NYU Law Class of 2016 Forum

[ph5354a]

Hey everyone, I have a question about finaid if you don't mind. I was lucky enough to be awarded a Dean's Scholarship for 25k 25k and 12.5k (so I guess 62.5k), and I was wondering a bit about how this works. Is this the most one can earn on merit (aside from name schollies; If I'm not mistaken it's not the highest, so why do they call it the Dean's Scholarship?))? How much will I end up paying total (approximately), including full government loans? Is this really this much of a savings? Also, they say I must remain in good academic standing--is this just saying basically "don't fail"? Or do I have to maintain a high GPA to retain this scholly? Thanks!

Dean's Scholarship is their term for general merit/need aid and it can be any amount. My $15k scholarship was a Dean's Scholly, so are the $30k scholarships.

Re: good academic standing: I looked into that and it's not a GPA requirement. It's the same standard that's required of any student at the law school. The website below has some more info. Basically, don't get D's and F's.

Have you looked at the official award letter? On the second page, it lists the total cost of attendance minus your scholarships and tells you how much you should expect to take out in loans (usually $20,500 Federal Direct at 6.8% interest and the balance in Grad Plus at 7.9% interest). Keep in mind this is taking into account their own cost of living calculations, and that could be lower for you.

http://www.law.nyu.edu/academicservices ... /index.htm

[abcde12345]

http://www.law.georgetown.edu/admission ... geid=61621

Use that as a great tool. You can input total cost of attendance at the top (for NYU, full budget is 78,000. Then you can plug in your scholarship amounts for each of the three years, along with anything you yourself might add. Then it assumes the rest is in government loans and shows you what your total debt on repayment will be and what your monthly payments will be.

Thanks, that is a great tool. I put everything in and it still comes out to 220k total =/. Damn. I guess I might be sitting out a year then.

Dean's Scholarship is their term for general merit/need aid and it can be any amount. My $15k scholarship was a Dean's Scholly, so are the $30k scholarships.

Re: good academic standing: I looked into that and it's not a GPA requirement. It's the same standard that's required of any student at the law school. The website below has some more info. Basically, don't get D's and F's.

Have you looked at the official award letter? On the second page, it lists the total cost of attendance minus your scholarships and tells you how much you should expect to take out in loans (usually $20,500 Federal Direct at 6.8% interest and the balance in Grad Plus at 7.9% interest). Keep in mind this is taking into account their own cost of living calculations, and that could be lower for you.

http://www.law.nyu.edu/academicservices ... /index.htm

Thanks, I saw that but I still wasn't sure about how to interpret it. The academic standing thing is very reasonable though.

[sinfiery]

Yeah, even with 75k I'm going to be 197k in debt.

The way I see it is, as a 1L it sucks but as a 2L and 3L, you are going to have a students schedule living in NYC. I would pay the premium COL for this, especially as a 22/23/24 y/o

[JamMasterJ]

Yeah, even with 75k I'm going to be 197k in debt.

The way I see it is, as a 1L it sucks but as a 2L and 3L, you are going to have a students schedule living in NYC. I would pay the premium COL for this, especially as a 22/23/24 y/o

don't forget that some people come well within the budget while doing fun things quite often (NEVER underestimate the power of free shit) + $4.5K+ from 1L summer + up to $30K 2L summer. It really isn't quite as bad as it seems.

[beepboopbeep]

How many folks are going to live off-campus? I'm thinking about Jersey/Brooklyn to minimize COL, wondering if anyone has experience with this. 30 minute commute is about the most I could handle.

Also, has anyone requested an extension on the 4/22 deposit deadline? I still have four apps out and no fin aid letter (good, bad, or otherwise) from CL; wondering if they make exceptions.

[02889]

How many folks are going to live off-campus? I'm thinking about Jersey/Brooklyn to minimize COL, wondering if anyone has experience with this. 30 minute commute is about the most I could handle.

