Any thoughts out there on potential merit of choosing St. John's over Seton Hall or Rutgers-Newark? It seems like it may give you some better chance in NYC, but honestly if one is also interested in pursuing a career in NJ, Seton and RU-N are far superior.
This is a very tough decision I think. Originally when I refused to leave the NYC area, I thought I'd be choosing between the 3 if Cardozo/Fordham/Bklyn didn't accept me -- still waiting on all 3. However, I ended up not even applying to Seton Hall (long story) and at this point am almost definitely heading to Cali (of course that can change).
When I was considering it, it was always Seton Hall -> St. John's -> Rutgers, in my head. Although I only visited Seton Hall, I have 2 friends at St. John's who are 1Ls and they love it. I would've gone with SH because it's supposedly a better school, much easier to commute to from NYC and NJ (where I planned to live with the then-girlfriend by 2L) and would open a lot more doors in NJ than St. John's.
If someone were indifferent in regard to location and got into all 3 schools, I think it'd be wise to visit all 3, consider which school specializes in an area of interest to them and figure out which one would end up being the wisest investment based on cost and scholarships. Because at the end of the day, all 3 schools are pretty even with SH having perhaps a small edge.