an-bryce at nyu!!!

[jayhawk]

Ok, well, I punched the numbers in for you.

Scenario 1: 1L public interest position, 2L firm job
NYU: $64K
HLS: $108.9K

Scenario 2: 1L & 2L firm job
NYU: $64K
HLS: $122.7K

This doesn't account for the difference in parental contribution over the three years, so it's a bit rough. But you get the idea. In the first scenario it seems reasonable to choose H over NYU; but in the second it starts getting fuzzy. That's almost twice as much ...!

MC, thanks for doing these calculations.  i have a few questions though.  first, what's the total student budget at nyu?  i know i have this info somewhere, but can't seem to find it.  second, i received my official award letter from nyu today and it said that i receive full tuition for my first 2 years, and half tuition during the third year (unless i have a qualifying public interest job).  is that a mistake? i thought the an-bryce was full tuition all three years.  finally, how are you estimating how much the need-based aid will be if i have a firm job?  i'm really not sure it would decrease that dramatically.  i made $14k this year, and i bet with a firm job i would make about $20k in the summer.  is that correct?  if so, i don't think that making $6k more would have that big of an impact.  also, my mom's income will be the same, so that's not a factor.

 

[jayhawk]

i found the budget information.  here's what i'm calculating:

harvard:  budget = $54,000 - $25,000 grant = $29,000

nyu:  budget = $57,100 - $37,500 scholarship = $19,600

so the difference for the first year is $9,400.

if i do public interest 1L summer, i assume my grant will be the same for the second year (not sure if this is a good assumption).
if i get a firm job, i have no idea how much the grant will be decreased, but as mentioned in my other post, i can't imagine the difference being THAT large.  in fact, wouldn't $6k be the max decrease, since that is the difference in what i make now and what i could make at a firm? 

if i use $6k as the amount that my aid will decrease (not sure if this is anywhere close to a valid assumption), the cost difference over three years is: $9,400 + $15,400 + $15,400 = $40,200


$40,200 doesn't seem like too much of a difference over the long run, although it is a factor....

[Rudy Huckleberry]

Jay, as someone in a similar but slightly different situation (Columbia full-t versus HYS), I vote for Harvard.  If you roughly liked both places equally, go with the more prestigious school that may afford you better opportunities over summer and after graduation.  It's icky, but we are entering a prestige-obsessed profession, and no law school is more prestigious that Harvard.  It will pay off in the end.

[jacy85]

no law school is more prestigious that Harvard.

Well, except for that Yale place... 

Anyway, congrats on the scholarship, and although it's a very, very difficult decision, not many people are lucky enough to have to make it!!

I think Harvard is the best bet here.  The difference in debt really isn't all that much.  I honestly don't think your grant would be decreased that much year to year.  I could be wrong though.  But I think realistically, Harvard will offer more opportunities, since as mobell said, for the most part, the law is all about prestige.  And there's [almost] no where as prestigious as Harvard!

[and while you said you weren't thrilled with Cambridge, Boston is a really awesome city.  I think once you get used to it, you'll totally fall in love with Cambridge and Harvard Square!]

[uponcripplecreek]

I'll add my voice for Harvard into the mix. 

If you want to go Biglaw, that cost difference can be paid off very quickly and painlessly.
If you want to go public interest, Harvard has the best LRAP in the country (I believe.)

In either situation, Harvard will open more doors.

[anton]

I'd like to offer my situation into the mix.  I'm in roughly the same spot, except:

(a) my scholarship is the Dean's Fellowship, which is full-tuition two years and half-tuition the third year unless I take a qualifying public interest job.
(b) I want to go into legal academia.
(c) I think I prefer Stanford over Harvard, all things considered.
(d) Stanford has offered me loans-only (Harvard will probably do the same.)
(e) I would either love New York or hate it, and I'm not sure which.

What do y'all think?

[michaelduke]

IMO, NYU.

Are you kidding that you were waitlisted at GW? 

I'd like to offer my situation into the mix.  I'm in roughly the same spot, except:

(a) my scholarship is the Dean's Fellowship, which is full-tuition two years and half-tuition the third year unless I take a qualifying public interest job.
(b) I want to go into legal academia.
(c) I think I prefer Stanford over Harvard, all things considered.
(d) Stanford has offered me loans-only (Harvard will probably do the same.)
(e) I would either love New York or hate it, and I'm not sure which.

What do y'all think?

[risingMC]

What do y'all think?

You already know my vote: NYU.

[jayhawk]

i really appreciate everyone's advice! i was up all night stressing about this, but at this point i think it's going to be harvard.  i'm still going to talk to a few people first, since i have some questions, but i'm getting closer to deciding...

[ilsox7]

i really appreciate everyone's advice! i was up all night stressing about this, but at this point i think it's going to be harvard.  i'm still going to talk to a few people first, since i have some questions, but i'm getting closer to deciding...

Woo hoo!  COngrats.  Now go drink to celebrate!!!