BC ($) vs Northeastern ($$$) Forum

[lawschooled19]

Trying to decide between 150k at BC or 60k at Northeastern. Not certain on public interest, and would only do biglaw for a few years to pay off loans. Ultimately want to most likely end up in-house, but going into law school undecided. Thoughts?

[Stylnator]

You won't get biglaw from Northeastern. Go to BC but cautiously because that is a LOT of debt. If you don't get biglaw and have that much debt following you around life could be very difficult in the future.

[cavalier1138]

Biglaw cannot be your "only for a few years" plan from either of these schools. If 60k is your total COA at Northeastern (including cost of living, etc.), then you can go there and get a job in a small Massachusetts firm. You likely won't have a lot of in-house options, but you'll be reasonably able to service your debt.

But if that doesn't sound like fun, then retake and reapply.

[lawschooled19]

I should be clear, both of these are total COA. Northeastern is full tuition paid.

[cavalier1138]

I should be clear, both of these are total COA. Northeastern is full tuition paid.

Great. Then as long as you're comfortable working a small firm job or local government, Northeastern is a fine choice for you.

If you want biglaw-to-in-house, then BC doesn't give you a good enough chance to justify $150k, and Northeastern doesn't give you any chance at all.

[UVA2B]

I should be clear, both of these are total COA. Northeastern is full tuition paid.

Would you be okay with small firm or local government jobs if Biglaw didn't work out?

[lawschooled19]

I should be clear, both of these are total COA. Northeastern is full tuition paid.

Would you be okay with small firm or local government jobs if Biglaw didn't work out?

Yeah that would be okay. The only other appealing reason for BC is the overall network out of the Boston area, since I'd like to keep the option open for DC. But $150k is still a lot.

[cavalier1138]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

[Dr. Nefario]

Would this be financed solely with loans or other resources?

[UVA2B]

I should be clear, both of these are total COA. Northeastern is full tuition paid.

Would you be okay with small firm or local government jobs if Biglaw didn't work out?

Yeah that would be okay. The only other appealing reason for BC is the overall network out of the Boston area, since I'd like to keep the option open for DC. But $150k is still a lot.

Don't take BC dreaming about DC. It's not impossible, but it's a horrible gamble. It's too risky. Northeastern with modest goals in the MA area is your safest investment. And with $60k debt, you won't be drowning in those modest paying jobs.

[lawschooled19]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

[cavalier1138]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

That would help you with getting a job. You're still fighting an uphill battle to get biglaw (they'll want to know why you went to a regional school in Boston), but you'd be better situated than the average BC student. I still wouldn't gamble $150k on a very unlikely outcome.

[UVA2B]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

Is this a legal network, or just a network of friends, family, coworkers unrelated to law? It's better than nothing, but DC Biglaw will care much less about the latter.

[lawschooled19]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

Is this a legal network, or just a network of friends, family, coworkers unrelated to law? It's better than nothing, but DC Biglaw will care much less about the latter.

A bit of both. Lawfirm work and non-profit work in the legal space, plus friends.

[lawschooled19]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

Is this a legal network, or just a network of friends, family, coworkers unrelated to law? It's better than nothing, but DC Biglaw will care much less about the latter.

And to be clear, I would be fine with Boston biglaw from BC. But I would need at least mid-size firm to handle the BC debt.

[cavalier1138]

BC is still a regional school. If you don't already have ties to DC, you can't count on an alumni network to get you there.

Sure. I've got a network in DC. Live here and have worked here for 4 years.

Is this a legal network, or just a network of friends, family, coworkers unrelated to law? It's better than nothing, but DC Biglaw will care much less about the latter.

And to be clear, I would be fine with Boston biglaw from BC. But I would need at least mid-size firm to handle the BC debt.

Mid-size firms are harder to come by than biglaw jobs.

Biglaw isn't the default option at BC, regardless of which city you want to practice in. You still need to place relatively well in your class to have it as a viable path.

[mrtux45]

To echo everyone, this comes down to your goals and how risk-adverse you are. I'm facing pretty much the same decision and I'm also not sure what to do.

I've talked with a lot of Boston attorneys at both big and small firms about this and what they think the right choice is- lots of their advice mirrors what's being said on this board. Basically, both schools are going to offer you the same education, but with BC your paying for the brand and access. For big law specifically, you've got leeway at BC to finish top 1/3, but at Northeastern you need to be at the top and crush your interviews.

Outside of big law, NUSL grads seem to be in solid shape, since your competition becomes whoever is leftover from BC/BU. At NUSL, best case is that you crush it, and be one of the lucky few to land big law (Don't count on it). Otherwise you're looking at a small firm/business/Gov with minimal debt. An attorney I'm close with brought up an interesting point though, and that's the psychological weight of having that debt. With BC at 150k, you need a large salary for a few years to make that debt manageable. From NU, you have breathing room to take a job you're more invested in, and won't feel the pressure of owing between 1500-1700 per month in loans.

Not to hijack, but does anyone have a debt figure that would make BC completely worth it? 100k?

[lawschooled19]

To echo everyone, this comes down to your goals and how risk-adverse you are. I'm facing pretty much the same decision and I'm also not sure what to do.

I've talked with a lot of Boston attorneys at both big and small firms about this and what they think the right choice is- lots of their advice mirrors what's being said on this board. Basically, both schools are going to offer you the same education, but with BC your paying for the brand and access. For big law specifically, you've got leeway at BC to finish top 1/3, but at Northeastern you need to be at the top and crush your interviews.

Outside of big law, NUSL grads seem to be in solid shape, since your competition becomes whoever is leftover from BC/BU. At NUSL, best case is that you crush it, and be one of the lucky few to land big law (Don't count on it). Otherwise you're looking at a small firm/business/Gov with minimal debt. An attorney I'm close with brought up an interesting point though, and that's the psychological weight of having that debt. With BC at 150k, you need a large salary for a few years to make that debt manageable. From NU, you have breathing room to take a job you're more invested in, and won't feel the pressure of owing between 1500-1700 per month in loans.

Not to hijack, but does anyone have a debt figure that would make BC completely worth it? 100k?

Feel free to hijack. Points I've heard are that 1) 150k is a lot of money (echoing everyone here), but 2) BC is a school that you ultimately don't need to explain on a resume, whereas employers might need an explanation for Northeastern.

What it ultimately comes down to for me is the delta: is 90k worth the brand and the access?

[Rigo]

I'd try to get the cost of BC down more. I'd probably pull the trigger at $120k.*
Do you have anything to negotiate with?


*I was faced with this situation of choosing a strong regional (~40%biglaw+fedclerk) for about $100k debt and it made me too nervous so I didn't go, but $120k was the upper limit of my "okay this isn't completely nuts" threshold for a school of that caliber. Your risk/debt preferences may be different than mine and others may disagree, but that was my own thinking on it. $150k is too much.