Chicago($) VS UVA($$) Forum

[Nothing but the Funk]

With the exception of Michigan( which I'm not really all that crazy about) I have heard back from everyone. I am currently trying to negotiate but I don't expect a lot since only UVA and Chicago gave me anything to begin with.

Chicago: 60,000

UVA: 90,000

Including cost of living, differences in tuition, etc. UVA seems to be about 45,000 cheaper. However, if I choose UVA I will probable have to buy a car but I don't know how much of this would be compared to public transit costs in Chicago. My goal is public interest but I've been on this site long enough to know that might change.

Honestly, I would prefer to live in Chicago.I like the idea of a big city environment. Their smaller class size and focus on interdisciplinary study are also positives for me. So mainly I was just looking for other opinions.

[FloridaCoastalorbust]

the rationale you've provided justifies attending chicago

start a poll and provide just a little more info

[ticklemesilly]

Chicago based on your preferences. Maybe you can negotiate up.

[Winston1984]

Do you know where you want to work?

[Dog]

Do you know where you want to work?

This is highly relevant to OP's decision. Also, OP mentioned liking Chicago's city environment. It's probably worth mentioning UChi isn't exactly in the nicest part of the city.

[Snuffles1]

I made a similar choice (more like Chicago $ / UVA $$$ though). I had personal and professional reasons for choosing Chicago, but I also did some hard number crunching and it turned out that for various reasons it was a financial wash despite the difference in funding. Interdisciplinarity (meaning mostly but definitely not exclusively Econ and Poli Sci) as well as small size are good reasons to prefer Chicago over UVA, but you might also want to take a hard look at Chicago neighborhoods and CTA maps to help you crunch numbers. For example, if you live in Lakeview/Belmont the rent will be higher though not outrageous compared to Hyde Park but you'll probably need a car. If you live in South Loop rent will be a little higher than Hyde Park (though comparable to Regents, where most 1Ls and lots of 2Ls/3Ls stay) but you won't need a car.

[BigZuck]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

[Tiago Splitter]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Has everyone given scholarships yet? There might be a lot of negotiating to do once more info comes out.

[thebobs1987]

Do you know where you want to work?

This is highly relevant to OP's decision. Also, OP mentioned liking Chicago's city environment. It's probably worth mentioning UChi isn't exactly in the nicest part of the city.

Hyde Park isn't bad at all. Areas to the south of it aren't good, but campus is nice

[Hand]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Has everyone given scholarships yet? There might be a lot of negotiating to do once more info comes out.

NU has yet to make offers to non-ED applicants. Wait for that OP (assuming you applied there &U got accepted).

[Tiago Splitter]

Man that Gacy tar is creepy

[Hand]

Man that Gacy tar is creepy

Pogo can be your friend too har har

[BigZuck]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Has everyone given scholarships yet? There might be a lot of negotiating to do once more info comes out.

Was thinking that but the OP said they had heard back from everyone except Michigan. Something doesn't add up.

[jbagelboy]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

I agree there should be more options, but not a lot more money; $60k is more than I got from Chicago, although that was a long time ago. Idk. I don't feel remiss approving Chicago here unless OP has a good thing going now, wants to live in Chicago and will sit the cycle out for an ED Northwestern.

(Side note: with tuition exceeding $60k next year and assuming loans for living expenses downtown, the ED scholarship from Northwestern, $150k over three years, can easily still leave students w/o independent assets in $100,000+ debt after interest. Not a panacea.)

[BigZuck]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

I agree there should be more options, but not a lot more money; $60k is more than I got from Chicago, although that was a long time ago. Idk. I don't feel remiss approving Chicago here unless OP has a good thing going now, wants to live in Chicago and will sit the cycle out for an ED Northwestern.

(Side note: with tuition exceeding $60k next year and assuming loans for living expenses downtown, the ED scholarship from Northwestern, $150k over three years, can easily still leave students w/o independent assets in $100,000+ debt after interest. Not a panacea.)

Sure, but I'll take 100K debt at Northwestern over 250K debt at CCN every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

More likely than not, this poster will be getting in line at the big law drone factory just like everyone else and I don't think Chicago is worth 150K extra debt just to enjoy Kirkland and Ellis instead of mcdermott will and emery.

(of course I don't know anything about Chicago's Chicago big law placement vs NU's but I'm assuming it's not 150K better)

[Dog]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

I agree there should be more options, but not a lot more money; $60k is more than I got from Chicago, although that was a long time ago. Idk. I don't feel remiss approving Chicago here unless OP has a good thing going now, wants to live in Chicago and will sit the cycle out for an ED Northwestern.

