Alabama $$$$ vs NYU vs army of waitlists Forum

[cavalier1138]

ugh really stressing out this, NYU wants a decision today

my dad told me he talked to my aunt (his sister-in-law) (a non-lawyer who grew up in NYC) and she apparently is of the opinion that I shouldn't live in NYC

but really is there any con to NYU in this situation other than the price tag (which factors in the higher COL)?

like NYU has a much larger class size and I would have a dean's fellowship at Alabama so I guess more personal attention at Alabama but idk if that really matters

First off, your dad has to know how ridiculous that line of reasoning is. Second, your dad is too old to appreciate how much the legal hiring game has changed since he was in school. And third, more personal attention at Alabama does not translate into job flexibility if you don't have the grades to support it.

[ernie]

like NYU has a much larger class size and I would have a dean's fellowship at Alabama so I guess more personal attention at Alabama but idk if that really matters

NYU has significantly more faculty, so it has a better student-faculty ratio.

What kind of law do you want to practice, and how committed are you to that?

[stego]

like NYU has a much larger class size and I would have a dean's fellowship at Alabama so I guess more personal attention at Alabama but idk if that really matters

NYU has significantly more faculty, so it has a better student-faculty ratio.

What kind of law do you want to practice, and how committed are you to that?

I want public interest, there's a lot of different types that interest me, but something like ACLU or Southern Poverty Law Center (based on Montgomery, AL) would be like my dream outcome. At least someday, not sure if those are attainable even to freshly minted NYU grads.

(Yes, I know the fact SPLC is in Alabama and its co-founder Morris Dees went to Alabama doesn't mean they give their jobs to Alabama grads. It's an example. But reading Dees' memoir a few years ago is one of the things that made me want to do law.)

[airwrecka]

like NYU has a much larger class size and I would have a dean's fellowship at Alabama so I guess more personal attention at Alabama but idk if that really matters

NYU has significantly more faculty, so it has a better student-faculty ratio.

What kind of law do you want to practice, and how committed are you to that?

I want public interest, there's a lot of different types that interest me, but something like ACLU or Southern Poverty Law Center (based on Montgomery, AL) would be like my dream outcome. At least someday, not sure if those are attainable even to freshly minted NYU grads.

(Yes, I know the fact SPLC is in Alabama and its co-founder Morris Dees went to Alabama doesn't mean they give their jobs to Alabama grads. It's an example. But reading Dees' memoir a few years ago is one of the things that made me want to do law.)

Well Bryan Stevenson is adjunct at NYU. You could take his clinic (if you can get in).

[Slytherpuff]

I didn't read through the whole thread so I don't know what context this came up in, but if you were wondering about summer PI stipends at NYU it's $4500 for 1Ls and $6000 for 2Ls. Doesn't make or break anything, but it's nice to not have to take out extra money for the summer.

NYU seems the clear choice for PI goals. Do it! And we have a TLSer who did Bryan Stevenson's clinic (they're starting at a Southern PD's office in the fall!) who I'm sure would be super down to talk to you about their experience.

[stego]

I didn't read through the whole thread so I don't know what context this came up in, but if you were wondering about summer PI stipends at NYU it's $4500 for 1Ls and $6000 for 2Ls. Doesn't make or break anything, but it's nice to not have to take out extra money for the summer.

NYU seems the clear choice for PI goals. Do it! And we have a TLSer who did Bryan Stevenson's clinic (they're starting at a Southern PD's office in the fall!) who I'm sure would be super down to talk to you about their experience.

it just came up in the context of calculating debt at graduation.

i'll PM them if you know who it is (feel free to PM me). a bit concerned about the bolded though. Alabama would make more sense financially if that's the outcome I want.

[ernie]

So I know a bit about this area (I'm going to a major impact lit org this fall), feel free to PM me if you have questions specific to your situation.

Last year NYU sent 15 students to impact lit organizations. That's not a huge number, but also nothing to sneeze at, given the fact that most NYU students target large firms and federal clerkships, not public interest (and most public interest people target government and direct services, not impact lit). It's also not terribly hard to get a foot in the door of impact lit organizations, given the location, faculty, reputation, clinical opportunities, the competitiveness of NYU students for fellowships, and the school-funded position safety net.

On the other hand, some people targeting "prestigious PI" do struggle to find permanent positions (i.e., positions that aren't fellowships or school-funded). In other words, if you're hellbent on impact lit, you can, as I said, get a foot in the door—do some impact lit externships, clerk at some impact lit orgs during your summers, and almost certainly get a school-funded impact lit position. But is that a guarantee that you'll get hired by an impact lit organization on a permanent basis? No.

And that's sort of the problem with going to law school planning on doing impact lit. The hiring is just so competitive. I truly believe NYU punches above its weight in the PI realm, but it's not Yale. I don't know what the right course of action is here. With Alabama, getting an entry-level impact lit job straight out of law school is pretty unlikely, but at least you won't have any debt to worry about. NYU gives you much better chances at impact lit, but it's not a sure thing, and you'd have loads of debt hanging over your head. I don't think this is a slam dunk decision either way.

[stego]

So I guess the limit on what you can take out with federal student aid is like $25k a year or something like that? How is the process for securing private loans to cover the rest? Is that something to be concerned about or nah?

[trebekismyhero]

So I guess the limit on what you can take out with federal student aid is like $25k a year or something like that? How is the process for securing private loans to cover the rest? Is that something to be concerned about or nah?

Where did you get that from? There probably should be a limit, but you can take Grad PLUS loans to pay the whole thing

[stego]

So I guess the limit on what you can take out with federal student aid is like $25k a year or something like that? How is the process for securing private loans to cover the rest? Is that something to be concerned about or nah?

Where did you get that from? There probably should be a limit, but you can take Grad PLUS loans to pay the whole thing

I don't know, I'm probably way off base. I thought my offer letter said something like "scholarship - 25k, Stafford loans 25k, other sources - 40k"

[cavalier1138]

So I guess the limit on what you can take out with federal student aid is like $25k a year or something like that? How is the process for securing private loans to cover the rest? Is that something to be concerned about or nah?

Where did you get that from? There probably should be a limit, but you can take Grad PLUS loans to pay the whole thing

I don't know, I'm probably way off base. I thought my offer letter said something like "scholarship - 25k, Stafford loans 25k, other sources - 40k"

Right. There's a cap on Stafford loans. Grad PLUS loans are unlimited.

[chargers21]

I would way rather live in Alabama than NYC, and I still say NYU

[stego]

OK, I think i made my decision. Does anybody know how to pay NYU's seat deposit online? I feel dumb but I am struggling to do this quickly because I have to make a decision today and I am supposed to be at work right now but am blowing it off to do this.

[cavalier1138]

OK, I think i made my decision. Does anybody know how to pay NYU's seat deposit online? I feel dumb but I am struggling to do this quickly because I have to make a decision today and I am supposed to be at work right now but am blowing it off to do this.

Unless they've changed it, you go through the admitted students' site. And don't forget to accept your scholarship funds (done separately).

[AdieuCali]

OK, I think i made my decision. Does anybody know how to pay NYU's seat deposit online? I feel dumb but I am struggling to do this quickly because I have to make a decision today and I am supposed to be at work right now but am blowing it off to do this.

Been lurking on this thread hard, but well worth the thrilling conclusion! Congratulations!

[41262]

OK, I think i made my decision. Does anybody know how to pay NYU's seat deposit online? I feel dumb but I am struggling to do this quickly because I have to make a decision today and I am supposed to be at work right now but am blowing it off to do this.

Congrats! You made the right choice.