What to do? NYU (Sticker) v. Fordham $$ v. Emory $$ v. BC $
Just received notice from NYU that I will not be receiving any aid. Despite relatively high need, albeit below median LSAT. I am very much a PI oriented candidate but I am open to the possibility of doing big law summers and employment for 2+ years if necessary. Is NYU still worth this, or am I insane? I have about 30K in savings. Parental help will be minimal, possibly for emergencies only. What to do?
Note: I am from Atlanta. Doing Emory would allow me to pursue law school without any private loans, only federal, likely around 80K in debt. Every other option would require private loans in addition to federal loans. NYU would likely leave me with around 150K in private loans and another 150K in federal loans, total 300K.
Edit: My career goals are, or at least were before NYU’s notice, to attain a senior legal role in an international organization (EU, UN, WBG) or within the U.S. government. I have a highly international background and extensive prior experience in the international organization space.
If I were to attend NYU without aid, I would plan to enter big law immediately after graduation and stay for at least 1–2 years specifically to pay down a meaningful portion of the debt before transitioning into public interest or government work. I know NYU offers strong LRAP protections (including private loans) but I’m worried about being locked into something, or the possibility of it not working out. Even with LRAP, taking on 300K in loans, with 150K of that private, is psychologically daunting.
Posted Apr 1, 2026, 8:19 PM UTC · edited