Northwestern $ v. Mich $ Forum

[stewart23]

With Northwestern’s deposit deadline looming, I’m looking for feedback on the following:

Scholarship (per year) /Institution’s Estimated Cost of Attendance (Per Year)
NU: 30k/76,382 = $139,146
Mich: 25k/66,800 (in-state) = $125,400

I have savings after seven years of teaching that could (in addition to scholarship) cover 1L.

My family may be able to cover COL for 2L and 3L. The rest would be loans.

I grew up in Michigan, but I’ve lived in Colorado for the last 7 years. I love it here, and I'd like to return. I’ve been offered scholarships at CU and Denver, but the job prospects (thanks TLS) just look too poor. I have some connections to the education and business worlds in both states but no ties to the legal community.

My career goals range from biglaw to the moon. I should mention that I'm also interested in the prospect of living in NYC or Chicago. Really, I’d like to work in government, and I envision myself being a regular in the career services office attempting to chart a path into specific offices.

GPA=3.66
LSAT 171

I cancelled my October score and accepted December’s. I was disappointed to go complete in January and wonder how applying earlier in the cycle would have changed my outcomes, but at 33 I feel like I’ve got some great opportunities here, and it’s time to get moving.

[bk1]

Pick your preference (including whether 15k is meaningful to you).

[DaftAndDirect]

Have you visited both campuses? Sounds to me like a question of pure fit.

Some will point to Big Law placement statistics as a reason to choose Northwestern. However, I think the discrepancies between Michigan and Northwestern's placement stats are explained by:

1. Northwestern students tending to have lots of prior work experience; and
2. Northwestern feeding directly into a single large legal market, a feature that Michigan lacks since Detroit is so weak right now.

Basically, you already have work experience, so choosing Northwestern or Michigan will be a wash on those grounds.
If you really want to work in Chicago, then Northwestern gains an obvious advantage, but if you're still unsure, Michigan and Northwestern are again similar.

Where do you want to spend the next 3 years? I'm a 2L and I'm sort of already bored with Ann Arbor if that means anything. CoL will be a lot less here, though, then it will be in Streeterville.

Anyway, good luck with the decision. Both great options.

[Winston1984]

Pretty much feel/personal preference. Congrats on the good options!

[n1o2c3a4c5h6e7t]

Michigan's employment stats are the worst of the T13, and you'd have to live in Michigan, so definitely NU.

[lecsa]

Michigan's employment stats are the worst of the T13, and you'd have to live in Michigan, so definitely NU.

Berkeley is the worst for Class of 2013, not that T13 is a thing.

I think it's a wash. I'd visit and see where you like more.

[jk148706]

Michigan's employment stats are the worst of the T13, and you'd have to live in Michigan, so definitely NU.

Weren't Berk's numbers worse than Mich?

Eta: scooped

[cslouisck]

I'm at Mich with an intention to go back to Colorado, and it's definitely doable, though I can't imagine CO firms care too much about whether you went to Mich or NU. So, that said, I'd agree with what others have said: comes down to preference. Which school did you like more? Do you want to live in a Big 10 college town? Ann Arbor's a less pretentious version of Boulder if you're into that kind of thing.

One other thing to consider as an older student is that you're probably going to live off campus, and at Mich. because most 1Ls live in the Lawyer's Club, you may find it more difficult to run into people for random social events. I like it here, but I'm pretty sure there's a consensus that living off campus as a 1L means you have to put in more effort to avoid feeling isolated.

[stewart23]

Where do you want to spend the next 3 years? I'm a 2L and I'm sort of already bored with Ann Arbor if that means anything. CoL will be a lot less here, though, then it will be in Streeterville.

Anyway, good luck with the decision. Both great options.

First of all, thank you. I'm definitely leaning Ann Arbor at the moment due to COL and proximity to family/friends.

[stewart23]

I'm at Mich with an intention to go back to Colorado, and it's definitely doable, though I can't imagine CO firms care too much about whether you went to Mich or NU. So, that said, I'd agree with what others have said: comes down to preference. Which school did you like more? Do you want to live in a Big 10 college town? Ann Arbor's a less pretentious version of Boulder if you're into that kind of thing.

One other thing to consider as an older student is that you're probably going to live off campus, and at Mich. because most 1Ls live in the Lawyer's Club, you may find it more difficult to run into people for random social events. I like it here, but I'm pretty sure there's a consensus that living off campus as a 1L means you have to put in more effort to avoid feeling isolated.

I spoke with a 3L from Michigan that landed a job in Denver. That sounds pretty ideal. Good luck to you! I actually like the idea of living in the Lawyer's Club. Hopefully age won't make that awkward. More importantly, does age play any role in decisions made at OCI?

[cslouisck]

I'm at Mich with an intention to go back to Colorado, and it's definitely doable, though I can't imagine CO firms care too much about whether you went to Mich or NU. So, that said, I'd agree with what others have said: comes down to preference. Which school did you like more? Do you want to live in a Big 10 college town? Ann Arbor's a less pretentious version of Boulder if you're into that kind of thing.

One other thing to consider as an older student is that you're probably going to live off campus, and at Mich. because most 1Ls live in the Lawyer's Club, you may find it more difficult to run into people for random social events. I like it here, but I'm pretty sure there's a consensus that living off campus as a 1L means you have to put in more effort to avoid feeling isolated.

I spoke with a 3L from Michigan that landed a job in Denver. That sounds pretty ideal. Good luck to you! I actually like the idea of living in the Lawyer's Club. Hopefully age won't make that awkward. More importantly, does age play any role in decisions made at OCI?

If you're not otherwise attached to someone (like I am), then the Lawyer's Club is probably a good place to be, especially since you can roll straight out of bed and into class. As for OCI, I doubt age per se would matter, except insofar as you should probably expect the question, "After 7 years of X, why law?"

Whatever you end up deciding, best of luck to you!

[CTT]

There are people who are in their 30s and living in the lawyers club and people who are in long-distance relationships (marriages included). It's dorm like (might actually be a dorm by definition), but it's an unparalleled set-up for your 1L year. Colorado from here isn't a problem if you have some connection out there and can articulate why you'd want to be there. You can be top of the pile out there, but you might have to do some leg work on the networking to make it happen. New York and Chicago aren't a problem. D.C. requires a very solid GPA for BigLaw. There are jobs in government there that are available, but the best ones tend to go to really strong candidates or so it appears.

[stewart23]

There are people who are in their 30s and living in the lawyers club and people who are in long-distance relationships (marriages included). It's dorm like (might actually be a dorm by definition), but it's an unparalleled set-up for your 1L year. Colorado from here isn't a problem if you have some connection out there and can articulate why you'd want to be there. You can be top of the pile out there, but you might have to do some leg work on the networking to make it happen. New York and Chicago aren't a problem. D.C. requires a very solid GPA for BigLaw. There are jobs in government there that are available, but the best ones tend to go to really strong candidates or so it appears.

Thanks very much to all! I am and have been leaning toward Michigan. I think I'm going to let that Northwestern scholarship slide!