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Fairly simple question. I was all set on Cardozo and coming out with COA after 3 years of 75,000 but Brooklyn law just emailed me out of the blue with a full ride. Now I don't know what to do....
Any advice???
Looking for big law but so is many other people so it's not an end all be in when attending schools like this

A.a.ron wrote:Looking for big law but so is many other people so it's not an end all be in when attending schools like this

What does this mean? What are you planning on doing when you don't place at the top of your class?

At any rate, assuming you have some kind of alternate career plan, a total COA (you're counting cost of living, right?) of $75,000 isn't bad for Cardozo. Brooklyn has objectively worse employment prospects in NYC. But again, this is assuming you have a plan that involves some kind of modest local practice, with a realistic understanding of what your salary will look like doing that. If you really want biglaw, then the answer is to retake the LSAT and reapply next year.

You aren't getting biglaw. Do you understand that? I vote don't go at all even though people think that's rude and elitist. You shouldn't take on $75,000 of debt for Cardozo.

Take your BK full ride to Cardozo and see if they give you more.

But biglaw chances out of either school is very slim. Is there something else you'd like to do besides biglaw?

If your COA at Dozo is 75k does that mean you have a full ride there too or you're living with your parents who are covering COL? What are you non-BL goals? What's your gpa?

Big Law is just the ideal option but it is not an end all be all. I do hear though that placing in the top 15-20% percentile in my class can get me interviews with Big Law firms.
I would be living at home so no living expenses for apartment. And my gpa was a 4.0 but I will not be retaking the LSAT and I am beginning school shortly.
I'm really just wondering if that 75k is worth attending Cardozo over Brooklyn.

A.a.ron wrote:Big Law is just the ideal option but it is not an end all be all. I do hear though that placing in the top 15-20% percentile in my class can get me interviews with Big Law firms.
I would be living at home so no living expenses for apartment. And my gpa was a 4.0 but I will not be retaking the LSAT and I am beginning school shortly.
I'm really just wondering if that 75k is worth attending Cardozo over Brooklyn.

neither is worth attending with a 4.0 undergrad gpa

A.a.ron wrote:Big Law is just the ideal option but it is not an end all be all. I do hear though that placing in the top 15-20% percentile in my class can get me interviews with Big Law firms.
I would be living at home so no living expenses for apartment. And my gpa was a 4.0 but I will not be retaking the LSAT and I am beginning school shortly.
I'm really just wondering if that 75k is worth attending Cardozo over Brooklyn.

You are assuming falsely that because you are good at school and have a 4.0, you will be in the top of your class. Law school isn't like college- the curve means there are only a certain number of As given per class, your grade is based on one final exam, and the exams are graded on the professors idiosyncrasies. Also your competition will be harder working and more competitive than college.

You are throwing away all the hard work you put into getting that GPA by going to a mediocre at best law school and taking on debt.

A.a.ron wrote:Big Law is just the ideal option but it is not an end all be all. I do hear though that placing in the top 15-20% percentile in my class can get me interviews with Big Law firms.
I would be living at home so no living expenses for apartment. And my gpa was a 4.0 but I will not be retaking the LSAT and I am beginning school shortly.
I'm really just wondering if that 75k is worth attending Cardozo over Brooklyn.

Ok, no rent is great, but what about the rest of your life? Any chance parents will be covering books, transit, other life expenses? If not, you'll need loans for that, putting total COA at repayment well above $75k.

If you're comfortable with the most likely outcome out of either of these schools ($45k small firm job), then Cardozo is borderline acceptable at ~$90k debt (I wouldn't in seven lifetimes do it, but that's because I wouldn't feel comfortable paying off those loans or living off of IBR/PAYE).

You have a 4.0 GPA. A more mature you would understand why the correct answer is to retake the LSAT and give yourself better options for your goals. Law school has not and will not go anywhere. Your options won't get any worse by retaking and reapplying. You could legitimately live with your parents and go to Columbia/NYU with a similar debt load with retaking a simple test. How can you defend against that reality?

Edit: Brooklyn/Cardozo confusion

I'm confused about the costs here. I'm guessing you don't mean COA and really mean that tuition is $25k/yr at Cardozo.

If that's the case go to Brooklyn. Or if Brooklyn will be completely free for you, go there. Cardozo is not worth that much debt over Brooklyn. Get GPA stipulations removed if those are a part of the scholarship though.

UVA2B wrote: You have a 4.0 GPA. A more mature you would understand why the correct answer is to retake the LSAT and give yourself better options for your goals. Law school has not and will not go anywhere. Your options won't get any worse by retaking and reapplying. You could legitimately live with your parents and go to Columbia/NYU with a similar debt load with retaking a simple test. How can you defend against that reality?

So much this.

Do not waste a 4.0 gpa. retake the LSAT and go on a good scholarship to a top school where it is easy to get big law.

JFC. If your goal is to get biglaw, why would you hold yourself back from that?

cavalier1138 wrote:JFC. If your goal is to get biglaw, why would you hold yourself back from that?

My guess is OP is sure they will be at the top of their class (with no clue how difficult it can be to get biglaw from Cardozo.)

Npret wrote:

cavalier1138 wrote:JFC. If your goal is to get biglaw, why would you hold yourself back from that?

My guess is OP is sure they will be at the top of their class (with no clue how difficult it can be to get biglaw from Cardozo.)

The OP is aware they should assume they will end up at median (if anything I've explained to them via PM landed), and they now know about bimodal salaries, and they know about LST now. I've done all I can do to point out why this is a hasty decision and really a bad one. But now it's on them to realize the amount of research they need to do before they make this decision.

Wait a year, retake, and get into Fordham.

This is such an easy choice.

bitter_melon wrote:Wait a year, retake, and get into Fordham.

This is such an easy choice.

How is the Fordham the goal here?

cavalier1138 wrote:

bitter_melon wrote:Wait a year, retake, and get into Fordham.

This is such an easy choice.

How is the Fordham the goal here?

I'm not saying that Fordham should be the only goal, but if you have a 4.0 GPA, want Big Law, and want to stay in NYC, than Fordham with a scholarship should be the minimal goal, sorry for not making that clear.

Fordham BL+FC = 42%, that's not a bad choice if you can get some $ to go there.If OP is currently between Cardozo and Brooklyn, I strongly suspect that he's not going to make it to NYU/Columbia, or at least not make it with $, and NYC is expensive as hell.

OP could go to Columbia or NYU with the right LSAT. Obviously OP isn't interested in excellence and will strive for mediocrity.