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I am currently a NJ resident interested in pursuing a public interest career after graduation. Rutgers-Newark has given me nearly a full ride (I'd pay 4k/year), while Maryland as only given me 12k/year, which would leave me with 24k/year to borrow.

Maryland is more highly ranked, and has a great clinical program. What do you think?

(I'm not sweating my waitlists-Fordham, W&M- because it's likely I would have to pay sticker price if admitted)

It seems like you're treating this like a financial decision, so that's a good start. In order to provide you with fully informed advice, we'll need to know your answers to these questions:

• What do you have in mind when you say 'public interest?'
  
  What are your numbers?
  
  Where do you want to work?
  
  What are the total costs of attendance at each school, INCLUDING COST OF LIVING (e.g. rent, food, gas, etc.)?

North wrote:It seems like you're treating this like a financial decision, so that's a good start. In order to provide you with fully informed advice, we'll need to know your answers to these questions:

• What do you have in mind when you say 'public interest?'
  
  What are your numbers?
  
  Where do you want to work?
  
  What are the total costs of attendance at each school, INCLUDING COST OF LIVING (e.g. rent, food, gas, etc.)?

1. I'm defining public interest broadly, as I expect my conception of public interest to be sharpened in law school. Legal services, government staff, policy advocacy... really any area that strives to represent disadvantaged individuals, groups, or causes. I would not even rule out AG/ DOJ offices.

2. I'm not sure if my numbers are relevant at this point, except for Fordham's and W&M's waitlist, which I am not expecting to overcome. LSAT: 163, GPA: 3.0

3. I wouldn't mind working in NJ/NY or DC.

4. Affordability seems to weigh heavily in Rutgers' favor. Maryland's tuition would cost roughly $20k more per year. I'm clueless when it comes to rent/living expenses. I'd expect to live in or near Hoboken should I attend Rutgers, but I'm not sure about Maryland.

UMD living is fairly cheap in Baltimore, surprisingly (well maybe not surprisingly).
Hoboken can be pricey.

RU-N has good clinicals and connection with newark, a town that relies on those clinicals. Cant be the price of 4k/year. Also, send a lot of their students into clerkships after graduation.

People are going to say if you want to work in DC, dont go to maryland as they dont really place that great there. However, the MARC train runs right to union station in DC (capitol Hill stop) and you should be able to intern there and commute during the school year for public interest groups (when selectivity for internships is much lower) and get a foot in the door that way.

paintbynumbers wrote:UMD living is fairly cheap in Baltimore, surprisingly (well maybe not surprisingly).
Hoboken can be pricey.

RU-N has good clinicals and connection with newark, a town that relies on those clinicals. Cant be the price of 4k/year. Also, send a lot of their students into clerkships after graduation.

People are going to say if you want to work in DC, dont go to maryland as they dont really place that great there. However, the MARC train runs right to union station in DC (capitol Hill stop) and you should be able to intern there and commute during the school year for public interest groups (when selectivity for internships is much lower) and get a foot in the door that way.

Thanks for the reply (and thank you North for asking for important background info).

Does Maryland really not place well there? On the ABA questionnaire it looks like 46/254, 18%, of 2012 grads went to DC. But I'm not sure how that reflects on Maryland's ability to place there, because I expect that, as a strong state school, most students would vie for Maryland jobs.

I'm also excited about Maryland's clinical program, which, notwithstanding the USNWR's weaknesses, is ranked very highly (5th). I was impressed with both Rutger's and Maryland's facilities, although Maryland's were newer and nicer. I think I really want to go to Maryland, but the prospect of a debt free graduation is so enticing.