NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H Forum

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Northwestern ED (150k)
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Shoot for NYU/AnBryce & the big hail mary at 'H'
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toothless_canadian

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NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:04 pm

Hi everyone. I'm preparing to apply to law school for the 2016 cycle and have been weighing some potentials options that I was hoping to get some advice on.

Primarily, I am trying to decide whether I should try and go for Northwestern's ED for the 150k, or to take my chances and just apply for reg admission in an attempt to either get NYU w/ the AnBryce (obviously very competitive program), or an even longer shot at Harvard. Of course, the latter route would also open me up to some potential $$ offers from other T14s, but for the sake of this discussion, I have narrowed it down to these 3 potential [re: most ideal] outcomes.

Before I go any further, here's a bit about myself:
I am a Canadian graduate (I'll address this later) with a 3.55 GPA and 173 LSAT. I completed a 4-year STEM honours degree (with thesis) at a decent Canadian university (re: UofT/McGill). I am a first generation university graduate (hence my eying the AnBryce) and come from a lower socioeconomic background. FWIW I have a well-written addendum explaining poor first-year grades due to severe medical incident that occurred; taking this into consideration, my GPA for the remaining 3 years of my program works out to +/- 3.70

So my thinking is that, based on stats of those previously accepted to NU ED, I would have a decent shot at getting the 150k. On the other hand, the full-ride of AnBryce (plus the great mentorship the program offers) would be my top choice, however, the application process is very competitive and there's no telling how that'll play out. Harvard, of course, would be a hail mary in hopes that my LSAT score and my addendum is enough to persuade them to let me in off the waitlist in an era with declining applicants and an all-out war for high LSATs among law school adcoms. Thus, my worry is that if I applied and got accepted ED to NU, and also somehow managed to get get the AnBryce, I'd forever regret having to turn down NYU's offer due to the binding decision at Northwestern. It should also go without saying that I am fairly debt averse, have very limited savings and will receive little-to-no parental support.

Okay, so onwards to address the Canadian point (which I'm sure a lot of readers are ready to pounce all over). I am fully aware of the differences in costs of legal degrees between the US and Canada, as well as the different opportunities, state of the legal markets and so forth. That said, it should be noted that I am also looking at applying to a few top Canadian institutions as well. However, I would kindly ask that respondents refrain from critiquing or questioning my decision to potentially pursue a legal education (and career) south of the border despite the Canadian alternatives that are available to me; I am fully aware of all that this entails, and the potential ramifications of the decision.

That said, I would welcome any thoughts or advice on what I should go with: Go for the NU ED, or instead aim high for the AnBryce w/ a huuuge hail mary at H (and, of course, any other T14 offers that may come along the way - though I doubt my GPA will garner anything remotely on par with NU's ED or NYU's AnBryce... it'll probably depend on how my addendum is received)??
Last edited by toothless_canadian on Fri Apr 03, 2015 8:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dabigchina

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) vs. Long shot at H

Post by dabigchina » Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:13 pm

I think you should Ed nu. With a 3.55 you aren't a slam dunk for nu Ed so it's not like you would be for sure giving up a chance to a higher ranked school.

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Dog

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) vs. Long shot at H

Post by Dog » Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:17 pm

I don't really know much about the AnBryce but I didn't think your stats (close to my own) would be competitive for it.

I was in a similar situation not too long ago. I had a 174, 3.6 and was trying to decide if my chances at Harvard were good enough to not ED NU. I eventually decided I'd probably prefer the NU ED anyways because I think I want to be in Chicago.

I got in with the ED this cycle. I'm not sure how being international changes things.

Edited a smartphone typo*
Last edited by Dog on Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

toothless_canadian

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) vs. Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Fri Apr 03, 2015 7:53 pm

dabigchina wrote:I think you should Ed nu. With a 3.55 you aren't a slam dunk for nu Ed so it's not like you would be for sure giving up a chance to a higher ranked school.
Yeah, this is what I'm leaning towards. And it's definitely no sure thing, I just meant the ED at NU is the most 'attainable(?)' of the 3 options put forth, while the AnBryce would be my #1.
Dog wrote:I don't really know much about the AnBryce but I didn't think your stats (close to my own) would be competitive for it.

I was in a similar situation not too long ago. I had a 174, 3.6 and was trying to decide of my chances at Harvard were good enough to not ED NU. I eventually decided I'd probably prefer the NU ED anyways because I think I want to be in Chicago.

I got in with the ED this cycle. I'm not sure how being international changes things.
Congrats on the admit! Haha so you know all too well the stress of the decision I'm trying to make. I, too, think I'd like to be in Chicago. Boston and NY are the other 2 places I'd seriously consider.