(Side note: with tuition exceeding $60k next year and assuming loans for living expenses downtown, the ED scholarship from Northwestern, $150k over three years, can easily still leave students w/o independent assets in $100,000+ debt after interest. Not a panacea.)

Sure, but I'll take 100K debt at Northwestern over 250K debt at CCN every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

More likely than not, this poster will be getting in line at the big law drone factory just like everyone else and I don't think Chicago is worth 150K extra debt just to enjoy Kirkland and Ellis instead of McDermott Will and Emery.

(of course I don't know anything about Chicago's Chicago big law placement vs NU's but I'm assuming it's not 150K better)

There are actually slightly more NU grads than UChi grads at K & E ' s Chicago office.

[Nothing but the Funk]

I'll try to address all the questions asked.

I'd really like to avoid new york after graduation, but other then that I am pretty open. Snuffles I would love to hear more about what math lead you to that conclusion. I plan on living around HP, at least for the first year. Applied at Duke, Michigan, Harvard, Stanford, UVA, Chicago, and Georgetown. I think that should answer everything.

[UnicornHunter]

Random list of schools. Honestly, I would consider sitting out and throwing apps at Cornell, northwestern, Columbia, Penn, and NYU as well as your list next cycle. Even if you have some weird reason for not attending, you lost a lot of leverage by not applying broadly.

If you go, I don't think either option is bad...just not great. It's a lot of debt to take on.

[LawBron James]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Not necessarily, those are basically my numbers (I have a slightly higher LSAT), and those schools essentially gave me the same scholarship offers (though I also have a pretty nice NYU offer). The YP is real this cycle. I don't know about about OP but I've been held at NW and Columbia, WL'd at Penn and Berk, and lowballed (in my estimation) by Duke and UVa.

Anyways, there's still time for negotiation, OP. I'm personally leaning Chicago, but the cycle's not over yet.

[BigZuck]

I would sit out and have a proper admissions cycle next year. Blanket the T14 and retake in June or September. Even if you would never in a million billion years attend, say, Cornell, you need to apply for scholarship purposes.

[BigZuck]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Not necessarily, those are basically my numbers (slightly higher LSAT), and those schools essentially gave me the same scholarship offers (though I also have a pretty nice NYU offer). The YP is real this cycle. I don't know about about OP but I've been held at NW and Columbia, WL'd at Penn and Berk, and lowballed (in my estimation) by Duke and UVa.

Anyways, there's still time for negotiation, OP. I'm personally leaning Chicago, but the cycle's not over yet.

You applied ED to NU and were held?

[LawBron James]

If you have a 172/3.8 then something went seriously wrong with your cycle. I would withdraw and see if you can rectify it and reapply next year. 150K at NU would be better than either of these and I would think that would be well within your grasp (correct me if I'm wrong about NU ED though guys, I haven't followed this cycle very closely).

Not necessarily, those are basically my numbers (slightly higher LSAT), and those schools essentially gave me the same scholarship offers (though I also have a pretty nice NYU offer). The YP is real this cycle. I don't know about about OP but I've been held at NW and Columbia, WL'd at Penn and Berk, and lowballed (in my estimation) by Duke and UVa.

Anyways, there's still time for negotiation, OP. I'm personally leaning Chicago, but the cycle's not over yet.

You applied ED to NU and were held?

No, RD. Not sure what my outcome would have been if I had ED'd, but I wanted to see my options anyways. I was more disagreeing that he's had a terrible cycle when it seems to me that he's had a pretty standard cycle so far.

[BigZuck]

The cycle went seriously wrong when the OP didn't apply to all the schools they should have. There's no logical reason to apply to Chicago and Duke but not Northwestern.

Maybe those numbers really are a no man's land now. In a declining application market, the lower T14 is afraid they will get burned and CCN hasn't realized they should offer good money. I don't know. Maybe write more "Why Xs" and locis? It sucks that numbers like that either need to go into 250K debt at a higher ranked school or not even get in at all at a lower ranked school.

[Tiago Splitter]

Definitely hang tough on waitlists. Could be one of those years where a desperate NYU or someone offers a bunch of money off the waitlist.

[LawBron James]

The cycle went seriously wrong when the OP didn't apply to all the schools they should have. There's no logical reason to apply to Chicago and Duke but not Northwestern.

Maybe those numbers really are a no man's land now. In a declining application market, the lower T14 is afraid they will get burned and CCN hasn't realized they should offer good money. I don't know. Maybe write more "Why Xs" and locis? It sucks that numbers like that either need to go into 250K debt at a higher ranked school or not even get in at all at a lower ranked school.

Yeah I'm with you on that first point, the lower T14 have been pretty unpredictable this cycle, though, except maybe Cornell and Georgetown, so I guess there's no way to say for sure.