lot and makes NYU at sticker less of an objectively bad decision. It's still a relatively bad decision though, when you consider how much extra you're paying per additional percentage chance at a positive outcome. Duke placed within 1% of NYU's large firm and federal clerkship placement last year. Unless someone is dead-set on P.I. work or unnecessarily concerned about dat V10 prefstige, NYU offers a very marginal advantage but costs a lot more.