Choose Alabama for the undergrad value, which includes saving money for grad school. Do not choose it for the law school value. You can make the law school choice at a much later date, after you have a better idea of your future geography and likely apply to some T14s as well. (Do not underestimate how much more difficult it is to get a BigLaw interview, let alone a job, at a firm outside the region as an Alabama law student than it would be as a T14 law student. The difference in ranking between, say, a #10 and #27 is much larger than it may seem and is not analogous to undergrad ranking systems, where such a difference would be slight.)
Not everyone wants or belongs at a T14. More importantly, why does everyone on CC assumes a student wants Big Law. Geez!
@itsgettingreal17 so true… its a grind and there is high turnover. I’m at Big Law with an ancillary group so slightly less of a grind but so many lawyers don’t enjoy the environment and move on.
True, not everyone belongs at a T14 or wants Big Law. But there’s no denying that T14 affords options not available to most grads of other law schools, or at least makes them far more accessible. I’m not a big proponent of rankings vs. success when it comes to undergrad, but law school is different. Case in point, and I know it’s just anecdotal, but my brother graduated T14, decent but unspectacular grades, probably top half, with nothing special as far as law review or other credentials. He stopped taking interviews after the first 9 firms, including several Big’s. His wife went to a mid tier law school, similar resume. She got interviews only with smaller regional firms. The more prestigious firms will only look at the very top students from schools like hers.
Now even if you don’t necessarily desire Big Law, starting out there opens all kinds of doors. Many move on to smaller firms, clerk for judges, and other things enabled by having those connections and that line on the resume.
@evergreen5 that’s very fair. Because I’m not entirely sure of my future prospects, you’re right to say that I shouldn’t be making those type of decisions now. I’m really just trying to make sure I take full advantage of the five year scholarship… maybe I could get a masters in something else… possibly economics! Or political science! So many options.
@itsgettingreal17 @Cookies510 you are both correct that big law may not be right for me. While I like the hustle, I’m not sure if it’s something that I want to do long term. When I’m no longer young and full of energy I’m not sure I’d appreciate it as much… then again, I can’t be sure as I only have Internet forums and other people’s experiences to go off of. I guess I’ll be able to find out for myself in a few years 
@Chardo that makes sense, and I’ve heard similar things from nearly everyone else: higher ranked law school = more opportunities. I’m sure I will apply to some T14 schools after finishing undergrad to see if I can get in and to see if the money is worth it. Just have to crush my LSAT! Best case scenario would be to get a 3.8 with a 170 (which may sound unreasonable but I’m asking you to trust me: with months of prep and my drive, I think it is doable).
That way I could get into some of those T14 schools and maybe even get a scholarship from some of the lower-end ones, although that might be a long shot. I guess I just ultimately want to have as many options as possible, and doing well on the LSAT makes that a reality for me. That’s where I have to start!
@grant1509 I would expect nothing less than 3.8 from someone with your credentials. With plus-minus grades at UA, an A+ being worth 4.33, the top students like you that gets lots of those have an easy time being at or near 4.0. Every year there are hundreds of President’s List 4.0 grads.
The 170 LSAT is not as easy, but not unreasonable. My brother actually had no intention of law school. He was getting his MBA, and working at a test prep place to make some money. He was teaching an LSAT review course. Decided that if he’s teaching the course, he should take the test for the experience. He got 175. Then he said I guess I have to go to law school.
@Chardo that’s awesome that it worked out that way for your brother! Maybe I can luck into something like that.
And thank you for the vote of confidence. I know that if I work hard I can maintain a really high GPA, although I had no idea about the weighting of UA’s grades. An A+ being a 4.33 is really nice. Now I just have to go out there and perform! Hopefully in three years I’ve got some really good law school choices (if that’s the route I pursue). I’ve also been looking into a Masters in Economics and a Masters in Political Science from UA… both are only one year and it might be nice to have before law school, especially if I realize I’m not going to UA! It would guarantee that I take full advantage of the scholarship while not limiting my law options. Win-win!
Hey everyone! Yesterday I went to an awards ceremony and was offered a $40,000 scholarship (10k for 4 years) from an organization in my state!! The gratitude I’m feeling at the moment is beyond words… it’s a true life-changing opportunity. As far as I’m aware, the scholarship can be used for any educational expenses as long as it’s billed by the school. What I’m wondering is how that works with the full ride from UA?
