Part Time Fordham or Full Ride at Pace Forum

[paulkemp]

I live in Washington, D.C. and I'm going to law school next fall. I've been accepted into American and Catholic University but I want to work in the New York legal market. So far I'm waitlisted on Fordham's part time program and I've been accepted into Cardozo, NYLS, St. Johns, and Pace. I wrote off NYLS and St. Johns because of the rankings, but I actually visited Pace and enjoyed the campus and some of the opportunities they offered. I've also met, through my job, a lawyer who graduated from Pace and does extremely well for himself. So I'm wondering....would it be a better idea to accept the full scholarship from Pace?

[tennisking88]

I live in Washington, D.C. and I'm going to law school next fall. I've been accepted into American and Catholic University but I want to work in the New York legal market. So far I'm waitlisted on Fordham's part time program and I've been accepted into Cardozo, NYLS, St. Johns, and Pace. I wrote off NYLS and St. Johns because of the rankings, but I actually visited Pace and enjoyed the campus and some of the opportunities they offered. I've also met, through my job, a lawyer who graduated from Pace and does extremely well for himself. So I'm wondering....would it be a better idea to accept the full scholarship from Pace?

I would wait and see if you actually get off of the waitlist. What are your stats? Can you wait a year and retake?

[MrPapagiorgio]

No offense, but you wrote off NYLS and St. John's because of the ranking but not Pace? And how old is this lawyer who went to Pace? I know many, many lawyers who are doing well from and who graduated from TTTs...15 years ago. Ultimately, at least going to Pace will leave you with little to no debt (depending on cost of living arrangement). Stuck with only these options, the best is Fordham part-time, but don't expect to get off the waitlist as doing so is more the rare exception than the rule. And Fordham is no guarantee, as you can find out if you search the Fordham OCI threads from the last 2 years.

[paulkemp]

164 LSAT and 3.0 GPA....I've decided that I'm going to school in the fall no matter what. It is difficult to transfer out of Pace?

[paulkemp]

Yeah I've heard that Fordham puts hundreds of applicants on their waitlist. So I realize I might not make it off that list and that I probably won't hear until mid summer whether or not I'm in. The lawyer is older, in his 50's. I wrote off St. Johns because the scholarship they offered me was 30,000, so I still had to consider housing and Jamaica isnt the best area. I wrote off NYLS because of word of mouth and the reputation...I haven't seen too much bad press about Pace, how similar is it to St Johns and NYLS...better or worse? How hard is it to transfer out after your first year?

[paulkemp]

Nope, just accepted into American

[MrAnon]

Do not relocate to attend these schools. That's just nuts. Stay where you are and if you do well enough at American then you can work in the NY legal market. If you don't do well at American you'll be glad you didn't come to these local NY schools because you would have done poorly there too and much worse off in life.

never ever relocate to attend a local law school.

[Grizz]

164 LSAT and 3.0 GPA....I've decided that I'm going to school in the fall no matter what. It is difficult to transfer out of Pace?

Yeah it's insanely difficult. See arrow's sticking post in the transfer forum for more. Don't ever go to a school of you're not gonna be happy graduating from there. And with the way the job market looks, I would NOT be happy graduating from Pace. Then again Fordham PT is insanely expensive, even of you do get in. If you really want NYC, I'd retake or don't go.

[tennisking88]

Do not relocate to attend these schools. That's just nuts. Stay where you are and if you do well enough at American then you can work in the NY legal market. If you don't do well at American you'll be glad you didn't come to these local NY schools because you would have done poorly there too and much worse off in life.

never ever relocate to attend a local law school.

Paying sticker price for American is just as suicidal as going to Pace for free. Pace sucks. I'd actually take St. John's over Pace. But if you're really this stubbornly set on attending this upcoming fall, I'd go for St. Johns, or try to negotiate more money from them. At least they're in the top 100. Is Pace even ranked?

[tennisking88]

You didn't get any money from Cardozo?

Edit: What about Brooklyn?

The bitch about the NY market is it is horrifically oversaturated. Everyone in the T20 save for maybe Minnesota wants a NY job. If you attend a TT/TTT/TTTT on a scholly, the odds are quite strong that you will not secure good work in NY. Think about this decision. Is going to school this fall really worth a lot of job trouble down the road?

[hoos89]

/

[lawhaus]

While full ride at pace sounds attractive, the odds better at fordham, cardozo, and brooklyn..

on the other hand, your scores will not bring you much scholly money either - your call. how comfortable are you with debt?

[MrAnon]

Nope, just accepted into American

Good idea I think. I stand by what I say. Top of your class at American? You can get NY. Bottom 90% of your class at American? You won't get NY, and thank your lucky stars you didn't go to school in NYC.