In terms of the AnBryce, I was led to believe the consideration process is generally more holistic and not as strongly based on the 'hard numbers' (GPA/LSAT) as some other full rides (Ruby, Hamilton, RTK, Darrow) - the largest difference between the AnBryce and its counterparts is mainly that it is only open to First Gen. university grads who come from 'less-affluent' families. However, that is not to say that there aren't candidates that meet these requirements in addition to having great stats.

Perhaps I'm being too optimistic on the AnBryce in relation to how they'll end up receiving my GPA addendum, because my grades the rest of the way through university were otherwise quite competitive. And FWIW the cause was a serious (re: 'legitimate') injury that has supporting documentation (i.e. nothing exaggerated or undocumented); it was also briefly touched upon by my professor/thesis supervisor in a LoR. Obviously this is something I can't expect anyone to really comment on in terms of how this will play out in my candidacy, but I just wanted to provide a bit more context to my thought process on the topic!

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by jbagelboy » Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:09 am

McGill is only a "decent" canadian university now? my impression remains that (for undergraduates) mcgill was the best university in the country; maybe UT and UBC are better for graduate studies.

(this is only relevant because I've heard McGill does not participate in as much of the reckless grade inflation that has ransacked american universities, and I've seen students from there perform a little better than their lower gpa's might suggest)

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toothless_canadian

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:18 am

jbagelboy wrote:McGill is only a "decent" canadian university now? my impression remains that (for undergraduates) mcgill was the best university in the country; maybe UT and UBC are better for graduate studies.

(this is only relevant because I've heard McGill does not participate in as much of the reckless grade inflation that has ransacked american universities, and I've seen students from there perform a little better than their lower gpa's might suggest)
lol can't tell if I'm being baited or not? I figured if I said "I went to a great Canadian University" that I would get harped on because, lets face it, it's not on par with the most elite institutions south of the border (HYSP, etc).

But yeah, McGill usually holds #1 spot in Canada for undergrad. UofT a bit too as of late, however, historically McGill > UofT. And you're right, McGill is actually quite known (at least up here) as being quite notorious for grade deflation - not as bad as what I hear goes on at Princeton, but I'd say McGill would be the closest Canadian equivalent in terms of grading.

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Dog

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by Dog » Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:16 pm

Thanks I'm excited to get started at NU this year! I can't help you with the AnBryce numbers because I don't know very much about it.

If you Chicago is your top choice for location right now, I think you should definitely ED NU as it would arguably be better than Harvard with COA already. It's guaranteed money if you get it and it puts you in your target market. If you don't get the ED you will still be able to have your other chances too. If you don't get into Harvard or get the AnBryce, you won't be able to go back and ED NU.

I have seen a couple scholarship offers for regular decision people with roughly our numbers at NU this year. 105k is the optimistic figure. It's up to you if you want to take that gamble.

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Ohiobumpkin

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by Ohiobumpkin » Sat Apr 04, 2015 1:57 pm

I thought international GPAs were not counted towards a school's entering class statistics. Am I wrong, or is there an exception for Canadian universities?

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jbagelboy

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by jbagelboy » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:42 pm

toothless_canadian wrote:
jbagelboy wrote:McGill is only a "decent" canadian university now? my impression remains that (for undergraduates) mcgill was the best university in the country; maybe UT and UBC are better for graduate studies.

(this is only relevant because I've heard McGill does not participate in as much of the reckless grade inflation that has ransacked american universities, and I've seen students from there perform a little better than their lower gpa's might suggest)
lol can't tell if I'm being baited or not? I figured if I said "I went to a great Canadian University" that I would get harped on because, lets face it, it's not on par with the most elite institutions south of the border (HYSP, etc).

But yeah, McGill usually holds #1 spot in Canada for undergrad. UofT a bit too as of late, however, historically McGill > UofT. And you're right, McGill is actually quite known (at least up here) as being quite notorious for grade deflation - not as bad as what I hear goes on at Princeton, but I'd say McGill would be the closest Canadian equivalent in terms of grading.
I really wasn't being facetious, quite sincere. :)

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jbagelboy

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by jbagelboy » Sat Apr 04, 2015 2:44 pm

Ohiobumpkin wrote:I thought international GPAs were not counted towards a school's entering class statistics. Am I wrong, or is there an exception for Canadian universities?
Canadian and US university transcripts/grading systems are treated identically. http://www.lsac.org/aboutlsac/policies/ ... marization

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:14 pm

jbagelboy wrote:
Ohiobumpkin wrote:I thought international GPAs were not counted towards a school's entering class statistics. Am I wrong, or is there an exception for Canadian universities?
Canadian and US university transcripts/grading systems are treated identically. http://www.lsac.org/aboutlsac/policies/ ... marization
Yeah, I remember reading about this already. Unfortunately I can't convince universities to just look at my LSAT and ignore my GPA; Canada doesn't quite = 'international' in the eyes of their adcoms haha. Also, to jbb's earlier point, I, too, have heard anecdotal evidence of McGill grads performing a bit better than their numbers suggest, especially moreso in the Northeast (according to the info I've gathered). This is something practically impossible to quantify, though, so I'm not holding my breath for any 'boost' that may come from this.

