Chicago-Kent with $20 K or Brooklyn with $0? Forum

[ecs32]

I have to make my decision in a few days, and I cannot decide between the two. Of course my dream would be for my waiting list status at American or GULC to magically transform into an acceptance (ditto for my hold at Northwestern), but for now I am being realistic.

My factors:
*Currently living and working in Middle East, have been out of undergrad for 5 years. Third year applying to law school waiting for best possible option, but alas... just need to get started now.
*3.72 Ivy League undergrad/161 ugh.
*Married, spouse has MBA and is in marketing, so need good job prospects for him
*Main interest is international human rights law (hence GUCL and American), but also have interest in IP law, especially international IP law (DRM in developing countries).
*Plan/hope to work internationally following graduation. Concerned about national (forget international) rep of Brooklyn and Chicago Kent.
*IF waitlists don't work out this cycle, will plan to transfer out after 1L (Northwestern in Chicago, NYU or Columbia in NYC, if I can hack it). If not, will do my damnedest to make it to the top of the class at either institution.


Any advice O wise TLSers?

[acdisagod]

Here comes a chorus of don't go to either, retake LSAT.

FWIW I know nothing about Chicago Kent but Brooklyn is fairly well regarded by those in NYC government. However, don't expect biglaw.

[uwb09]

edit: nvm, i'd take chicago-kent

[ecs32]

edit: nvm, i'd take chicago-kent

any particular reason for suggesting CK?

[DallasCowboy]

are you not in at your local state school, if you get in-state?

[uwb09]

personally I'm a bigger fan of the city of Chicago

also $60,000 is a ton of money to turn down to go to a school that I don't think will give you that much more of a leg up on what you are looking for out of your law degree

[ecs32]

are you not in at your local state school, if you get in-state?

Didn't apply there-- it would be University of Georgia, which has a solid law school, but Athens, GA is not the best place for your trailing spouse to find a job... (well, not in his field anyway).

[ecs32]

Anyone else have feedback/ideas? Especially regarding career prospects coming out of either Chicago-Kent or Brooklyn?

[PDaddy]

20 G's is nothing to sneeze at in this economy, especially when you consider that Kent is more competitive in its own market. Educationally, they are both excellent schools, but you have to be practical. It's no contest. There are some Kent grads getting jobs as far away as Ohio and NY. The degree is more portable, even if it has very limited portability. BLS prepares you to work in NY, and that's only after Harvard, Yale, BU, BC, NYU, CLS, Fordham, Penn, UVA, W & L, GULC, GWU, and Howard have taken jobs. Tulane and UNC will also make things hard in NY.

[Richie Tenenbaum]

Limit debt. Brooklyn is not worth sticker at all even if one was gunning for biglaw, which it seems you're not.

Even though you probably don't want to hear this, the best thing to do is to wait a year and retake. Another year is well worth the potential scholarship money and increase in job opportunities from higher ranked schools.

[ecs32]

20 G's is nothing to sneeze at in this economy, especially when you consider that Kent is more competitive in its own market. Educationally, they are both excellent schools, but you have to be practical. It's no contest. There are some Kent grads getting jobs as far away as Ohio and NY. The degree is more portable, even if it has very limited portability. BLS prepares you to work in NY, and that's only after Harvard, Yale, BU, BC, NYU, CLS, Fordham, Penn, UVA, W & L, GULC, GWU, and Howard have taken jobs. Tulane and UNC will also make things hard in NY.

Thanks for your feedback