NYU v. Duke (JD/LLM) v. GULC (Global Law Scholars) v. Michigan Forum

[mmkbb8479]

Hey guys- long time lurker, first time poster... supposed to be spending the day writing up a pro/con list, so obvi I'm here instead

I've narrowed my list of acceptances to NYU, Duke, and Michigan, and really struggling... I still haven't heard from Harvard, but figure I'm waitlisted at best considering I haven't even had a JS1. I'm primarily interested in international law and public interest issues. NYU has the best reputation for that, but I was specifically accepted into Duke's 3-year JD/LLM program and Georgetown's Global Law Scholars program. Michigan has the best faculty for refugee law, which is one of the topics I'm very interested in.

Scholarship wise, I got $120k from Michigan, $81k from Duke, $75k from NYU, and nothing from GULC yet (I definitely think I could negotiate something, though). I won't be taking loans or anything because I have awesome parents who can and will be helping me out, but I am still thinking about COL since that will remain my responsibility to manage. I'm 26 and have been working with a solid salary and living on my own for the past 4 years- at Duke/Michigan I could probably have my own place, but at NYU/GULC, I'd have to get some roommates.

Impressions of the schools when I went there:

1. NYU- loved the campus and the idea of living in the city. However, COL is definitely high. Lots of good international programs/study abroad, but I'm not in anything specific, yet (there is a JD/LLM program that I could apply to as a 2L) so I'd largely have to forge my own path. Enjoyed the class I sat in on- students seemed engaged. I liked everyone I met there.
2. Duke- JD/LLM program gets me a special community, as well as some really cool program/study abroad options. I liked the campus and Durham is cute, but definitely not someplace I'd stay after graduating. Really liked the professors and the small class size.
3. GULC- didn't love the area of campus, but I love DC in general. I got into the GLS program which has a lot of benefits similar to Duke's and a cool seminar project, just without the second degree. However- know some people who went there that weren't my favorites, and I sat in on a 1L class and was disappointed by the students... they just didn't seem that smart.
4. Michigan- beautiful campus, but I'm worried of it being a little too college-y. Refugee law and a really cool Geneva J term program keep me interested, but it's definitely the lowest of my options. I just didn't really see myself there.

I'm generally a city girl, but if I've learned anything these last 4 years, I can make myself at home almost anywhere. But I've been a bit of a tumbleweed the past 8 years, and I'm kind of feeling a desire to settle down somewhere, establish a friend group (that isn't just law students), meet someone, etc. Long term, I know that will never be Ann Arbor or Duke- but are the opportunities there worth putting that on pause for 3 years? I'll be 29 when I graduate.

I feel like I've been terribly spoiled with all of this and I can't really go wrong, but I do not know what to do. And if one more person asks me if I made a decision yet, I might lose my shiz.

[mmkbb8479]

Also- because I've now just read the moderator post for this forum- I'm 172 / 3.71 with above average softs. 4 years of work experience at 1 company, with signs of success.

From Chicago suburbs, undergrad in LA, but have lived in Paris, DC, Madison WI, and the Netherlands. Will move almost anywhere after law school but definitely prefer a bigger city.

[cavalier1138]

I'd say NYU based on your options. Duke doesn't seem that geared towards public interest law, and the most I could get out of them was that one of their students now works in some capacity for the state department. It sounds like you have the right background to end up in the LLM at NYU (assuming you don't burn out in your first year), and it's one of the strongest programs out there.

[Gray]

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[ChildWithADove]

First off, congrats!!!

As far as costs are concerned, remember that you need to look at the total cost of attendance and subtract any scholarships from that number.

Approx. Cost of Attend. (per school websites w/ approx. 2% increase each year):

NYU: $275k
Duke: $255k
GTown: $270k
Michigan: $230k

Deduct Your Scholarships:

NYU: $200k
Duke: $175k
GTown: $270k
Michigan: $110k

Michigan is probably going to be almost $100,000 less than NYU.

Personally, all else equal, I would probably pick NYU. Especially if your parents are pitching in. But to the extend that money is at all a factor, Michigan would by far be my top pick. But if you value the mere opportunity to live in New York City more than $100k, then NYU makes more sense.