Also, has anyone requested an extension on the 4/22 deposit deadline? I still have four apps out and no fin aid letter (good, bad, or otherwise) from CL; wondering if they make exceptions.

Definitely living off campus. Convenience is cool and all, but I'll pass on the twin bed.

[Swimp]

How many folks are going to live off-campus? I'm thinking about Jersey/Brooklyn to minimize COL, wondering if anyone has experience with this. 30 minute commute is about the most I could handle.

Also, has anyone requested an extension on the 4/22 deposit deadline? I still have four apps out and no fin aid letter (good, bad, or otherwise) from CL; wondering if they make exceptions.

I'm leaning toward living off-campus. I saw the dorms at an ASW and they weren't great. D'Ag, in particular, looked rough. I don't know if the room they picked to show was just a bad choice or what, but I felt like I was in a run-down undergrad dorm. Mercer was a lot more polished, but it was a little sterile-feeling. I haven't lived in a dorm for like six years, so maybe that's affecting my perception of the NYU dorms.

Anyway, if you're looking for a 30-min commute, max, I'd recommend you nix NJ. Your commute would be more like 30 minutes at a minimum coming from Hoboken.

[beepboopbeep]

How many folks are going to live off-campus? I'm thinking about Jersey/Brooklyn to minimize COL, wondering if anyone has experience with this. 30 minute commute is about the most I could handle.

Also, has anyone requested an extension on the 4/22 deposit deadline? I still have four apps out and no fin aid letter (good, bad, or otherwise) from CL; wondering if they make exceptions.

I'm leaning toward living off-campus. I saw the dorms at an ASW and they weren't great. D'Ag, in particular, looked rough. I don't know if the room they picked to show was just a bad choice or what, but I felt like I was in a run-down undergrad dorm. Mercer was a lot more polished, but it was a little sterile-feeling. I haven't lived in a dorm for like six years, so maybe that's affecting my perception of the NYU dorms.

Anyway, if you're looking for a 30-min commute, max, I'd recommend you nix NJ. Your commute would be more like 30 minutes at a minimum coming from Hoboken.

Yea, D'ag was awful. I can't imagine moving from a real apartment from there. Agreed that Mercer was better, but as a hookah smoker dorms are a non-starter for me in general. They'll kick me out in a week

Thanks, good to know. I have a friend who commutes from Hoboken to NYU for a MSW, and it seems like a pain, but her rent is... well, it's not cheap, but it's better than what I've found in other parts. Got any recommendations?

[chickpea]

Also definitely living off campus. I'm living in Brooklyn now but am planning to move back to Manhattan for NYU, likely to the East Village. I love Brooklyn but I want to be within vaguely reasonable walking distance of NYU, at least for 1L. For more affordable and Brooklyn neighborhoods, check out Prospect Heights and Crown Heights. Park Slope/Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill are closer to NYU but also significantly more expensive.

[chickpea]

Also, there's a spreadsheet in the 2016 Facebook group for people looking for off-campus roommates.

[ph5354a]

Outing myself: if you want don't mind living with a very sweet dog and are looking for a 2 bedroom in the East Village/close to NYU, PM or email me

[Swimp]

Yea, D'ag was awful. I can't imagine moving from a real apartment from there. Agreed that Mercer was better, but as a hookah smoker dorms are a non-starter for me in general. They'll kick me out in a week

Thanks, good to know. I have a friend who commutes from Hoboken to NYU for a MSW, and it seems like a pain, but her rent is... well, it's not cheap, but it's better than what I've found in other parts. Got any recommendations?

I'm anti-Brooklyn. Basically, I think people overstate the convenience--I've never lived there, but I have friends who used to live in Brooklyn (they've moved back to Manhattan now...) and it was not convenient to visit them. If you have to rely on the L, you will come to hate it. You'll also probably be living in Williamsburg, which isn't even cheaper than Manhattan anymore. Neighborhoods accessible by other lines are farther away. In general, I think that by the time you get to a neighborhood that offers a discount from Manhattan rents, you're talking about a 30 min + commute. And don't even get me started on inter-borough cabbing.

