HELP ME: Ohio State vs W&M vs Brooklyn vs Miami

[tiesto82]

I am having a very difficult time making a final decision here... this is the way I currently break down

Ohio State ($8,000 per year)
William and Mary ($6,000 per year)
Brooklyn ($24,000 per year)
University of Miami ($23,000 per year)

I have absolutely no intention of doing Public Interest Law, my intention is to focus on International Business Law!!!  With the cost of living disparities the debt I will amount is comparable.  William and Mary is the more highly ranked of the four with Ohio State closely behind.  Currently I am also still awaiting responses from a number of schools (Duke (long family history there), Columbia, UNC-Chapel Hill, Washington and Lee, WUSTL, USC).  I plan on making a decision to attend one of these schools and then reevaluating that decision if I am accepted to one of the ones I am still waiting on.  I don't know what the proper choice to make here is

[R.P. McMurphy]

I would say W&M or OSU for sure. I would also lean towards William & Mary. However, I would do some cost comparisons, look at their international course offerings, and visit. See which you like better and go with that.

[tiesto82]

bump

[nicole1220]

Do you know where you ultimately want to practice?

[tiesto82]

well thats the thing!!! As of right now I either want to be in NYC or abroad in Europe!!!  But as we all know things change.  I know Brooklyn is well respected among the top firms in NYC but that the further from NYC you go the more difficult the initial job search becomes.  I know I am apt for law studies, my academic curriculum has been extremely rigorous and I am coming out with three BA's in Hebrew, Political Science, and International Studies: Security and Intelligence and have a strong background outside of the humanities and social sciences.  All of this while working full time throughout my undergraduate career.  I have combed all of my first year textbooks throughly and am very prepared for 1L.  If I perform at less than a 3.80, I will be very disappointed in myself.  With W&M, I believe I have more national mobility than with OSU, Brooklyn, or Miami.  But I feel I am less competitive for solid externships and East Coast jobs.

[zdub378]

W&M, OSU, and Miami are public.  Do you get in-state tuition at any of them?  If you do, that plus the awards would be nice.

OSU has the Fisher School of Business and a joint JD/MBA program that you might look at.  Fisher is one of the top business schools in the nation, not sure about how the other ones rank.  And OSU probably has one of the strongest alumni networks in the country-a few years ago, they got Virginia to begin issuing license plates with a block O on them- so that'd be a help as well.

Also, I'm waitlisted at W&M, so you should free up a spot for me.

[Prize Fight Promoter]

Miami is not public.  The international appeal of UMiami and South Florida is huge though.  International law is UMiami's preeminent program.

[philibusters]

Feel free to pm any questions you have about W&M.

[Team Awesome]

Ohio State is a very easy place to get in-state tuition for 2L and 3L. They have pretty straight froward instructions on their website.

[zdub378]

Miami is not public.

Whoops.

As for the OP, did you look at the cost of living in the regions?  Columbus is a lot cheaper place than Miami or NYC to live in for three years.  Not sure about how it compares with W&M. 

Ohio State is a very easy place to get in-state tuition for 2L and 3L. They have pretty straight froward instructions on their website.

Yeah, you pretty much need to have a pulse to get in-state rates after your 1st year.  If you're married and your spouse works, you automatically get the in-state rate your first year, too.