In terms of the AnBryce, I've had a few people send PMs since I posted this thread, telling me not to be too worried about my hard stats, and that the process is much more focused on the applicant's softs, their character and their 'story'. This sort of reaffirms my earlier thoughts; if the AnBryce was a simple stats thing, like a Hamilton, I could make a better assessment of my chances based on previous winners' stats, but given an applicant is judged on something so incredibly subjective as their life story and how someone got to this particular point in their lives, it obviously complicates things.

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Sat Apr 04, 2015 4:17 pm

Also, in terms of placement into the Boston market, which of the two (NU vs. NYU) would provide the upper hand? Is it a significant difference between the two?

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by CanadianWolf » Sat Apr 04, 2015 5:09 pm

Your numbers are fine for the AnBryce at NYU. Your numbers are also fine for NU ED. If you really want NYU, then apply to NYU this year to know for sure; if unsuccessful. then apply NU ED next cycle.

P.S. UT is a great option--even for NYC biglaw.

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by toothless_canadian » Sat Apr 04, 2015 5:45 pm

CanadianWolf wrote:Your numbers are fine for the AnBryce at NYU. Your numbers are also fine for NU ED. If you really want NYU, then apply to NYU this year to know for sure; if unsuccessful. then apply NU ED next cycle.
Thanks for the reassurance lol. And yea, I thought about doing this.
CanadianWolf wrote:P.S. UT is a great option--even for NYC biglaw.
You referring to Toronto? I'm contemplating this route as well, however, UofT is still relatively expensive (+30k/year + CoL), plus there's no chance they'll come anywhere near the $$$ that I'm trying to get from NU & NYU (and, more importantly, doesn't have the great mentorship available through the AnBryce program). UofT's brand new law facility looks like it'll be really nice, though, and would finally be completed in time for next cycle...FWTW lol


Anyways, thanks everyone for their input thus far!

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Mack.Hambleton

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by Mack.Hambleton » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:04 pm

Try for NU ed. If you don't get it then you'll see what happens at NYU.

NU ed >>>> H sticker if your goal is generic biglaw

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by BizBro » Sat Apr 04, 2015 10:54 pm

If you had a 3.8-3.9 I'd tell you to apply widely across the t14. But it's quite unlikely you will get enough money at any of the schools when you can get a sure thing like the 150k at NU.

AnBryce is insanely competitive and even if you got an interview call back, the people in the program have amazing stories / personalities.

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Mack.Hambleton

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by Mack.Hambleton » Sat Apr 04, 2015 11:13 pm

+1 to above

odds are you won't be a finalist

And even if you are a finalist and fly out to interview... odds are you still won't get it

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by WeeBey » Sun Apr 05, 2015 12:04 am

toothless_canadian wrote:
jbagelboy wrote:McGill is only a "decent" canadian university now? my impression remains that (for undergraduates) mcgill was the best university in the country; maybe UT and UBC are better for graduate studies.

(this is only relevant because I've heard McGill does not participate in as much of the reckless grade inflation that has ransacked american universities, and I've seen students from there perform a little better than their lower gpa's might suggest)
lol can't tell if I'm being baited or not? I figured if I said "I went to a great Canadian University" that I would get harped on because, lets face it, it's not on par with the most elite institutions south of the border (HYSP, etc).

But yeah, McGill usually holds #1 spot in Canada for undergrad. UofT a bit too as of late, however, historically McGill > UofT. And you're right, McGill is actually quite known (at least up here) as being quite notorious for grade deflation - not as bad as what I hear goes on at Princeton, but I'd say McGill would be the closest Canadian equivalent in terms of grading.
In general, Canadian schools dont really grade inflate. But I hear McGill is pretty bad with it, and from my experience, UofT as well. I did a stem major, and the first avg GPA of the course I took was like a 1.8-9ish. It got better in my 3rd and 4th year but even then the avg was like a 2.5. In comparison, the U.S. schools have avg GPAs in the low 3s.

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Re: NU ED vs. NYU (shot @ AnBryce) / Long shot at H

Post by redsoxfan1989 » Sun Apr 05, 2015 11:40 pm

toothless_canadian wrote:Also, in terms of placement into the Boston market, which of the two (NU vs. NYU) would provide the upper hand? Is it a significant difference between the two?
Really neither school has a ton of alumni in Boston, but NYU has a slight edge it seems. Just know that if you are Canadian and go to a non-Boston school, Boston firms may not be interested in you because they tend to prefer candidates with ties to Boston. If you are sure you want Boston, I might pay more for Harvard than if I was shooting for generic NYC biglaw.

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