Law School Discussion

Hello everyone,

I currently have 10 hours to make a final decision, and I am having a lot of difficulty.

I will be attending in the fall and making a decision later today.  I had narrowed down my schools to Hofstra Law and Syracuse Law, and I am also now in the back of my mind considering Buffalo Law.

The cost for attending any of the schools is virtually the same.  Buffalo would be in-state tuition plus housing, while Syracuse has given $20,000 in scholarship (2.8 gpa stip), and Hofstra has given $10,000 in guaranteed annual grant funding.

I want to practice in Long Island / NYC and/or in Florida.  I realize all of these schools are ranked just about equally.  I believe they are viewed equally among attorneys and professionals, but I'm curious if everyone feels the same...?  Below are some pros and cons for each school, followed by several questions:

Buffalo:
-Haven't really been considering
-Beleive Buffalo has the lowest reputation and is the most regional school (not good for tri-state area jobs or Floriad jobs now or in the future)

Syracuse:
-Went to undergrad here, want to be back here
-Really enjoy the campus and being here (feel can be a positive to a very stressful environment)
-Was not very impressed with the program, concerned with a lack of organization and initiative.  Heard about student concerns with the administration and new curve.  Read that 1L students have concerns with the law school, but unsure what these concenrs are.
-Despite the above, leaning towards Syracuse

Hofstra:
-I am From Long Island
-Best reputation, especially for long-island and tri-state area
-Easy access to city and long-island law firms for jobs and internships
-Very impressed with alumni and admitted student weekend
-The one deterring factor is that I do not want to spend 3 years in long island at school.  Also did not like the campus.  If I am going to be working hard and stressed in law school, I at least want to be content with my atmopshere, school, and surroundings.

Questions:
-What should I consider when making these decisions?
-Will Hofstra be much better for getting jobs, espcially in Long Island or NYC?
-Should I be concerned with the doubts I had about Syracuse and the concerns I heard about from students.

Thanks so much for your information and opinions.

Hello Everyone,

I have a quick but important question.

What is everyone's opinion on attending law school at the same university as undergrad?

Are there any pros or cons as to doing this (not a top 25 school)?  How much does school matter if it is not a top 25 school?  Would I already be able to take advantage of alumni from the school since I went there as an undergrad, and would it be more beneficial to branch out and go to another school to tap into another alumni base?  Would going to a different school be positive diversification, and would remaining at the same one be viewed negatively?  Is this a relevant factor to weigh when choosing the school v.s. a similarly ranked but different one?

(The school is Syracuse and the alternative and new school would be Hofstra).

Thanks so much.

Good Evening Everyone,

First, I am very appreciative for this board and everyone's assistance throughout this law school application and selection process.

I will be attending law school in the fall, and I will not be retaking the lsats. I've been trying to find the school that will provide the most opportunistic future while balancing for the least possible debt.

Both schools have provided the same amount of funding to date (although some of Hofstra's is guaranteed each year):
-Hofstra has given me $10,000 in annual renewable grants. In addition, they have offered $10,000 in annual scholarship with a top 40% GPA for full retention and top 50% for half. Their curve is between a 3.0 and 3.2.
-Syracse has given me $20,000 in annual scholarship with a 2.8 or higher gpa. Their curve is between a 2.9 and 3.1.

I am wondering if I would have an advantage in attending Hofstra due to their strong Long Island reputation. I aspire to practice in Long Island, and then down the road, practice in Florida. Syracuse has a stronger national reputation. I attended undergrad at Syracuse. I'm comfortable with the environment and in doing my work there, and I'm wondering if it would be advantageous/disadvantageous/neutral to attend the same or a different university? How much does school and tapping into a new alumni base matter?

Thank you so much for your insight and opinions.