Duke vs. Northwestern (... Vandy? Texas? Wash U?) Forum

[gobruins33]

EDIT: replaced all "Debt at repayment" with "COA" for user-friendliness.

Stats: took the LSAT twice - LSAT 169, GPA 3.5

Top two I'm considering are Duke and Northwestern, though Vanderbilt and Texas are also kind of contenders since I really like both Nashville and Austin. Total COAs: Duke - $55k; Northwestern is $54k; Vandy $49k; Texas $47k. Was also offered a full ride at Wash U, and got a COA at UCLA of $54k and USC $49k. I'll be financing with loans.

I'm from the West (Southern California for high school/undergrad, UT and WA before that). I have family in San Diego and Seattle. I'd like to get back West someday, but not necessarily California and not necessarily right away.

Career goals: Not positive. I'm undergrad c/o 2011 and have since worked in Big 4 public accounting, so my CPA lends itself toward corporate law; I have a science degree which lends itself toward IP/technology; I also have interests in alternative dispute resolution and part-time teaching toward the end of my career.

Have been to Duke and Vandy's ASPs and am headed to Northwestern this weekend. I'd visited Duke a few times before and liked the ASP a lot - Vandy's didn't seem quite as impressive but that could be because I had met some Duke admissions folks previously and felt like I already knew people. I keep hearing Vandy's small size means it feels like high school again. I also spoke with somebody who picked Vandy over Duke because Duke is really competitive, although the Duke students didn't seem to think so when I spoke with them at the ASP? Haven't heard a ton about Northwestern yet...

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Did you apply to USC or UCLA?

[BigZuck]

Not sure anyone here will sign off on any of those choices, they are all simply too expensive.

I'd stick with the accounting job

eta: I guess full ride at WUSTL is fine but doesn't really match your goals. Doesn't reliably place into big law or the west coast

[zombie mcavoy]

wait you have literally no scholarships? Those COA are insane. Don't go to any of them. For real, how are the COA this high?

either way Vandy and UT b/c you like Nashville and Austin are recipes for disaster. neither is worth a third of the cost you list for someone in your situation. WUSTL for free is OK but it doesn't really sound good for your goals.

[Mack.Hambleton]

Not sure anyone here will sign off on any of those choices, they are all simply too expensive.

I'd stick with the accounting job

eta: I guess full ride at WUSTL is fine but doesn't really match your goals. Doesn't reliably place into big law or the west coast

+1

[gobruins33]

Added COAs rather than debt at repayment above.

[gobruins33]

Added COAs instead of full debt at repayment above.

[zombie mcavoy]

I'm doing total debt at repayment, so it's not the COAs per year.

Yes - applied and accepted to UCLA and USC. Not a super impressive scholarship at USC (total debt at repayment $264k); or UCLA (total debt at repayment $259k).

WHOOPS I had put the scholarships in the spreadsheet backwards:

Duke: $258k debt @ repayment
NW: $262
Vandy: $245
Texas: $229

If I wanted to stay in public accounting would I be here?? Haha

these debt loads are suicidal, and going would be completely irresponsible--especially considering your high opportunity cost. we don't get to do everything we want to in life.

Did you apply like really really late? You have better numbers than I did and my coa at UT was less than half that.

[BigZuck]

So when you showed the Duke/NU scholarships to UCLA and USC they didn't give you a better scholarship?

What happened at Cornell?

[OhBoyOhBortles]

Retake and then reapply as early on in the cycle next year as possible. You should have much better options with a few more points on the lsat. None of your current options seem reasonable.