Hey everyone! I got accepted to the University of Georgia, University of Michigan, University of Southern California, New York University, and University of California-Los Angeles. Due to financial and academic reasons, I’ve narrowed it down to the University of Michigan and the University of California-Los Angeles. Where should I go???
Additional information:
OOS from Georgia
English major at both schools
Intention of attending law school
I have visited both schools
Cost of attendance is essentially equal
Thank you all in advance for your responses! I absolultely love every school that I’ve gotten accepted to and am so excited for the future! It’ll be a tough choice! Thanks!!!
Well, I could provide a litany of reasons, but let me submit the most germane; given that you are interested in pursuing Law, after graduation, that alone would place UCLA at the top of my list. One, upon graduation, and making application to law school, you would have obtained California residency, or at the very least, be very close to being a resident.
This would allow you to four highly ranked law schools, all within the UC system. Boalt, is known as a T14 school, ranked higher than UMich, and UCLA is right below. Also, you also have the very well regarded UC Davis and Hastings. Easy decision if you want a fuller array of options…
@boolahi Thank you!!! That’s a very interesting point… Not only would I have more options, but it would also make law school potentially less expensive. Thanks again!
There is one public T14 law school in CA and one in MI. Cal and Michigan are essentially at the same rank, year in, year out. Both UCLA and Michigan will give you great opportunity if you perform. I would go with fit if cost is not a consideration. Have you visited both?
Lastly, with regard to residency, almost no school will give you credit for years you are there in school. I highly doubt any UC school would. Regardless, the cost of attendance at top public law schools are about $6-7K more for OOS; not the huge discrepancy that undergraduate costs are.
Good luck with your choice.
The T14 schools are:
•Yale Law School (always #1)
•Harvard Law School (#2-3)
•Stanford Law School (#2-3)
•Columbia Law School (#4)
•Chicago Law School (#4-5)
•NYU Law School (#5-6)
•University of Pennsylvania Law School (#7-8)
•University of Virginia Law School (#7-10)
•University of California Berkeley Boalt Law School (#6-9)
•Duke Law School (#10-11)
•University of Michigan Ann Arbor Law School (#7-10)
•Northwestern Law School (#10-12)
•Cornell Law School (#13-14)
•Georgetown Law School (#13-14)
…also consider distance. Michigan is in the same time zone as GA and is a days drive away and a competitiv air fare flight from home. Academics are pretty much a wash however the Michigan degree has a bit more pull in the east, if that is where you decide to live. Furthermore, Michigan is a campus and school that IS Ann Arbor. You will be living in a town that lives and breathes the university. Everything you’d need is within a fairly short distance, including the football stadium. IMHO, Michigan is the quintessential collegiate experience.
How do they compare cost-wise to UGA? If they’re more expensive – especially if you’d be paying full freight – it’s VERY difficult to justify either over such a great in-state option.
Sorry, but, I thought that MI was on central time and GA on EST. Further, if you wanted to include all of the CAL schools, you would also have Stanford and USC. Further the legal markets, between San Diego, LA, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, are exponentially stronger than not just MI but almost the entire midwest put-together.
As to residency, you will need to prove financial independence for two years. If Michigan is the quintessential collegiate experience–whatever that may mean–UCLA is the inflection point of all things west coast cool and sexy—
“Further the legal markets, between San Diego, LA, San Francisco and Silicon Valley, are exponentially stronger than not just MI but almost the entire midwest put-together.”
Michigan Law has national pull; there is no doubt in that.
"As to residency, you will need to prove financial independence for two years.:
So for someone going straight to law school out of undergrad, that is of no help.
"If Michigan is the quintessential collegiate experience–whatever that may mean–UCLA is the inflection point of all things west coast cool and sexy— "
Thus, why I suggested fit is a prime consideration.
Is UGA nearly free for you because you’re eligible for the Hope scholarship?
Unless your family is exceptionally wealthy, I would strongly recommend going to UGA for undergrad. Law schools is extremely expensive. And you don’t want undergraduate student debt to be added to loans you may have to take out for law school.
“Are you inferring that UMich law has more pull than Stanford and Boalt?”
What does Stanford have to do with public UC law schools? Michigan has Chicago and Northwestern in closer proximity to Ann Arbor than UCLA has Stanford. It really doesn’t matter in any case.
Please be detailed and specific… what are the costs of attendance for Michigan, UCLA, and Georgia (tuition/fees/room/board minus scholarship/grants, not including loans)?? How much loans will you need to take out for each?
If it is $40,000 per year more to attend UCLA/Michigan, and going to U Georgia would be $160,000 cheaper, then you should go to Georgia.