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I am looking to attend a regional school in PA, more specifically Philadelphia, because I want to pursue Public Interest Law. I am particularly focused on and have experience with Special Education Law. I understand this is a niche field, and that things might change while in law school. That being said, I am NOT interested in Big Law. I am wondering if I should attend BU ( or a similarly ranked school in the T20s with a good amount of debt such as BC and Fordham) or attend Villanova for free. I have ties to the Philadelphia area and would like to remain here if possible, but also understand that the employment prospects and reputation at these higher ranked schools is a significant factor. Any advice or input would be appreciated!

Well, I feel like 15k isn't enough to make BU worth it if your ultimate goal is Philly PI. Relatively unfamiliar with east coast, but thats what I would guess.

As long as you want to end up in Philly PI and are willing to hustle, I see no problem with taking a full ride...but did you apply to Temple?

Going to BU with barely any money and no interest in biglaw is very counterintuitive.

Thanks for the responses thus far. I realize that my little interest in BigLaw would dissuade me from attending BU, but its employment prospects and clinic/externship/study abroad programs appear to be very strong. I would normally choose Temple over Nova due to the reputation and its location in center city. Unfortunately I was waitlisted which was a big surprise considering I have gotten some acceptances with small scholarships from T30 and T20 ranked schools. If Temple ends up taking me off the waitlist and offers me money to attend, I will consider it over Villanova but it will be hard to turn down a full-ride when considering the two are peer schools.