It depends on your priorities. I prefer to be in a small space in Manhattan and have the convenience of the location (in terms of subway, walkability, cabs) rather than a bigger, possibly nicer place in Brooklyn. I assume someone will come by before long and disagree with me.

[chickpea]

Outing myself: if you want don't mind living with a very sweet dog and are looking for a 2 bedroom in the East Village/close to NYU, PM or email me

Haha I believe we just corresponded via email?

[ph5354a]

Outing myself: if you want don't mind living with a very sweet dog and are looking for a 2 bedroom in the East Village/close to NYU, PM or email me

Haha I believe we just corresponded via email?

Yup! I thought I knew who you were before, but I'm always afraid of bringing up TLS and being completely off-base, then having to explain what TLS is, and sounding like a complete lunatic.

[o0o0o0o]

Yea, D'ag was awful. I can't imagine moving from a real apartment from there. Agreed that Mercer was better, but as a hookah smoker dorms are a non-starter for me in general. They'll kick me out in a week

Thanks, good to know. I have a friend who commutes from Hoboken to NYU for a MSW, and it seems like a pain, but her rent is... well, it's not cheap, but it's better than what I've found in other parts. Got any recommendations?

I'm anti-Brooklyn. Basically, I think people overstate the convenience--I've never lived there, but I have friends who used to live in Brooklyn (they've moved back to Manhattan now...) and it was not convenient to visit them. If you have to rely on the L, you will come to hate it. You'll also probably be living in Williamsburg, which isn't even cheaper than Manhattan anymore. Neighborhoods accessible by other lines are farther away. In general, I think that by the time you get to a neighborhood that offers a discount from Manhattan rents, you're talking about a 30 min + commute. And don't even get me started on inter-borough cabbing.

It depends on your priorities. I prefer to be in a small space in Manhattan and have the convenience of the location (in terms of subway, walkability, cabs) rather than a bigger, possibly nicer place in Brooklyn. I assume someone will come by before long and disagree with me.

If you can find a good deal in Prospect Heights, it's a great option. I'm 15-20 minutes away from the west 4th street stop on the C and the B lines, which is pretty reasonable.

[chickpea]

Yea, D'ag was awful. I can't imagine moving from a real apartment from there. Agreed that Mercer was better, but as a hookah smoker dorms are a non-starter for me in general. They'll kick me out in a week

Thanks, good to know. I have a friend who commutes from Hoboken to NYU for a MSW, and it seems like a pain, but her rent is... well, it's not cheap, but it's better than what I've found in other parts. Got any recommendations?

I'm anti-Brooklyn. Basically, I think people overstate the convenience--I've never lived there, but I have friends who used to live in Brooklyn (they've moved back to Manhattan now...) and it was not convenient to visit them. If you have to rely on the L, you will come to hate it. You'll also probably be living in Williamsburg, which isn't even cheaper than Manhattan anymore. Neighborhoods accessible by other lines are farther away. In general, I think that by the time you get to a neighborhood that offers a discount from Manhattan rents, you're talking about a 30 min + commute. And don't even get me started on inter-borough cabbing.

It depends on your priorities. I prefer to be in a small space in Manhattan and have the convenience of the location (in terms of subway, walkability, cabs) rather than a bigger, possibly nicer place in Brooklyn. I assume someone will come by before long and disagree with me.

Williamsburg is lame. Prospect Heights is where it's at Some parts of BK are really close to Manhattan but of course living in those parts is not much cheaper than living in Manhattan (especially if we're talking about downtown Manhattan).

This is all a matter of personal preference of course. I loved living in Brooklyn. Did I hang out with friends who live in Harlem a lot? No. That being said, I feel like the vast majority of my friends (and recent college grads in general) live in Brooklyn.

For law school I'm willing to live in a smaller, likely crappier place in order to avoid having to take the subway after a late night study session in the library.