I’d use part of the $10k for a meal plan, and then other parts for technology/supplies/fees (if I can), but what about the money that’s left over? Would the University of Alabama just give it to me, kind of like an extra stipend? That would be incredible if they would, but if not then I don’t want to just throw away the money. Maybe I could ask the foundation to put it toward my graduate school if I need it? What do you think?
@mom2collegekids ^^^ OP has significant outside scholarship. How does stacking work at Bama?
Goodness gracious. Grant, I like your idea of and mba and law degree to help you have a wide array of options in the business world. M and A work or law. Inside gc or just a traditional commercial banker or executive with a law degree is very impressive. All kinds of industries would value that combo. Who knows if you want to be an associate at Skaden. Nothing wrong with that but maybe won’t be your path.
Don’t plan your whole life right now. Go to a school where you will do the best academically. The extracurriculars are icing on the cake not the main ingredients.
I would personally go to Fordham and play ball. But that’s me.
@privatebanker it’s funny to me because I’ve only just turned 17 (I skipped a grade) and I feel the need to plan my entire life in the matter of a couple weeks. It’s ridiculous, I know, but how can I not when the biggest decision of my life to this point is coming at a time where I can’t even vote yet? I’m not crazy, right? The whole concept of having teenagers make a life-altering choice based on what they read on internet forums and hear from Uncle Joe is completely ludicrous in my opinion.
It’s for that reason that I overanalyze it; I perpetually hedge my bets with the hopes that this one decision does not end up being the one that ruins the rest of my life, or throws away my years of hard work, or at the very least limits me in what I want to do. I just want to be sure I’m making the right choice, and simulating possible outcomes hundreds of times in my head, self-determining the probability that my college choice ends up going the way I want it to, and then posting rambling comments on this forum is my way of managing it all. Maybe not the best idea, but it can’t be the worst either.
As for a JD plus MBA, thank for your confirming the notion that it is a smart career choice. The key for me is doing it with as little debt as possible, so that’s why I’m leaning toward Alabama. This new scholarship ($40k) could change things, but I’m still not sure. Thank you.
Good luck. Neither school choice will lock in your fate one way or the other. When you graduate from either you will be back on here telling kids just like you how great it was. and forever flying into bama to see the big game wearing the red and white.
If you haven’t seen this article from Chicago Tribune, you might find it interesting.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-illinois-students-brain-drain-20180405-story.html
Lots of OOS kids at Alabama.
That said, I’d seriously consider Fordham - especially with the latest financial award you received. A lot of kids live off-campus after freshman or sophomore year, which can reduce cost of housing. The study abroad program is great. Honors College comes with lots of other perks, too. Plus baseball! Have you visited both campuses and gone to accepted students days? What did you think of other kids you met?
You sound like you’ll excel no matter which school you pick. Post your decision May 1st!
OP, Bama will permit you to use the 10k/yr towards college charged expenses and then payout to you the difference which you can use towards books, etc.
Just research how that money is taxed. Anything towards room and board is taxed as income. I believe it kicks in after 2500. And, it used to be taxed at PARENTS tax rate. Not sure with new 2018 tax code. Definitely something to look into.
Congratulations!
@4Gulls great article! I’ve seen so many people mention how often Alabama gets mentioned on CC (some who are less than pleased), yet to me it seems deserved. When you are a public, flagship university and are giving away almost $150 million in merit aid, I think that deserves some recognition!
As for Fordham, it truly is amazing. I’d be able to study at their satellite campus in London if I wanted, I’d play baseball for sure, and the honors college is actually one of the big reasons why I want to go, although I haven’t been accepted into it yet which is unfortunate. I think only ~30 kids get in and I guess I wasn’t selected 
I was not able to visit on admitted student days because of baseball and family conflicts, but I’ve been to Fordham’s campus recently. While I haven’t been able to visit the University of Alabama, I’m pretty well aware of what I’m getting into. I’ve talked to 5+ recent alum, called their offices ~10 times with various questions, and contacted a few underclass students there already. As a whole, they were pretty unbiased (except for admissions of course) seeing as they all had different experiences. Because of this, I think I have a good idea of what I’d be getting into.
I love the culture at both schools, but what really separates the two for me is the school spirit and pride. Fordham has it, but it’s different because many students are essentially living in NYC and going to school at Fordham. I’m not just talking about commuting; it’s even their motto: “Fordham is my school, New York City is my campus”. So while that is awesome, it loses some points for traditional college feel (sports, tailgating, parties, dorm culture, etc). Alabama on the other hand is a true college town and has all of that in spades.
