Brooklyn ($$) vs UIUC ($$$) v LUC ($$) Forum

[uf1984natlchamps]

Hello,

I am trying to decide whether to attend Brooklyn Law School ($35k/yr COA), University of Illinois ($23k) , or Loyola Chicago ($35k). My family has been kind enough to provide $10k/yr and the rest would be covered by loans, I expect to take out the federal unsubsidized loans first.

My goal is to work in employment/labor law on the labor side. Generally I have little interest to work in biglaw. My interests regarding specialization are not 100% concrete currently as I am open to change once I get to law school.

Living and working in New York seems like a dream to me and something I deeply want. However, I worry about the expense. UIUC gave me more money and is a better law school, but the thought of living in Champaign makes me despair about the next three years. I am from Milwaukee and going to LUC would be great as I would be close to my family and still be able to be in a big city, but Brooklyn is more appealing at the same price.

I got a 163 LSAT, took it twice in late 2020. I applied with a 3.59 GPA.

[cavalier1138]

I'd take the money. You're still looking at well over $100k debt from Brooklyn (and not much less for Loyola with Chicago COL). UIUC is a better school that will somehow cost less for you, and your main goal for this process should be minimizing your debt to the point that you'll be in a position to pay it off with your likely salary.

Also:

Living and working in New York seems like a dream to me and something I deeply want.

Have you ever actually lived in NYC? Or spent any significant amount of time there? I only ask because even people who prefer to live in urban environments don't necessarily like New York. It's not the same as Chicago or any other U.S. city. If you really are 100% set on working and living in NYC, then maybe Brooklyn makes sense, but you should negotiate them down.

[uf1984natlchamps]

Have you ever actually lived in NYC? Or spent any significant amount of time there? I only ask because even people who prefer to live in urban environments don't necessarily like New York. It's not the same as Chicago or any other U.S. city. If you really are 100% set on working and living in NYC, then maybe Brooklyn makes sense, but you should negotiate them down.

Thank you for your thoughtful reply cavalier1138, it has helped me put things in perspective. I have not lived or spent any significant amount of time in New York. I have visited and enjoyed it but am much more familiar with Chicago and the Midwest in general. I am mostly convinced I want to live there, but cannot help but feel apprehensive due to the cost and locking myself to live in unfamiliar NYC for a long time.

Brooklyn has offered me an appeals form for my scholarship, but they will only review it after the first deposit deadline. After that point my leverage is gone, so not sure if they will be willing to give me more. I feel incredibly stuck between the two options still.

[crazywafflez]

UIUC. Just a better deal all around and you have no clue if you wanna be in NYC or not. UIUC is also the best school of these and can place in Chicago. I get wanting to be in NYC or a different place for school, but the ramifications, especially for a lower tiered school, are pretty real- your debt is gonna be high, and you will be in that market for the foreseeable future. I'd really take UIUC- but if you can, maybe I'd try to retake one more time and see if you can get up to a 165 or something and see if Brooklyn or the akin schools will give you a fullride.

[CalF123]

I would take Illinois all day long.

Brooklyn is never worth well over $100k of debt when you take into account the CoL in New York in a million years. You would be stuck in New York on most likely a low salary if you managed to find a job at all. Even that is a struggle from Brooklyn as there are so many better schools in the NY market plus grads from elsewhere looking to move.

Illinois is a T30 school and will place in Chicago for what you’re looking at.

[Iowahawk]

Definitely go to Illinois.