Why is Fordham LC a better choice than my state school?

<p>Ok, so here's the deal. I have to choose between Fordham (Lincoln Center) and my local state school (University of Utah.)</p>

<p>At the U I would pay next to nothing, about 3k for room. At Fordham I got a full tuition scholarship but would have to take 5500 in stafford loans to cover all of my expenses per year, plus each of my parents paying about 5k (they're divorced).</p>

<p>I like the U and everything, but I feel like I wouldn't live up to my potential. I really liked Fordham and loved the city, but I'm wondering if going into debt would be worth it? I have friends at the U, but I'm sociable enough that</p>

<p>I want to go to law school. I have enough AP/IB credit that I'll probably double major in philosophy and econ. Would either school be better suited for me getting into a top 10 law school maybe?</p>

<p>This is a really tough choice for me and my family.</p>

<p>My H and I went to a state school and after graduating, my H borrowed $40k for law school…yes it was a lot cheaper 20 years ago. It took 14 years to pay it back and it wasn’t easy. It was like paying two rents for YEARS. </p>

<p>My S goes to Fordham and LOVES it. I think it is an excellent school and I know that he is having a different college experience than my H and I did at our large state school. But to be honest, if money is an issue and most particularly if grad school is in the future plans, I recommend you NOT take the loans. Go to Utah. Yes you might have to be more proactive to live up to your potential but standout students excel wherever they end up and that part is solely up to YOU. Then you can come to Fordham Law. </p>

<p>Good luck! :)</p>

<p>Since you got a full-tuition scholarship, your debt won’t be THAT bad. Even considering room, board, fees, books, travel expenses, etc, I can’t imagine someone truly struggling to pay off loans for that. To be honest, Fordham and NYC probably will give you more opportunities than Utah, and the debt you incur would be worth it in my opinion.</p>

<p>Fordham is worth a little debt.</p>

<p>I think it’s important to get all different perspectives to help you make your choice and CC is good for that. But of course, this really comes down to your family circumstances. When it comes to the question of undergraduate debt, popular opinion is that you should avoid it if possible. That won’t be an option if you decide to attend Fordham. And while the other posters are encouraging you to take on the debt, it is very likely that they have no actual experience with paying back student loans and the impact it can have on your life which is why they can’t imagine it being a struggle or not necessarily being worth it.</p>

<p>This is one of those times where you really need to go in with your eyes wide open. The reality is that however expensive you think Fordham is, it will cost MORE. And it will go up each year. Which means you will probably be maxing out your Stafford loans and your parents will be paying more then they think. Then you will be adding to your debt for law school. I think it’s great that you got a full tuition scholarship and of course, that cuts down the bulk of the cost of attendance. But you are comparing it to a school you could attend for 4 years that would cost less than 1 year at Fordham and for that 1 year you personally are in the red for $5500. If I were in your postition, I’d ask your parents to put aside the money they would spend on Fordham and help you with law school instead.</p>

<p>I wish you luck making your decision.</p>

<p>I also wish you the very best of luck if you decide to come to Fordham! :)</p>

<p>Haha your lucky to be paying that little for a school that costs 55k!! You definitely wont go into debt with a loan amounting to 5k lol.
If you have your heart set on the city go for it! Theres no place like New York City and if you want to live up to your potential in nyc would be the place to try.
Wish you luck and hope you make the right choice =]
BTW how’d you pull that much aid from fordham???</p>

<p>Fordham will better prepare you for law school. Our strict core and small, intimate learning community is just a better environment for the type of education and training you need to think and apply yourself at an advanced level. The Jesuits are pretty renown for their education.
However, one thing to consider is that FCLC is pretty much the exact opposite of a state school when it comes to student life and everything involving the university experience. We (our campus) do not have any sports teams (nor do most of us care about sports). We don’t have a “quad” where people hang out all day. We don’t have greek life, and we certainly don’t do keg stands in the dorms. Instead, we are an extremely urban population, and spend most of the time not in the classroom or studying out in the city, rather than on campus. Personally, I wanted something that was the exact opposite of a state school, and that’s what I love about LC.</p>

<p>I have a friend that goes to Fordham-LC and I’ve heard terrible things. For instance, Lack of classes so she has to commute to the Bronx campus, broken elevators, construction noises being heard in Library.</p>

<p>^^^I’m surprised that your friend would have applied to LC if the classes she wanted to take were only offered at the RH campus! This takes some individual research given that some classes/majors are only offered at one campus. </p>

<p>The broken elevator is fixed by the way but there is construction going on and my S, who is taking summer classes, did say that the library is too noisy right now. Luckily he has a quiet lounge on his floor.</p>

<p>I’m sure the OP has made a decision by now either way.</p>

<p>Her qualm regarding classes was that there are a shortage of class offerings at lc, for her case history, so classes get filled up very quickly. Therefore, she had to commute to take history classes at the Bronx campus. </p>

<p>Also, law school admissions are overwhelmingly gpa and lsat based. I don’t think think you will get much of a boost in terms of acceptance at top law schools by going to FU over Utah.</p>

<p>Given that it is now June and enrollment deposits were due May 1, it seems likely the OP has made a decision! But good luck to your friend, exegesis. I gather she is transferring given all the “terrible things” you heard about Fordham.</p>