widener vs hofstra

[cherpin]

i was accepted to widener full scholarship and hofstra with a partial scholarship of 12,000.  I know widener is a T3-T4, but a free ride is so hard to turn down.  Hofstra is a T3, but i'm hearing it fluctuates between T2-T3.  And I heard that getting a job there would be much easier, and their bar passage rate is improved to the point where it is higher than schools like Brooklyn and St Johns.  I'm not particularly partial to where I practice, as long as its in the northeast.  I've been accepted to others but these are the only ones I'm thinking about.

So basically its the classic argument of money vs prestige (if there is any)

[Remarq]

What are the conditions of the scholarship at Widener, because I've been told T4's have incredibly hard curves, making it very difficult to keep one's scholarship money.

[RobWreck]

Hofstra places pretty well on Long Island, top 5-10% can probably get big law. No clue about Widener...
Take a good look at the scholarship requirements and if Widener really wants you, see if you can have them make your scholarship offer 3/4 tuition with no strings attached... otherwise, go with the higher ranked school (Hofstra only requires a 3.25 GPA to keep a scholarship, iirc).
Good luck,
Rob

[Esquire1920]

I was told that by a 2L at Widener that the curve is atrocious!!!! (Dunno if that helps but just my two cents)

[kennedyposter]

I've actually heard pretty good things about hofstra...their avg starting salary is really high for a school of their US news ranking and I actually know a girl whose sister went there and she works in NYC. I'm starting to think they are underrated actually.

[cherpin]

What are the conditions of the scholarship at Widener, because I've been told T4's have incredibly hard curves, making it very difficult to keep one's scholarship money.

yeah the curve is a 2.3 apparently, its tough.

I'm just afraid the tuition will be killer for hofstra, its 26K with the scholarship...is a 3.25 at hofstra hard to keep? can you awarded money be raised after your first year? 

I just want to go to a place where I know job placement will not be an issue

[RobWreck]

I just want to go to a place where I know job placement will not be an issue

Oh, a place where you know that job placement will not be an issue? That place is called Yale.

Outside of the T-14, and even in at some of those, jobs aren't as prevalent as they were a few years back, and the farther you are away from those top schools, the higher your going to have to place in your class if you want to make sure that job placement won't be an issue. The schools you're looking at? I'm guessing that you better be able to beat out 80% of your classmates if you want to have a decent chance at getting a decent job. Remember... in NY, Hofstra is competing against Columbia, NYU, Columbia, Fordham, Cardozo, Brooklyn, St. John's, NY Law, Touro, Pace, CUNY and the top law students from every law school in the country. To say that the NY job market is a tough nut to crack is a major understatement... especially if you don't have the class rank/school name and something else to make you stand out against all the other applicants from better schools with better grades.
Good luck,
Rob