Northeastern or BU for prelaw

I am an international student from Europe and i am interested in studying law in the future (specifically international business law LLM) hoping to return back after I graduate and work in Europe (no i dont want to study in the uk/europe i hate it) Money is not an issue.

I visited both but can’t seem to choose between them. Anyone can give me the good and bad for each school?

NU has an amazing coop program which I am really really interested in but I have heard it’s not as prestigious as BU

I was wondering if there are any pre-law alumn that could help me with my decision. Which school helps you the most with getting into law school?

ALSO

what would be the best major for pre-law if I want to study international business law in the future? I was thinking of doing a combined major of poli sci and business administration (offered at NU) with a minor in economics, journalism and law and legal studies?

please help

Ask NU specifically about coop placement for international students. In many cases, international students are unable to get coop positions. You might need to settle for an unpaid internship instead.

In your case, what matters is what your future employers in Europe will think about where you did your undergraduate work and your LLM. What any of us think doesn’t matter at all.

For graduate admission what will matter is your undergraduate GPA, your letters of recommendation, your LSAT/GRE test scores, and your essays/personal statement. NU and BU are both perfectly fine. For grad admissions there is no “prestige” difference here to worry about.

For international students Boston would have the upper hand with its alumni network… plus LLM both schools don’t need a pre law undergrad degree

what do you mean both schools don’t need a pre-law undergrad degree?

There’s nuance here but generally this isn’t true for Northeastern and other large co-op programs.

https://international.northeastern.edu/ogs/employment/curricular-practical-training-cpt-f1/

@happymomof1

That is not true.

Good to hear that @TomSrOfBoston . My sources made me think that it would be difficult. In any case, the student should get a clear positive response for the specific major before committing to a coop-heavy program. The rules for CPT and OPT pose specific challenges for sudents with F1 visas.

@happymomof1 For coops for internationals arrangements are fairly easy. For post graduation career jobs in the US, that’s another story of course.

LLM programs in the US are generally a one-year program for those already holding a current JD or foreign law degree/bar license, which I assume that you do not have.

If you plan to apply to a US law school for a JD after attending a US college, than either two will get you there. Admission to US law school is based almost solely on grades+lsat score; neither of the two that you are considering will help more than the other. Moreover, a coop internship will add little to your app.

@PengsPhils - Thanks for that great link! I will bookmark it.

BU is notorious with grade deflation. NU is a better choice. Most important things with law school application is high GPA and high LSAT. Low GPA will kill your dream of law school application. Both is very good school. Go to a school that you can have good GPA and be happy. Boston might resemble a European city but don’t get pooled. Unless you are super super rich you can not say money is not a factor. International student will not get financial aid and cost of graduate and law school costs will be ~700-900 K for you at the end. Be ready for sock sticker price

https://uscollegeinternational.com/2018/01/27/northeastern-university-scholarships/

https://www.bu.edu/finaid/apply/international/