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I've narrowed down my schools to Berkeley and NYU at this point. NYU gave me 75k and Berkeley 60k.
I think I would like to work in public interest - potentially environmental law. I'm from California and have lived here all my life, and would eventually like to end up here, but I'm also open to experiencing other parts of the country.
I think costs are fairly comparable at this point, maybe a little more to live in NYC (but I did my undergrad at UCLA, so I am no stranger to extremely high COL).
170 LSAT/ 4.1 GPA.
I received higher scholarships at other T14s, but NW seems cold and sad, and the other schools are in the boonies.
Any advice on what I should I do?

At least try to negotiate the scholarships up, but I'd advise being less pretentious about location. Northwestern with a full ride (or close to it, based on your other post) is a damn good outcome. Unless you really think you're willing to pay $115,000+ to avoid a few cold winters.

If you're absolutely dead-set on NYU/Berkeley, NYU has a much stronger LRAP. If you're 100% on the PI track, that'll more than make up for the cost of living difference. Based on what you said about your California ties, you shouldn't have much trouble getting back there from any T13. Your focus should be on minimizing your debt.

Let's hear more about this Northwestern scholarship

I will say this; weather will affect you in some capacity. There is a fairly big group of people from Cali who go to NU (I think around 10%), but I know my California friends hate the winter here (which is most of the school year).

carsondalywashere wrote:Let's hear more about this Northwestern scholarship

I will say this; weather will affect you in some capacity. There is a fairly big group of people from Cali who go to NU (I think around 10%), but I know my California friends hate the winter here (which is most of the school year).

+1

Northwestern's community is really fantastic. So, if you're remotely social, you can get around to events and hang out with people all the time. I don't see how it'd be any more cold and sad than NYU.

As for people returning to CA from NU, it's definitely not a problem at all. I don't know anyone who wanted to return that couldn't. It's just a small group that come from CA, so there is naturally a small group that end up there.

RedPurpleBlue wrote:

carsondalywashere wrote:Let's hear more about this Northwestern scholarship

I will say this; weather will affect you in some capacity. There is a fairly big group of people from Cali who go to NU (I think around 10%), but I know my California friends hate the winter here (which is most of the school year).

+1

Northwestern's community is really fantastic. So, if you're remotely social, you can get around to events and hang out with people all the time. I don't see how it'd be any more cold and sad than NYU.

As for people returning to CA from NU, it's definitely not a problem at all. I don't know anyone who wanted to return that couldn't. It's just a small group that come from CA, so there is naturally a small group that end up there.

OP got 180k from Northwestern.

OP, you should go to Northwestern, seriously.

carsondalywashere wrote: OP got 180k from Northwestern.

OP, you should go to Northwestern, seriously.

WTF, go to Northwestern, OP. An (essentially) full-tuition scholarship at a T14 is game changing. You'll thank yourself when you leave with $105k worth of loans from three years of COL + whatever little tuition you have to pay instead of $270k at NYU or $225k at Berkeley (all numbers are rough approximations from the LST finances charts). Why would you subject yourself to $100k+ more debt to get virtually the same results? If the answer is ranking and PSLF, then why is this even a discussion at all? Just choose NYU. If, like it seems, you really want to minimize costs so you can pivot in the future, then NU is just undeniably correct answer. You may find out during 1L that you hate litigation, or that you love some other area of law, or that environmental lawyers don't do exactly what you though, or a thousand other things that could push you towards a private practice where you're going to have to repay all of your debt in full.

Debt aside, Northwestern has the most robust summer funding in the country. You get $8,000 guaranteed for 20 hours of community service and can get up to $9,500-$10,000 if you do that community service through a specific organization on campus. That will open a lot of doors for your 1L summer that you otherwise would not be able to pursue.

One last note, the public interest community at Northwestern is small but incredibly robust and driven.

Choosing anything other than NU in this situation is an objective fuck-up.

75K from NYU with those numbers is remarkably generous, especially if you did comms at a state school or something.

Wild Card wrote:75K from NYU with those numbers is remarkably generous, especially if you did comms at a state school or something.

Are you high? 3-4 more points on the LSAT would have put OP in Vanderbilt territory. Having one stat well over a 75th and another at or above median is usually enough to get a decent scholarship offer, regardless of major/school (which no one gives a shit about).

Dude... come on man. how is this even a question. NU

Uh, NU. Not even close.

You didn’t post COA at each school. Anyone can see that NU is $105,000 less, so take that. NYC isn’t as cold as Chicago but it gets dark and bleak here too. It’s 19degrees without windchill today. Yesterday even colder.
It’s not worth $105,000 to go to NYC instead of Chicago.

Did you apply at YSH? Do you have any idea what kind of environmental law you want?