[chickpea]

Outing myself: if you want don't mind living with a very sweet dog and are looking for a 2 bedroom in the East Village/close to NYU, PM or email me

Haha I believe we just corresponded via email?

Yup! I thought I knew who you were before, but I'm always afraid of bringing up TLS and being completely off-base, then having to explain what TLS is, and sounding like a complete lunatic.

Haha I know exactly what you mean. At least we know for sure now. Looking forward to grabbing a beer in the village this August

[beepboopbeep]

I'm anti-Brooklyn. Basically, I think people overstate the convenience--I've never lived there, but I have friends who used to live in Brooklyn (they've moved back to Manhattan now...) and it was not convenient to visit them. If you have to rely on the L, you will come to hate it. You'll also probably be living in Williamsburg, which isn't even cheaper than Manhattan anymore. Neighborhoods accessible by other lines are farther away. In general, I think that by the time you get to a neighborhood that offers a discount from Manhattan rents, you're talking about a 30 min + commute. And don't even get me started on inter-borough cabbing.

It depends on your priorities. I prefer to be in a small space in Manhattan and have the convenience of the location (in terms of subway, walkability, cabs) rather than a bigger, possibly nicer place in Brooklyn. I assume someone will come by before long and disagree with me.

Yea, I stayed with a friend in Williamsburg during the March ASW and was shocked by how shitty and expensive her place was. I imagine this will be a theme in NYC, but I thought the point of Brooklyn was to avoid one or the other of those things? Also, yes, taking the L even one day to NYU was not an enjoyable experience. MTA, in my very brief experience, generally dominated Chicago public transportation, but that seemed less true in Brooklyn.

That's fair. Chickpea, would you recommend the East Village over anything else in lower manhattan in terms of cost/value? Bah, guess I'll have to reactivate facebook one of these days...

[chickpea]

Beepboopbeep, I would recommend the East Village/Alphabet City as a neighborhood within walking distance of NYU that is slightly less expensive than Greenwich Village. Alphabet City (Avenues A through D) might be pushing it as far as walking distance goes, depending on how much you like walking.

The West Village is generally very expensive but I have a friend there who found a steal for $1,00 a month (her room is the size of my closet in Brooklyn though). I know a few people who live in the Financial District because apartments there are cheaper than other more fashionable parts of the downtown area but you would have to take the subway to get to NYU.

I think the East Village is probably where I'll end up although I'll keep my eye out for that lucky find in the West/Greenwich Village.

[beepboopbeep]

Beepboopbeep, I would recommend the East Village/Alphabet City as a neighborhood within walking distance of NYU that is slightly less expensive than Greenwich Village. Alphabet City (Avenues A through D) might be pushing it as far as walking distance goes, depending on how much you like walking.

The West Village is generally very expensive but I have a friend there who found a steal for $1,00 a month (her room is the size of my closet in Brooklyn though). I know a few people who live in the Financial District because apartments there are cheaper than other more fashionable parts of the downtown area but you would have to take the subway to get to NYU.

I think the East Village is probably where I'll end up although I'll keep my eye out for that lucky find in the West/Greenwich Village.

Also, still looking for potential (petless) roommates to apartment hunt with.

Lovely, thanks for the advice. I've heard the same counter-intuitive thing about the financial district. I love walking! PM sent about potential roommate stuff.

[h_jane_w]

Alphabet city is a great neighborhood. Yes it's far from subways but it's got great bars and cute little restaurants. very homey

[JamMasterJ]

Jersey City can easily be done in ≤30 min. However, you can't catch a train to save your life at night.

[sinfiery]

Dag can be as low as 1400 a month (with all bills paid), how much are you looking at if you live off campus with roughly a 30 minute commute? I think I saw the lowest around 1000 with roommates

[chickpea]

I live less than 30 min away from NYU, with two roommates, and I pay $815. It's a really nice apartment as well.

[sinfiery]

oh snap

definitely living off campus 2L/3L then

Too much trouble as a 1L though + would be nice to just take it easy at first