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[which one should I choose?]

which one should I choose?

Go to Duke (the prestige is too important)

St. John's (save the money)

[AubZamZam]

I could understand turning down a semi-big scholarship to go to Duke, but a full ride is another matter. Theres something to be said for coming out of law school w/ $0 in loans & having every penney that u make thereafter be profit. If you have the money to spend tens of thousands a year of Duke, God bless you. But, if I were you, I'd take the money & run

Unless he's got a stipend from St. John's he's not going to come out with zero debt anyway (plus the COL in NYC is quite a bit higher than in Durham).  The median salary coming out of St. John's in the private sector is only 60k.  Even the 75th% salary is 120k which is less than market biglaw rate in NYC.  Taking him at his word that he wants BIGLAW, why on earth would he choose St. John's, which is about the 6th or 7th best school in the NYC area, over Duke, which is the 10th best school in the entire country.  He can easily get a biglaw job out of Duke, and those loans are easy enough to pay off with a biglaw salary.  Imagine the added stress he'd be putting on himself to finish in the top 5% of St John's to get the same kind of job he could get from the bottom of his class at Duke.

[TBoneUCLA]

i dunno why everyone drools over bigla. 80 hours a week of slave labor isnt sexy to me at all.

and ps- if you are making 120k a year and working 80 hours a week, that is like making 60k a year at a regular job (hourly)    NOT COOL

however, this is what the op wants, so duke.

sometimes those tier 2 full rides work out perfectly- the right location, the right specialty for your interests, etc.  but if what you want is the cold hard cash that can only be gotten by 80 hour work weeks for several years, duke is your school

[brutal264]

I got accepted to SJU and WL at a few of my top choices. Hopefully a WL will pan out, otherwise I'm SJU bound. I don't see anything wrong with the school despite the disparage of the other posters on this thread. Honestly, bc a school isnt a marquee tier 1, doesn't mean its not good. Sure SJU has to compete for jobs, but with MOST law schools, if you're not in the top 25% its hard anyways. My sorority sister from SMU Law was top 30% and recruiting was still tough.

Anyways, in regards to the OP, you're obviously pretty smart to get a full ride to a LS, so if I were you figure out where you want to be, and go from there. Good luck and congratulations.

[AubZamZam]

I got accepted to SJU and WL at a few of my top choices. Hopefully a WL will pan out, otherwise I'm SJU bound. I don't see anything wrong with the school despite the disparage of the other posters on this thread. Honestly, bc a school isnt a marquee tier 1, doesn't mean its not good. Sure SJU has to compete for jobs, but with MOST law schools, if you're not in the top 25% its hard anyways. My sorority sister from SMU Law was top 30% and recruiting was still tough.

Anyways, in regards to the OP, you're obviously pretty smart to get a full ride to a LS, so if I were you figure out where you want to be, and go from there. Good luck and congratulations.

I'm not trying to disparage St. John's or say it's not a good school.  But from a biglaw placement perspective, Duke is just a safer bet- more biglaw jobs available for more of the school's graduates.

[hilljack]

Just something else to consider.  Look at the COL in both places.  Duke will be cheaper everywhere but that fat tuition check.  Also, interest on debt is tax deductible.

[InVinoVeritas]

Just something else to consider. Look at the COL in both places. Duke will be cheaper everywhere but that fat tuition check. Also, interest on debt is tax deductible.

if the OP is going into biglaw, he/she will probably be ineligible to deduct interest from educational debt.

[needhelp]

Just something else to consider. Look at the COL in both places. Duke will be cheaper everywhere but that fat tuition check. Also, interest on debt is tax deductible.

if the OP is going into biglaw, he/she will probably be ineligible to deduct interest from educational debt.

Go to Duke because the difference with St. John's is simply TOO HUGE.  I turned down Catholic's full ride to attend Georgetown with no $$ (at least you have some aid from Duke). 

[hilljack]

Just something else to consider. Look at the COL in both places. Duke will be cheaper everywhere but that fat tuition check. Also, interest on debt is tax deductible.

if the OP is going into biglaw, he/she will probably be ineligible to deduct interest from educational debt.

I thought you could deduct interest on any loan.  Why would it matter where you went?

[Paperback Writer]

Just something else to consider. Look at the COL in both places. Duke will be cheaper everywhere but that fat tuition check. Also, interest on debt is tax deductible.

if the OP is going into biglaw, he/she will probably be ineligible to deduct interest from educational debt.

I thought you could deduct interest on any loan.  Why would it matter where you went?

Once you make more than $50,000 per year, the loans are not deductible (or diminishes greatly).  A lot of us will be in that boat after graduating.

[ek23]

I suggest that you visit both schools and see where you feel most comfortable.  Write down everything that each school can offer you and see what stands out the most.  Write out the pros/cons, etc.

I am in a similar dilemma because I have been accepted by both UConn and SUNY Buffalo.  Seems like an easy choice but when I went to visit both schools I absolutely fell in love with SUNY.  They have an international law concentration (which is what I want to focus on in my career) They are so helpful and I got a lot of help with financial aid. I was accepted by UConn in April and they included in the acceptance letter that their financial aid form was due March 1 (which I did not know previously) and I am not eligible for any grants and I did not receive scholarships from them.  Since the admitted open house passed there they will only arrange a student tour for me.  They do not have a concentration in international law and so that made my choice easier.  Both schools have connections in NYC (which is where I want to end up). Yes, UConn may have a better name, but SUNY can provide me with what I need during law school which will create an environment where I will excel.  In UConn, I will most likely be lost in the sauce.  That is just my take.

Decide what is most important for you in attaining your long term goals. 

No tuition debt is a plus, ask yourself if St Johns is going to get you where you need to be.  They have climbed the rankings considerably in the last few years.  Where do you want to work?  What programs do they have?  If Duke screams to you that they can get you where you need to be and you will be comfortable there then go for it.   

Good luck!  And congratulations on your acceptances!