I think what’s really appealing for me is the fact that the Fordham experience doesn’t have to be limited to this moment in my life, whereas Alabama does in a sense. After graduating from Alabama undergraduate, I will be 20 years old, so I can still go to Fordham or some other NYC or Boston school and enjoy that city lifestyle and ultimately end up there if I want. If I go to Fordham, I don’t think there’s a very high chance I’d end up in the south, and I think it’s at least worth it to experience it sometime in my life.
@Longhaul that would be incredible! So I would pay ~$4k for a meal plan and then maybe $1k for any other miscellaneous charges, meaning I would be able to pocket about $5000. Then after it’s all taxed I’m sure that might be cut in half (assuming a ~25% tax rate of the $10k), but pair that with the $3500 stipend I’d already be receiving and I would have around $6000 to spend… as a college student! Wow…
At Fordham, my current cost of attendance in total would be $15k-$20k/year (including various expenses associated with being a college student and living in NYC). The $10k scholarship helps immensely and makes it $5k-$10k/year, but that’s still $20,000-$40,000 over the course of four years that my parents would be funding, compared to the $20,000+ I would be earning over five years at Alabama.
So Fordham is still something to consider due to the quality of the education and the location, but I think that Alabama sets me up for life in an almost impermeable way. Wow, this is tough!
Do you think you could make the baseball team at Alabama? I don’t know how good you are, but there are just going to be some teams that are out of reach. My daughter could have gone to a D1 school and made the team but not ANY D1 school. She could play at Fordham but not at Florida (Alabama doesn’t have her sport) or Maryland. UMass? Maybe.
I ask this because Alabama may be a different experience with sports than you are planning. I’d pick Fordham if you can afford it.
Also, is there a chance for you to get a baseball scholarship after the first year? A friend went to Fordham on a small swimming scholarship and by her senior year it was full tuition.
@twoinanddone you raise some great questions, and I’ve thought about them long and hard for the past two weeks. Like I’ve mentioned before, I skipped a grade, so I’m not physically mature yet. I’m sitting upper 80’s with my fastball and three solid offspeed pitches, which puts me in solid D1 territory pitching-wise. Most Alabama recruits are around 90-91 freshman year (and almost all are bigger than me), but all of them are a year or two older than me as well. Personally, I know I have more left in the tank, I know I’m going to grow more and get stronger, and I know that I will work my butt off to get what I want.
I’ve talked to a couple ex-college coaches (one was a mid-major D1 head coach for 20 years, the other coaches a JuCo that has won a national championship) and I asked them to give me their honest opinion, no holding back. Both said that I could go to Fordham and play… possibly play a lot, even as a freshman. They said that there would be no guarantees at Alabama, that I’d have to work harder than everyone else, and that I would have to redshirt freshman year without a doubt.
Both said that because of my academic scholarship, I’m a free player, and that gives the coach incentive to work with me at least for the first year and see how things go. Still, because I’m not an athletic scholarship guy, that also allows the coach to cut ties that much easier.
After my redshirt year, and especially after my sophomore fall, I’d have a pretty clear indication of whether or not it’s going to work out. For me, that’s a risk I’m willing to take to play baseball at the highest level because it’s something I truly love. But both coaches also recognized that baseball isn’t my end goal in life, and both mentioned that I may give it all I’ve got for two years, it might not work out, and then maybe I’m okay with that because I know I gave it my all. Or maybe I do that and then end up transferring if I realize that baseball is that important to me.
Also, Alabama is in the SEC so that makes it a top-50 type school, but it’s also in the bottom half of the SEC. I’m not taking anything away from the school’s baseball program; I’m simply saying that it’s different than schools like Vandy or Mississippi St, at least for baseball. Alabama will have plenty of guys drafted, but it’s not like those schools where nearly every guy is a draft-worthy prospect. I think that fact, coupled with the NCAA regulations that limit scholarships to 27 out of 35 players on a D1 baseball team, give me the long shot that I need to make the team.
Please call Bama to ask about stacking. It would be unusual for a school to let you stack scholarships in excess of full COA. Maybe Bama does, but it’s worth a call to be certain, especially if you’ll be basing an important decision on the answer.
If they won’t stack it you can talk to the scholarship provider. Maybe they will let you save it for study abroad or grad school.