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A good (?) dilemma:

Accepted as an IILJ scholar at NYU. 25k a year.
Accepted at Harvard. Would be completely debt-financed.
Accepted at Chicago with 25k a year. Planning on staying East Coast, but could consider Chicago.

Also in at Columbia, but no fin aid info yet.

Stats: 173/3.9x. 2 years WE with (possible) above average softs.

THE TWIST:

SO relies on access to NYC for work. We would need a car if I went to Harvard, and there is no true financial security regarding SOs job situation.

While this is primarily a personal decision, I wanted to use TLS as a sounding board for experience of others with SOs or just people with opinions. So let me have 'em.

ETA: Career goals are really up in the air right now. I'd love BigFed with a policy focus, I'd love public interest fellowship with international focus NGO, I'd love BigLaw litigation, I am pretty wishy washy. I would really like to do a clerkship, as I think it would help me have a lot of these options open as future exit options. Or maybe I'm naive.

Given everything with your situation, NYU sounds like your best bet if it is at least 3/4 scholarship(and perhaps even with half)

The Dark Shepard wrote:Given everything with your situation, NYU sounds like your best bet if it is at least 3/4 scholarship(and perhaps even with half)

This has been my general thought. Also, it seems clerkship outcomes for IILJ scholars are significantly better than NYU overall, so I feel this may help ease my concerns about turning down HLS. Anyone who disagrees, please smack me with superior reasoning. I need it right now.

Easiest choosing thread I've seen in a while. Definitely NYU given your SO's job and your flexible career goals.

koalacity wrote:Easiest choosing thread I've seen in a while. Definitely NYU given your SO's job and your flexible career goals.

What type of career goals do you think would make HLS a lock in this situation?

yomisterd wrote:

koalacity wrote:Easiest choosing thread I've seen in a while. Definitely NYU given your SO's job and your flexible career goals.

What type of career goals do you think would make HLS a lock in this situation?

Academia maybe

NYU is offering less than half tuition. I think they want me to go to Harvard...

yomisterd wrote:NYU is offering less than half tuition. I think they want me to go to Harvard...

Did you try to negotiate a little with NYU? I also thought they were a little low with the named scholarships, but I think they have room to increase or that they will once people start withdrawing.

I'm leaning NYU here. But it would help if you posted total COA figures, which incorporate the increased cost of the car, etc.